Business Urges Rapid Response Ahead of Retake Race

August 25th 2023

A Middlesbrough businesswoman is urging schools in the region to implement a ‘rapid response’ for any students who have fallen short of the required GCSE standard for English.

With results having been announced yesterday, it is understood there is set to be a race for retakes in the compulsory subjects of maths and English.

Sarah Ledger, CEO of the award-winning literacy business, Lexonik, says a swift approach to helping students get ready for resits is the single best way of reducing disappointment and despondency, while also ensuring their ‘next step’ choices are still available.

She said: “It had been heavily trailed in the media for some weeks, that we would see an end to grade inflation this year, and that some students may have fallen short of grade 4 or above in key subjects.
“Results day confirmed that grades were down, and that retakes are likely to be a bigger requirement than in recent times.

“What’s imperative is that we congratulate every student on what they’ve achieved, and that we proactively help them get in the best place possible for resits in November.”

She added: “If I were a teacher faced with pupils in that situation right now, or indeed, a parent, I’d be looking at something like the Lexonik post 16 DfE intervention programme, because it will give young people all the concentrated support and confidence they need, in time to go through the exams.

“It’s a really age-appropriate and unpatronizing system, which creates rapids results, through schools having access to our Lexonik Advance, Leap and Vocabulary products.”

Sarah is also particularly conscious of statistics revealing students in the North East have achieved the lowest combined number of GCSE exams marked 7 in the whole of the UK for 2023's exams.

She commented: “It’s always difficult to read such headlines, about South vs North results.

“It’s so important that schools and families are able to access the kind of tools and support they need to help students in our part of the world to achieve to their highest potential.”

To speak with Sarah more about Lexonik, visit www.lexonik.co.uk