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Original poster

The government should be made to fulfil their promise re Autumn GCSE sittings since there is now no appeals procedure. [Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

160 replies

H0usePlant · 26/04/2020 15:45

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/education/2020/apr/22/schools-and-exam-boards-undermine-promise-to-pupils-of-september-tests

So having had the chance to sit GCSEs( understandable in the circumstances if schools don’t go back until the Autumn) the gov promised a robust appeals procedure and Autumn sittings. There is now no appeals procedure to speak off as regards actual results and it’s looking less likely there will be Autumn sittings.

They promised both originally and many kids are going to be really upset that through no fault of their own that there will be no chance to put right any issues with GCSE grades allocated. It will surely have an impact on the future chances of those wishing to attend Russel group unis.

Having read several year 11 threads it’s clear all schools aren’t adhering to advice that work from home after school stopped is not to be used.Many kids do cram( there is no gcse rule book prohibiting this), some kids will have had issues outside and inside school that will have an impact on grades being allocated without exams. Private schools have an added incentive for higher results and no Sats data. Teachers, schools and circumstances vary. As such it’s clear in all likelihood there will be discrepancies.

My dd has had an awful time and isn’t holding out much hope that she’ll get what she should/ could have done. She has been working hard since school left for Autumn sittings as that is what was promised. These appear to be disappearing too. Sitting GCSEs next summer whilst studying for A levels isn’t workable. They have hoards of free time and anxiety now. She is now feeling powerless to put right any discrepancies herself. We as parents will be powerless to do anything when results come out.

It’s shit and the gov should surely be offering money to exam boards to ensure exams are held in the Autumn as they promised.

OP posts:
Original poster
H0usePlant · 27/04/2020 08:36

Kids not doing extra now will be disadvantaged. Two kids at the same level with the same amount of evidence. The kid doing extra now gets the justification needed to get the higher grade. The other doesn’t. How is that fair if you can’t even have a chance in the autumn to sit and put it right?

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 27/04/2020 08:35

The system isn’t a level playing field is it.
Nor were exams.

We really don’t want to get into complaining re unfairness which interestingly you can’t now anyway
Unfairness of what?

She just wants her chance to show what she could have done if sitting now.
June 2021 is available.

Some kids clearly are getting that opportunity by the back door.
What opportunity?

Original poster
H0usePlant · 27/04/2020 08:32

Teen because she wants good grades(not top) and surely you need plenty of evidence for that not sporadic bits.

If she had been given the chance to submit extra now like others are she’d be providing it in spades. It clearly isn’t fair. But she thought no point crying over what you can’t change just get on and prove yourself by sitting the exam. We supported her in that as thought it was sensible. The original info/ advice told kids to do that.

OP posts:
pinkblanchmange · 27/04/2020 08:30

I'm in the middle of grading GCSE's right now, it's a very thorough process taking into account lots of different factors. It's taking hours.

Original poster
H0usePlant · 27/04/2020 08:28

This isn’t every year and in previous years the chance to sit exams wasn’t taken away from them.Hmm

OP posts:
TeenPlusTwenties · 27/04/2020 08:28

I don't understand why you and your DD seem so anxious that the school won't grade her correctly then?

Original poster
H0usePlant · 27/04/2020 08:27

But that isn’t fair Mrscampbell, it really isn’t.

If my dd had had that opportunity we’d be happier. The system isn’t a level playing field is it. We really don’t want to get into complaining re unfairness which interestingly you can’t now anyway. She just wants her chance to show what she could have done if sitting now. Some kids clearly are getting that opportunity by the back door.

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 27/04/2020 08:27

I’m not sure many parents realise the only way to put right discrepancies now is for Aut sittings.

I think most parents will accept the grades their children are given. Every year there are students that are disappointed. If they are really fussed they retake. In reality very few do.

Original poster
H0usePlant · 27/04/2020 08:21

No Teen that wasn’t us. Why wouldn’t you let school know, especially now?Confused

I’m not sure many parents realise the only way to put right discrepancies now is for Aut sittings.

