Starting Year 11 GCSE 2021 Thread 2

My DD has just started a week of exams. There will then be another week in May, and a final week in June (where they are likely to use the Ofqual questions), but the June exams are due to be shorter. Their mark will then be based on work done to date, plus the results from the 3 sets of assessments. After this week's assessments, they'll be able to give us an idea of marks, and they can use the May and June assessments to improve.

She's not had any mocks, so gone straight into tests that count. Having had the rug pulled out from under her by COVID over the last year, she's lost a lot of motivation, and I don't think has done enough work for this week's assessments (although they were only given a week's notice so...).

Hi! It has been exhausting trying to be positive for DD. She is revising for one of the assessments but I can hear a lot of singing and laughter -chemistry revision?!
DD had online 'mocks' after half term but these don't count apparently but is now having a number of assessments/tests before the holidays. School is usually good with communicating with parents but we have had no detail regarding how/what/when assessments are taking place. Last day of school is end of May.
DD is flagging and I'm not sure how long she can keep going, but last week she came home and declared she had the best school day ever! Music songwriting/ composition. After all these years!!
Keep going. I'm really looking forward to June

They are also waiting for the government to announce when their school year will finish.

We had our information sent out yesterday, 10 days of exams after the summer half term. Each exam about an hour and a half and it will count towards 40% of their gcse award. Another 40% from previous work/assessments during years 10 and 11 then 20% NEA input.
For subjects like maths though it will be 50% exam and 50% previous work/assessments.
My ds is quite happy, he’ll be given revision lists just before the Easter holidays.
His friends at another local high school aren’t doing any of the exams on offer and are giving all grades from evidence from the last two years.

The schools are in an impossible situation as the mini-tests haven’t been released yet so they don’t know if they will work for them. DD’s school have said they will do something akin to a full exam schedule but can’t say if this will be past mock papers or the mini tests or a hybrid. They say that no one piece of information will inform a grade and the school will build up a picture based on past mocks, tests, essays and future tests. This however is a school where they’ve known all the girls for years and hardly any leave (grammar) so it is easier for them to do this. Some schools may not have the structure or luxury to do this, may not have done mocks before lockdown 3.0 etc.

Last thing I’d be doing right now is putting my head above the parapet as a parent either in a positive or negative way. I plan to after a middle course and be supportive of the school but not sucking up either. I wanted to get the teachers a selection of snacks as I have done in the past but felt that this time round it might be mis-construed as bribery!

TheHouseElf don't write to complain.

The phrase "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar" springs to mind.

The school have a difficult situation to navigate and will be trying their best. They will let the children know as soon as they can.

Please just reassure your child rather than vilify the teachers who are already stretched and stressed

Just come across this thread, looking for info.

DD's Yr 11, school has still given no information whatsoever as to how this is going to work for her exam assessments, but hope to be able to do so before the end of this term! We're going to email and complain as this is ridiculous as the clock is running down and we can't understand what's taken them so long to give us some details.

So right now, we've no idea exactly what and how much she needs to revise. Can anyone let me know what info/advice you've had?

I think it is very interesting that they aren't including in the exams anything that was taught during lockdown.

We now have a lot more info. Lots being cut out including Romeo and Juliet for English, 2 topics for each science, not so much on maths but they started maths in year 9.

[quote Cuddling57]@Titsywoo that sounds a very sensible approach. Are you all feeling happy with that?[/quote]
Yes pretty happy considering the situation. The classwork and end of unit tests they do from now will count as well. I wish they could have counted previous stuff as it feels a bit full on but I guess that is the case every year. DD is best at exams so she is pleased she still has the opportunity to do that.

My dc has week of “assessments” in mid May as well as being told that every piece of work could count too. It puts a lot of stress on them.

We've had the timetable through, a week either side of half term and then a programme of catch up for those staying on in sixth form.

@Titsywoo that sounds a very sensible approach. Are you all feeling happy with that?

Today we got timetables of assessments. The first is a week of exams from 19th April and the second is two weeks from 10th May. They are giving the topics which will be covered to the kids tomorrow. Dd said for French they are being tested on only 5 of the 12 units (the French teacher told them that early). The final week before half term will be a practical week so they can make sure all coursework and other practical work is done (hoping that includes art). They haven't yet decided what will happen after that and what date they will finish year 11.

Yes, the middle two weeks of May for the assessments.
But there will be random assessments between now and then which 'could' count.
It won't be on the whole syllabus but I'm not sure if they will be told specific topics. Presume so

@onyourway are the assessments happening in May? Have they been given topics?

We've finally been given dates for study leave, assessments over two weeks and then it's all over by half term. It's all so much earlier than normal and after a year when there has been so much disruption.

They have to be 'available' for the two weeks after half term to discuss or redo assessments, then one week of pre A level learning later in June.

Obviously each school does it their own way but at least we have some dates.

Submission date is 18 June.

Schools can make their own decision as to whether they require pupils to attend still.

Some schools are asking students to come in to cover gaps in learning /to do some preparation for the A levels they intend to take. However, my undertanding is it will be up to the schools to decide.

Reposting this here if you want or ask a question courtesy of nobelgiraffe

If you’ve got a question about how exam results will be approached, please ask the children’s minister by midday tomorrow www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/4181807-Q-A-with-Vicky-Ford-MP-Childrens-Minister-about-return-to-school-for-all-children

So DD gets to go into school next week briefly for her first Covid test. Apparently there are 17,000 tests piled up under the stairs for this school with just over 1000 pupils, 60 teachers, TA, admin staff. The school are going to get all of Y10-13 tested before 8 March.

DD would much prefer two jabs than all this kerfuffle but I suppose this is how it needs to be for now and she knows it is all slightly odd to be so excited to be seeing girls her own age for the first time in months in a queue for virus testing.

Copying this from ‘exams cancelled’ thread courtesy of noble
twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1364702555184517127?s=21

I think they’ll announce all that on Thursday @Barewithasorehead
I’m a bit worried about the lateral flow tests being done twice a week. Their accuracy (false positives) is notorious. So they’ll be missing lessons to get these done, then if positive PCR testing and/or isolating. If teachers are busy teaching face to face they can’t do online. If students are in/out it’ll be hugely disruptive. Again. And how on Earth are they going to get this evidence of students are still playing hokey cokey. I wish they’d done a phased return. My DDs aren’t happy. They’d much rather carry on with home learning. They know school isn’t safe. If it’s not safe for them to have one mate over in the garden how’s it safe to sit in a class with 30 others? They’re not enamoured with wearing masks all day either (all 3 wear glasses & steam up). 7am (as on the train) til 5pm when they get home. Ten hours. Maybe an hour for lunch without it, so 9. They’ll do it of course but it won’t be nice will it? Neither will the throat/nose swabs every 3 days. They’d definitely prefer to stay home. They don’t think it’s worth it.

What is the timeline for ending the school year? Without exams to conclude it will there be a set day for CAGs submissions and that’s it?
If so do we know when that is going to be?