Flexible Futures is a joint campaign from the Social Mobility Foundation and Department for Opportunities providing practical support and resources for those receiving exam results.
We have been reviewing the latest guidance on appeals – and discussing the process with the Department for Education – all with the assistance of the law firm Mishcon de Reya. If you are a student and are unhappy with the grades you have been awarded, the key information is set out in a guidance document below and three template emails for you to use if necessary.
While the grading system does not encourage appeals, our advice is that if you feel your grade(s) is/are wrong, you should attempt an appeal. Last year’s statistics in England show that valid appeals are very often successful: 80% of AS/A Level appeals were successful and 92% of these successful appeals resulted in at least one grade being improved.
We wish you all the best for results day, and hope you receive great news. If you are disappointed by your initial grades, please know that it will be ok. We know that before results day you will naturally be nervous. It is important to remember that you are as bright and have just as much promise and potential the day before results day as you do the day after. The day – and your initial results – will not define you. However, this advice note and our organisation are here to support you through this period, to make sure you have as fair an outcome as is possible.
NB: If you are not a student on the Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) programme, simply remove the references to the SMF in the emails before you send.
