To be struggling to take this years GCSE grades seriously

[awaywiththecircus]

It’s no the dcs fault but I do think the GCSE results this year will be taken with a pinch of salt. I do feel sorry the the students who would have actually got a bunch of 8 and 9s if they’d sat the actual tests as it seems more than ever are getting those grades this year and it does make you wonder. We’re they not meant to be for the very top percentage of students? I’ve spoken to a parent who is pleased the marks were centre assessed as he thinks his ds probably wouldn’t have passed his maths and English if he’d actually sat them,

@cattasaurus don't be ridiculous. Dd is at an excellent independent. The teaching and resources she received post closure were miles away from the provision from many good state schools, and on a different planet to that provided by some schools. And even if the schools had all been in a position to offer all dc the same, there's a world of difference between studying at home in the type of environment most of us provide, and the homes/ resources of many dc.

@BigChocFrenzy

A few people seem frustrated that students won't after all lose out on their grades and opportunities

Students had a shit time in 2020; they'll never be called the "lucky year"

Ridiculous isn't it?

My DS did well today, but feels gutted that he hasn't been given the chance to really show his worth. He's lucky that his school managed to find a way to prove he is worthy of a place on his A Level courses. He's grateful for that, but it'll be pretty shit if he spends the next few years having to listen to people slagging off something that was totally out of his control.

Haven't read the thread and I can't be arsed to, I just wanted to say fuck right off. Presumably you're not the parent of a child who worked their fucking arse off over the last few years only to not sit their exams and show what they can do.

It's bad enough that the government messed this up so badly and there.you are not taking their grades seriously. Just write these young people off why don't you.

This year has been shit for a lot of children, teachers, parents. probably the lower rank officers at OfQual, and lower civil servants in DfE who could see what was wrong but had no power to change it but knew there would be blame.

Whatever you think about the grades please keep those from those just getting their results. I got really good GCSEs, felt on top of the world. Friends got a mixture from very high to middle. Day after the DfE announced an enquiry into GCSEs being too easy. It wasn’t just the ones that for higher marks that felt crap. If you get an A you wonder maybe I only deserved to get a B. If you got a really good, hard come by D you may think you actually deserved an E or have failed. All rubbish as you can only sit the exam in front of you/deal with the current horrid circumstances.

My children are Y8 and y10. I cannot believe that the y11 results have been so pushed aside.

You are talking about children that have had their entire lives turned upside down. Due to a global pandemic that doesn't even effect them.

Presumably you're not the parent of a child who worked their fucking arse off over the last few years only to not sit their exams and show what they can do

Having worked with many teenagers over the years, I know that for some of them exams don't show what they can do - maybe this will spark a debate?

It seems far fairer to grade a student on their work in class and an assessment compared to a few weeks in May on high pressure, remembering lots of content, written exams.

But then again - that does come with its own difficulties.

Op totally agree with you.
My dd achieved a clutch of 9’s and a couple of 8’s. She is very bright and may have achieved 9’s in most subjects, but there is no way in hell my dd was working at grade 9 in English literature , 7 the most. However she received a 9.
I do believe that the results this year have been devalued. I would have liked my daughter to actually have taken the exams in order to prove herself .
This year is just a write off imho

Nothing would have pleased everyone. Some people are just going to have to stay sad

Makes me feel loads better about my DD knowing that everyone thinks the grades are inflated. She got 3s pretty much across the board, including a subject she’s incredibly gifted at. Didn’t expect her to get 9s in academic subjects, but for her to get a 3 in art when she’s been selling portrait commissions for years is a bit galling.

You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time. Abraham Lincoln

And of course some people will just whine and pull down others whatever you do.

I'm getting a bit pissed off with the snide comments. DD got eight 9's and two 8's ( no "soft" subjects, except for art). She has always been a really hard worker, did very well in her mocks and was predicted very good grades.

It's been said before, but it's worth repeating:

NOBODY HAD A BAD DAY!!!

There were no external factors that wrecked a students exams on the day;

Nobody was late, and ended up panicked and stressed.
Nobody was ill - but still tried to get through it.
Nobody had a really bad night's sleep.
Nobody was unable to focus due to bereavement/parents fighting/anxiety - all the 1001 things that can intrude into your thoughts.
Nobody misread the question - eg there is a big difference between "Why did this happen?" and "How did this happen?".

