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Original poster

Why was there not a clear plan B for exams

120 replies

Whywasther55 · 07/01/2021 22:21

Just that really why when it was a clear likelihood did the DFE not have a clear plan in place for exams instead of leaving us all in limbo. Aibu to be livid we have been left in limbo?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 07/01/2021 23:14

my dd had loads of year 11 mates last year

Any Y13s? They were the ones who took the biggest hit. Y11s at least got one set of grades instead of 2, and the more generous of the two sets as well. Y13 got the shitty ones first.

WyfOfBathe · 07/01/2021 23:15

@Twiddlet

There is a clear plan, though. Teachers will assess them. It’s been announced 6 months before the exams which is as clear is it gets without a crystal ball. The difference for this year’s cohort of pupils is that everyone half-expected this to happen so took mocks, assessments etc more seriously as they knew they could count for something rather than be mere prep. Surely the only other option would be to award no grades at all.
In the school where DH teaches, the first set year 11 mocks were delayed because the bubble burst, and then the delayed ones were cancelled because of staff shortages. The second set of mocks were due to take place in late Jan, but obviously they can’t happen in ‘exam conditions’ now.

As others have said, teacher assessment is a concept, not a clear plan. DfE should have had a fully fleshed backup plan ready to go.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 07/01/2021 23:16

Dd was in year 13

Luckily she wasn’t going to uni that year

A number of her friends didnt get the uni they wanted...or uni at all

Rosebel · 07/01/2021 23:20

I do hate the Tories but still don't know what their plan b could be except for teacher assessment.
Everyone keeps moaning about the government doing this or not doing that but these aren't normal times. The government don't know how long this pandemic will go on for, they don't know how things will be in six months or a year. It's unfair to say why didn't they do this or that. The normal reason is because they didn't know what was going to happen.
I know it's shit. I have a daughter in Y10 and no idea what will happen by next summer but not everything is down to the government. Blame Covid.

Original poster
Whywasther55 · 07/01/2021 23:20

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

They weren't down graded because CAGs got used in the end.

Look at the miniscule resit entries to see how many students disagreed with or thought they could to better than their grades given (not English and maths because they resit anyway).

This year is different because staff and students know about it in advance.

Teachers need clarity eventually. Right now a guarantee their work from now counts is enough.

But we haven’t been given that guarantee have we? Also that’s not what that suggests many students just weren’t able to de resist as they had forgotten all the content and had moved on to new things and still had to work for that so sort of had to accept what they were given.
OP posts:
RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 07/01/2021 23:20

A friend did tell me that at least dd didnt have to do the exams...

I was very restrained, one of my best achievements to date 😀

Kazzyhoward · 07/01/2021 23:20

There hasn't been a clear plan B for anything.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 07/01/2021 23:21

rosebel

Have you read the thread? Most posters are annoyed at the timing, not the fact its cags

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 07/01/2021 23:22

Also that’s not what that suggests many students just weren’t able to de resist as they had forgotten all the content and had moved on to new things and still had to work for that so sort of had to accept what they were given

Absolutely

MollyButton · 07/01/2021 23:22

Because it is a fundamental belief of the present Tory party that Exam are the only real way to judge ability/performance. Btec's didn't use to have exams, and GCSEs used to have a lot of course work. But people like Gove think everything was so much better when he was at school with a 1950s style of exams.
No point in listening to Teachers or those who study how people learn.
And even last summer the algorithms were biased to give better results to private schools and school which had done well in the past - not to allow that maybe some schools were improving.

Wearywithteens · 07/01/2021 23:23

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

Coffeeandcocopops · 07/01/2021 23:24

20,000 forgotten students didn’t get results last year because they were resitters or home educated. They, along with the 2020 students who wanted to sit exams in 2021 were promised that exams would go ahead in 2021.

My son was intending to resit his A levels this summer as he was robbed last year of his predicted grades and instead was awarded exam centre moderated grades. Now what? His dream career is on hold as he didn’t get the grades.

This govt has let so many young people down. They will remember in three years time at the next election.

