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?

@TattiePants I think my school is desperate. We have 6 periods of 50 minutes. I don’t think the students will be able to focus after a 6 period day. There is also talk of Saturday classes.

@ZombieFan.

Student A - was on track to achieve grade 5. Reasonably privileged home. At least one parent at home monitoring their work. Access to their own computer/iPad, a private area to study, a printer and any other resources they might need. Parents regularly supporting and offering help, cupboards full of healthy food etc.

Access to a nice garden and some pleasant walks. Lots to do in their home for leisure. This child will most likely continue in the same trajectory and still achieve a grade 5.

Student b - also was on track for a grade 5. Would have had access to extra support and mentoring at school and would have made use of the school library, now this is not available. Lives with mum, and sibling in a small flat. Mum out at work most of the day earning minimum wage. No room for a desk in the room she shares with her younger sister. No laptop in the house only mobile phones. No printer, no books. Mum unable to offer help because of work and caring for younger sister. Very little food in the house and student B main carer for her little sister. This child is highly unlikely to follow the same trajectory as she would have done. Her curve would not have been as steep as student A anyway but now it starts the flatten even further, probably even drops down.

And so the gap is increased.

@Frozenfan2019 You are missing the point I am making. Student A gets a grade 5 and you adjust the grade boundaries so that student B also gets a grade 5. Both are equally able to access the next stage of their education/work etc.

So what gap? Boundaries are adjusted every year to achieve this.

@zombiefan no, you are missing the point. I was talking about adjusting the boundaries for everyone in which case student N would only get a grade 5 if student A got something higher. Either way it unfairly disadvantages student B in a way that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the learning missed in lockdown.

I did say it would be nice if it was somehow balanced for disadvantaged (i.e. fsm children get an extra 5%) but this won't happen and won't cover everyone anyway as it's just one measure of disadvantage. There are plenty of children who don't get free school meals who will fail to make expected progress during lockdown because of their circumstances.

I think the best you can hope for realistically is that the reduce grade boundaries overall (so that this entire year group aren't massively disadvantaged compared to others) and that the sixth forms and universities they apply to next make extra effort to give offers that take into account the background of the student. They do have the advantage of being a small cohort (birth rate was at its lowest in about 2003) and for the current year 12s, probably less competition for uni places from overseas students who are less keen on studying abroad because of all this.

Student A gets a grade 5 and you adjust the grade boundaries so that student B also gets a grade 5. Both are equally able to access the next stage of their education/work etc.

That’s not how it would work. Reducing the boundaries would mean that all of the Student As in this scenario (thousands, across the country) would get 6+. All the student Bs (again, thousands) get 4 or less.

Reducing boundaries will not reduce the disadvantage gap. It will increase it.

“Reducing boundaries will not reduce the disadvantage gap. It will increase it.”

Yes exactly.

That’s not how it would work. Reducing the boundaries would mean that all of the Student As in this scenario (thousands, across the country) would get 6+. All the student Bs (again, thousands) get 4 or less

How would student As be getting 6+ ? The same number of students will be getting the same grades as previous years. So you cant just 'bump' everyone up a grade.

The boundary is lowered so Student Bs gets a 5 but at the same time the upper boundary will be raised to keep student As at 5 as well. So NO gap.

No Zombie

Instead of A1 b1 A2 b2 …………………...A1000 B1000 getting 5s and A1001 ….B2000 getting 4s, what will happen is all the As will get 5s and all the Bs will get 4s.

It doesn't matter where the boundaries are (and yes if overall standard is lower the boundaries will be reduced). The problem is that the 'disadvantaged' students are going to be even more disadvantaged by the remote working situation. So those who would have been supported by school are going to do significantly worse, so the gap will widen.

2 kids who were on track for 5s. A can continue to work well, still gets a 5. Might even get a 6. B needs more teacher support and has no where good to study. Will drop to a 4 or lower as other 'A' type students overtake.

Changing boundaries won't change the disadvantage gap.

I just can't think of anything that will in the current situation.

I think that for some subjects saying 'best 3 out of 4' might alleviate it a bit.
The topics that were taught/missed this term will be well understood by advantaged pupils and less so by disadvantaged ones.
By saying that you are only taking the best 3/4 or 6/8 or whatever you are reducing the disadvantage.

