is this legal? AQA scrapping DDs result and forcing a resit for the whole year

I can't suggest anything to remedy the wrong that's been done your DD, but one way to find out where the fault lies might be to make a Freedom Of Information Request www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/schools/pupils_info.aspx for information the school holds about this exam process and your daughter's results. You could ask specifically for the information knowsabouteducation says you need.

I'm really sorry to hear this has happened. Best of luck to your daughter - she sounds fantastic, I'm sure she'll pull through it.

It does look very much like a school cock up but the upside is that you could ask for her to be entered for higher tier and if she gets a 'B' it could raise her overall level to a 'B'. As someone else has said, she would have to do very badly indeed (F) to drop below a 'C'.

AQA did not change the rules at the last minute. The 40% rule has been very well publicised and many other schools are not in this predicament - was at an AQA course this week with about 30 other head of science/programme leaders and this was not mentioned as an issue.
Your school has cocked up big time and it is totally inexcusable, near on a sacking offence imo.
Can't imagine keeping my job if i made the same error. I'm afraid i think your daughter will have to resit. A truth she is though, because normally core and additional students would not have to revise for all the core and additional exams this year, as they have already done the core. It may well bring down her marks in both, it is very unfair on the students, but i am not sure there is a way round it.

I found this on the AQA website, but can't tell when it was added. If you dig around the AQA site you might find more useful information.

To be honest though, I think your best bet now is to accept she's going to have to resit and to start convincing her that it isn't a bad thing (whether you believe it or not). She's not actually in a worse position this year than she would have been had she not done the exam last year and if she got high Cs in all the others then even a rogue D this time isn't going to pull her whole grade down.

What you need to know is when each of the modules we're taken and when the CA marks were submitted.

You also need to know if the cash-in codes were entered.

If she did at least one module and the CA in June, I can't see where an admin problem would come from.

Now, the initial statement of results, which come out on results day in August, as well as the interim results days is called a "provisional" statement. I personally have never encountered a change between provisional and final, but could this be the issue!

I am not a Head of Science, but perhaps those Mumsnetters who are can shed some light.

Sorry, I didn't mean that you should know this (not a parent's 'job' iyswim) but if I'm right and this has always been the case in other subjects (as well as English and drama, where it has been for at least four years) then it's the school's 'fault' so it might be worth arguing that they should let your DD resit the paper she is the most confident about (if it's only one paper she'd need to redo.)

Same principle though right? It's nothing 'new' so threatening legal action against AQA isn't going to work?

atruth - the rule is 40%.

In science, where the modules are equally weighted, this works out as 50%, ie two of the four modules have to be taken at cash-in.

It will get simpler when everything is linear.

Reading over the thread again....

You need to check when she did each of her exams. There are four modules - Biology, Chemistry, Physics and a Controlled Assessment.

Did she do her examined modules early, with only the CA submitted in June?

If so, she will not have satisfied the 40% rule, which I think others have said and is consistent with what is written in the OP.

Basically, 2 modules have to be taken at the same time as cashing in, and the marks for these modules count.

We use Edexcel and I did some training with them about a year ago - around the time of the first modules of the new specification. The examiner said that a disturbing number of schools had entered students for Bio, Chem, Phys modules for November exams. These were schools that got off the ground running with the new specs, which were only properly accredited in the spring - yet they did not grasp the 40% rule.

Perhaps the OP's DD is in a similar situation?

For this group only, a percentage of the marks (I think it is 60% but I can't remember for sure) has to be taken at the time the students "certificate".

I don't think this is quite right. I teach English and drama, not science, but always thought that 'the 60% rule' applied to all subjects in all exam boards (clearly I could be wrong). If that's the case, then it's your school (Science dept or exams office) that have screwed up, not the exam board.

I also teach Science and I am struggling to grasp the problem.

Could she have done exams towards and old specification that is expiring?

I don't understand why she would be forced to resit a unit. It is perhaps a coding problem? The same exams can have different codes if they are to be cashed in as Science or Additional vs Separate Sciences.

However, there is an underlying principle that students are never made to suffer for dodgy admin, whether at school or board level.

I recommend that you try to get full possession of the facts without getting angry. If you are angry, everyone will clam up and your daughter will potentially lose out.

Is your DD the only one in her class in this predicament?

Unfortunately, I think she will have to resit as the school have said. The school could appeal, but I suspect they will gave already done that.

I'm with you on this one Madonna! I would have been hauled over the coals for making the same mistake.......

The 40% rule is very well publicised by all exam boards. We changed to AQA last year, and knew to factor it in. I also think they forgot to certificate, and are re-doing one module and the CA. We have people resitting, and the resit will count, but not someone who exceeded expectations. I am dubious about this being an exam board error...

In a nutshell I think the school (for whatever reason) did not 'cash in' - Core Science is a totally separate qualification and you need to submit the qualification code at the end of Year 10 to get the GCSE. It is not beyond the realms of the possible that AQA gave the wrong info but I think the certification guidelines are in the specification so surprised the school missed it (HoD and exams office).

I am also a head of science. Can you tell me what the exam codes are, and what qualifications she is doing? So triple Science or Core and Additional Science.

Good luck to her - I will report back if I find out anything!