To think it’s time to cancel the 2021 exams

[Exams2021]

It just seems impossible with so much disruption and no end to that in sight and also the massive discrepancy between regions. Aibu to think we need to pack in the exams, use teacher asses grades and spend the rest of the year trying to fill gaps so year 11s have the full range of knowledge to allow them to move forward?

It’s different for maths because like I said, we rarely cover the syllabus so ‘not finishing the course’ isn’t a concern for us.

The best way to assess how good someone is at maths is to have them sit a maths exam. That would be my preference, especially as our Y11 mocks were massively disrupted by isolations so I really wouldn’t want to be trying to get fair CAGs out of those. Normally we’d also have Y10 exams to go on but they didn’t happen. The data is basically bollocks.

@noblegiraffe

It’s different for maths because like I said, we rarely cover the syllabus so ‘not finishing the course’ isn’t a concern for us.

The best way to assess how good someone is at maths is to have them sit a maths exam. That would be my preference, especially as our Y11 mocks were massively disrupted by isolations so I really wouldn’t want to be trying to get fair CAGs out of those. Normally we’d also have Y10 exams to go on but they didn’t happen. The data is basically bollocks.

I don’t teach maths. So is it common for students to go into exams not knowing how to do some things in maths?

Bump

Yes, students aiming for a 5/6 on the higher paper may only be able to attempt just over half of it.

For students on foundation we have to think whether it's worth trying to teach them trigonometry, for example. Most won't learn it.

@noblegiraffe

Yes, students aiming for a 5/6 on the higher paper may only be able to attempt just over half of it.

For students on foundation we have to think whether it's worth trying to teach them trigonometry, for example. Most won't learn it.

Thanks for clearing that up

Hopefully there will be more replies before I go to sleep

I think I'm in the "redo the year" camp for senior schools and colleges.

Add some time on for Uni students? Or also repeat the year?

I'm not sure how to manage a new reception gear plus a repeating reception year, but this is an unprecedented situation which calls for unprecedented solutions.

Obviously it's a huge mess and will cost a fortune but they're just not getting a full education this year are they?

Cancel exams and Do over is my vote.

Morning all,
I think maths and Eng Lang external exams must go shead. I say Lang as this is not content but skills driven, skills that are crucial for all subjects and for work or post 16. Maths competency also needed for Sciences, Geography, Tech subjects and of course, life. CAGs for everything else. Y13 exams must go ahead as these are more crucial. If you are capable of post 16 study there needs to be an element of responsibility and get-on-with-it from the students. (English HoD here).
Data for Y11 is variable even between schools in our Trust but there is still time for depts to do short internal assessments between now and May. Anecdotally, all the HoDs I know have been planning for CAGs since Sept. E.g. mocks in November, more mini assessments) I don't know of anyone who is waiting for direction from Mr Jelly. (Gav). You can't do a handbrake turn in a ship on full steam ahead which is lost on the DfE. I've been using the metaphor of steering a ship to my depts. quite a bit. The KS4 students need a sense of direction, purpose and calm. Early cancellation will switch too many off as the whole system is (wrongly in my view) geared to exams so its all they know. Behaviour will deteriorate and I think a lot will stop attending in some settings.
Long ramble... I've woken up at going to work time, always the way in the hols!

Not a teacher but a parent of a year 11 student who has been lucky in that she’s had minimal disruption from self isolation apart from a period before schools shut, and is at a school that pivoted to online learning very well. And it’s still a worry - I see the impact it’s had on her and can’t see how others less fortunate can possibly be ready for exams.

I’d too be in favour of a radically slimmed down set of GCSEs. I’d go for maths and English language plus (possibly) some form of science foundation qualification. I’d announce it now and put in place CAGs for other subjects to keep them focused, based on some clear criteria. Students to do - perhaps - no more than 7 subjects? They could drop those they didn’t want to pursue after 16 that way to focus on the others. You could introduce a mini extended essay if you wanted though I realise that takes a lot of planning.
I don’t know why we are doing Williamson’s job for him here, though. Already I feel I’ve read more that is sensible than anything that comes from the DfE.

I have yr 11 and yr 13 dc. Both missed 6 weeks of the last half term due to isolation, online provision was very poor. They missed mocks and sat them when back at school in the final week before xmas. They had zero online learning from March- July and missed weeks in the first half term in Sept due to bubble related isolations.

It's a nightmare for them and their teachers, their mock scores do not reflect their ability at all. I think the government need to do something and decide quickly, I think eng and maths exams should go ahead with cags for all other subjects. Based on mocks my dc would not achieve their expected grades, if they sat exams they would be unlikely to achieve their expected grades due to massive gaps in teaching and learning. We live in a deprived area, nationally known for low educational standards. This year has decimated any chance kids in our area had of educational achievement. It is so so depressing and our governments handling of it has been truly shambolic.

The problem I’m seeing with my year 11 son is that he is being told that exams are going ahead but he doesn’t for one minute believe that they will. His motivation to prepare has hit a real low - he was aiming for 7/8s (and maybe a 9 in one or two subjects) but his November exams were mainly 6s.

