Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

exam cheat

97 replies

morbeus · 30/05/2011 21:27

My daughter has been accused of cheating in her BTEC Art by her teacher. The teacher has set a pretty harsh penalty and there seems to be no right of appeal or even hearing. It is a strong accusation with possible far reaching consequences and I think my daughter has a case that should be heard independently of this teacher. Has anyone else had similar experience?

OP posts:

slovenlydotcom · 31/05/2011 08:47

lostmyidentity you clearly have not read all of beesimo's posts.

manicbmc · 31/05/2011 08:48

But a great deal of art work is completed at home - or not in exam conditions.

troisgarcons · 31/05/2011 08:50

Oh it's not as bad as you read here dirtymartini as ever, forums only present worst case scenarios!

The whole GCSE system has be shaken up again with ndew specifications; by and large course work is now abandoned in favour of controlled assessments (CAU). The diffrence being a CAU is done under controlled conditions in front of staff -and coursework was often done by mum and taken back in by pupil!

Even with CAUs there are differing levels of control - eg in English it it individual essays under exam conditions eg in H&S it is a collabortive piece done in groups.

MmeBlueberry · 31/05/2011 08:53

LMIATW,

Surely if the student were to be disqualified from all her exams, here place at sixth form will be in jeopardy?

We always tell our students the worst case scenario for breaking exam rules, especially as the final judgment comes from the awarding body, not from school.

troisgarcons · 31/05/2011 08:53

With GCSE Art, there is a10 hour exam (CAU) which the teacher may or may not be present at - there must be a technical advisor on hand though.

80% of the GCSE is coursework - that is research, techniques and a sketchbook which is allowed home. And therefore is open to abuse/cheating. Unlikely it would get this far though as the work in class would differ in quality and style vastly to that in the sketch book. Having said that, every year we get pupils who think art is a soft option (soft because it has no written paper) and don't produce a sketch book, hastily cobbled together until the day before their exam starts.

troisgarcons · 31/05/2011 08:58

MDM then you must know if a BTEC centre, if found in consecutive years, to maintain standards of internal moderation and marking, become exempt from the BTEC moderator visits? Lead teacher decision stands.

There are always appeals procedures. But this will ahve been through everyone in centre.

However, I find it odd the parent/s weren't called in nor a letter home in over a week. Schools will always cover their own backs.

MmeBlueberry · 31/05/2011 08:59

A lot of art work is worked on at home, but not the 'exam piece'. The exam piece is started and finished in school, under exam conditions. (sorry, my experience of this is only in GCSE and A-level, not BTEC).

We really need an art teacher to comment.

troisgarcons · 31/05/2011 09:02

I'm an EO so I suppose that doesnt count?

wikolite · 31/05/2011 09:04

I think incidents like this get reported to the exam board who then decide what action to take don't they. If she did take an exam piece out of the exam room and then home then she may be in some trouble.

LIZS · 31/05/2011 09:07

I'd be surprised if there were noone in the school contactable this week you could speak to, although agree maybe you should have reacted Monday/Tuesday to clarify the situation for her. tbh I think you also need to bear in mind that you only have part of the story. Yes they should have contacted you about this but even an unwitting breech of the rules would call her integrity into question.

MmeBlueberry · 31/05/2011 09:26

I am now very confused. I have looked up Edexcel's BTEC Art and Design Level 2 and can't find any mention of an exam.

cricketballs · 31/05/2011 10:11

www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/BTEC%20Firsts%20from%202010/BF021795_Firsts_in_Art_and_Design.pdf

the above link is the spec for BTEC Art and Design. It gives clear details of the assessment for each unit.
As I said last night for my subjects (for which I have delivered BTECs for a number of years) there is no controlled assessment or exam but a lot of coursework to be created by the students. This is a vocational qualification and as the majority of assessment is by the teacher, all units have to be internally verified and then an external moderator also samples work.
BTEC's chain has to be made clear to all students at the start of the course when details of who to speak to if a student disagrees with an assessment decision are given.

op, sit your DD down and go through exactly what has been said and by whom and what her arguement is before you contact anyone so you have the full details.
Although, op, you might not want to admit it but as I said last night, a teacher will not accuse a student of this without very good cause (as it goes against them in terms of results etc) so are you 100% sure your DD is innocent?

QuackQuackSqueak · 31/05/2011 10:12

I did a qualification that was a bit like a BTEC and there was no exam, just work completed in class but also at home, it was very free. But like I say wasn't actually a BTEC so pointless mentioning it I suppose.

Teacher sounds like a twat.

QuackQuackSqueak · 31/05/2011 10:13

You should write down all conversations had between your dc and the teacher and dates and times if you can.

beesimo · 31/05/2011 10:16

'a teacher would not accuse a student of this without very good cause'

what a very fair starting point for a inquiry, there no substitute for a open minded approach is there??

atswimtwolengths · 31/05/2011 10:25

I've said up above, there IS a controlled assessment for BTEC!

Repeat:

"The assessment should include a period of 10 hours of practical work under controlled conditions. This is to allow adequate access to specialist resources."

cricketballs · 31/05/2011 10:46

ats - what page etc on the spec as I have skimmed through and can not find any reference to this? (there are no controlled assessments for my subjects)

cricketballs · 31/05/2011 10:47

beesimo - fair point, but it will not be the teacher leading the inquiry.

ChantingAsISpeak · 31/05/2011 10:52

I agree that your first step should be to go through exactly what happened and when with your daughter - that way, whatever you choose to do, you have a clear idea of what has happened from your daughter's perspective. I do think that it sounds very, very weird that the school hasn't called or written.

adamschic · 31/05/2011 10:55

I thought all the work for Btech, which is all course work, was done in school to avoid people cheating. In fact iirc most course work was completed on school premises.

cricketballs · 31/05/2011 11:30

adamschic - normally the coursework is completed within school, but students are not 'stopped' from doing any outside of lessons. Teachers can tell if a student has written a piece of work themselves through the language/how it is written etc. But as it is a vocational qualification then it goes against the ethos of BTEC if it is 100% controlled in a classroom.

The use of coursework outside of the classroom has been stopped for GCSEs and that is where the controlled assessment comes in

atswimtwolengths · 31/05/2011 11:34

cricketballs it's here. Just do a search within the page for 'controlled.'

cricketballs · 31/05/2011 11:45

ats - found it! I aplogise for doubting you, but as I said previously there has never been any form of controlled assessments in my 2 subjects. (although, due to the Woolfe report it looks like we will be going back to GNVQs and have tests as well as coursework)

atswimtwolengths · 31/05/2011 12:43

I teach A levels but I know some of my students take a BTEC in Art and Design and have to miss my lessons for their controlled assessments.

I know where I work though that they're all very clear about how it all works - in the OP's case I think the teacher would be more to blame as she let the child take work home. Hence the aggression, more than likely.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 31/05/2011 12:49

OP - have you heard from the school today? I hope you can get this sorted out for your dd - poor lass.

Flip

1 2 3 4