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GCSE’s summer 2020 thread 5 - And then there were none..

993 replies

FoolsAssassin · 26/03/2020 15:07

Once upon a time there was a group of year 11 students who had spent the last few years preparing to sit their GCSE exams in the summer of 2020. Then one day they woke up and found themselves as characters in a real life disaster movie and as if by magic the exams disappeared.

What lies next for the Corona Cohort?!

Thread 4
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Thread 2
Thread 1 (Year 10)

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OrangeCinnamon · 07/04/2020 20:15

@MuddlingMackem do you know the exam boards? Could have a look on the specifications online?

Also courseera/openlearn courses

HugoSpritz · 07/04/2020 19:36

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MuddlingMackem · 07/04/2020 19:32

Just joining in as only just found this thread.

DS is hoping to do Law, Criminology and Psychology at A Level, none of which he has done at GCSE. We don't know where to start with getting him anything to prep with for next term, so would appreciate any pointers. :) Apart from finishing one assignment which was due in before they broke up for Easter he's pretty much just been on the xBox, so would be good to give him something to work at.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 07/04/2020 17:04

sorry, just read Hugo's comment, I understand now. Also thanks @HugoSpritz for the EPQ link.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 07/04/2020 17:03

@ProggyMat what do you mean by this ? an EPQ to consider the current climate we are living in.

OrangeCinnamon · 07/04/2020 16:08

Although I have no idea if they are expected to reference their A level essays ! Anyone know ?

OrangeCinnamon · 07/04/2020 15:40

Oh mine too @Wheresthebeach, I think it is a really good idea! It helps them to get a handle of research and referencing I understand, which can only be a good thing!

Wheresthebeach · 07/04/2020 12:47

Thanks for the EPQ link. I think now is the time to be giving this some thought, but DD seems a bit underwhelmed by my helpful suggestions!

Decorhate · 06/04/2020 19:02

Thanks both. There is certainly plenty of food for thought at the moment!

ProggyMat · 06/04/2020 18:28

I’d second, as Hugo says, any student that is , hopefully, progressing to A Level Maths, Economics, Politics and an EPQ to consider the current climate we are living in.

HugoSpritz · 06/04/2020 17:58

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HugoSpritz · 06/04/2020 17:56

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sorrelli · 04/04/2020 10:46

Thanks @nobelgiraffe

noblegiraffe · 04/04/2020 10:40

Here sorrelli

GCSE’s summer 2020 thread 5 - And then there were none..
sorrelli · 04/04/2020 10:05

Not sure if it was this thread where someone posted some data protection rules surrounding withholding teacher set grades? Can anyone point me in that direction?

Decorhate · 04/04/2020 09:19

@HugoSpritz He’s also doing Maths, Economics & Politics. Yes I did think they could decide on the topic themselves. But is there a structure or parameters they need to follow?

Oakmaiden · 04/04/2020 09:04

Bugger. Apparently they did 2 letters- that wasn't the one I meant to post, sorry.

This letter:

GCSE’s summer 2020 thread 5 - And then there were none..
Oakmaiden · 04/04/2020 09:01

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HugoSpritz · 04/04/2020 08:44

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Decorhate · 04/04/2020 08:25

Ds wasn’t planning on doing an EPQ (as he is planning to do Further Maths as an additional subject so has enough to do) so hasn’t done any research on it but I think this might be a good thing to keep him occupied over the next few months. Has anyone got any links I could send him so he could start researching topics?

PaddingtonPaddington · 04/04/2020 08:24

Oblomov20 my DD has no intention of continuing to revise it’s just what the school communicated.

I wish we knew an actual results day date, as mentioned earlier up the thread the ‘before the end of July’ has now changed to ‘won’t be delayed until after the date they were expected in August and ideally a little earlier’. If they’d just stuck with the original date I don’t think people would have even questioned it.

Wheresthebeach · 04/04/2020 00:01

@Oblomov20 Grin

AnneOfCleavage · 03/04/2020 22:42

Alsoplay from what I remember from a meeting I attended last year it goes on a points system. So each paper gets given an amount of points and collectively they work out what grade it comes out at e.g if out of 200 points then if you get 180 you get a 5.5 but if you got 175 then it would drop to 5.4.

Note these numbers do not represent the real grade boundaries but just as an example.

Of course how they work out when no exams have taken place is anyone's guess but I guess they look at mock grades and class work in each science area.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 03/04/2020 20:33

Something that struck me whilst taking my daily exercise a bit earlier - how will teachers come up with combined science grades?
Will they be given a formula to work out the 2 grades? Or maybe they’ll give individual science grades in and Ofqual will come up with the overall 2?
I ask because when I asked one of DD’s science teachers how the 2 grades work at a recent parents evening, she said she really didn’t know.

Bobbybobbins · 03/04/2020 20:02

@ProggyMat

I hope so - I know we will be. A lot of our year 11s have several options at post 16 and don't always decide til (ironically) results day.

I think the rank ordering IMO is going to be hardest with a big year group. Estimated grades not so much.