Year 11 GCSE Rescue: Delivering core subject GCSE qualifications for vulnerable and challenging pupils

The perception of tougher GCSEs is not helping, with some lower-attaining pupils refusing to even sit the exams. Added to this, researchers from the Education Policy Institute (April 2019) showed that an additional one in 12 students (49,000) from English schools were unaccounted for.

With schools under increasing pressure to meet Progress 8, then even small numbers of such pupils can adversely affect school accountability measures, so how can online learning support you and help meet the needs of vulnerable pupil groups?

In most cases, schools are already aware of the pupils who are likely to fall into one of these groups. Those with challenging behaviour, long term school refusers, or the disengaged are all known to the school. However, other students, including those in and out of care or with anxiety disorders or others suffering from complex medical and mental health conditions may be harder to plan for but are likely to only be in school for part of their key stage 4 study which naturally has a negative impact on GCSE exams and results.