It’s a constant battle to get him to do the minimum he needs to do and will affect his whole future as he’d been looking to do medicine - they have exams in February and he just doesn’t seem to understand how important these exams are.

@Cat0115 at GCSE level I agree with you that English and Maths should happen as a minimum, and that A levels should happen. Even if delayed by a few weeks and some content removed.

It is the least unfair option and will ensure the exam results are viewed as credible by employers and universities. Assessments do not allow for exam nerves or those who work much harder in the latter stages before exams.

Dd would be really upset not to sit GCSEs but I think something needs to be done to level the playing field. Although the Welsh solution is not perfect, I think that it sounds realistic combined with some sort of CAG.

@TW2013

Dd would be really upset not to sit GCSEs but I think something needs to be done to level the playing field. Although the Welsh solution is not perfect, I think that it sounds realistic combined with some sort of CAG.

Yes no option would please everyone

@PrincessNutNuts

I think I'm in the "redo the year" camp for senior schools and colleges.

Add some time on for Uni students? Or also repeat the year?

I'm not sure how to manage a new reception gear plus a repeating reception year, but this is an unprecedented situation which calls for unprecedented solutions.

Obviously it's a huge mess and will cost a fortune but they're just not getting a full education this year are they?

Cancel exams and Do over is my vote.

Yes but how would we manage the long term impact of everyone starting and finishing education a year late

The Welsh solution is to cancel exams and to replace them with exams, but earlier, and not in proper exam conditions. Bonkers.

Of course there is another solution that Ofqual proposed last year if exams are to be cancelled - instead of trying to make up a grade for kids as if it's possible to be accurate, to simply give them a passport to their next step. This would be for Y11.

Level 1 standard (below a 4)
Level 2 standard (reasonable pass 4-6)
Level 2 + standard (higher pass 7-9)

Exams won’t be fair. But is there anything that would be fairer? I want them to continue on the basis that there isn’t anything that is less unfair.

I voted YABU purely because I think the children should know more in advance that any assessments done earlier in the year would count so much ( in Wales and Scotland children knew from earlier exams were to be cancelled and could prioritise exam revision etc accordingly).

Sixth form - I want exams. Mine had a reasonable remote learning experience

This

I don’t know what the answer is but from a purely selfish point of view i would rather ds1 did the exams

My son has btec exams in 3 weeks, proper ones, not mocks.
His school has been shut since end November but exams still going ahead, its an absolute joke

I don't know what the solution is.
I don't think "re-do the year" is that easy - what about those about to start school who would have to delay a year?
I agree that if you cancel exams now year 11 will stop working - what will they do then?

By June exams should be possible in terms of gathering together in groups - maybe "exams plus teacher assessment" might be possible? 50% exams 50% CAG? The teacher assessment could then take into account things like how many isolation periods. Not a teacher any more though so don't know if that's a ridiculous suggestion in terms of workload.

It's not much better for current year 10 - they missed half of year 9 in school and are now having a very disrupted year 10 (varying levels depending on how many times they have had to isolate).

The current year 12 are in a horrible position. They have gaps in their knowledge from GCSE and a huge lack of confidence because of it.

I’d like to see exams at the end of July.

I think they should go ahead with GCSE exams for Maths and Eng lang as a pp has said, and go with teacher assessment for the other subjects. The only GCSEs you need in later life are Maths and Eng lang, the rest are merely stepping stones to A levels, BTECs etc.

BTECs are continually assessed anyway so presumably they have some sort of data to base a final result on.

A levels - I don't know. DS has had his mock A level exams, so his teachers have data for a CAG. I think he'd be horrified at the prospect of repeating a year (and it can't happen because nurseries can't accommodate another year group).

With regards to fairness:

1. Predicted grades are probably unfair in that they provide advantage to those who would have done less well in an exam.

2. Exams are probably unfair in that those students who have barely been in school since March, and have not received good remote learning, will do significantly less well than they would have in a normal year.

So really, what do we want for the future of the country?

• a cohort of students with a slightly over-inflated set of exam results, most of which will do fine at their next stage of life. Those who were really nowhere near their predicted grades will find the next stage very difficult, and may have to lower their expectations.

• Or, a cohort of students who have been forced to sit exams in the most difficult and unprecedented circumstances in history, huge numbers of which will not achieve the grades they could have achieved. How many of this cohort will then lose all motivation; not have the means or the support to re-sit; feel worthless and let down; possibly even start ‘hanging out with the wrong crowd’ and turn to a life of crime?

Which of those options sound better for the future of the country?

Agree this is dreadful for current Year 12. They had a huge gap between March and September (if they were set work, it would only be the most motivated that actually did it). Then they were stuffed about with CAGs that centres had awarded on different bases as they'd expected to have them moderated. Now they are in an out of self isolation in Year 12 (depending on area) or having time off ill. So having started from a weaker than usual point they are getting less teaching than usual and still (currently) expected to sit exams next summer with no prior experience of public exams. And, depending on qualification, some this year as well. They are certainly not getting a better sixth form experience than current Year 13s (as suggested upthread).