Year 13s and exams

[Teenageromance]

Year 13s returning to school and told they are going to have mock exams in the first 2 weeks back. Only 5 days face to face teaching since March.
What do we think?

It’s so shit for this year year 13s I really feel for them. Unfortunately ours are also having to do mocks in 2 weeks time, firstly for UCAS, and secondly we need to see what topics we need to go over again, we can’t revisit all the ones they have had to do at home so we need to see if there are any major gaps in learning/understanding across the board.

I think it is a good idea. Exam performance depends a lot on exam technique....the more practice they get at exams the better.

I am RUBBISH at exams....FWIW....I hate them......but current testing environment means students have to learn how to do it....

My year 12's now 13's had work set every week, my school didn't do online lessons but I provided and marked all work set and submitted.

I chased and contacted those who were not engaging, some of the responses were so unbelievably rude.

I taught them for the first time yesterday, the same students who haven't engaged online, or attended my sessions I ran in July, were rude, talked all over me, refused to engage. No doubt when I submit their predicted grades it will all be my fault.

I was expecting a lot more maturity from them facing an uncertain year, I mentioned I would be doing more regular assessments so if I have to repeat the grading we had to do this year I had plenty of evidence and I was met with more moaning - I am trying to help them out but hey!

I would have thought that the main reason for doing some sort of exam fairly immediately on return is so that staff know what needs to be done. You don't want them just to teach what they normally teach in year 13 as if nothing has happened, do you? But you also don't want them to spend all term doing last term's work again, and still be finishing the syllabus in May.

If they give them an exam, they can then see what needs to be revisited with the whole class, what might need some extra sessions for some pupils, and what they've all got the hang of and doesn't need to be worried about. The sooner the better, so they can work out how to fit it all in.

They will need to do predicted grades very soon for those applying for Oxbridge/medicine/vet/dentistry. Hopefully those kids will be reasonably good independent learners, and so they'll be able to show what they can do. The rest of the UCAS applications have to be in by January, so hopefully as well as these exams, there will be something towards the end of term when they are more up to speed.

Make sure your kids know that the most important thing is that, if they are not on top of things, the teachers know so that they can do something about it. Far worse to have exams in November and it get discovered then, too late to rectify anything before UCAS.