If schools shut again how on earth will GCSES and A' Levels be graded?

[Whatchasayin]

NEU calling for schools to shut then go on a rota. Exam years have already missed at least 3 months of teaching. After last time we know a large number of DC are not going to do the home learning for a variety of reasons. This would make doing the exam in 2021 unfair on those dc. How are teachers supposed to gather enough data for teachers assessed marking? It's such a huge mess I'm very worried pandemic or not - this is our Dcs future.

[MollynAlly]

My DD is year-11, they are having a mini mocks next week and another mock in February- I guess they are trying to be prepared in case of any distruption in education do they at least have some data to base on their assessments! I am so worried about my DD education, I feel like they haven't really learned enough this year! Delaying exam dates by 3 weeks is not hood enough I am afraid, it is not only the education it is their mental health, etc nothing is same as before obviously I am not sure what is best but I don't really think anyone does know

[Whatchasayin]

My DS had exams in September and due mocks this month and again in January. Can't imagine what will happen if schools shut or go part time. It's so unsettling for the DC as well. Even my incredibly laid back DS is feeling it so and I'm sure some are really struggling.

[MollynAlly]

@Whatchasayin I know my DD is usually quite chilled and relaxed but even she is really worried and asking me everyday if I heard anything on news! It is so unsettling for everyone

[BluebellsGreenbells]

I’m not worried. I have two year 11’s and their teachers know what they are capable of.

It will be whatever it’ll be. Exams or no exams they are both going on to further education anyway. So it doesn’t really make a difference.

[MsAwesomeDragon]

Nobody knows how GCSEs and A Levels will be graded if schools close again. The government haven't made any decisions about it.

I know that if I have to do teacher assessments again I'd be able to give it a very good go. I've taught both my year 11 classes since they were in year 8, so I know them very, very well (not all teachers are in this position I know, but almost all of them have taught the exam classes for at least a year). I know my year 13 class very well as well (have taught a lot of them since year 7!). We've just done exams with year 11, so know where they are right now. We also have data to show how they would improve between now and the summer in a normal year. The difficulty will be the borderline kids, the same as they were the difficulty last summer too. If I've got 6 kids who could get a 5 on a good day, but might end up with a 4 on a bad day, how do I decide who would have a good day and who would have a bad day?

Anything that happens this year is going to be unfair to somebody. Sitting exams would be unfair to pupils who've had repeated time off to self isolate, and it would also be unfair for pupils who've had teachers off sick. Teacher assessment will be unfair for slightly different pupils. There is no way to be completely fair to every pupil. Teachers all have their preferred options, and the DfE will do whatever they think it's best (maybe they'll talk to some actual teachers this year, but I won't hold my breath)

[SlightlyJaded]

My DD (year 11) is also exceptionally anxious about how this is all going to pan out. I was saying 'we don't know' but I think that is what is so frightening to so many of them. They push and pull and argue, but they count on us 'knowing' or having the answers ultimately, and so when you genuinely don't know, they feel completely un-anchored and panicked. I am now telling her that it will either be solution a, b or c and they are going to decide what is fairest for everyone but no matter what, everyone acknowledges that there are huge holes in her learning and that will be taken into account.

She did half her mocks two weeks ago and has the second half starting tomorrow. She is ridiculously light on learning but at least she will know where the gaps are I suppose...

[Bridecilla]

I teach GCSE re-sit maths. I'm already gathering more data than usual. We're different from schools in that students are new to us and we don't get data from previous schools.

I'm assessing weekly via assignments set on Teams. We did an assessment on topics covered so far before half term. We'll be doing Paper 1 mocks next week and full mocks in Feb.

Some students are choosing not to do the weekly assignments and missed the assessment before half term. They know that if I have no / little data on them I can't predict pass grades.

[0DimSumMum0]

Our school are making sure they keep every scrap of data that they have to use as evidence in the eventuality that exams are cancelled again. Tests are not sent home but kept by the teachers.

[Hyperbolistic]

My DS has a couple of teachers brand new to the school this year. No idea how they'll know what he's capable of