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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Can any teachers tell me if this is allowed?

128 replies

bryheresse · 08/04/2018 16:51

Dd finished school last year and did very well in her essay subject A levels.

Over Easter, she has met up with a friend in the year below, at the same school, taking two of the same subjects that she did. This friend says that all the students in the year have been given photocopies of Dd's A level papers as examples of what the examiners are looking for.

I was rather surprised to hear that the school could just access a student's public exam papers and distribute them, without asking the permission of the student concerned. Does anyone know if this is allowed?

OP posts:

BoomBoomsCousin · 08/04/2018 17:29

Trinity no one said the school looked at them before they were sent off though. As others have mentioned, schools can get copies after they’ve been marked.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 08/04/2018 17:29

Curious, yes the OP said they they were her child’s A-Level papers. Which as an exam officer you would know can be recalled, paid for and used in the manner described.

No one,not even the OP said they exam paper was used prior to being sent off... it would have been pointless, as it would not have been marked!!!

BoomBoomsCousin · 08/04/2018 17:31

And the exam boards tell you that this is good practice, as does Ofsted!

It doesn’t surprise me that Ofstead and the exam boards have no consideration for ethics outside of the context of good results (or even then, sometimes).

deptfordgirl · 08/04/2018 17:32

Yes, am a teacher and it's standard at the schools I've worked at to request the papers of highest scorers and distribute them as examples of what to do well. However these would always be made anonymous.

OrangeHorses · 08/04/2018 17:34

Yes it's allowed but it would usually not have any names on.

Original poster

bryheresse · 08/04/2018 17:35

I don't mind them using her papers - I just would have expected the papers to be anonymised, and I would have thought they'd at least mention it to her first, if not ask permission.

OP posts:

Piggywaspushed · 08/04/2018 17:35

Yes, I do it. And usually tell students who wrote them, too, as those students serve as excellent role models, therefore, to others. Students are usually more interested in,and motivated by, exemplars if they can put a face to a name .

I'd be really proud if this was one of my DCs(unlikely!) I do not understand at all why this would be viewed as unethical.

If an exam board uses exemplars (eg in training ) then they are on secure websites and anonymised.

Stephisaur · 08/04/2018 17:35

This is quite a normal practice. When I was at school though they contacted me to get permission to use my papers. I definitely feel they could have let her know xx

rubyroot · 08/04/2018 17:37

No- you have it wrong - neither the exam boards or Ofsted would support using exam scripts WITHOUT a student's permission. I know of no school exam's officer that would gain an exam script from the exam board without a student's permission.

How an individual teacher uses a script once the script has been attained with the student's permission is more difficult to control, but I know many schools and colleges get students to sign that their exam can be used to help others. Another way would just be to make it anonymous.

Not sure why you're upset if it is being used as an exemplar though.

Piggywaspushed · 08/04/2018 17:37

But , in terms of getting the paper back from the board, student permission is needed, sot hat bit I don't get.

Unless it's one of the exam boards where all papers can be accessed online, of course.

Pengggwn · 08/04/2018 17:42

Yes, as long as the student has signed it off, the papers can be requested by the school either for the student or for teaching purposes. I can't believe anyone would object to it.

LineRunner · 08/04/2018 17:43

I think as lots of people are saying, the work should be anonymised.

rubyroot · 08/04/2018 17:45

A level papers cannot be accessed online unless requested and paid for! Don't be silly- exam boards are not going to miss out on a money making opportunity!

rubyroot · 08/04/2018 17:47

It would have been common courtesy to ask permission, but perhaps the teacher got it wrong and thought your daughter would be chuffed to be complimented by leaving name on.

cansu · 08/04/2018 17:49

Why is this an issue for her? It is an alevel essay not her first novel!

Piggywaspushed · 08/04/2018 17:50

ruby I thought one of the boards now had this as its USO. Not AQA or Eduqas : Edexcel perhaps. Certainly true at GCSE.

Piggywaspushed · 08/04/2018 17:50

USP not USO!

pointythings · 08/04/2018 17:56

Yes, it's allowed. DD2 (yr10) has seen DD1's English papers used as an example - she was top in English at her school. Paper was anonymised, but obviously DD2 recognised DD1's way of expressing herself.

Your DD should be smug AF.

LadyRenoir · 08/04/2018 17:59

We can recall papers and see the marking. It is a practise to show following years exams of best practise where I work- better than writing our own examples, as the pieces we get back were actually marked and commented on. I do usually remove students names from photocopies, so that other students don;t know who wrote the given piece.

Anasnake · 08/04/2018 17:59

Does it matter? She should be flattered

Buxbaum · 08/04/2018 18:07

Normal and totally allowed. It probably means that your DD was the top in her year. Her name wouldn't usually be on the actual essay, however - only the front page.

Why wouldn't it be?

rubyroot · 08/04/2018 18:07

Not sure about edexcel as it is not very popular for A levels- but I know not so for AQA, OCR and Eduqas.

It is possible though as it is seen as a bit of a joke exam board (am I allowed to say that?) so it could be an attempt to gain customers.

thetwinkletoescollective · 08/04/2018 18:12

I have done it. Its quite expensive to get papers back and so you want to be able to use them to improve grades for the next year.

Also as a teacher I basically bang on about the same things - essay structure, key words etc and give example answers that I write. BUT I have found young people read and respond better to ones that are 'real'.

InfiniteSheldon · 08/04/2018 18:19

What an odd thing to be upset about I'd be proud.

SalsaLala · 08/04/2018 18:19

Absolutely fine. I would anonymise but would tell students whose it was if it was an excellent example, I wouldn’t if it had anything personal in, or if I was using it to highlight common errors.

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