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Original poster

To wonder what will happen if exams are impacted by Corona

370 replies

B1gbluehouse · 03/03/2020 06:36

Starting to think they aren’t going to want halls filled with 100s of kids if it spreads more.

What will happen to GCSE and A level students if they can’t take their exams?

OP posts:
coconuttelegraph · 10/03/2020 16:18

How does one teacher know what will happen when as far as we know exam boards haven't even decided yet?

I can see that the teacher could have said it might happen but I don't believe they know what will happen.

noblegiraffe · 10/03/2020 16:41

That was based on an article in the Times saying A-levels may be pushed back and GCSEs moved to September, but none of the educational press has picked up on it and it’s not being tweeted by people in the know so seems to be speculation at present.

Michaelbaubles · 10/03/2020 17:24

It doesn’t matter if it was a teacher who said it, the teacher doesn’t know. Trust me, if any teacher knew for sure it’d be all over twitter within minutes.

Kazzyhoward · 11/03/2020 08:46

it was actually one of her teachers who told her this

Teachers won't know anything more than anyone else at this early stage. It's all just guesswork and supposition. Not helpful.

cologne4711 · 11/03/2020 08:51

if my daughter doesn’t get the GCSE grades she requires for the A-Levels she needs for the Medical Uni courses she wants it will have an impact

Everyone will know that 2020 was the year exams didn't happen or were delayed or were based on predictions or whatever happens.

cologne4711 · 11/03/2020 08:52

I think universities are well set up for online teaching if it came to that

One of my son's teachers is self-isolating and has told his class to be ready for a video lesson tomorrow. Hopefully it works, as it could be a good solution, at least for sixth form students.

Kazzyhoward · 11/03/2020 08:58

if my daughter doesn’t get the GCSE grades she requires for the A-Levels she needs for the Medical Uni courses she wants it will have an impact

Sixth form colleges need to fill their classes so there WILL be a means of GCSE students moving into sixth forms in September whether GCSE exams go ahead as planned or not.

Assuming your daughter is working at a level where her teachers expect her to get decent grades at GCSE, then there'll be some means of that being communicated to the sixth form colleges. At this stage, no one knows that form that will take.

Of course, if she's been working at a grade 3/4 level then she may have difficulty in obtaining confirmations as to her ability and suitable for A levels. I can imagine students working at relatively low levels but who would normally unexpectedly "pull it out of the bag" last minute due to cramming etc may have difficulties, but consistent pupils with a few years of good grades will be fine.

Colleges etc will have no choice but to accept teacher assessments, mock results, previous year end of term reports or whatever other evidence may be available to demonstrate a pupil's suitability for A levels. They're not going to run half empty classes etc - they'll find a way of filling their courses.

michaelbaubles · 11/03/2020 09:36

I teach at a sixth form college. We do face-to-face enrolments where we discuss context if students look like they want to do courses above the level their grades would suggest are appropriate and we do take circumstances into account. It's really not a "computer says no" event. We'd be flexible enough to deal with grades being impacted by coronavirus, I'm 100% certain of it. If a student wasn't allowed onto certain A level courses but in the first 6 weeks showed a great deal of commitment and ability they'd be able to swap, too, space permitting.

Hopefully it works, as it could be a good solution, at least for sixth form students

I have two primary school children who would be at home with me if schools are closed. We have one laptop. I do not have an office! I'm not putting a great deal of video up - it's not practical.

woodchuck99 · 11/03/2020 09:50

I have two primary school children who would be at home with me if schools are closed. We have one laptop. I do not have an office! I'm not putting a great deal of video up - it's not practical.

So you wouldn't be working and will be taking annual leave/unpaid leave or whatever else is in place for people who can't work because they need to look after their children. Not everyone would need to take time off to look after children.

michaelbaubles · 11/03/2020 09:59

Me and the rest of the 60% of teachers with children under 8...yeah, there's not a chance we'd all be on leave. We'd be expected to get on with it the best we could. But the best I can is not going to include masses of video lessons. Most people won't be able to do that tbh. We don't even have staff laptops, so plenty of people don't have the technology at home.

woodchuck99 · 11/03/2020 10:05

Me and the rest of the 60% of teachers with children under 8...yeah, there's not a chance we'd all be on leave.

