To think that all private schools DO NOT cheat at exams?

[IsItJustUsOrNot]

Firstly, hello all. Secondly, name changed. Thirdly, I'm not looking for all the usual anti or pro private education arguments or comments that we all already know and love. So here goes:

Some pupils at our Prep were given 'help' to pass their Common Entrance exams this year, whether they wanted it or not. After the exam sessions had finished and the papers collected in, some pupils were called back later the same day to do them again, rewrite them to neaten them up, shown where extra marks could be picked up and so on, or a whole paper was gone through before an exam. We are being told that this is only to help the pupils, there is nothing bad about it, they are not public exams and all Preps do it. Some of us are not convinced however, see it as cheating and, worse, that the children have been forced to cheat. Who is right?

Finally, to pass Common Entrance, isn't the average or 'mean' percentage score for each pupil important rather than the individual scores for each exam paper? So, it's perfectly possible for a pupil to 'fail' some of their exams and still 'pass' Common Entrance if their average percentage score is 55% or 60% etc.?

No. Many schools won't quibble about a few points on a French or RS paper, for example, but the top schools want 65 or 70% on Level 3 papers across the board and won't accept an overall average with spiky individual results.

Yes, I was thinking of subjects such as French or RS, plus the op said that not all of the students involved were heading for 'top' schools.

Perhaps not a 'top' school but Brighton College seem a bit more lenient then;
www.brightoncollege.org.uk/admissions/the-college-13plus/
average score of 60% with at least 55% in English and Maths.

I don't know if you have managed to read all the messages Clavinova but it was not hidden and it has been admitted by the HM. And yes, some of our parents are furious, as are some of our staff and pupils.

Well I hope that amongst the fury, someone will actually act and report the cheating to ISEB and destination school/s.

Cheating is IME very rare. But those who get away with it might continue.

And if I had DC at a school with a head who has been described in terms I would characterise as dreadful, I would be looking to move then sooner rather than later.

It's not just private schools that cheat. I had a student who was given a Level 5 in his SATS at Key Stage 2 which was pretty amazing considering he couldn't read.

The vast majority is not all, and Even some is not all. And no Clavinova you are not correct. You are however in breach of Talk Guidelines. Perhaps you could start your own thread if you have some issues of your own you wish to address.

Thanks Elizabeth, that's a very good point you make.

Has it never rung any alarm bells before that every single child in a non-selective prep passes CE every year?

As ever you make some good points AnotherNewt. I do not want to say too much on here, (which I think you will understand), but I am not alone in my concerns and understand that some action has and is being taken. There has always been the dilemma of tackling the cheating and other issues but at the same time protecting the pupils, wider staff and school. Some are happy at the school but some are glad to have left and others are hanging on for various understandable reasons. Mixed feelings abound as there are very many real positives here too and these will hopefully survive and overcome the current issues.

Can you say any more about that Zoya? My understanding is that most pass because of carefully matching pupils with paper levels and schools but usually not all pass every year?

Well, exactly that, Just. A 100% pass rate every single year is not usual.

Just to add: I do think that you have a moral responsibility to report this but there is also a pragmatic motivation. When the cheating is exposed (and it eventually will be: I imagine that the senior schools have already noticed that pupils from your school might not be of the standard suggested by their CE marks) then you don't want your cv tainted by association with the school.

It looks like more research is required into previous years then Zoya. I agree about moral responsibility but as discussed above also feel a moral responsibility to protect the pupils, wider staff group and good name of the school. In one way it is protecting them by reporting it, in another it is protecting them not to report it thus avoiding adverse publicity. It is a difficult dilemma. I know others feel differently to me. That is largely why I asked the original question.

The school has now sent the accounts out to parents including the CE exam fees. Would they be BU not to pay for the exams?

It is perhaps a little late in the day for this to occur to us, but we are now wondering about the invigilation of GCSEs taken at the Prep and college, not just the Prep CEs.

I think withholding payment for anything had (and exams were in fact sat) will not look good to the next school, regardless of how that head views the present head, a non paying parent never looks good!

"The school has now sent the accounts out to parents including the CE exam fees. Would they be BU not to pay for the exams?"

Yes, very unreasonable.

Unless they have made the complaint to ISEB and destination school (which has been mentioned in various posts by various posters) and make exam fee payment contingent on the outcome of invstigation.

Also, if worried about inviligilation standards in other exams, you must complain about that too. Cheating is very rare in any school. But if suspected it really must be investigated.

I do agree with the point that senior schools would rightly be concerned by any non-payment by parents of Prep accounts. I think in this specific instance the Prep could hardly draw attention to the exam fee amount being withheld because that would draw attention to the reason why the exam fee was being withheld, and in turn draw attention to the Prep's cheating. I very much doubt the Prep would want to do this, unless there was an agreement with the senior school that that child would be 'helped' to pass to get in or to get better grades perhaps to please parents. I realise that the exams are an item 'had' for the purposes of the school bills, but they were not taken under the declared ISEB exam conditions. I do feel that parents who know about the cheating and do not agree with it would be justified in not paying the fee to the Prep. I realise however that not everyone would want to stick their head above the parapet and take a stand.

I see that exam cheating at Eton is on the news and in the press today...

Yes, and it was thoroughly investigated, teacher sacked, the affected papers cancelled, and candidates marks reassessed on the emergency procedures used when marks cannot be entered through no fault of the candidate.

The school has also provided good and timely communication.

I think that's pretty typical of how good schools deal with exam issues.

And nothing like what has happened in the one particular prep you posted about. Has anyone actually made a complaint? There will be no exam board investigation there unless someone makes it.

That's what happened with Prince Harry at Eton wasn't it? Teacher asked to write his art coursework for him as he was clearly not capable of getting a B by himself. Apparently 'helped' at prep school too to pass the entrance exam to Eton.

Absolutely disgusting that money can buy qualifications and that it's not a level playing field. I would be tempted to blow the whistle.

Now a case at Winchester and another at Eton.

www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/30/eton-pupils-marks-disallowed-over-second-exam-paper-leak

Allegations of cheating at Winchester College and Eton, as per pp observations above ^^

Thanks Liney.