Sheffield students in limbo over BTec results delay

Students in Sheffield have been left "dangling" due to a delay in receiving their final BTec exam results.

The grades, which are needed to confirm university places and next steps, were due on Thursday alongside other results like A-levels.

Rachel Skinner said her son and many of his Sheffield College peers had "no clue" when the results would arrive.

Exam board Pearson said it was "working as fast as we can with the college" to have everything needed to award grades.

The body said hundreds of thousands of students had received BTec grades on Thursday but "a small number" nationally had experienced a delay.

It said: "In order to award a final BTec grade, we need information on unit grades which are provided by schools and colleges. If information is missing, we are unable to award a final grade."

Sheffield College said it had given all of the data to Pearson and was working closely with them to enable students to get results "as soon as possible".

Ms Skinner said her 18-year-old son logged on on Thursday morning but the results for his BTec in computing were not there, with no explanation as to the delay.

"It's not just about my son it's all his peer group. They should have had their results yesterday in the timely manner, that is their job to deliver them," she said.

"These students have just been left dangling. They're not on a level playing field to access UCAS or either accept offers and sort out accommodation, or access the clearing process."

She added it was a further blow to what had been a "rough couple of years" for students because of the pandemic "in terms of academic provision, mental health, ability, just everything, and this is just the icing on the cake really".

Anita Straffon, deputy principal at Sheffield College, said the issue was affecting a number of colleges nationally.

She added: "We understand how upsetting this is for students at an already stressful time. We are working closely with Pearson to ensure that our students receive their results as soon as possible."

Pearson said it was awarding grades to students as soon as information was received from colleges, so the numbers affected were "falling constantly".

It added that any offered university place would be held until the end of August and they were able to contact universities or UCAS on a student's behalf about their place, urging people to get in touch if they needed help.

Exam regulator Ofqual said it had "every sympathy" with affected students and expected "Pearson to take all necessary steps to resolve these issues as soon as possible".

A statement added: "In any year, there is always a small proportion of students who don't receive their results on results day because there are unresolved issues, which can be for a range of reasons, including at centre level.

"This year, awards for some qualifications are more complex due to the arrangements awarding organisations put in place to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, for example, requiring elements undertaken as far back as 2020 to be carried forward.

"Our focus, and that of the awarding organisations, is on ensuring that students get their results so they can progress. We encourage schools and colleges to work with the awarding organisations to help this to happen."

Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake said the situation was "extremely concerning" and has written to education secretary James Cleverly requesting he escalate the issue with Pearson and "investigate how this was allowed to happen in the first place".

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