Dear Student/Parent/Guardian
As you may be aware, the decision has been taken to postpone the Leaving Certificate examinations scheduled to commence on 29 July 2020 and to offer students a system of Calculated Grades.
All students will be given the option to receive a State Certificate of Calculated Grades in each subject. It will have the same status as Leaving Certificates awarded to students in previous years.
Students will also have the opportunity to sit the conventional Leaving Certificate examination if they wish at the earliest safe and practical time.
Calculated Grades will be generated using a systematic statistical model. It will combine estimates of a student’s expected performance with the school’s statistical profiles of achievement in a subject and level, in line with national performance standards over time.
The first source of data will be provided by the subject teacher. It will then be aligned in the school, with teachers consulting on the results before the principal reviews the process applied to assure the fair treatment of students. The school then sends the data to the Department of Education and Skills.
There will be strong oversight and control and a number of inherent quality assurance measures to ensure students receive as fair a result as possible.
We are asking all students and parents/guardians to refrain from contacting teachers to discuss, query or suggest any reference to subject percentages. We appreciate your cooperation with this request. The school needs time to appraise itself fully with the arrangements that have been announced and further clarifications are required.
A guide to calculated grades for Leaving Certificate students 2020 is available here.
Leaving Certificate students will not have any classes from Monday and can use the next two weeks to continue to study if they are choosing to take the Leaving Certificate examinations which will be organised at a future date (there are no details on any dates for these examinations and they will not take place in time for students to start in Third Level). Teachers will be available via our remote learning arrangements (Google Classroom,email etc.) if students require assistance with subject material.
Our staff are also looking at end of year arrangements with a view to holding a virtual graduation and a series of other options in marking the end of post-primary for your son/daughter and we look forward to sharing these details with you in due course.
We will contact you soon again with additional information and further clarification as we receive it.
Take care of yourself and stay safe
Kind regards
Brendan Burke
Principal