Dear Year 13 student
  
Following the announcements made by the government on Wednesday regarding the cancellation of the summer exam season and ongoing school closures, I am writing to try and address the concerns you must all have.  I am very aware of the stress and confusion this is causing and hope to be able to put your minds at rest while we await further guidance from the Department for Education (DfE).
 
Although we do not yet have all the answers, we are able to confirm that the summer examinations have not been postponed or delayed but have been cancelled and that they will not be rescheduled.  We have been reassured by the government and Universities that you will not be disadvantaged by these dramatic events which are entirely out of your control.  UCAS will be releasing a statement tomorrow and Ofqual have stated that they are 'now working urgently with the DfE to provide more information as soon as possible'.  
 
In the meantime, as your Head of Sixth Form and on behalf of your teachers, I wanted to reassure you that we will be working to ensure that your hard work and commitment over the last two years will be recognised and that you all get the results you deserve.  As a college, we are committed to supporting you in the coming weeks and a large part of our work now will be to make sure all updates are communicated to you as soon and as clearly as possible.  We are hugely proud of your efforts this year and although examinations for your courses have now had to be cancelled, this will in no way take away from the recognition you will receive. 
 
It is too soon for us to be certain how your final results will be decided so, while we await updates, I would encourage you to continue with any coursework you are working on and to make the best use of your time at home as is possible.  This is a difficult time for all of you and, indeed, for us as teachers too.  We will be working hard to make sure that we remain together as a community during the weeks and months ahead, even if we are not able to continue to work as we normally would in our classrooms.  We will do this through ongoing communication via the college website and, where staff are able to do so, teachers will continue to respond to any questions or queries you might have.
 
I am aware that many of you will be saddened about how this academic year will end for you and that this has been a very difficult few days to comprehend.  Myself and your teachers are more determined than ever that we will join together, as soon as we are able to safely do so, to celebrate your achievements as a year group.  
 
As soon as we have further information relating to your courses and the decisions made by the government, we will pass these on to you.  Please continue to check the college website for updates in the coming days.
 
Please stay safe and be sure to contact us if you have any needs, questions or concerns.
  
James Dunkerley
Assistant Principal
Head of Sixth Form