Calling teachers, head teachers, education people - do you think GCSEs and A-level exams will have to be adapted for 2021 because some students have effectively missed a term?

[wonderwhatnext]

Hi, I’ve heard this idea mooted by someone you could say is “in the know”, so wondering what others think?

To address the obvious inequalities caused by the fact that, this term, some students are receiving a full curriculum online whereas others are receiving next to nothing, next summer”s exams may need to reflect this by offering one less module (or topic) on the papers?

I realise this may be difficult as schools don’t teach the syllabus in the same order, but it could be something similar to when my DC sat history IGCSE, for instance. As IGCSE is international, not all students would have taken say, WW2 in Europe as a topic. So out of 20 options, they chose the ones they had studied. Papers could be set out like this and students would answer questions on the topics they had covered?

What do people think may happen and when do we think schools will go back?

@Powergower I teach children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds. I, nor any of my colleagues, have most certainly not given up on any of them - please don’t make such unfair and untrue sweeping statements.

I'm concerned about engineering as ds2 wants to study it at university but the stuff he's been able to do at home (designing and diagrams) is going to leave gaps in his experience. I have every confidence in his teacher and his school but there is only so much they can do with them missing a term of practical work.

It could be possible to say fewer topics will need to be answered on in a slightly shorter exam, but with each section having choice, so that each school can reduce the amount of topics taught, and adjust to suit what they have already taught.

In reality though, those who had less provision in this period will be disadvantaged in terms of their understanding, progress and exam results. There is no getting away from it.

Performance generally will be a bit poorer across the country and grade boundaries can be adjusted to reflect that so roughly the same proportions of each grade are issued. However in reality, more of the higher grades willmgomtonthose who've had better educational provision at this time.

There will be no way of identifying exactly which schools (and so students) have received better or worse provision during this time and adjusting their marks next summer to reflect that. And of course the grades are intended to reflect actual performance, not performance reflected for background or school.

It is a sad fact that a crisis like Covid disadvantaged more than others. It's understandable that indecent schools can probably offer more, but it's unclear what state school education is so variable in its offering. It is understandable that students and their families vary in their engagement with remote learning (and there is a limit to what schools can do if families don't engage) but the offering itself seems very variable.

Ha ha - not indecent schools, but independent schools. Auto correct does throw up some brilliant adjustments!

I'm wondering this too but for 2022 GCSEs. DS is only 13 / Year 9 but is in his first year of GCSEs (his school do them over 3 years). He is on a full timetable but it's independent learning with very limited teacher contact (plus he has SEN) so I'm not convinced he's actually retaining much. I'm hoping his school start the whole GCSE course again in September and make it a two year course like other schools.

Apologies to anyone I offended with my statement about schools giving up. I didn't mean to generalise at all and I know that often worked weighing deprived address brings huge and complex challenges.

I speak only from my experience of mentoring 5 kids from inner city schools in my city this year. None of them have received regular emails or support and 3 out 5 have no home computer anyway. The other 2 are caring for family members. I have mentored kids from the inner city, where I grew up, for over 15 years and my overall opinion is that the schools and teachers have massively let them down over the years. That is my experience and why my volunteer group has been running for so long. I can't comment on any other areas save for the one I have worked extensively in, and bar a few exceptional teachers I felt the kids have been let down in the educational system they are in.

I have DC in year so 10 and 12. This is massively worrying. I thought some current year 11's could also choose to sit GCSE's next year? Is that right? How would it be fair to assess the current year 10's against the current year 11's in the same exams, when the latter have had a whole extra year to prepare?

I’ve been wondering this. My niece and nephew are in private school getting full teaching. Even if the papers are adjusted, the gap is just going to be massive as you’ve got one set of pupils having full timetables, a term of stimulation and challenge and some at the other end of the spectrum left to their own devices in some subjects. Even without the content gap, I’d have thought it would be hard to re-start and get re-motivated.

I think if the Year 10s and 12s go back after Half term it won’t be too much of a disparity, but if schools don’t open until Sept, something will need to be done.

I have DC in Years 10 and 12 and both would be more than happy with teacher assessment tbh!

Would teacher assessment be more fair for next year too as teachers would be assessing within the cohort of the individual school, not against other schools where online provision would have varied.

One term may not sound much but it’s 20% of A-level teaching time and the same if GCSEs are taught over 2 years (the sixth and final term is basically revision and exams)

I say this as a parent with DC in three different independent schools with fantastic on-line provision, inc. assemblies, PE, music lessons, PSCE and normal homework levels and online exams to boot. Yet I’m fully aware this is not the case for all and it’s not right that others are having to rely on GCSE Bitesize or whatever..

