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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think A levels might be cancelled?

55 replies

MrsMiaWallis · 03/01/2021 22:53

Dd2 is in year 13 and working hard for A levels. Do we think they'll be cancelled?
YABU - No, A levels will go ahead
YANBU - Yes, A levels will be cancelled

OP posts:
PurpleMustang · 05/01/2021 10:03

My son's school changed the other year so that GCSE's are done over Y9,10 and 11. He is now Yr 10 and been told today his Business will be now over 3 units and not 4 that he would be completing/taking this year.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 05/01/2021 10:12

Think whatever you like. Nobody found out sooner than you did - and they've got to plan with the actual specific guidance (which wasn't on the website by midnight when I last looked) whilst dealing with all the other years, vulnerable and keyworker children, their own, potentially sick relatives and everything else.

Give them a chance. It's only 10am.

inquietant · 05/01/2021 10:32

I would offer short odds they'll be cancelled and long odds they'll go ahead, especially given schools might not be reopening mid-Feb.

Don't think anyone should be banking anything on a smooth vaccine rollout, we need to get up to a lot higher capacity and have no glitches.

LimitIsUp · 05/01/2021 10:35

They have already been cancelled inquietant

inquietant · 05/01/2021 10:39

I thought they just said 'not going ahead as normal' last night but not confirmed? I must really not have been paying attention! Sorry. It is clearly getting to me now.

inquietant · 05/01/2021 10:42

Oh yes. I am so totally dazed Confused

I was expecting them to be cancelled, just hadn't realised it had been announced fully.

I think I've almost stopped listening haven't I?

LindaEllen · 05/01/2021 11:06

My partner's son is in Y13, determined he wants to go to university (yet not seemingly willing to put any of the work in). I think he thought he could just pull it back and work for a few weeks before the exams. He's terrified now.

He did fuck all work during the first lockdown, very little over summer, and seems to be spending most of the day playing games at the moment.

I did start by nagging and nagging him about it, but then I came to the conclusion that he's more than old enough to a) know what he should be doing and b) do it. I don't have the energy for everything I need to do at the moment, let alone rally someone who is only the tiniest bit away from being an adult.

I have the worst feeling about this.

And so does he.

pointythings · 05/01/2021 11:09

There isn't a good answer, but can I just say that blaming schools for not having held mocks is ridiculous? Schools have pushed back mocks to give their students the best possible chance of doing well in them, maximising teaching ahead of the mocks precisely because of students having missed so much school last year. Schools can't win!

All of this is on the government. They should have spent the summer working up contingency plans for a winter COVID surge and cancellation of exams and they've done bugger all. All of this chaos and uncertainty is on them and we should hold them accountable.

My Yr 13 is really struggling. She's worked so hard through the last lockdown and come out on or ahead of schedule because her school has handled online learning well, but it's still been immensely stressful. Imagine what it must be like for students in schools which haven't been able to deliver good online learning.

We should all stop whining about 'inflated grades' and support our students and our schools.

Cuppachaplz · 05/01/2021 11:11

DS is in year 13.
We were told in November that there would be no exams this year (We live in Wales; maybe this is just a Welsh thing?)
One of DS' teachers has been off since March. On the rare occasion that he has been in school, he has never seen the same supply teacher twice.
He is broken, and sees no point in anything anymore, and I'm sure he's not alone. I really feel this is hardest for this age group.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 05/01/2021 11:12

DS1 is Yr13. He wondered if it would be a combination of teacher assessment and pared back exams.

annevonkleve · 05/01/2021 11:16

I said last year that I thought universities would end up having to select on GCSE results. I wasn't being overly serious but it is looking more like that could happen or at least universities will look at them on results day.

DS is in Y13 and has had both lower sixth tests and mock exams, so the college does have some data to work with for C/TAGs, if they do them. I think he would do better in exams than C/TAGs, we're waiting for all his mock results but he got BBB in his L6 tests and needs ABB for his first choice uni, so here's hoping that he gets in whatever.

annevonkleve · 05/01/2021 11:17

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude

DS1 is Yr13. He wondered if it would be a combination of teacher assessment and pared back exams.
Yes we also wondered this. It might be the fairest option and give those who are good at cramming exams but less good at everyday coursework a chance!
inquietant · 05/01/2021 11:20

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude

DS1 is Yr13. He wondered if it would be a combination of teacher assessment and pared back exams.
I wondered this myself. School are still telling us (this morning) they are not cancelled Confused

The govt really should have had a plan ready to roll out, it's not like this scenario was really unlikely, especially given Wales and Scotland already cancelled theirs.

