AIBU to make my DS (16) do schoolwork with no GCSEs?

[Frinton38]

His school have been sending out work to do online during the lockdown and my DS is refusing to do it. Saying things such as "They won't check it" and "I won't have to come back after anyway so there's nothing they can do". I still have made him do it so he can continue his education from home. AIBU?

Those without the facilities, now would have been without them even.if school was in session.

But those without the ability to access electronic home learning at home had access in other ways.
Some of DD's friends do not have their own computers and tablets at home, and their Wi-Fi at home is restricted use.

However when school was in session they had full access to computers and internet at school, including before and after school til 6pm.

Not they don't.

So whilst previously they were somewhat disadvantage at home they did have alternative provisions available to them.

DS's predicted grades were good enough to get him onto his college course, so I suggested he continue revising the subjects that course involves. School has not set any further work but things like maths and physics can be hard to get back into after a gap.

Thanks @noblegiraffe

Ofqual rules are very clear that awarding organisations must ensure they do not disadvantage any learners.

Therefore, any work completed at home after the closure would only be accepted under the say so of the exam board - learners who do not have access to resources when others do, those who have been ill or had family bereavement due to covid, support from those around them, young carers etc. All of these may be impacted and be unable to complete tasks to the same level that they could have done had school been open. The actual subject will be impact this also - they need to evidence computer programming without the software at home would be a disadvantage therefore home activity not accepted, I would expect areas such as English be more accepting as it is less resources orientated.

The work also needs to be authenticated as learners own work which can be a challenge for some subject areas.

At present schools do not know what evidence will be required to submit for grades (ofqual haven't released this yet).

If you have a child who is border line grade - I would encourage them to create evidence of the higher grade, update older stuff etc - might not be usable but on the off chance it can be it is worth doing.

Look at what their progression is and start to look at building up enhanced knowledge and portfolios in that area - look at open uni activities, wider reading, doing creative activities, building up vocab to prepare for sixth form/uni. If they are going into workplace, look at employability and subject knowledge around this.

My ds has already been told by the teachers the mock exam grades they'll be submitting, the assessment grades he's had since and then he did mocks the last week before lockdown but doesn't know these results.
They were really good at giving what they felt they would achieve in exams but also very clear they aren't 100% sure if system. Therefore they've encouraged students to revise to resist exams they may feel they want to.
Ds has decided he won't want to. He's happy with the 6/7's he's likely to get in choice subjects. Knows he may not get the 9's in science and maths despite mock results and evidence of working at this level but is happy to accept an 8.
He knows he'll likely fail English but would have done even if he took it!

I think they have to decide for themselves at this stage what it is they want. What do they think they would have achieved and what will they accept as a grade without retaking.

The rest is up to fate which can happen anyway during GCSEs. Illness, not sleeping well, stress, getting a huge amount of questions on a weak area etc.

I would also seriously be questioning any school who had a year 11 working long hours and completing in depth work for evidence at this stage. They are only 4 weeks teaching time away from when exams would have started. What have they been doing for the last 1.5 years that they don't have this data?

Perhaps they’re private schools eager to show parents they’re getting their money’s worth.

www.gov.uk/government/news/how-gcses-as-a-levels-will-be-awarded-in-summer-2020

Official guidance is now available.

Well, that guidance looks very sensible and in line with what I anticipated. Though I wouldn't like to be the teachers / heads of department ranking the pupils.

I wonder whether in schools each department will rank entirely independently, or whether in borderline cases there may be temptation to spread the top grades or borderline passes out.

So will they use work and assessments post 20th March to help make decisions about grades?

Ds last did gcse work on the 18th March and his school don't want anymore evidence. Others though will still be doing work post Easter holidays?

So will they use work and assessments post 20th March to help make decisions about grades?

It doesn't say they can't us it but warns centres to be careful using it, especially if this work is of a different quality to their other stuff.

Ds 15 has not done anything since learning no gcses

www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcses-as-and-a-level-awarding-summer-2020

I'm glad the guidance makes it clear they appreciate the differences between what students can access at home and expect what was done in school to be put forward.
They should have enough data. They should be assessing continuously.

The only thing that concerns me is ds predicted grades on his report were still lower than his mock results and the results they were showing me he was getting in unit assessments.

It's probably to do with the data game that played so parents are happy rather than moan about why Jonny who chose not to revise and arse around in class did het get their predicted grade.