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Original poster

Urgent HELP re AQA English Creative Writing Paper , please?

78 replies

52andblue · 10/04/2021 11:56

This has been set as homework for Ds over Easter break.
He has Dyslexia and ASD and is at an awful school (I am still waiting for official confirmation he has exam concessions and he is taking this paper on Tuesday...)
So the info sent home is very unclear.
(it is not a past paper but something school has put together)
He has to describe a given picture (in this case a tree).
Demonstrate his use of various adverbs, alliteration etc
He is given 'an hour to write a page and a half'
But what is not clear is whether he is to write a STORY as part of this.

I have emailed school to no avail. My other child is unwell so I am not confident about finding the info I need via the exam board etc.

Would anyone on here happen to know, PLEASE?
He is very stressed about this for Tues now
(and I am feeling horribly guilty that I didn't know till now that he was in this position, apparently they've never practiced this paper before !

OP posts:
Original poster
52andblue · 11/04/2021 15:31

OK thanks.
Again he's had homework for ACC.
2 passages and Qus on themes and characters but none of the Qu's are remotely linked to the two passages.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 11/04/2021 16:04

He's doing Aqa isn't he?
The questions are theme/character based but AQA doesn't normally give a passage for the modern text.

Original poster
52andblue · 11/04/2021 16:25

Yes, AQA

OP posts:

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SEN
MrsHamlet · 11/04/2021 17:24

The key thing to remember is the assessment objectives. He's got to hit those.

So for the writing:

  • a range of Lang devices used
  • effective structure
  • interesting vocab
  • spag

For the lit:

  • answer the question, about text and extract
  • use evidence
  • analyse language used
  • make links to context
Pieceofpurplesky · 11/04/2021 19:25

As a basic rule he needs to expand and explain three quotes from the extract and at least two from the rest of the story. There will be a link to a theme or character - so it could be Scrooge's redemption.

For each relevant quote he will need to explain it, analyse the language use and link it to context (so Dickens presents the Cratchit family as an example of the poor, yet he dispels the Victorian myth that the poor are lazy and miserable as ...'

Original poster
52andblue · 13/04/2021 17:31

Well he went in to do his Paper 1 Creative writing today.
Not knowing if he was going to get a laptop or extra time.
He still doesn't know.
The teacher who was going to be supervising his class left / walked out of school yesterday: apparently there was no one else to cover.
The 'maniacs' in the class started throwing things. His friend (also ASD) started to shake so he was asked to take her up to the SEN 'hub' (an old tiny room, no staff) They were given a 'practice paper to take with them but told that it won't count'. Thank goodness as he only got 2 paras done as 3 teachers came in, 1 was lost, 1 needed help printing something on a new laptop he wasn't familiar with (ds is great at tech) and 1 came to tell them that they are now doing this test 'for real' on Friday. Along with 2 other tests already planned for that day and 3 pieces of work his DT teacher has realised are outstanding for submission deadline by then. Ds in tears.
I could cry. I won't - I will help him with DT and to revise but, my God..

OP posts:
Original poster
52andblue · 13/04/2021 17:35

Sorry: I can't say it in RL (and his Dad doesn't care) so have vented here.
Feel calmer now!

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 13/04/2021 17:48

Your son's school sounds terrible, I'm afraid.

treeeeemendous · 13/04/2021 18:18

@52andblue that's awful. Poor dsSad

We are very lucky that dd's school is great. She gets to sit in the computer room and has a laptop, extra time and something called read write? I believe it reads her the questions/text and then she can use it to read back her written work. When she reads herself she literally reads what she thinks she written so she doesn't notice if she has missed words out (these are often small words such as and / an / a etc) as she thinks she wrote them but she obviously hears its missing when it's read back to her. Spellcheck and grammar check is obviously turned off. I must ask her how it reads her mis spelled words!

She has an annual assessment in school where they reassess her needs. Can you email the senco to discuss?

Original poster
52andblue · 14/04/2021 17:19

@MrsHamlet
The school is not even as good as 'terrible' sadly.
It is in special measures but as an Academy they just roll in a new Head every year or two and nothing ever improves. We got stuck here by a combination of finances and exam year. We are moving this summer but I am hoping he will pass an exam or two so he doesn't have to repeat them all.

@treeeeemendous
Senco, you say. We are on the 4th? in 3 years. This one is a PE teacher. I met her a year ago for a 15 min chat and she was quite aggressive. No reply to emails or phone calls since. They (SMT) literally don't reply which drives me crazy.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 14/04/2021 23:43

I'm sorry to hear that - it's shit!
He must be given the access arrangements he's entitled to in every assessment. If that doesn't happen, that should be grounds to appeal his grade. Your next port of call might be the exams officer if the senco isn't replying. Ours is very proactive!

AvaCallanach · 14/04/2021 23:59

My autistic DS and I looked at YouTube videos by teachers for top tips for creative writing. Mr Bruff is probably the best known but not the only one.

