GCSE summer 2020 thread 6 - Carry on Corona Cohort, Further adventures aboard the Corona Charabanc.

@20Newnames - yes! The person who shared it was a primary teacher but still should know better. Their reasoning was 'it might be true so I'm going to sign it'. Heaven help us. Went down massively in my estimation.

Last day of DD's bridging work today so end of school. Her new sixth form put on a really good Q and A forum via teams earlier this week and I think she's mentally moved already.

I just had someone send me that petition 🙄. When I questioned where it was from and what the source of the info was they then said “That’s what we think it’s BS. But 50000 sharing and signing means a lot of scared people!“.

OMG, they have no clue they are part of the problem or scaremongering 🙄. This is a person who regularly sends me this sort of crap and then when I call it out or ask for details they always say yes we thought it was crap too but thought you’d like to see it!

I think I’ll not bother paying any attention to it!

I don’t understand why people just share things without looking into them properly but I suppose I am scientific at heart

@Oblomov20 - I suggest you tell your friend to think carefully before sharing!

That petition makes me cross. Doesn't link to any evidence. It's referring to some research of an education think tank which invited schools to submit their initial assessed grades and found (in their opinion) the grades were over inflated.

I told a friend yesterday on Facebook that they should be careful not to scaremonger by sharing such stuff.

Per Miranda's link:

"But according to inewss_, the results suggested by teachers are 'too generous' and will be downgraded."

Which is a completely different thing!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/level-gcse-results-downgraded-because-18449334.amp

A quick google suggests that up to a third may be downgraded. Which is rather different from that petition which seems to be suggested individual grades would be downgraded by a third ie 9s going to 6s.

I think there is some grade adjustment each year anyway

I saw that too - not sure what it’s based on. Need to investigate a bit more I think.

My friend just posted this petition.
This can't be right, surely? Down by 1/3rd? We've all talked extensively about how they are going to calculate GCSE grades, and all the different aspects that are going to be taken into account.
Is this really true? Or just scaremongering?

We had an email refunding payments for the prom today. They still hope to hold ‘something’ when allowed but it felt very final to get the refund 😕

Went into school today with DD to return the textbooks the school had given out. This has cleared a big space on her work shelf. The ones we bought we'll sell at some point.
Felt weird going back in. The car park which isn't massive at best of times had a cone in every other space so the cars could social distance. I got the last available space. What will happen once school returns is anyone's guess as it's pandemonium at drop off/ pick up - I park roads away when I pick up and DD walks out but I normally get there early and wait in car park with her in the morning.

GDP is not jargon! It was meant to say gap!!

Yes, in the last couple of weeks it dropped from the year 11s having 6 subjects to just their alevel choices and one other so they have upped the difficulty now that they only have dc who will be taking those subjects I think.

I think some of the lack of confidence probably arising from the bridging material being A Level stuff rather than foundations. I have bridging stuff from three schools ,spanning six subjects and some of it is definitely actual curriculum content. I did say to DS that they would run out if things to teach!

I have gone for reading, watching, and some gentle research tasks for my lot. No way I want them badly learning key concepts! I don't want to create a learning GDP, so I have only set stuff that it won't matter if they don't do it.

Thanks all - DS says he knows it will be taught again but probably at pace and maybe half in school and half over video which will be a disaster for him - he is in the lowest set at a selective school. I will look at getting some formal or informal tutoring set up as I cant help him at all with A level maths.

He seems a bit brighter today - he hung the washing out before retreating to his room again. In our house thats a win!

To be fair to DS it is ridiculous that they are basically attempting to teach themselves A Level maths concepts.

That must be hugely demoralising. Hope MaccieD cheered him up.
DS has some bridging work but to be fair to school they were clear up front it will all be taught again in Sept as there will be new students coming in & existing students who change their choices after GCSE results. Maybe that message went astray at your DS's school?

@ChristopherTracy - you might like to look at this thread which is about a free tutoring service linking university students with school pupils who need a bit of support. Or do you have any friends with slightly older DCs who might like to do a bit of tutoring.

We are lucky that DS1 is able to support DS2 which has been surprisingly successful.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3944327-do-your-student-dc-have-any-spare-time-to-do-something-useful

@ChristopherTracy do you think he might just be a bit rusty? Dd has said she’s stuck on the history work and needs my help. This is a girl who has never asked for help in five years at secondary! I just wonder if they’re out of practice, lacking confidence a bit?

Hopefully his teachers will help! Dd is going to a new school so no one to contact but I’ll be able to help I think.

Just when we thought we couldnt get much lower DS has announced that he cant do any of the bridging work as he hasnt been taught the new concepts and it is just beyond him. Thankfully he agreed to email the teachers and ask what to do.
To be fair to DS it is ridiculous that they are basically attempting to teach themselves A Level maths concepts.

I told him not to worry as he was so distressed and ubered him over a Big Mac meal.

We are going to concentrate on the fitness and other stuff instead. Its just not worth his mental health at this point.

DS's school only requires 8 4s with 5s or 6s in the subjects you want to study for A Level (min grade depends on the subject). I think for their own students who are continuing but don't make grades, they already make a judgement based on the individual if they feel they are able to cope with the course. I actually think that's quite sensible - if the teacher whose been teaching them for the last 2 years think they are able to cope with A Level, I'd like to think that would be taken into account.

They only require 6554444 where DS is going, but to include a 6 in a written GCSE if applying for essay based subjects, 66 in sciences to study 2 sciences and 77 + 7 in maths to do 3 sciences. So I guess they are quite similar to Piggy's school for arts and humanities.

That is low. At ds’s School you have to get 5 x Grade 6 to do A levels (slightly lower requirements for practical subjects such as art but the expectation would turn be 1 A level plus a Btec certificate or diploma ) higher requirements for maths & science.

Ds is likely to get 1 Grade 7/8, maybe a 6 and the rest 4/5 except science which I doubt he will pass. He’s due to start a Btec extended diploma in the subject he’s predicted 7/8 in.

The classes are 25 max and there are 2. Normally, that would reduce a bit.

4s is the limit for all subjects. Some can set 5s and maths does what it likes!

I have no idea what will happen in September rd class sizes. Sigh.

Piggy yes, definitely dodgy in terms of OFQUAL rules to give all the grades, but not if they just inform them that their CAGs are good enough for them to progress to sixth form?

Unusual to only require 4s for A level, I would have thought it was more appropriate to point people with weaker passes in the direction of other qualifications. Must be difficult if you end up with a very mixed ability group. What do you do if the course is over-subscribed? May be class size restrictions for social distancing.