Belladonna12 · 05/01/2021 11:20

I think they will probably have exams although not in the usual format. They could use more coursework.

inquietant · 05/01/2021 11:56

They haven't got much time to switch to coursework. Not great also for subjects with practical elements, as these simply can't be done alone in many cases.

What a mess!

LimitIsUp · 05/01/2021 13:09

Belladonna12 & others - they are definitely, definitely cancelled! www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/are-gcses-and-a-level-exams-cancelled-for-2021/ar-BB1cuhWC

Tbh current students should have seen the writing on the wall and have been focussing on their course work and aiming for good grades in their ongoing studies after what happened to the 2020 cohort. I told ds (GCSEs last year, now in Year 12) to hit the ground running and make every topic test count from the get go - just in case the same thing happens to 2022 A levels. If he doesn't then he'll reap what he sows

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 05/01/2021 13:12

@LimitIsUp

Belladonna12 & others - they are definitely, definitely cancelled! www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/are-gcses-and-a-level-exams-cancelled-for-2021/ar-BB1cuhWC

Tbh current students should have seen the writing on the wall and have been focussing on their course work and aiming for good grades in their ongoing studies after what happened to the 2020 cohort. I told ds (GCSEs last year, now in Year 12) to hit the ground running and make every topic test count from the get go - just in case the same thing happens to 2022 A levels. If he doesn't then he'll reap what he sows

I agree in part

But theyve missed masses of lessons and teachers help and ds2 would absolutely be concentrating on his coursework, if he had any

123becauseicouldntthinkofone · 05/01/2021 13:20

My DS is in year 11. He has had very little since last march and i suspect GCSES will be cancelled. what i am worried about is he is still going to be taking his BTEC exams.....next week!!!

Belladonna12 · 05/01/2021 14:02

@RufustheSniggeringReindeer Last night Boris Johnson actually said that it would not be possible or fair for all exams to go ahead as normal. To me that suggested there could be some exams although it wouldn't be the same as usual. I suppose we'll see when they fully publish what they going to do.

Belladonna12 · 05/01/2021 14:03

Sorry that should have been to @LimitIsUp

Original poster
MrsMiaWallis · 05/01/2021 14:40

Tbh current students should have seen the writing on the wall and have been focussing on their course work and aiming for good grades in their ongoing studies after what happened to the 2020 cohort

Well, ideally, but it's in no way their fault if they didn’t.

Dd had exams the first week back in September then has mocks in March. She already has predicted grades and obvs uni entry predicted grades. She's decided she's just going to treat the mocks as A levels and work towards them.

OP posts:
pointythings · 05/01/2021 15:30

Tbh current students should have seen the writing on the wall and have been focussing on their course work and aiming for good grades in their ongoing studies after what happened to the 2020 cohort

Agreed up to a point, but as well as producing results on interim assessments, these students have also had to do a lot of catching up in many cases, effectively running a heavier curriculum workload. Allowances will need to be made.

FWIW I would be happy if my DD2 were assessed on her Yr13 work - I have told her to make every test count, and she has. Her grades have shot up. Her coursework is on track for an A/A*, and all that while she has been living with a recently diagnosed permanent life changing health issue. But not every student has a supportive school offering good online provision.

Original poster
MrsMiaWallis · 05/01/2021 16:02

Dd was most happy when they said they would be able to tell them what was in the A level exams! She thought she'd get A* in at least 2.

OP posts:
RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 05/01/2021 16:05

[quote Belladonna12]@RufustheSniggeringReindeer Last night Boris Johnson actually said that it would not be possible or fair for all exams to go ahead as normal. To me that suggested there could be some exams although it wouldn't be the same as usual. I suppose we'll see when they fully publish what they going to do.[/quote]
Yeah i agree with this

I just got a email re year 11 exams and they mentioned exactly this

I also got a email re year 13 exams and they DID NOT mention it

😳 so I’m kinda selfishly keeping my fingers crossed

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 05/01/2021 16:05

@Belladonna12

Sorry that should have been to *@LimitIsUp*
Oops

Should have kept reading 😀😀😀