Gcse 2021 anyone appealing?

@AngelPrint Thx for your posts.

Our appeal for my DS is based on being unreasonable. This is very focussed on that. We had the individual evidence list from the school with the grades for each. It couldn't go down since the TAG was the lowest on the evidence and clearly wrong.

Otherwise, I have indeed uncovered frighteningly bad information that the school decided to calculate grades using an algorithm with weightings and that the class teachers had no part in the assessment other than the gathering of evidence phase. The final calculated results were them forced to fit close to the schools past results and this was the Teacher Assessed Grade.

The whole "don't appeal" issue is indeed there including the fact that the school completed the first stage prior to results for any A level students that it saw didn't make the grades for first choice at Uni. So when we asked a simple question for the first appeal stage, "Didn't he get another grade for the September Assessment" , the response was that they had already done a review and this stage was closed. A zoom call was conducted where my DS was told to not argue, accept the result and move on. Any appeal would be pointless and only risk lowering the result. When my DS asked to check the grade he had asked about in the appeal, they told him they couldn't go and check this and the review had been completed anyway.

Lots more issues which I will not go into now. Except to say once I get confirmation of the appeal being submitted by the school, I will begin publishing what I have to enable others to see what has being going on

And of course the overall guidance:

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/JCQ_Appeals-Guidance_Summer-2021.pdf

The school CANNOT tell you not to appeal. Any pupil may appeal should they wish and the school may be investigated for malpractice if they don’t follow up and give options to appeals.

You may also find the guidance on the JCQ appeal form helpful:

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/JCQ_Appeals-Guidance_Summer-2021_Appendix-B.pdf

[quote whistlr]@AngelPrint thx. Is that a copy of the actual evidence or just the list with grades for each?

The school has told everyone not to appeal. And even though we sent Friday am they haven't confirmed it's been sent. No reply to any emails.[/quote]
For a stage 2 appeal we just upload what the exam board wants. Basically what work was used to grade the pupils:

Here is the AQA list of evidence we need to upload depending on the type of appeal.

There’s no ‘discussion’ at all. It’s very black and white and the exam board is only going to see if the grade the teacher set is reasonable. They will start from that grade and unless something is found to be unreasonable the grade will stand.

We are still stuck at the subject request stage, school are refusing to supply any evidence stating they don't have to provide it this year due to legislation, but they won't tell us what that legislation is.

DD has had to enrol on a course at college she has no interest in, I'm not holding out much hope for the appeal to be successful (when we get to that stage) and I'm really worried about her future and her MH.

@AngelPrint thx. Is that a copy of the actual evidence or just the list with grades for each?

The school has told everyone not to appeal. And even though we sent Friday am they haven't confirmed it's been sent. No reply to any emails.

We have got our appeal done and the only sad thing is we have to send it to the school first.

I bet they write something against our appeal to send it onwards.

We've decided not to appeal. We have had some info from the school that has allayed some of our concerns, and we really just need to close the door on school and focus on college.
Good luck to anyone going ahead, especially those who didn't get special considerations they should have.

We are completing the appeal right now.

The same teacher in charge of this mess actually deals with FOI!!

Will look at what you suggest. Thx

Send them a subject access requesting asking for everything they have on your child.

Appeal and if it goes to stage two — say in it that appeal is subject to anything further from access request ?

Looking for help. Started by trying working out why our DS had a grade of B and this was the lowest on the evidence list. School have been shushy shusy about any questions since March. So I stopped work on Tuesday to investigate.

I have done 7 days now without a break and am completing an appeal for my DS.

Trouble is I have uncovered extensive issues where the school has not followed the JCQ guidance for determining grades. They have also used a calculation that has generated incorrect results like my DS has got. The list is endless of mistakes. Even a culture of fear with the key teacher.

Every day I find out a new problem. Our school didn't get the class teacher involved in the process of determining the TAG or even formally validating.

Lots of DCs upset and I know why. Difficult to cope with the worry of my own DS let alone the fact I feel awful. I can see a way to resolve but this takes time. Ideally I want to speak with another head teacher at a good school to compare the processes and confirm my find.

Anyone can help? Pls

[quote Misssugarplum12764]It’ll depend on the grounds for appeal. If an admin error it should be fairly quick as it’s easy enough to send a screenshot of what the grade should be. If it’s a more in depth one it’ll take longer as the exam board may ask for more evidence.

On the appeals FAQs they’re saying priority appeals should be back by 8th September. Non priority will be 42 calendar days from when they are submitted.

This guide is fairly comprehensive: www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/JCQ-Student-Appeals-Guide-2021.pdf[/quote]
It’s a procedural error, wrong grade used in TAG pool.

I’ve got a copy of the upheld appeal with the rationale behind it.

I’m so anxious waiting for it to be changed and my little one can relax and smile again

It’ll depend on the grounds for appeal. If an admin error it should be fairly quick as it’s easy enough to send a screenshot of what the grade should be. If it’s a more in depth one it’ll take longer as the exam board may ask for more evidence.

On the appeals FAQs they’re saying priority appeals should be back by 8th September. Non priority will be 42 calendar days from when they are submitted.

