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

And having no idea of what teachers are proposing is going to make it difficult to know what subjects your DC might need to keep revising for - especially if the results don't come out until August as normal.

Yes, I'm reading that as potentially not till 20th August and earlier is a bonus.
Which is very late for students to discover they didn't get the grades they wanted/needed and to start revising for an autumn exam.
And it's not really practical to keep revising every subject until the end of August - just in case.

I'd really like more clarity from sixth forms about what they are expecting/want to do. Hopefully we may see it now this guidance is out.

I don't like the rating thing. The DCs at the low end of that list are going to get marks dropped, how do you do that with meaning in a school full of 'high achievers'?

"We’re working hard to get results out as soon as is possible – results won’t be delayed after the dates they were expected in August and ideally will be released a little earlier, so students can have the certainty they need."

Does suggest grades won't be out by the end of July, no?

Not apparent carer obviously!

Argh Piggy, I need to know!!

If you sit the exam, then both grades will stand (I.e. if you do worse in the exam you can use the calculated result on CVs).

“Where additional work has been completed after schools and colleges were closed on 20 March, Heads of Centre should exercise caution where that evidence suggests a change in performance. In many cases this is likely to reflect the circumstances and context in which the work is done.”

t.co/CFc9EjZksc?amp=1 Nothing about work post school closure.

The Ofqual guidance has landed.

It all makes sense and is a bit of a relief. It will be a logistical nightmare for large cohorts and core subjects mind!

Not sure how much I should say now but your school should be sending apparent/carer version out.

Is there please room for one more? I have an extremely anxious DD who hasn't slept very well ever since the GCSEs were cancelled. I keep trying to assure her all will be fine. She's predicted all 8 & 9s in her 10 GCSEs, which I know are only predictions but her mocks echoed this. Personally I am not worried as she's been offered an unconditional sixth form place already so there really is no need for her to be anxious but the unknown (and possibly unfair grading formula) is getting to her.

DD's year is also the first intake in Y7, where her school turned into an academic selective school. There are 5 others girls in her class like her. If they would take in account number pupils achieving certain grades in line with the school’s previous year’s results, it's going to have a huge impact on their particular class. She's also taking 2 GCSEs the school never offered before so that's also different. She's made her mind up to take all the Sept/Oct exams if her scores feel unfair. Would it really matter if she gets 6s/7s I ask myself? It's so difficult and I was she wasn't so hard on herself.

I really feel for every Y11 student and parents at the moment!!

justhere I’m not sure whether the course work is recorded. Most of the assignments were handwritten under supervised conditions in the case of History, Chemistry & Physics and the two 1000 word English essays were mostly written up in class. I can’t see them photocopying or scanning every pupils assignment but I could be wrong?

Someone asked about whether achievement would be based on just the previous year and I have to fess up to not really understanding that part (my powers of concentration had waned by then) However they do it, it will come down to statistics I guess to prevent teachers being over-generous and suddenly having a cohort of over-achieving students. As someone noted this might add complications if this year’s cohort DID happen to be exceptionally good or bad. I think some may worry that it will adversely affect the schools who are in areas of deprivation rather than any high achieving school in the more prosperous postcodes. I guess any system is going to be like this but I feel it’s harsh not taking into account any of the course work. I believe it is the SQA that mark the exams/coursework but am prepared to stand corrected as this is my first time going through the Scottish exam process.

Noble It’s an Indy and at least half of them joined in yr 9, so I’m not sure how the system will work for them.

If this year’s cohort are stronger than the previous year in terms of KS2 results, that will be taken into account.

I can’t understand the reasoning behind number of pupils achieving certain grades has to be in line with the school’s previous year’s results. By all means look at the last 3yrs results or the progress 8(not sure how that works), but just one yrs results? That’s a rubbish system.
Last yrs cohort at ds’s school had the lowest results they’ve had in 5yrs. This yrs cohort are very strong and expecting terrific results, the teachers have put in so much work.

@sowerehere that’s awful! Do they record the work in any way before it’s submitted, just in case of loss?

I saw that on Scotsnet and my step mother sent me an article. Do exam boards mark coursework in Scotland so?

Just some info from Scotland and the SQA the Scottish exam board who have made an announcement today. Same predicament here as in England in that mixed messages sent by different schools and/or different teachers within the same schools. Some setting work post-20th March saying it would be used to estimate their final Grades or even proposing further home-completed ‘Mocks’ ( we call them Prelims up here).

The SQA have now basically said the teachers need to grade pupils on what they believe would have been their anticipated final grade. We do a hell of a lot of course works/assignments up here and they’ve dropped the bombshell that NONE of this course work that has already been submitted will be marked and not only that, it won’t be returned to the school so that teachers can mark it and use it to help them come to their decision on their pupils’ estimated final grade. It’s a real kick in the teeth. There’s another complication that I barely understand where the number of pupils achieving certain grades has to be in line with the school’s previous year’s results. I’m totally gutted for my DS who worked so hard on his coursework and Art and Music portfolios and compositions and was hoping they’d be taken into consideration in lieu of any exams - but no. What a waste. I really feel sorry for the teachers too having to make these decisions.

My daughter's halfheartedly completing the work set but there's no way what she's producing will be at the level she was working at at school and what she got in mocks so i'm really hoping they say to not count work done at home or her expected grade would go down!

DD's plan was to do AS maths (over 2 years to ease pressure on timetable), in addition to her 3 A levels, and an extended essay vs EPQ, again to maximise the timetable to do other stuff, lion share of hours given over to music and sport. Like Mominatrix's DS, had aspirations for US post A levels. This was approved, though may change now; for a whole host of reasons that are out of her control.

Mine too Wheresthebeach.

Well my current feeling is Harumph...

@hairycabbageIf it’s any consolation she won’t be the only one with no further teaching or assessments since March coming back for A’levels, so I’m in no doubt all of that will be taken into account. They won’t be resuming expecting students to hit the ground running with A’levels, there will be some new guidance or tweaks to the curriculum.

I think that’s shocking if they do Friday evening. They should time it so that staff have time to digest and contact parents.

@Wheresthebeach I think the idea is the exact opposite. That parents and students have time away, to digest the information without bombarding teachers with angry/concerned calls. The Easter break will give them time to get used to whatever the guidelines are and when school resumes tempers would’ve settled and there’ll be fewer and calmer queries.