However I agree this is more possible for some subjects (eg Eng Lit) than others (eg Maths).

I think something will have to be done on grade boundaries for the current year 10 & 12. Interesting comment @Greendayz regarding reduced numbers of overseas students coming to UK universities. I had heard this mentioned elsewhere. I hope universities will be flexible if say students are one grade off what they need for their courses starting 2021/2022.

How would student As be getting 6+ ?

Because the boundaries have been lowered but student A is still working at the same lebel as they were before, so they love into the higher band. Student B doesn’t have that support so drops even lower.

There definitely WILL be a disadvantage gap, a significantly larger one than there already is.

If students in independents and state schools which are providing a full online curriculum do better relatively to those who are missing a term, then these students results will, on average, shift into the higher grade boundaries because they are being moderated against the country as a whole. So a student in an independent who was on course for a 5, might be surprised to find they come out with a 6, because standards elsewhere have been lowered. It will just mean those in certain schools will be clustered more obviously among the higher grades.

Regardless of where the boundaries are set, some pupils will leapfrog others.

Also, in regard to uni entry, there will definitely be a reduction in numbers for this Sept. However, for Sept 2021 there might actually be a rise due to suppressed demand? Unis will of course do all they can to attract the full overseas quotas as they need the funds.

The 2021 university cohort are likely to face significantly reduced places due to -

1. possible rush of overseas students

2. this year’s A-level candidates effectively having a “second chance” if they are not happy with teacher assessed grades, in that some unis have confirmed that any student who misses the grades this summer can take Autumn exams and bump up a grade or grades for a guaranteed deferred place in 2021.

This could mean that if a uni course makes say, 200 conditional offers for 160 places (based on the expectation that, year on year, approx 40 will miss the grades in the summer), all 40 could “retake” in Oct/ Nov. Even if only half are successful, this is still 20 less conditional offers that can be made next year to the 2021 cohort.

Sorry - That first sentence is meant to say “reduction in numbers of overseas students for 2020”

I think it'll end up being predicted grades/ teacher assessments like it is this year. Whatever it ends up being, it is a worry.
I've got nieces in both years, there school is setting fairly minimal work and their mum is very anxious about the prospect of them going back to school sooner rather than later ( if that's what happens), to the point that she's planning on not letting them go. I just don't know what's going to happen to them

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.

I wonder if schools will be considering lack of engagement when deciding if pupils can progress to Year 13?

I don't think unis will be letting places go empty this year of they possibly can - they'll be filling them up with students who have missed their grades if necessary. So I don't think they'll be large numbers all trying to go next year instead (possibly the reverse as I imagine a lot of gap year plans may be falling apart for some)

We will offer disadvantaged students after-school and holiday classes. We will provide as much material as possible. We might re-jig the school day.

If TPTB brought back coursework, that might help. It's probably too late to do that for the current Yr 10s.

I'm also hoping that the students realise the challenge and pull with us when we get to go back. I'm hoping they will be happy to have a teacher in front of them again.

I also worry that some that were slipping off the bottom might not bother coming back.

Greendayz - yes you could be right. It’s probably easier for unis to take a few more UK students who narrowly missed the grades and who will fill the shortfall in overseas students coming in, rather than having the extra admin of waiting on later A-level results.

Presumably there might also be further (shorter?) lockdowns in the next academic year, if there are localised outbreaks or whatever, which they will need to take into account.

I think it'll end up being predicted grades/ teacher assessments like it is this year
I cant see how this would be fair as it gives schools a whole year to 'prepare' evidence that all their students have reached a really high level.

I have a child in Y10.
He is at a very low achieving Academy school (about 22% get GCSE's)
He has ASD and SEN but no EHCp so is not in school at present

School have sent home swathes of work, across 3 different platforms, most of which dont seem to work and he is overwhelmed and tearful.
I have phoned and emailed school but had no reply and NO other contact since school finished. He was already disadvantaged.
This has made it far worse for him and will certainly damage his chances of passing any exams.

I have a 2nd child in Y8 (middle school)
Also ASD and SEN.
Should be on an enhanced transition for High School now.
Not going to happen.
I doubt I'll ever get her back in (she was on a 50% timetable anyway)