When they say Boris should cancel GCSEs / A-Levels...

[SoggyBiscuitss]

... do they mean those due to take them this year would stay on and do them next year?

Or just never do exams?

I ask this as a parent of a child due to sit GCSEs this year and who’s mock exams have severely suffered due to the lockdowns and constant self isolating between lockdowns.
I’m starting to worry.

I just read that Boris is being pushed to cancel all exams but I don’t know what that would mean.

I think it means it would go to teacher assessment again.

I imagine they would not have to sit them at all, with the opportunity to sit A levels in the Autumn if they want.

I imagine people mean like last year, we would use some kind of teacher assessment to produce grades.

As a teacher I am on the fence, because on the one hand this year's y11 have missed out on a lot and there us a big disparity between some who have had to isolate loads and some who have been in school throughout the autumn term. My school has been lucky and hasn't had to send y11s home but I have individual y11s who have had 4 weeks + off school due to close contacts testing positive outside of school. I know of schools where y11s have been told to self isolate multiple times.

However, last year the system was a mess, and this year we will have even less data to go off than last year. So if exams are cancelled we need a good solution to give everyone fair grades.

It would not be possible for kids to stay on and do GCSEs next year rather than this year. It will be exams or assessments.

Thank you for your responses.
Wow it really worries me.
He was doing well before it all happened but his mock results were really bad (like 2 grades or more lower than he should have got)

I hope they come up with something fair and take into account how much has been missed.
If they went only by his mocks it would be a real worry.

The exams are slightly delayed to give a bit more time and at least that extension is at the part of year when disruption should decrease.

Where a pupil has struggled with extra disruption there would be a * by the grade to indicate this.

Exam boards are releasing priority topics to ensure that everyone gets a chance to cover a significant part of the exam content.

The exam season itself should be relatively straightforward for the majority as its when viral rates are lowest. This has naturally occurred across the northen and southern hemispheres. The challenge is learning the content.

I honestly don't understand why they haven't cancelled exams already.

Last years year 11 missed 5 weeks of learning at our school.

Year 13 missed 3 weeks.

I think exams should be sat as the least worst option. Or at the very least, GCSE English and Maths and A levels/BTEC/other exams at 18.