Imagine you are a teacher, doing your best to predict grades for your class. I think it's pretty fair to say that LAST year, at least some of them will have had to cope with some external factors outside of everyone's control, and that would have affected their expected grade. This year, no good student's bombed, so obviously overall many grades will be higher.

The Ofqal algorithm gave ridiculous upgrades as well as ridiculous downgrades

• that's not the teachers' fault at all

However, it would be politically impossible - and cruel - to take away an inflated Ofqal grade now

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/20/schools-consider-appeals-against-gcse-grades-that-are-too-high

"Headteachers are considering challenging unusually high GCSE results, accusing the algorithm of injecting grade inflation"

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/19/disadvantaged-pupils-will-be-biggest-winners-from-gcse-results?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1597863905

I wonder if this is why certain people feel the need to denigrate the 2020 exam students? I for one am happy that for once the system may just work in favour of these students. Isn't it great to think that some youngsters get the break they need and go on to succeed beyond the previous narrow pathway? And what's the worst that could happen anyway? Some may start a course and then decide it's too much but so many more could fly?

There was a poster the other day whose biggest problem was the upset of her poor Son whose 4 A* A levels achieved via the algorithm would be devalued following the decision to allow the fairer CAGs for all. Selfish, petty, mean and down right entitled.

@StormBaby art grades annoy me. I've seen that happen before. They give the kids that can actually draw and paint low grades but the kids who do stupid things like papier-mâche their feet high ones. A girl I was friends with at school was the most amazing artist and got a d while all my other friends who were rubbish got As. She now has a very successful greeting card business selling her beautiful art work.

SuitedandBooted

I have been teaching for 15 ish years.
I only say this because it is the length of time that I have taken notice of the fact that some people have been denigrating our children/pupils since 'O' levels have been removed.

IMO some people really really hate it went other people are

1/ happy
and

1. celebrating their achievements

Some people are only happy when they are putting other people down.

@RabbityMcRabbit

they should have found a way for the kids to sit their exams. How, exactly??

I do think that it would be possible for pupils to have sat their exams.

But I also know that once out of school a lot of pupils wouldn't have revised or done any work for them.

My ds was estimated better grades in his March report than what he actually achieved in all but one subject. He is one of those children that would have pulled it out in f the bag at the last minute. No pleasing everyone!

YABU - how could an algorithm ever predict who was going to have a bad day? I believe in this unprecedented year they should all have been awarded a realistic grade for what they would have achieved on a good day and. I really hope that had what had happened. These students were suddenly dumped and totally isolated from school in March so it was amazing for many of them to go in today to get their results.

I saw an 'expert' on TV explain that now employers can't use A-Levels or GCSEs to select the best students they will have to resort to other techniques. Like extra curricular activities, what they look/sound like, their 'background' ect.

And who is that going to advantage/disadvantage?

I have a year 13 & a year 11.
Year 13's CAG's were fair, although she suspects (and I concur) that she had the potential to up her grade in two of her 3 subjects (from A,B,C to A,A,B)

My y11 had fair grades too - a couple of GCSE's perhaps a grade higher than he might have managed offset by a couple of subjects where he would have anticipated higher grade than he actually got.

Overall very much in line with their performance

My dds were pretty close to expected/ mocks but her school was realistic. I feel sad for her because she never received recognition at school due to being the quiet child who got on with it. I always told her that her exams would be her reward. She did exceptionally well but it seems that these grades will not be treated as genuine.

My dd wasn't even allowed to go in to collect her results.

They will be treated as genuine grades. It's only a handful of competitive parents with an agenda who seek to belittle them

I don't know how old you are OP but if you did GCSEs then it was much easier for you to get an A than it was when I did O levels. Does that mean I shouldn't take your qualifications seriously.

DD got pretty much what we expected. The same as her mock results. I think she would have got a higher grade in one exam if she had taken it. The higher grades were mostly due students being judged for their work over a few months rather than a couple of three hour exams. Given that they are arguably show students abilities better than exams.Until recently teachers graded a large part of GCSEs anyway via coursework.

@cptartapp My nephew revised for and sat a GCSE last year and got a 6. This year for the remainder he was given seven 9's and and an 8. Now he's bright, but really

Maybe he was better at this years subjects. Dd took a couple last year and got a 4 and an 8. Her best subjects were this year and she got 7 to 9 grades. All on a par with mocks.