Original poster
Whywasther55 · 07/01/2021 23:24

@MollyButton

Because it is a fundamental belief of the present Tory party that Exam are the only real way to judge ability/performance. Btec's didn't use to have exams, and GCSEs used to have a lot of course work. But people like Gove think everything was so much better when he was at school with a 1950s style of exams. No point in listening to Teachers or those who study how people learn. And even last summer the algorithms were biased to give better results to private schools and school which had done well in the past - not to allow that maybe some schools were improving.
Yes but surely I’m they can acknowledge that there is a next best thing if they want to do exams then why not do a backup set of standardised mocks?
OP posts:
RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 07/01/2021 23:26

I’m delighted my dd doesn’t haven’t to do exams. What is wrong with that view

Nothing

Its fine to be delighted that your daughter doesn’t have to do exams

NotDonna · 07/01/2021 23:28

@noblegiraffe

The plan or even ‘vague plan’ that they’ve come up with seems reasonable to me. It largely seemed to work last year.

You what? Where were you in August?!!

Quite obviously on another planet and maybe still is?
HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/01/2021 23:29

he was robbed last year of his predicted grades and instead was awarded exam centre moderated grades

His teachers assessed him as being that grade.

We don't know what ofqual will require, however I am 99.9% certain the work students are doing remotely will count.

Private candidates could have sat the November series.

WyfOfBathe · 07/01/2021 23:29

@Rosebel

I do hate the Tories but still don't know what their plan b could be except for teacher assessment. Everyone keeps moaning about the government doing this or not doing that but these aren't normal times. The government don't know how long this pandemic will go on for, they don't know how things will be in six months or a year. It's unfair to say why didn't they do this or that. The normal reason is because they didn't know what was going to happen. I know it's shit. I have a daughter in Y10 and no idea what will happen by next summer but not everything is down to the government. Blame Covid.
But what does 'teacher assessment' mean?

What evidence will need to be provided, for example?

These details are all being worked out now, when they could have been ready months ago.

Of course the government don't know what's going to happen - that's why they need a plan B. Wales cancelled their GCSEs and A-levels in November. England should have taken that as a hint that the same happening here was a possibility, if they haven't realised that already!

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/01/2021 23:29

A back up standardised mock is and exam.

Original poster
Whywasther55 · 07/01/2021 23:29

@Wearywithteens

“A friend did tell me that at least dd didnt have to do the exams...

I was very restrained, one of my best achievements to date 😀”

Why restrained? I’m delighted my dd doesn’t haven’t to do exams. What is wrong with that view?

Because and of course this isn’t your DD. Many of the people celebrating this decision are those who didn’t want to do the work and it’s a real slap in the face to all those DC who were starting to pull it round that they now won’t have that opportunity. Of course there is nothing wrong with your DD being happy and you being happy for her but it could be grating for others
OP posts:
Coffeeandcocopops · 07/01/2021 23:31

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

They weren't down graded because CAGs got used in the end.

Look at the miniscule resit entries to see how many students disagreed with or thought they could to better than their grades given (not English and maths because they resit anyway).

This year is different because staff and students know about it in advance.

Teachers need clarity eventually. Right now a guarantee their work from now counts is enough.

Students were downgraded because some schools internally moderated their grades to reflect previous years results. They argue that they were told to do this by Ofqual. Ofqual deny this. So my son was predicted an A. His CAG was a C. Because no one had ever got an A in his subject at his school over the last few years. The school has admitted this. Unfortunately there is no appeal process - funny enough it was abandoned early last year.
Notthissticky · 07/01/2021 23:31

Gosh, you'd almost understand why most teachers hate the DfE... But alas, pandemic key worker or not, teachers are still reviled by most.

This is what we've been banging on about for years!!! The DfE and the secretaries of state for education have no fucking clue what they're doing! Most of them haven't set foot in a school since leaving them as pupils themselves! Now the reality of this structural mismanagement and underfunding has hit parents everyone is up in arms. Yet still the blame will be shifted to teachers...

2pinkginsplease · 07/01/2021 23:32

We are living through a pandemic! THis has never occurred in our country before.

Some people really need to lower their expectations and go with the flow. People make mistakes, this is all new to everyone. Things are changing on a daily basis.

This is my child’s 2nd year of no exams, last Years was a fiasco that was eventually sorted and this year we have to trust that they will get it right.until then we go with the flow.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/01/2021 23:33

Coffee Sorry yes I remember there were some students/schools in that situation. Ofqual never explicitly said that, some SLTs thought that was what they were being told.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 07/01/2021 23:33

I expected them to have a plan B

Ive set a pretty low bar there

Coffeeandcocopops · 07/01/2021 23:34

Resits were minimal because students had SIX weeks to prepare having been kicked out of school in March. These students had no access to teacher support or school resources. So most decided they would resit them this summer. There is a Facebook site that has been supporting these students from early last year. They have been let down.