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Original poster

Grade Boundaries, SPaG mark losses, dyslexia

33 replies

kitchendiner · 02/01/2014 17:26

Just wondering what chances a student with dyslexia has of getting A* or As when you take off 5% SPaG marks for RE, Geog, History and 12% English. Is there still a chance of getting the top grades?

I was looking at the grade boundaries for English out of a max of 300: 270 = A, 240 = A, 210 = B, 180 = C. Losing 12% (36 points) would give you a max score of 264 which would be an A. But realistically, are there any candidates that get the max score or come close to it? What percentage of A, A students would be left with A*s and As if they were to lose 12%.

It'll be 20% for English in the new GCSEs so even less chance.

OP posts:
Original poster
kitchendiner · 04/01/2014 10:22

Bulby Did these A* grades include the 5% loss for SPaG or was it before they came in? How about English with a 12% deficit? Is a B the best possible?

Creamteas
Totally agree. Our kids are going into these exams minus 5% before they even walk through the door. Unfortunately, apart from SPaG, English is DS's best subject. At least he'll have more chance of a higher grade in English Literature. Feel sorry for the current Year 8s who will be 20% down rather than 12%.

OP posts:
creamteas · 03/01/2014 22:36

coco They don't. Hence the automatic loss of marks if you have a disability which means you need a scribe. (In theory, if you dictated letter by letter you could get the marks, but there is not time to do this within the exam)

For language exams, this is can be reasonable depending on what is being assessed. But for other subjects, it is just unfair.

coco44 · 03/01/2014 19:15

THat's a point- how do they score someone using a scribe on spelling?

Kez100 · 03/01/2014 18:54

I expect though, the % you have known getting A* is a lower % than those without dyslexia and, also, saying known implies the past - the SPaGs and lack of Speaking and Listening are recent and new changes which change the footing to remarkably unfair. Hence me calling them Gove-levels.

Apologies, but I get very, very annoyed by these changes because they are so discriminatory.

bulby · 03/01/2014 13:36

Just one thing, the grade boundaries you are looking at are ums scores and not actual scores. 270ums does not relate to 90% of the marks available (well in theory it could but is most unlikely). I have known pupils with dyslexia and scribes get A* in subjects other than English so I wouldn't give up all hope.

creamteas · 03/01/2014 13:21

It is so unfair. My DD lost out last year on this, and DS will next year.

Both have scribes for exams, so can't ever get full SPaG marks.

Original poster
kitchendiner · 02/01/2014 20:05

Thanks Kez. It's very disheartening and disappointing that a student could get everything correct on say a History paper but get a lower grade than someone who didn't give such good answers simply because they lost 5% SPaG marks.

It is however heartening that an A grade is still within reach.

I think and hope that the Speaking & Listening is still part of the IGCSE which I believe is what they are doing at our school.

OP posts:
Kez100 · 02/01/2014 19:44

My son who is severely dyslexic sees an A as the maximum he can get in most exams (possibly Maths is the exception). With Speaking and Listening taken out of English now he is pretty much shafted in that subject and a B would be his A*.

All the extra time in the world won't put him on a fair footing with Gove-Levels.