OP posts:
mrscampbellblackagain · 27/04/2020 08:17

It isn't true that people were told work done after the schools closed wouldn't count. The wording was that any pupils who didn't do any further work/assessments wouldn't be disadvantaged. So in my DS's school he is still doing gcse work and assessments for the next three weeks which I understand would be used to support the grades awarded.

And although private schools don't do sats, well they do plenty of exams other tests to support whichever results they are awarded.

It is a crazy situation and I feel for all yr 11 and 13 pupils.

But what are her school offering? In just over 3 weeks my DS starts pre a level prep in his chosen subjects - are her school doing similar?

The communication has been a little muddled but personally we were never going to do re-sits. Once DS starts a levels that will be his focus and if necessary he will take a gap year and apply for university then as another poster suggested.

Hercwasonaroll · 27/04/2020 08:16

There is always a November series for Maths and English so I'm assuming that will go ahead, social distancing etc allowing.

You forget that in a normal year she'd get her results in August and that would be it. The only option would be a June 2021 resit. This year isn't different on that account if the autumn resits don't go ahead for all subjects. I think right now ofqual probably don't even know if schools will be open for September let alone how to run an exam series.

The original announcement definitely over promised. However looking at the process for awarding grades I really don't think many students will feel hard done to.

There is currently a consultation open over the awarding of grades and appeals process. This ends 29th April.

TeenPlusTwenties · 27/04/2020 08:13

Or, they thought there would be lots of demand, but then realised most 16yos would rather focus on their next courses than retake French, plus logistics, so have rolled back?

OP, are you the poster whose DD was having MH difficulties but you didn't tell the school? So they would be in no position to take into account late improvements sufficiently?
Is it possible that you and she are viewing the autumn sittings as a 'second bite at the cherry'? Not to get results she would have got in May, but instead to get results she could have got had she not been ill in y10/11?

Original poster
H0usePlant · 27/04/2020 07:58

I don’t think you would have many “enquire” at the moment. Kids can’t enquire re grades which is right. Getting on with work they have already in preparation doesn’t involve school, they’ve left. Come Aug with reality slapping them in the face many may also want to get on and sit their worst one or two/ or exams they deem important. It would just be useful to know now if that will be happening at whatever time.

She is/ was rolling with it Embrace, has no choice not to. She is just frustrated with the lack of clarity and false info, feels letdown. I don’t blame her really.

There clearly was a need for Aut sittings otherwise they wouldn’t have been suggested or promised in the first place.

OP posts:
Embracelife · 27/04/2020 00:17

If that is the case (no appeal system at all) then yeah it s not fair. But what can you do about it? Same for many.
But you dont know yet what grades your dd will be given.
And you dont know what will or wont be taken into account In18 months when she applies to uni. There s a lot of unknowns. You have to ride with it. Dont stress.
As pp said If needs be she can wait til A levels in the bag then apply to uni. Loads of kids take a gap year.

Hercwasonaroll · 27/04/2020 00:12

Fact is most students won't care about subjects other than Maths and English. As long as they have passed those and got what they need for sixth form, very few students will want to resit. They do have to resit Maths and English as per government policy. As I said, we have had no students even enquire.

Teacher assessment is predicted to be about 85-90% accurate. This Centre assessed grade is then statistically moderated, ensuring it is as close as possible to the grade that would have been awarded. Are students really going to resit say Art to go from a 6 to a 7? Or History from a 4 to a 5? If they've passed enough to get to college they won't care.

Students will have a chance if they are really that bothered in June 2021.

Original poster
H0usePlant · 26/04/2020 23:59

Whatever, sittings were promised.

And as for obsolete. There is no way you can say only a handful will want a sitting or that sittings won’t be needed. The numbers that should have taken exams are huge, many take 8, 9,10 or more exams. I think saying every child will get the grade they should have got for every exam is incredibly naive. I also think not giving kids a chance ,in the absence of an appeal system, the chance to put right grades they feel were wrong isn’t fair.

