Do you think they will cancel GCSE’s in England ?

Wales haven't cancelled them, they are still doing externally set papers but will be doing them in classrooms (I think) and calling them teacher assessments.

Yes, England should.

Yes they will be cancelled

And I think that is bad news

Currently every test/mock is considered as the thing that may decide their grades

This amount of pressure is just shit.

Better to just do exams, kids deserve it. They can just lower the grade boundaries to account for Covid.

I know of at least three Year 11 kids who are currently working through a second two-week self-isolation - ie 4 weeks out of the classroom in less than 3 months. There's no promise that there won't be a third and a fourth before Easter and the exams.
Plus I know of a school where 15+ teachers are also isolating so the kids who are in are being taught by supply teachers or babysat by unqualified cover supervisors.
I don't know why there isn't more fuss about this.
(And this is in London where the rates of Covid in the community are only a quarter of what they are in some northern towns)

@TickTickClock

‘The constant reminder that every piece of work needs to be to exam standard because we might need it for CAGs, but you need to go home and revise everything because we might not use CAGs but do exams instead

Exactly this. It feels an unrelenting, impossible slog ahead. Poor kids. And they have no respite in terms of time hanging out with friends, which is what 15 year olds are suppose to do. There's nowhere for them to meet out of school apart from one-on-one for a walk’.

Exactly this above. At DD’s school all the windows are flung open all day, they are not allowed to wear coats so are 🥶 freezing cold, working hard to concentrate in lessons, quite a few teachers are off isolating (so not even the usual teachers), pressure piled on them from all sides and they are not allowed to wear coats to keep warm even in mid November in the north of England, 50 odd of the year group bubble are also isolating. They are expected to attend extra catch up revision sessions in form time, do extra revision sessions after school as well as a hectic revision schedule at home until until 10pm each evening for the next two weeks before mocks, she also has dyslexia and so far hasn’t been given the extra time she is allowed in the mini mocks. It’s ridiculous either way the year 11 is screwed. If they cancel gcse’s they are just bringing the pressure forward to Nov or Jan or whenever the mocks are.

Scotland has already cancelled National 5s

But surely if the exams are cancelled they would still need to be pushing them to work really hard as they would keep doing regular assessments - they can hardly stop now and say “don’t worry, we will assess you on what is less than a year’s work” (unless they started the course in y9 but DD’s school didn’t start them until y10). So not sure they really gain?

I think on balance I would prefer them to go ahead as it gives the most time for them to keep learning and make up for time lost. But as DD has just got really good results in her recent exams then if they cancel I’m pretty sure she will do ok as those would surely form a big part of any teacher assessment. So from a selfish point of view that might be better for her.

What should they do and what will they do? Two different questions. Having just had to send 60+ Year 11s home today, working in one of the most deprived areas of the UK, because a kid had symptoms but was sent in for 3 days anyway “because Year 11 is so important and the government are saying there will be exams” I think if exams do go ahead, we’ll end up with most socially unjust set of results the country have ever seen.

The constant reminder that every piece of work needs to be to exam standard because we might need it for CAGs, but you need to go home and revise everything because we might not use CAGs but do exams instead

Exactly this. It feels an unrelenting, impossible slog ahead. Poor kids. And they have no respite in terms of time hanging out with friends, which is what 15 year olds are suppose to do. There's nowhere for them to meet out of school apart from one-on-one for a walk.

@Notnownotneverever same situation with my DD, she is usually very good revising, full on focus and overall very good grades but she messed up in the recent mini mocks- finding too hard to focus, no concentration always in the mindset of assumptions- what of they cancel, what if this and that- they hear so many different scenarios at school too- I agree it is too late anyway the damage is done! I am hoping she can turn this around as she worked so hard all this time except recently lost in space

In some ways now it’s so late it doesn’t matter for my DC in year 11. He is so stressed and struggled so much teaching himself. He hasn’t done well in recent assessments and was previously top sets for all subjects and doing well. It is unlikely he can completely turn it around now whether they have exams or not. He also struggles with severe anxiety now which affects his ability to concentrate. This government has failed our young people and failed to support our schools.

Yes, but they won’t decide that until weeks after Christmas.

DS isn't bothered either way (whether exams go ahead or are cancelled).

He's self-isolating for 2 weeks now and the workload has been horrendous. Teachers taking the opportunity to set 5 hours of work to do in a 100 minute lesson slot with additional "homework".
The constant reminder that every piece of work needs to be to exam standard because we might need it for CAGs, but you need to go home and revise everything because we might not use CAGs but do exams instead.

He is too laid back to be stressed, but he is starting to get tired (and it's only November).

Personally - I think I'd like to see them cancelled.