Hathershaw College welcomes Government minister

Stephen Morgan MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Schools within the Department for Education, visited The Hathershaw College to observe the remarkable progress of a pilot scheme focused on the digitalisation of school records.

Hathershaw have been involved in the pilot programme for the past year which is designed to empower students to take control of their educational information, including GCSE results, through a user-friendly mobile application.

The initiative will have a significant impact in simplifying the transfer of data for students transitioning to post-16 colleges and reducing administrative burdens on schools and colleges.

During his visit, Mr Morgan was introduced to the streamlined process by Year 11 students which begins with the student downloading an application onto their mobile device.

The school then accesses the secure DfE portal to authenticate the individual’s identity, which generates a unique QR code.

This code is then scanned using the application, prompting the immediate display of the individual’s educational history and examination results.

The entire process is completed in around 30 seconds and has the potential to reduce administrative costs by approximately £30 million annually.

Upon enrolment at college, students can share their results and educational data seamlessly by scanning a QR code, enhancing the efficiency of the application process.

A representative from the DfE shared that the ambition is to eventually connect the app with UCAS, enabling users to share their university and postgraduate qualifications as well.

Education Minister Mr Morgan said: "It is high time exam records were brought into the 21st century, and this pilot will allow schools and colleges to focus on what they do best: teaching the next generation rather than being bogged down in bureaucracy.

"This government is slashing red tape through our Plan for Change to drive growth, cut admin for teachers and give tens of thousands of young people more opportunities to get on in skilled careers.

Angela Easton, Assistant Principal at Hathershaw, praised the system as ‘intuitive, fast to use, and extremely efficient’.

This sentiment was echoed by Year 11 students at the College.

Deise Gaspar, who has applied to study Biology, Chemistry and Psychology at A-Level and aspires to study at Cambridge to become a Neuro-Psychologist, said that the app was 'very accessible to everyone and really useful to be able to prove your qualifications using a reliable source'.

Furqaan Nazir, who is hoping to study Gas Engineering through the Growth Skills Company, stated that the app is 'a great opportunity for the younger generation to feel empowered. It takes away the worry of losing certificates or forgetting to take them with you to interviews as you always have your mobile phone on you.'

Mark Giles, Hathershaw’s Principal, said: “It has been a privilege to be selected to lead the way with this pilot.

"We have a good reputation locally and nationally, so it is good to see that this has been recognised.

"Last year’s Year 11 students all signed up to this pilot, enrolling in August 2024 at OSFC, our trust partner, and The Oldham College, using this data.

"Given how successful everyone involved found this, our current Year 11 cohort are also in the process of signing up.

"Like most schools, we are focused on providing the very best education for our young people, so anything that removes administration and allows us to focus on our core purpose is welcome.”

The success of this pilot indicates a promising future for enhancing educational processes across the country and bringing the sharing of educational qualifications into the digital age.

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