DS never did quite pass his GCSE but they eventually swapped him to functional skills level 2 which is equivalent to grade 4 at GCSE and much more straightforward (write a letter, apply for a job etc). If he doesn't manage I would ask for that as an alternative.

Original poster
52andblue · 15/04/2021 17:18

Hi @MrsHamlet
Well he sat Biology Paper 1 this afternooon (after School - only 7 kids out of a year group of 150 take Triple science so they run the lessons after school). He was given a Foundation Paper. The other ASD kid was given a foundation paper. But all the other 5 kids were given the Advanced paper that they were ALL expecting. He said he took one look at the big F on it and thought: 'that means Fail'.
His Creative English paper (timetabled for tomorrow) happened today. He didn't know and was late in because he didn't hear the bell as some other kids were having a fight outside. He wasn't given extra time or a laptop. His Lit paper which was due next week is now tomorrow. I could cry. I am raging actually.

He's been given predicted grades of 5 for all his subjects. If he gets that, fine. He's upset as he should get an A equiv for Biology and for Engineering, but he might be below a 5 for chemistry and maths so if he gets 5's for all I would cry with relief frankly. I spoke to the Deputy Head f2f earlier about my dd and took the chance to ask about exam timetabling. He said nothing about changes. He also made it clear that he had the final say on grades. (he is not pleasant and we have crossed swords before). For these reasons is it best to wait and see what grades he is given before I put this in writing (so we don't suffer any penalties) or leave it until then (but then we have no evidence at all that concessions not applied, timetables changed etc)??

OP posts:
TeenMinusTests · 15/04/2021 17:36

If he was put in for Foundation Biology he will be capped at a 5 for that.

MrsHamlet · 15/04/2021 17:57

I would email the senco, the head of year and the exams officer to raise the questions now

TeenMinusTests · 15/04/2021 18:29

Did the school not send out info to all pupils saying which exams and tier they were being 'entered' for? Sounds like they are hopeless.

grumpyhetty · 15/04/2021 18:42

Mr Bruff does great YouTube videos on all the English GCSE papers

Original poster
52andblue · 15/04/2021 20:25

@Teens, yes, he's really depressed about it.
No, info never given, despite asking.
Exams officer - how will I find that out? (school won't know / tell me)
thanks @MrsHamlet
thanks@grumpyhetty

I'd go to my local MP except she won't care (rampant Tory and this sink school is not considered worthy of her attention sadly)

OP posts:
Original poster
52andblue · 15/04/2021 20:26

One more Qu (sorry!)

Is it harder to get a B/5 on the Foundation paper than the Advanced one? Ds seems to think so :(

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 15/04/2021 20:36

There might be an exams info page on the website with their details on. There is on ours.

littledrummergirl · 15/04/2021 20:48

A bit late now but when ds2 was doing this exam(also dyslexic), I drew a stick man and suggested that ds2 describe him. What he was wearing, what his hobbies were, where he went on holiday, favourite foods etc. This was something that he could draw on e.g, the tree reminded me of a time when we had a picnic...

I don't know if he did this but he managed a 3 in the gcse, since then he has achieved a pass in English at college. In fact this year (unbeknownst by me) and aged 19 he gained another solid level 2 pass. He said that as he was in college doing his course he thought he would take advantage of his time there.

I think that what I'm trying to say is don't worry too much, I know ds2 was dreading redoing the exam originally but is now feeling positive about it. It says a lot about his character that he's continued to learn.

Original poster
52andblue · 16/04/2021 11:31

Well, no question I will make a formal complaint now.
Spoke to Dep Head today.
Asked why ds not getting exam concessions.
He grinned and said: 'because they are not exams'.
I said, well whatever the assessments are being called they will be part of the determination of his final grade and he has legal rights re his disabilities which are being ignored'.
He said: 'they are not exams, so none of the exam concessions apply'. We both said the same thing a couple of time and then I asked why I'd been given concessions paperwork to fill out about 3 weeks ago (after 18m of asking) and he said: 'because you insisted'.
So, it was window dressing. I am really angry now.

I can complain but nothing will be done and even if it is it will be too late for ds.

OP posts:
TheZeppo · 16/04/2021 11:41

They sound disgraceful.

I would absolutely put a complaint (in writing) if only to have a paper trail if you need to appeal the grade. There should be an appeals process in place, but this year is rather shambolic so no guarantees it will actually help Sad

Can you speak to the Head (rather than the Deputy)? If you get nowhere that way, I’d speak to the Governors.

TeenMinusTests · 16/04/2021 11:48

Anyone would think they didn't want him to do well!

In contrast, DD's school are bending over backwards to try to get her some grades having been out of school/education for a year.

NeedToKnow101 · 16/04/2021 13:02

He's wrong. They should still give him his access arrangements, or at least take them into account, in assessments used to decide his grades.

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