to tell you reviewing your GCSE paper isn't "free"

[BorrowedThyme]

I've never begrudged putting aside a few hours for genuine disappointing shock grades, or when a student has so nearly made the grade they need for their next stage.

But this year it has gone totally over the top.

And recalling GCSE papers for the school to review is NOT "free" - it just doesn't cost the parent anything, that is all. It relies either on teachers volunteering their spare time, or the school employing an additional, qualified person to do it.

I spent 25-30 hours in the last week of the holiday doing this, and now have a whole new list to somehow try and cram in to a single weekend

My head of department has already contacted some parents to say no, we are not doing it for such and such a student, and honestly, you would think we were chopping their kids hands off, or something, the abuse, and threats and accusations we get!

Some of the students we have said no to have already got their sixth form places, and don't need to check their grades, some are so far from the next grade up that they are many times more likely to go down than up, and some have got exactly what was predicted, anyway.

Occasionally a grade goes up, but it is very rare, and in genuine cases, I am happy to spend the time checking. Most of the cases we are getting requested now though, are not genuine! None of the papers I have checked this year are going up, although several might actual go down if the parents take it further.

So please, before expecting this service for the school, keep in mind

a) Is it necessary? Not if your child has got their sixth form place or apprenticeship, or whatever they wanted.

b) Is it likely? Parents often over estimate their children's likely GCSE grades, particularly if they have helped them revise, and marked a few mock papers, etc- children perform best in a one to one situation with a lot of encouragement, such as they might get at home with a parent, but this is not how they are assessed.

c) Somebody has to be just below the next grade boundary! That is how grade boundaries work!

d) Some grade bands are very narrow - being 3 marks off a 6 could actually be 2 marks from a 4.

e) It isn't a case of " just finding one more mark" - the marking has to be withing a tolerance. 2 examiners might mark the same paper differently, but that does not mean one is right and one is wrong. Yes, I find marks in the papers that I would have given that the examiner has not, but I also find marks the examiner has given that I would not, and overall, the mark comes out the same, or virtually the same. The grade is not going to be changed over a disagreement about fractions of marks. It needs to be a substantial difference for the grade to be changed, and not a case of strict or lenient marking.

Yes, it is sometimes worth having a look at the papers, no it is not worth this wholesale demand that has developed this year.

If this school review system continues to be abused, I expect it will be withdrawn very soon!

We have just had a flat "no" from the school. They will give us the scripts to look at ourselves, but SLT says no teacher is available to look at them. Given the industrial action this is probably sensible but I maintain it was a reasonable question to ask when a child has worked their socks off and come out 3 grades lower than predicted.

It's not that surprising, surely, that there are lots of requests this year given so many students were given such high predictions, presumably based on 2021-22 grade boundaries.

I know it's not your problem now they've left. I'm sorry your SLT not protecting you from us annoying parents as well as ours is.

Ah I see, that I can understand, I guess from the parents side, if they know the option is there, do they realise it's volunteers and goodwill or do they see it as another service being offered ?

If it's three grades lower, then I would presume that the error was the over estimation of their original grade potential

Schools would fall apart if this were the general attitude.

I have never minded, but it has become unmanageable now. It was fine when we were just looking at genuine cases, now it seems half the school feels entitled to demand reviews

DD had 3 GCSE papers reviewed/remarked last year. School had a policy that would ask for a review of it was within a certain range, I don't know the details they arranged and all the grades got changed. As she went to college we didn't find out grades had been changed till collection certificates one subject hasn't realised they were even asking for it to be looked at.

I think they were all AQA papers so I figured was to do with the strikes. Her peers had similar.

So with that degree of changes I can see why people might think remarking worth requesting. Hopefully if no more strikes more faith will be restored in marking.

Do you work in a normal state school @BorrowedThyme ? It does sound excessive.

This is a policy ans management problem at your school, not a parent problem.

Why shouldn't they request a review if it is allowed?

It's up to the schools management team and processes to decide if they will or won't do it. And it's once a year - 25 hours isn't that much really is it?

Private schools will continue to look at the scripts. I don't know what the answer is but not providing this service disadvantages state school pupils.

It's more than some people work a week. And for free

If your students are doing much worst than expected/ predicted, surely you'd want to see where they/you have been going wrong so you can improve for next year.

I get that it's 'voluntary' etc, but surely as a GCSE teacher you care about your students, their grades and your future students. Teaching is surely more than just a job.

I have been reassuring my child that they have done brilliantly and failing to meet a predicted grade doesn't mean they failed. But it still matters to them.

And it's once a year - 25 hours isn't that much really is it?

How often do you work 25 hours in a week for free so that someone can avoid paying for something?

If your students are doing much worst than expected/ predicted, surely you'd want to see where they/you have been going wrong so you can improve for next year.

Parents ask for a teacher to look at a paper because ‘they’re only 3 marks off the next grade, see if they can go up’

Also it isn't 'just' this 25hrs.
It is the unpaid trips.
It is the unpaid revision sessions after school or in the Easter holidays.
And no doubt countless other 'extras' that parents expect these days.

I'm a huge advocate for getting scripts back rather than going straight to review, because I am really familiar with all stages of the process.

But I absolutely think that whilst it's reasonable to ask schools to look at them, it's absolutely not reasonable to expect that to be done in the holidays (unless it's A level and a uni place depends on it) or to hassle someone for that to be done.

And the "it's just one more mark" brigade need to grasp that no one is looking for that one more mark. If they really think that, let them pay the £50.

@Hmmph time isn't infinite though. Staff are often pressurised to give inflated predicted grades.

I taught 146 GCSE students last year - worked weekends etc marking paper after paper.

I genuinely can't re-mark for all who want it as I'm knee deep prepping for the new academic year, moving classroom (whixh I'm decorating using stuff I've paid for as there's no budget...)

My own ds is off to secondary school, we both have elderly parents and all the other life shit that everyone has.

I can't find the hours. I honestly can't.

Here in Ireland you can get your leaving cert paper rechecked if you aren't happy with the mark. it takes some time and cost roughly 100e. if you are awarded a higher grade after the paper is checked then you get your money returned to you. if its deemed you were given the correct mark you don't get your money back. also they can come back and mark you a lower grade

It's not 'just' 25 hours of unpaid work. There's a huge amount of work involved in getting ready for the new year - one where, because it's almost impossible to recruit and retain experienced support staff, involves class allocations, timetabling, amending SoWs, data analysis, etc, etc.

Yabu

Thankfully dc school are keen to help. They reminded everyone of the process on results day and have since sent out several reminder emails to students. Individual teachers have also approached students directly to encourage them to appeal.

One of the exam officers told us her son was upgraded on 3 subjects last year and overall over 50% were upheld. So definitely worth a shot.

This cohort of kids have been through enough with the covid distribution and strikes. If you are that close to the boundary then by all means kids should go for it.

They should offer remarks tho those that they think will benefit then and tell everyone else no

One of the exam officers told us her son was upgraded on 3 subjects last year and overall over 50% were upheld. So definitely worth a shot.

The national figure is nowhere close to that!

Maybe you should concentrate on building Jonny's resilience rather than pushing for a remark.

You are confusing parents paying the exam board to review the marking with teachers being asked to look at the paper and review the marking for free during their holiday to decide whether it is worth the parent paying for a review.

This. Or just say ot costs x amount to send it to the exam board to be looked at. Don't do it yourself.

OP just to say I feel and share your pain and agree with your comments 100%. I work in an exams team and this year has been the worst I have ever known in terms of scripts back and Reviews.