Do 60% of teachers have children under eight? Regardless you wouldn't need all teachers to be available to teach older children i.e the ones doing GCSE and A level. I'm not specifically thinking video lessons as many people wouldn't want to do that anyway but online teaching is less intensive than face-to-face.

.

FAQs · 11/03/2020 10:20

Thank you for the reassurances, it doesn’t help I’m pretty severally dyslexia so I think I’ll do more harm than good trying to help!

Kazzyhoward · 11/03/2020 10:52

I have two primary school children who would be at home with me if schools are closed. We have one laptop. I do not have an office! I'm not putting a great deal of video up - it's not practical.

Why would you need to create your own videos? There are loads of online resources available. Surely all you need to do is tell your pupils what videos they need to watch, what worksheets they need to complete, which chapters of online text books they need to read, etc., etc. Why re-invent the wheel?

OneOfTheGrundys · 11/03/2020 17:14

Twinkl is giving access to its subscription services for free, as are other online resource providers. Lots of free info out there if you can get online.

PoopyPanda · 11/03/2020 17:18

I used to teach in a very challenging school. A lot of kids refused to do the work even in the classroom and needed a hell of a lot of cajoling to write anything. I doubt many will willingly go online to learn, read textbooks, do worksheets etc.

Drivemybluecar · 11/03/2020 17:41

@PoopyPanda this is where the parents will be vital. If this happens my son will be doing it. And he will still be revising for his GCSE. But I understand not all parents can be at home to do this or will bother. I fear for the GCSE this year.

StSaulOfSnacks · 11/03/2020 17:43

Exam boards are publishing their plans next week I believe.

Piggywaspushed · 11/03/2020 17:43

That does very much depend on your subject kazzy and the age group.

Michaelbaubles · 11/03/2020 18:13

Yes, no videos, ready-made worksheets or online text books for my subject! I do use videos in my teaching but have to curate carefully as there aren’t any based on my actual subject focus and course.

Piggywaspushed · 11/03/2020 18:15

Where'd you get that from saul ??

Aragog · 11/03/2020 19:12

Twinkl is giving access to its subscription services for free

I think that is currently only in Hong Kong and only for one month. Maybe it will be wider spread if we close here too.

www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/how-to-utilise-online-learning-during-coronavirus-shutdown

Aragog · 11/03/2020 19:20

We don't even have staff laptops, so plenty of people don't have the technology at home.

Even if they dont have computers and laptops most people do at least have a smart phone and some a tablet.

I have an ex colleague who now works in China. her school has been closed for a month and she's not even been able to return to China as yet. Her, and her colleagues, are all expected to be producing materials - school may be closed but they are still being paid, and although they have childcare themselves, they are expected to work around them and to produce online materials. This may be videos, worksheets, voice overs, slide shows, etc.

She says many of their staff don't have computers at home and here was no chance to get into school to retrieve them either. Lots had little tech knowledge when it came to doing this kind of thing. However, they've had no choice. They've self taught using YouTube and video chats with one another. Many have done lots of stuff using just their own mobile phone and uploaded to the school websites. She actually thinks that once this is all over and everyone is back to work they'll have all actually learnt some valuable skills which they will continue with in their normal teaching.

noblegiraffe · 11/03/2020 19:23

Any teachers with good ideas for remote learning resources, or places offering free subscriptions, please chuck them here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/3845498-Remote-teaching-resources

TurquoiseDress · 11/03/2020 19:31

Perhaps they will use mock results or predicted grades?

No way, that would be so unfair...especially with A-levels when university places are riding on it

I used to do piss poor in the mocks as I never quite knuckled down, the for the real thing I'd pull my finger out and do better than all my teachers expected (that felt good!)

But then, if things do escalate out of control and we have a few months of disruption, how much further can they delay exams?

State schools go on till late July but most private ones seem to be off end of June time.

Oblomov20 · 11/03/2020 19:33

I'm starting to worry about this because Ds1 is due to sit his.

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