Why was there not a clear plan B for exams

[Whywasther55]

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?

@2pinkginsplease

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.

This exact same thing happened last year. What are you talking about? And being pedantic the UK has been through many pandemics in the past.

and no we should expect high standards from our elected leaders

I expected them to have a plan B

Also expected them to take a look at the calendar and spot that BTECs are in January. Now we're in the mad situation where the DfE said they should go ahead in unsafe conditions, schools started cancelling (because there's no requirement to sit them now) and the DfE just shrugged and said 'well it's up to schools to decide'.

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

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.

As I have said many times the teachers assessed the kids. Many schools then internally moderated these grades to previous years grades. So if 10% of students in 2019 got an A then in 2020 only 10% could get an A. That isn’t straightforward teacher assessments. Many many schools did this. There is a legal challenge going ahead. My school admitted this.

@noblegiraffe

I expected them to have a plan B

Also expected them to take a look at the calendar and spot that BTECs are in January. Now we're in the mad situation where the DfE said they should go ahead in unsafe conditions, schools started cancelling (because there's no requirement to sit them now) and the DfE just shrugged and said 'well it's up to schools to decide'.

Very good point

That was the saving grace for dd last year, she did two A levels and a BTEC, BTEC was all done and dusted by the time lockdown rolled round

These students had no access to teacher support or school resources.

This isn't true for all. We continued to provide resources and access to staff until the summer holiday.

I think you and your son have been put in a very unfortunate position. The majority of the students I taught were happy with their CAGs.

@Whywasther55

We have never lived through a pandemic that has caused us to have lockdowns, hospitality closed and school closures.

I’m well aware exams were cancelled last year I have two teenagers, no one can control this situation and we have to trust that the teachers gradings are reflective of our children’s work.

What do you suggest Plan B should be?

[quote 2pinkginsplease]@Whywasther55

We have never lived through a pandemic that has caused us to have lockdowns, hospitality closed and school closures.

I’m well aware exams were cancelled last year I have two teenagers, no one can control this situation and we have to trust that the teachers gradings are reflective of our children’s work.

What do you suggest Plan B should be?[/quote]
No but there were multiple scares (swine flu, sars). No the DFE have had months to do this and haven’t that’s inexcusable and they should be held to account and what’s your point about hospitality, lockdowns, etc we had lived through this exact situation and we were clear that this was a likelihood so why weren’t we prepared?

The plan b would be to have guidelines prepared after extensive consultation ready to use at a moments notice with schools told from September to be gathering evidence and to do mocks early in the year and then a second set later on.

Let's not forget that instead of coming up with a plan B they were using their time and resources to set up an unneeded teacher training academy.

Which still leaves a 'minority' of however many thousands or tens of thousands of young people who 'weren't happy' as you put it, resitting the year intending the take the exams in the summer and it's like they're on a bloody snakes and ladders board.

@noblegiraffe

Let's not forget that instead of coming up with a plan B they were using their time and resources to set up an unneeded teacher training academy.

Agree sadly this hasn’t been reported in the press which it really should have been maybe if the mail was critical of Williamson that would finally get rid and we can replace him with someone competent

@Notthissticky

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...

Doesn't Gavin have a child in y11?

@Notthissticky
Who’s blaming teachers? The OP is very clearly blaming govt for a lack of planning. They’ve had almost a year to get a contingency plan together. They didn’t bother. Teachers aren’t being told what’s happening. They can’t be blamed for ANY lack of planning. They’ve been planning for exams as that’s what’s been stressed over & over by Gav.

The minute the announcement was made that exams were cancelled, that there’d be no algorithms but teacher grades, that should have followed with ‘although we really wanted exams to go ahead, we did half expect this to happen so have been working throughout the last 6 months with the necessary folk and have an action plan on how we’ll help teachers do this’. Not ‘we thought exams would go ahead because we are emus with our heads in the sand and didn’t want to be bothered with planning any other options; so now we need to have a two week chat with ofqual and see what we can magic up’.
Don’t care if they’re guise is Tory, Labour or whatever; they look like the raving loonies to me.

WE have never been in lockdown for swine flu etc! When the exams were cancelled last year I’m sure no one expectedly us to still be in the same situation this year. I Know I didn’t. How can you do mocks early in the year when the subject has only started to be taught after the summer holidays, totally impractical. I know that my teenagers school has been gathering evidence since they returned after the summer holidays just incase this situation arose, surely that’s just common sense after what happened last year and bizarrely they didn’t need the DfE to tell them that they did it off their own backs!

