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Original poster

School refusing to give GCSE predictions

88 replies

BirthdayBadger · 11/02/2021 18:51

DS is in year 11 (in an independent school). No mocks have been done at all and the school is saying that they are not going to give us any predictions and that there's no point in even asking. We know that predictions exist because DS applied to go to a different sixth form and his school needed to supply them for the new school to consider him.

Is this normal? I feel that we actually have no idea how he is really doing. We had a very inconclusive parents evening recently where some teachers gave test results which helped a bit but not all subjects had had any recent tests, or the teachers wouldn't comment. So, we are concerned that we don't actually know how well he is doing at all.

Is this what other schools are doing? Surely it's usual to provide some kind of prediction so that a clear idea of where the pupils are at is given and steps for extra support can be given if needed?

OP posts:
Original poster
BirthdayBadger · 11/02/2021 20:39

@converseandjeans - aren't your pupils feeling frustrated that they took exams which they revised for yet got no results for? As a student I would be very upset by this.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 11/02/2021 20:38

No, mine’s a state school.

How can we predict grades when we don’t know what the assessment is? It’s all up in the air.

Original poster
BirthdayBadger · 11/02/2021 20:37

So is this just an independent School thing? Based on fear of litigation?

OP posts:
queenofthelamas · 11/02/2021 20:30

Simple answer is if we have you your predicted grades then you didn't achieve them you would complain and potentially try and sue the school.

Let's remember that these predicted grades aren't meaningless and just a base point these are likely to be used as your final overall grade. This is different then every time before.

We still don't know the mark schemes, still don't have a clear picture of how we make the grades up. We can't tell you your prediction because either it will be bang on or wildly inaccurate and we just don't know which.

We are saving a lot of false hope, a lot of potential worry for those who did not perform quite as well and trying to cover ourselves from angry parents

converseandjeans · 11/02/2021 20:28

Our students sat mocks in November & they were due results day in January. This obviously didn't happen and we have been told not to give them results.

There were parents appealing last summer. Some parents asking to see staff emails via freedom of information request. Then using information sent in emails to try to get higher grades. Parents appealing the appeal and then appealing the final decision 🤷🏻‍♀️

So I think schools are trying to avoid putting themselves into a position where clever parents with lawyer friends will find a loophole where they can get hold of information to get better grades for their child (when they know they missed work and didn't actually put much effort in, but they think it's worth a try)

Original poster
BirthdayBadger · 11/02/2021 20:25

@xyzandabc don't you feel unnerved by this?

OP posts:
Original poster
BirthdayBadger · 11/02/2021 20:24

@AnotherNewt There were no year 10 exams so we have absolutely no previous data to go on. The reports are vague and if you query what a grade means they say that it isn't worth looking at grades because it is all about the Value Added. But IMO at this point it isn't about the value added because we are at crunch point, aren't we?

@slothbyday I see your point, but as predictions have clearly been made way is this now classified information?

@Ohalrightthen I too talked the earth with the dinosaurs but even then I did mocks which gave me (and my parents) of where I was going OK and where there were problems. I get the logic that it might make people slack off (more fool them IMO) but also lower grades might make people get their acts together. Isn't that the whole point of mocks?

OP posts:
xyzandabc · 11/02/2021 20:22

Usually predicted grades would be given, yes. However like nobles school, ours too have taken predicted grades off of this terms reports. Guidance as to what teachers should use and take in to consideration when calculating this summer's grades has not yet been published. So they literally can not predict what grades they might give as they don't yet know how they are going to be allowed to set the grades.

noblegiraffe · 11/02/2021 20:18

We’ve taken predicted grades off reporting for Y11 and 13 at my school too.

We don’t know what we’re predicting any more so we can’t do anything till the plans for centre assessed grades come out.

ScrapThatThen · 11/02/2021 20:15

We had them up to a few weeks ago but school have said not giving any more.

Ohalrightthen · 11/02/2021 20:03

I think that's very normal - a hundred billion years ago we weren't told ours, on the logic that it might encourage us to slack off. Why would your kid need to know, anywaym

slothbyday · 11/02/2021 20:00

It will be classed as malpractice to tell children (and parents) what their teacher assessed grade being submitted pre moderation from the awarding organisation will be so they will likely be erring on the side of caution for now.

Second issue is that they don't know yet what they will be using to determine the teacher grade they will be submitting - whether it will be based on what they've already done or whether a task will be sat so again, would potentially cause an issue of that predicted grade being different

Last year many teachers were facing pressure from kids and parents to up the predicted grades so this prevents that pressure and bias.

AnotherNewt · 11/02/2021 19:57

It was normal last year, because the assessed grades played such a different role in the final award. They're probably holding fire until it is clearer what will be required for this years awards

You must surely know from year 10 summer exams and all reports t least roughly his your DS is doing? What was said about strengths/weaknesses at last parents evening?