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 26/04/2020 23:49

In fairness to the DfE they did initially mute August resits which would have been logistically possible from a building avaliable pov. Results day was going to be July.

However since the initial announcement they have had to push back timings on expected grades etc so results day is now mid/end of August. Staffing levels, consultantations, logistics have all influenced this decision.

So when they first made the announcement they probably didn't forsee the situation we are in now. They also probably weren't initially anticipating such a long lockdown and social distancing for months.

I'd rather they got the consultation on the awarding of grades done correctly than putting on resits for a handful of students. If the correct grading process is followed then resits become obsolete.

Original poster
H0usePlant · 26/04/2020 23:27

You’d think the DfE would have realised that before promising Aut sittings Confused

OP posts:
crazycrofter · 26/04/2020 23:27

But surely they can’t guarantee resits will be able to go ahead anyway, because we may well be in the second Covid wave by Oct/Nov with schools being closed again?

I think it’s best to reassure her that GCSEs aren’t that important in the scheme of things and A Levels will supercede them. That’s what I’ve been saying to dd.

If she suddenly needs a better grade in one or two GCSEs she can take them later - in a gap year if necessary. My brother with the poor GCSEs had to retake his language GCSE because the uni course he wanted to do required a pass. He did it in his gap year, passed and got his place at uni.

These kids have lost a lot - proms, summer plans etc. I feel they might as well make the most of this time at home, follow their interests, sleep in, relax and prepare for sixth form. They won’t get a time as carefree as this again!

JacobReesMogadishu · 26/04/2020 23:22

I wonder if that's what caused the reversal, nobody would say they'd facilate it. Brother seems confident that kids will get the results they deserve. There's a lot of objective data to go on and that it's exceedingly rare for a teacher to be overly suprised by someone's gcse result.

JacobReesMogadishu · 26/04/2020 23:20

My brother is an exams officer.

He said most schools in his area don't have sixth form. The kids go to colleges. So they will have left school and he says the schools won't facilitate resits as they're no longer pupils. And the colleges have no interest in doing so.

Original poster
H0usePlant · 26/04/2020 23:07

Err I don’t, but thanks for your concern.Hmm Accusing somebody of having mental health issues because they think the gov has mishandled this issue is quite rude.

I did moot leaving gcse work until Aug but it didn’t go down well. I get her point and reluctance to stop. If they go ahead she’d be kicking herself.She is upset and anxious about the lack of clarification and I don’t blame her.

It would have been much better if there had been no suggestion or promises of Aut resits.

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 26/04/2020 22:59

I really do mean it kindly and would recommend you speaking to someone if you did have MH issues. You are really blowing this out of proportion and reacting in a way that is beyond the norm.

I can understand your upset. But have some faith in her teachers.

Continue with A level prep and forget about the rest. That would be my message to my child. Pick up the pieces in August IF you need to. Wasted 5 months of effort otherwise.

Original poster
H0usePlant · 26/04/2020 22:53

No you don’t mean it kindly and no I don’t have MH issues , do you?Hmm

I have tried my best to reassure her but she wants the grades she knows she’s capable of so she wants to put the work in she feels is necessary to pull it off. They’re all up in the air so she has a fair bit to do. Not keeping things going for 3 or 4 months does seem silly if they go ahead. She’s done a month already.

Some clarification, an acknowledgement of false promises and an apology if they’re not going ahead would help. They’re kids not adults blessed with years of life experience.Hmm

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 26/04/2020 22:46

I mean you're worrying over her grades for nothing.
If she was working hard in school, then her teachers will know this and take it into account. They will do as much as possible to give her the best possible outcome.
I understand you are both upset. I think your upset is focused in the wrong direction.

(Statistically she will probably he disadvantaged by taking resits as the make up of the students won't be a representative sample of the whole cohort. It will likely be skewed therefore grade boundaries will probably be higher).

Take the chance in her grades in August. Make a plan when you have more information. Stop reacting to everything like this.

I mean this kindly but do you have MH issues?

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