I don’t know what the big thing about exams are, why should our teenagers full school year be based on a 2 hr exam, surely teachers grading would be a more accurate reflection of our teenagers?

[quote NotDonna]@Notthissticky
Who’s blaming teachers? The OP is very clearly blaming govt for a lack of planning. They’ve had almost a year to get a contingency plan together. They didn’t bother. Teachers aren’t being told what’s happening. They can’t be blamed for ANY lack of planning. They’ve been planning for exams as that’s what’s been stressed over & over by Gav.

The minute the announcement was made that exams were cancelled, that there’d be no algorithms but teacher grades, that should have followed with ‘although we really wanted exams to go ahead, we did half expect this to happen so have been working throughout the last 6 months with the necessary folk and have an action plan on how we’ll help teachers do this’. Not ‘we thought exams would go ahead because we are emus with our heads in the sand and didn’t want to be bothered with planning any other options; so now we need to have a two week chat with ofqual and see what we can magic up’.
Don’t care if they’re guise is Tory, Labour or whatever; they look like the raving loonies to me.[/quote]
Sorry, you're right. I'm just so bloody fed up of the blame still being pushed onto teachers. I got a bit distracted and didn't let the contents of the OP get in the way of my little rant

And need sacking. Incompetents.

My Y11 (v bright, scholarship, private) kid has worked like a dog and has 11grade 9s. Results won’t matter as unconditional they have a (scholarship, private) 6th form offer.
However, the school cannot confirm if exams will go ahead because iGCSE are not govt controlled.
Mocks are off (lockdown). Teachers have decided to keep teaching rather than teach to exam.
My kid would be happy to extend their learning & receive grades based on Christmas term report.
I feel its unfair that they sit exams, especially exams that may well be sprung upon them with little notice and no preparation. The sitting in a large hall. The attendant risk of error by anxiety due to that and the lead up.
Other schools will be teacher assessed - who in power will challenge an optimistic upmark after the year we’ve had and the govt incompetence? No-one (and I don’t blame them).
But my kid might end up dropping a grade due to circumstances.
There does not seem to be parity.

How can you do mocks early in the year when the subject has only started to be taught after the summer holidays, totally impractical.

The school where DH teaches (and I formerly taught) have done the first sets of y11 and y13 mocks in October for years. Schools have to provide predicted grades to unis from Sept onwards - the Oxbridge/medicine deadline is 15th Oct. It's not 'totally impractical'.

I assume that the work being assessed needs to be of a certain standard. Schools don’t all use the same mocks, they don’t necessarily make the pupils sit them in true exam conditions, they are not always marked to the same standard. Same with end of topic tests.
A pupil who wasn’t given any work in the first lockdown and has suffered many isolations since won’t have covered the same amount of work as someone who had live timetables since day one of the first lockdown and no bubbles bursting. Can they be graded the same way? Can they go on to do A-level in a subject where they haven’t covered the syllabus in GCSE.

With all due respect whatisthislifesofullofcare, other families re in different situations.

A major worry with the glaring absence of a proper plan is the number of Y11s and Y13s who will just hear 'exams are cancelled' and disengage from school completely.

I understand your frustration @Notthissticky
and no doubt you’re getting ready for the blame to be flung in your direction once those grades get awarded. You won’t be able to do right for doing wrong. Teachers will undoubtedly be Accused of both over inflation and downgrading. That’s why planning should have happened months ago. There needs to be transparency & protocol. Not any flimsy guidelines that are later denied. You teachers do a great job! Most parents know and appreciate this.

@whatisthislifesofullofcare if your DS has to sit his iGCSEs (which I doubt, but who knows given they’re saying still going ahead) he’s likely to get the 11 x grade 9’s and even if he totally messes up his exams, he’s onto his next stage of education so you really don’t need to be concerned either way. So I’m a little lost as to your point. Are you happy with the govt’s lack of planning or do you think it’s fine? That’s what the OP is asking.

@notdonna
imo the inconsistency is worse than the lack of planning (which I can forgive due to circumstances).
Ir should be all for one and one for all.
And in response to whoever was whinging about their kids disengaging, then thats on them imo; at 15/16 years old they should be self-directing.

Two words.

Gavin Williamson.