Secondary school bosses say a cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over A-level results as teenagers across the district receive their grades.

Year 13 students across Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable have been learning their marks this morning ahead of leaving sixth form.

With summer exams scrapped as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, they were assessed using grades their teachers' predicted grades.

But it has been revealed that exam boards downgraded nearly 40% of these submitted marks during the moderation process.

Despite a last-minute decision allowing students to appeal their results if they were lower than their mock exam grades, confusion continues to surround the process.

Simon Langton Girls deputy head teacher Paul Pollard said: "This has been a time of unprecedented uncertainty and confusion, when it is not so much the goalposts being moved but the rules of the game being changed mid-game.

"While the majority of our students will have gained the places they have been working for, there is still a cloud of uncertainty of what could, and in numerous cases should, have been with their results.

"In the coming days, students will look to their school for answers to their many questions; as is too often the case in recent months, schools will know little more than they do.

"However, what goes without question is that they will receive the support and guidance they need, regardless of the confusion and uncertainty created by a government making decisions seemingly ‘off the cuff’."

As part of the government's 11th-hour decision, students are also able to receive whatever is highest from their estimated grades or an optional exam in the autumn.

However, Mr Pollard says most of the pupils at the Canterbury school will be taking up places at a myriad universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, Durham, and Kent.

Student Isabel McWilliam, who hopes to study neuroscience in September, says she was initially unhappy about not being able to sit exams.

"But it's been really nice not having exams and there hasn't been much stress," she added.

"I was really upset at first. My grades have been up and down over the past two years, so I didn't know what I was going to get."

At St Anselm's Catholic School in Old Dover Road, deputy head teacher Jez Rowarth believes most of the pupils would have preferred sitting an exam.

However, he says the majority of them will be pleased with their grades.

He said: "It's been extremely stressful I think, from the kids' point of view and the school's point of view, just making sure they get what they need for their next steps.

St Anselm's deputy head teacher Jez Rowarth speaking about today's A-level results

"It's been very difficult circumstances really, and they've been in limbo until today, as to what the future's going to hold for them.

"But I think a significant majority will be pleased with what they've got."

Meanwhile, at Barton Court Grammar School, more than 75% of its Year 13 cohort has been awarded at least A* to B grade.

Pupil Anna Goodwin - who bagged two A*s and two As - admits she was pleased to learn exams had been cancelled.

"I loved it, I hate exams - they're so stressful," she said.

"I worked quite hard during the two years so I thought I'd be all right.

"I don't like leaving it until the last minute."

The 18-year-old says she hasn't considered deferring her spot on a law degree at Bristol University.

"I don't really want a gap year," she said.

"I've had long enough off now - like, six months - so I'm ready to go."

Fellow Barton Court pupil Lowena Hayter says she's also not a fan of exams, but wonders if not sitting them will affect her in the future.

The 18-year-old achieved two A*s, an A and a B - enough to secure her a place studying medicine at Oxford.

"When they said they weren't doing exams it was a weird feeling," she said.

"I don't like doing exams so I was happy, but the uncertainty over the grades worried me a lot because I didn't do very well in my mocks.

"I'm happy with how it turned out, but at the same time I think exams would have been nice and somewhat beneficial, because when I go to university and do my finals in the first year, the last proper exams I would have done would have been my GCSEs."

At the Whitstable School, its Year 13s received their grades via email.

Head teacher Ana Gibson says the results had been what they were expecting and that she did not have any "disasters to report".

"The average point score has gone up slightly," she added. "Those who want to go to uni are going.

"We might look at a couple of subjects to review; we are waiting on guidance from (exam regulator) Ofqual.

"We can't promise pupils anything at the moment because it's been such a shambles."

More than half of Herne Bay High's A-level pupils secured university places, including at Oxbridge and Russell Group institutions.

In a joint statement, vice principal Martyn Jenkins and head of sixth form Laura Wrigley said: "They will be studying a range of courses such as biological anthropology, engineering, French, law, maths, psychology and teaching.

"Our performing arts students continue once again, to go from strength to strength with them continuing to obtain places at dance conservatoires.

"It is with pride and admiration that we can confidently say our Year 13 students have conducted themselves with aplomb since the government closed schools and cancelled summer examinations."

News from our universities, local primary and secondary schools including Ofsted inspections and league tables can be found here.

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