This week’s exam results are a testament to the resilience and hard work of pupils across Cumbria, a leading county teaching association said.
Youngsters will pick up their GCSE and A-level results this week and the Cumbria Association of Secondary Headteachers said students have shown dedication and effort during a challenging year.
A statement from the association said: “The pandemic has meant that recent times in education have been the most challenging in the memory of those of us working in education.
“They have been challenging for everyone across the country and schools and the dedicated professionals working in them have gone through very difficult times.
“These exam results for all students are testament to the resilience and hard work of young people in all our schools.
“Students across Cumbria have shown their dedication with the effort they have put into their studies and their achievements are well deserved.
“We would like to congratulate all young people across Cumbria on the results that they will receive this week and wish them well on their chosen pathways.
“Again this year the Government and Department For Education cancelled exams due to the pandemic and this year’s results were awarded using a system of centre assessed grades.
“Grades were awarded after the assessment of a range of school-based evidence.
“However, it is so important to recognise that these students had to work at least as hard as those in previous years.”
Vicki Jackson, chairwoman of CASH and Peter Blackburn, vice chairman of CASH, will experience the event of results days not just as teachers, but also as parents of year 11 children who will get their GCSE results later this week.
Vicki said: “Students in all schools across Cumbria deserve congratulations on achieving their exam results this year.
“They have worked tirelessly over the last two difficult years, with determination to fulfil their aspirations.
“As a parent of a child who has gone through this process I have seen first hand how hard students have had to work and the pressures that they have had to overcome in order to be successful.
“Staff who work in schools also need to be congratulated for supporting students through this difficult time and doing all they can to keep education going for young people across our county.
“The system for awarding grades this year has meant a significant amount of work for staff at a time when workload was high due to the pandemic.
” Without the dedication and commitment of teachers our students would not have been so successful.”
Peter added: “The success of every individual collecting their results today has been a result of parents, schools and the students working together to support young people in their achievements.
“I know that every headteacher in Cumbria would like to thank all the families celebrating today for their support.”
As in previous years, schools across Cumbria have agreed not to use the results to make comparisons between schools whose contexts are very different, the association added.