This guide is fairly comprehensive: www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/JCQ-Student-Appeals-Guide-2021.pdf

I’ve emailed my dd’s school to ask for evidence used for her Re,History and Science Gcse as for Re she was predicted a 5 and got a 2 ( in the last mock she took the class were messing about and talking even playing music on their phone and a supply teacher was covering the class who couldn’t control them.Dd had a panic attack as couldn’t concentrate and was told not to worry as she could retake the paper.She asked when this would be and was told someone would be in touch she kept asking and she never got to retake it.I am still waiting for a reply to the 2 emails I sent before the end of term and a reply to the numerous phone calls.The head of the school has now left due to ill health after being there for 2 years and totally ruining what was a great school (it is now an academy) as have a high number of teachers including her Re teacher.
Her history she was predicted a 6 and got a 3 and her science was predicted a 5 and got a 3/2
She was hoping to go to college to do A levels but hasn’t got enough grades.We are waiting to hear from her college about her options.

And if you have raised complaints in the past then there is that unfavourable bias towards your child. The team who decided on whether mitigating circumstances were granted are the same team who I have had to complain about numerous times including bringing a whopping great stack of legislation in showing how they were discriminating both directly and indirectly towards DD. They reluctantly backed off on some of the things they had been doing but did their utmost to prove she was a bad kid rather than a disabled child struggling due to lack of support. Which included lying about her, example - detention was issued for 'disrespecting a staff member', I emailed twice asking for details as DD denied any knowledge of such an incident, they wouldn't give details and just insisted she go to the detention or she would be put in isolation. However they messed up because the date they said this incident happened she wasn't in school, she was off ill, when I challenged it, they backed down and made some waffley excuse about admin error and she didn't need to attend a detention after all (no apology for blatantly making stuff up). So yeah the people who had already lied multiple times about DD, discriminated against her, did not offer support...they were the ones deciding if mitigating circumstances were granted, what a surprise that they were denied.

[quote kackle]@MrsHamlet thank you. Mitigating circumstances were accepted by the school and a couple -% awarded.

But they have failed to take account of JCQ guidance

Page 35 categorically says

As the range of evidence is flexible and can be tailored to an individual student according to coverage of the specification, then instances of special consideration should be limited. Centres should be able to select work completed by a student where they were unaffected by adverse circumstances.

Their TAG policy makes mention of substitution of evidence ( I know they have class tests etc as I have copies of them with my daughters marks)

My point is - they don’t appear to have followed the JCQ rules ( so they have to follow them?) and substituted evidence

Is it likely that if school don’t play ball, I can tell the exam board they haven’t followed procedure and they will review?[/quote]
My daughters center appeal was upheld today. School asking the exam board to up the grade.

Any exam officers about? Any idea on exam board timescales to turn this around? I am presuming because it’s a TAG that the school had free reign to assess / award there shouldn’t be an issue.

Anyone any ideas?

Cheers

Appeals definitely are possible. I am a senior examiner for an exam board and have been placed on a reserve list in case there are a lot of appeals. My understanding is that we will review all of the students work, and then compare it to see if the grade awarded is fair.

This years cohort were entirely at the mercy of their Schools.
There IS no actual Appeal possible (other than window dressing).
Those at Good Schools will be fine. Those at sink Schools will not.
The Govt have washed their hands of it.
But, hey, they are pushing Latin in 40 more Schools so that's fine.
I despair.

"And how can any of these kids re-sit the full exams when the whole issue is that they haven't been taught the entire syllabus due to covid disruption which is why the exams were cancelled in the first place"

As @AzPie says. The option of re-sitting is window dressing at best.

And how can any of these kids re-sit the full exams when the whole issue is that they haven't been taught the entire syllabus due to covid disruption which is why the exams were cancelled in the first place.

@Phineyj I have no idea if there were official arrangements or just informal ones agreed by staff, the school are being really uncooperative with supplying any evidence of anything. I'm just so angry, DD managed to track down 2 bits of evidence that were used (coursework) where her class teacher gave her a 6 on one and 5 on another, yet she ended up with a 4, it just doesn't make any sense.

School are meant to give us some info on the marks/grades of the items they used for their process though aren't they?
Emailed DD's school and got a very waffley answer back just pointing us to generic info and the appeals form.
But I need to know what data they used to know if we want to appeal...

I have finally been given the literature from our School re the Appeals process (not inc in results envelope as stated and not emailed to us).

It's a stitch up basically. You can only appeal on the basis of them not following procedure / not awarding grade on evidence that 'any other reasonable teacher' would. The evidence is not reassessed by the exam centre at all. We should be able to appeal. My child had exams on parts of the course that were never taught. part of his practical work for his DTech course was stolen by another child and broken and he was downgraded as he was never given time to repair it, 'catch up lesson's were scheduled after school (20 miles away) when no school bus / public transport ran for him to attend them. I was given no receipt for the letter I wrote re his extra exam concessions (he has Autism AND Dyslexia / Dyspraxia / Dyscalculia) and was told verbally by SMT that he would not receive these. None of this is reasonable but how the hell do I prove it? My feeling is that if we contest the results they will lower them out of spite (I have seen how they treated a former teacher who 'whistleblew' about conditions there, won a court case but still nearly had a breakdown over the sheer malice from school)

It might be safer to stay schtum. How appalling.