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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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AQA to be fined over serious breaches

18 replies

Piggywaspushed · 16/10/2019 07:29

Anyone seen this?

schoolsweek.co.uk/aqa-to-pay-out-1-1m-for-serious-breaches-on-exam-re-marks/

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noblegiraffe · 16/10/2019 08:49

Edexcel must be relieved it isn’t them for once.

Having the original examiner doing the review of marking is pretty crap though, bet their tech dept has been bollocked.

Edexcel had a maths question on a paper this year that was stolen from the AQA Further Maths textbook (not even different numbers!), I wonder if anything will happen to them for that.

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Piggywaspushed · 16/10/2019 13:38

Given this ruling, I expect it will!

AQA are really arrogant and can't cope with large scale operations. Edexcel seem very sloppy and a bit shambolic!

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Phineyj · 16/10/2019 15:20

I wasn't surprised to read what had happened as I saw the same seed at least 10 times when marking for them this summer. By the end it was a bit like: oh hello there my old friend!

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noblegiraffe · 16/10/2019 16:12

What does that mean, Phiney? You marked the same kid’s work ten times?

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SabineSchmetterling · 16/10/2019 16:24

Isn’t that the point of the seeds. You get the same ones over and over to check you mark them at the same mark each time?

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Phineyj · 16/10/2019 17:53

It means that the software gave me the same work 10 X but it had already been marked (so it won't have affected anyone's grade). I don't think you're supposed to be aware you're marking the same seed, no, but you don't normally get it 10 times (I do have a good memory for handwriting and turns of phrase). Certainly when I marked for IB you didn't get the same seed multiple times.

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BelindasGleeTeam · 16/10/2019 17:54

I've marked for AQA for years (not English) and never saw the same seed.

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Phineyj · 16/10/2019 18:17

They use different packages for different things. In my subject they had a completely different set up for Paper 2 and Paper 3 (marked one last year and one this year).

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Piggywaspushed · 16/10/2019 18:59

I know someone who does marking reviews and who was under instruction not to change anything!

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Greedytiger · 16/10/2019 19:01

I mark for AQA and regularly see the same seed- it’s checking you are marking consistently. Also there aren’t that many seeds anyway so if you close the system and reopen (so need to re-qualify over and over) you will mark more seeds so are bound to see the same one sometimes.

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Phineyj · 16/10/2019 22:03

Oh, ok. Well, all I can say is it was my worst experience of exam board marking by far, and I shan't be doing it again. I note the Ofqual report criticised them for their small pool of examiners as well as the functioning of their computer system.

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Greedytiger · 16/10/2019 22:04

I’ve marked for them for 5 years and always found them easy to work with. Maybe it depends on your subject.

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Piggywaspushed · 16/10/2019 22:11

Not really the point though if you read the link? They've had several hefty wrist slaps!

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SabineSchmetterling · 16/10/2019 22:17

Instructing markers not to change any reviews is ! That should not happen. I have to say I wasn’t delighted with the uneven application of the same generic mark scheme for different papers in my subject this summer. I had some serious concerns about one particular script that I recalled. Huge chunks had been marked as irrelevant that were not, in my view. No change on review.

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Piggywaspushed · 16/10/2019 22:18

Well, now you know why that is...

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theduchessstill · 17/10/2019 18:57

You're not supposed to see the same seed over and over. If you remember it you just make sure you give it the same mark that you gave it before. I know people who screen-shot them. Their marking isn't being tested - they're just entering what they know to be the 'correct' mark and not actually marking.

The exam marking system is an absolute joke that's letting students and teachers down. We have a paper under appeal to AQA at the moment, and apparently, if we're not successful it can go to a panel 'convened by AQA'??!!! How on earth is that fair?

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Phineyj · 18/10/2019 14:13

I wish they would just treat examiners better and pay more. I've had the distinct impression over the years that they have absolutely no idea of what it is like for serving teachers to do this frightful task, yet they need us, as otherwise who's going to do it? We need them to do a good job too for our students. It would make a great case study for wage determination in labour economics, but a bit too close to the bone for me to teach, I fear!