GCSEs 2021 & Regional lockdowns

[worldsworststepfordwife]

The massive difference between school offerings is bad enough right now but how on earth are exams going to work next year if there is potentially a difference between amount of weeks learning in school within various regions

[StrawberryJam200]

Very good point, hadn't thought of that! I guess Ofqual etc would have to take it into account??

[worldsworststepfordwife]

I hope they’re coming up with ideas already as the potential disruption is huge!

[Pipandmum]

Our head believes exams will go ahead as normal if all schools return in September. If they don't, he thinks that the government will have to consider doing something along the lines of what they did this year - not stopping the exams perhaps, but also taking in to account coursework etc. I did not grow up in this system and think it would be a good time for a permanent change to the GCSE and A level exams to a broader course based assessment . My daughter, who is fortunately getting full schedule of online lessons, is still worried that they are falling behind on the syllabus.

[iVampire]

I guess the exam boards are concentrating on the massive and unprecedented task of turning predicted grades into qualifications

Once that is done, attention needs to be turned rapidly to the exam cohort of 2021. And the sooner the policy can be released, the better

And possibly 2022 if the autumn term is badly disrupted because the autumn terms are the longest therefore disproportionately important to the new yr10 and 12s in September,

[iVampire]

I think it would be a good time for a permanent change to the GCSE and A level exams to a broader course based assessment

Until a couple of years ago, they were. I don’t think there’s any appetite to keep changing curricula that rapidly