Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

What happens if a child doesn't complete practical for GCSE PE?

39 replies

Windowcleaning · 28/04/2023 11:35

Just that, really. It's a loooooong story, but it's looking like dd is going to refuse to do her GCSE practical.

Anyone any idea whether she'll automatically fail?

And is only getting eight GCSEs disastrous, or one of those things that no-one will care about in a few years?

Her sixth form offer is 'six GCSEs grade 6 or above' btw.

TIA

OP posts:
NotDonna · 02/05/2023 06:07

If it’s causing huge drama and likely to affect her other GCSEs is it worth her withdrawing and simply not having a PE grade at all? Therefore focusing on her other subjects.
For Ucas all grades need to be submitted even ‘fails’. As others have said though, no one will care about one anomaly. I’m wondering if the stress is worth it?

Original poster
Windowcleaning · 01/05/2023 22:34

Thanks all. Yes, it's all quite late in the process. The whole GCSE has been a bit of a mess in all honesty. No, the PE dept hasn't videoed any of their work, no they haven't submitted the course work yet.

The head of PE is already involved (she had dd in tears at parent evening) and the HOY got involved in a supportive way last week.

I'm strongly encouraging dd to do it and at least get some marks (not least because we can stop bloody talking about it) but we'll see.

OP posts:
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 01/05/2023 11:19

If she had a physical injury (e.g. broken ankle) and couldn't do her sports, there are two options available.

  1. Being assessed on prior video footage of her sports. The video footage has to meet certain criteria, but the PE department at her school should be able to help with this.

  2. If no video footage exists, then it's possible to apply to the exam board for special consideration. There are various outcomes available from this but hopefully as a minimum she'd get some uplift in her grade. Even if she doesn't get this, she won't automatically fail.

You'll likely need some medical evidence, saying she can't do the practical, though.

I'd also liaise with her school, if her class teacher is unsure, ask to speak to the head of PE?

Quitelikeacatslife · 29/04/2023 23:27

If you can persuade her to show up and do a bit she'd score more than zero, save wasting any work she has already done? Extreme bribery?

Simianwalk · 29/04/2023 23:16

Has she done any of the practical stuff? Has she been involved in any of the allowed sports? If yes can you pull some of it together for her?

Hersetta427 · 29/04/2023 23:14

Can she be assessed from submitted footage? Dd is doing pe and has already submitted footage which was assessed and graded by her teachers (including coursework) and she has been told the grades. She has also been examiner assessed in one sport(luckily her weakest) so she keeps her high scores from her two main sports. Am surprised none of this has happened already as it is quite late in the process.

limoncello23 · 29/04/2023 17:18

It'll be fine, particularly as it's PE as it's such a different subject to the rest. At worst she will put it on her UCAS form and then the admissions people will look at it and think she should probably have picked a different GCSE option, and move on to looking at her actual relevant grades. For pretty much every other purpose she never needs to mention it again.

Original poster
Windowcleaning · 28/04/2023 13:49

Needmorelego · 28/04/2023 11:37

8 GCSEs is plenty and unless she plans to go into a sports/fitness related industry I doubt any will care about GCSE PE.

Tbh, that's my sense as well. I won't go into details, but the last couple of years have been extremely stressful for dd and in all honesty, her going into school and doing 8 GCSEs is a heck of a lot better than it could have been.

OP posts:
Original poster
Windowcleaning · 28/04/2023 13:21

Thanks all. The practical component is 40%, about 10% of which is course work (that the school still hasn't submitted,...), so about 30%.

I wish she would just get it over with even if she gets a low score, but it's not me that has to do it.

OP posts:
LIZS · 28/04/2023 11:50

How many marks is the practical? Is a zero score going to affect her weighted score overall? Is there a written component and will she complete that. 8 is enough but is it worth throwing this one away if she could do well.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 28/04/2023 11:46

Why can’t she do it? If it’s anxiety she should get gp note.

Phos · 28/04/2023 11:39

She’ll receive a mark of 0 for that part of the assessment I imagine. So it depends on the weightings for your exam board and how well she’s done on the other parts as to her overall grade but it’s likely to be 4 or below I guess. 8 GCSEs is fine and whilst it’s a shame she’s spent 2 years on something she now won’t engage with, I’d be inclined to just leave it off her CV in future rather than attract questions about why she got
such a low grade in comparison to her other subjects.

Bobbybobbins · 28/04/2023 11:39

Might be worth asking if they can withdraw her from the qualification rather than her failing it. Save the stress of her doing the written exam.

Needmorelego · 28/04/2023 11:37

8 GCSEs is plenty and unless she plans to go into a sports/fitness related industry I doubt any will care about GCSE PE.