I think if the Year 10s and 12s go back after Half term it won’t be too much of a disparity Even if they did, do you really think it will be a normal term with a lot of learning taking place? No, any return to school this year will be nothing more than baby sitting. Complete waste of teachers time. They are better off setting work remotely.

This years students are massively disrupted, if they dont get the grade they think they would get the solution is to resit in the autumn. The same could be done next year, if they dont like the result they could resit. That gives them whole summer to catch up on any work missed.

ZombieFan That seems like a sensible solution. Another set of Autumn exams and them being allowed to keep the better result of the two exams like this year's 11s and 13s.

My school is thinking of doing 7 period days for year 10s to help them catch up

No, any return to school this year will be nothing more than baby sitting

I disagree in a 6th form college. They are only half full at this point in the year anyway and in my son's college he says none of his classes are more than half full in terms of seating so they wouldn't need to sit cheek by jowl.

The main issue is how many teachers at 6th form colleges are vulnerable, have vulnerable family members or young children. That said, my German friend who is a teacher has a vulnerable partner who is also a teacher. I don't know if he is working but she is, she was back in school teaching face to face last week.

That gives them whole summer to catch up on any work missed

That doesn’t help those most disadvantaged though - with little access to support or resources.

We’re rejigging the curriculum- sacrificing some English Language time to get through more content in Lit and teaching Language remotely because it’s skills based so it’s moe about practice. It’s still going to be a push to cover everything then. That obviously doesn’t work in every subject..it’s a big mess.

I think - assuming this continues to the summer, which it may not - teacher assessment based on specific pieces of work might be the way forward.

No. I really don't. We will be expected to get them ready for the exams as they are. The only possible amendment I could imagine they might make is to put the exams back by a few weeks so that they are in June/July rather than may/June.

I don't think any decisions will be made on this until after summer although if they are considering it they might give advance warning not to book holidays. I am maths and it would be impossible to change the content of the GCSE as schools teach it in a different order. I can't see them doing it for some subjects and not others.

I can't see them doing it for some subjects and not others

Yep. It will have to be an all encompassing solution for sure.

It wouldn't surprise me if the years 10 and 12 go back earlier than the rest of the school kids

Obviously not pandemic related but when I was year 8 the main part of my school burnt down. While most of us had over a month off the ones who were studying for external exams went back after a week

As someone upthread said I think it will be grade boundaries that are looked at. For example they might announce that proportions of each grade must be roughly in line with 2019 and they will fix boundaries accordingly. Sadly this will negatively impact the disadvantages who are less likely to make progress at home. Hopefully this will be factored in somehow.

Disadvantaged students are always disadvantaged. The clue is in the name. If the grade boundaries are adjusted as normal then why would they be any more disadvantaged than they are every other year?

@TattiePants don't worry, assuming they are back by sept the school will have ample time to get the year 9s back on track. I suspect a lot of time and effort will go into planning how we will plug gaps and there will be all sorts of changes within schools.

ZombieFan

It was the solution of catching up over the summer that I commented on - no need for snark!!

@ZombieFan because disadvantaged pupils are less likely to access the work remotely and more likely to have issues with technology/unsupportive parents/ shared bedrooms etc. so the gap will increase.

@Mosseywossey our school does 7 periods per day as standard so god help DS if they increase it further! They do get 2 extra weeks of holiday in exchange for that so perhaps they could do away with that for the GCSE students to make some time up.

SmileEachDay I wasn't being snarky, it was a genuine question, if grade boundaries are adjusted so the same number of disadvantaged pupils get the same grades as every other year, then how have they been more disadvantaged?

Frozenfan2019 Yes but what gap will widen? Grade boundaries can keep the gap the same.

I teach in state school, I know provision is vastly different across schools. Reasons have been given before but live lessons wouldn't necessarily work in a state school as they may well be relying on one or two IT resources to access school work as well as parents working from home. I know a state school near me is doing live lessons and getting a very poor uptake in yr 10.

I am setting work for my yr 12's and the response rate is dire - its not hard work, its work they can access without it as they all have the textbook I am setting work from and average is 50% return rate - today I had 2 out of 14 students bother.

So although I do believe there should be some level of adjustment - deciding it now would potential make the two year groups down tools even more.

I don't teach yr 10 an exam subject but I know my school in a nice area is getting an average response to work across the board.