Exams

[MrsElijahMikaelson1]

DD is distraught, she has worked so so hard. I really feel for this cohort of students who won’t have their chance to shine and will miss all those special times.

Updated not updates 🙄

Outdoor exams? Ok, I’m clutching at straws now I know!!!

Oh and that’s IF the exam boards are doing this. We’ll all assuming at the moment.

@DBML I was wondering whether they would base grades on a mixture of original predictions, mock results and evidence from past papers etc - but I guess your most recent predictions are based on all those things anyway?

@chocolateisavegetable

It’ll be obvious to the men ever of staff where the pupil is at.

Some pupils come into the subject with a PG of D for instance. They might start year 10 disengaged, but over time will improve and outperform their predicted grade. This will be noted and tracked. We actually submit predicted grades regularly through the year and they constantly change. Some go up...some go down. It’s based on outcomes though and robust systems of tracking pupil performance.

Today we looked at their most recent data and decided whether it was correct and above all fair. We do not inflate grades (at least in my school we don’t) and we focus on what the child could realistically achieved.

Men over = member

Bloody autocorrect

DD remains devastated-she has been working solidly since the start of the summer holidays and gets up at 5am everyday to do 2.5 hours revision before school. They did their mocks at the beginning of November so really their mocks-besides being different to every other schools actual exam-would not be a fair comparison to those who are only just having finished their mocks-that’s nearly 6months extra teaching and revision.
Also, it’s all those lasts they won’t get properly...last day at school/shirt signing/prom!/exam results day excitement. I feel so heartbroken for her and all these children missing out😢

DS (yr11) is delighted that his academic year has ended in March.
I’ll be out working and he’ll never get off the screen.
Middling predicted grades that he will justify as he has done lots of revision recently - whose yo say he wouldn’t have aced them.
It’s appalling.

They really should not base them on mocks as these are done at different times in different schools (we did ours before Christmas) and schools often adjust their papers and grade boundaries so there is no standardisation between schools at all. Most of our kids in year 11 expect to achieve at least one if not two grades higher than their mocks and in year 13 they often have a complete disaster in their mocks (lots of D's and lower) and then come out with A's and B's. Most of them would be devastated if they were awarded their mock grades and very few would get their Uni places.

Predicted grades are also a bit of a lottery with different schools/teachers using different ways to award them. But I'd rather use predicted grades than mocks.

I also have a DC in year 6 and whilst I don’t care about SATS, again, it will be all of the lasts they won’t get: leavers party, assemblies, transition days etc etc. I am gutted for them all.

Op, there will always be things people miss out on. I was too I’ll to go to my uni graduation. Life happens. And whilst its disappointing, you need to be the one reminding your daughter that some people are having even worse ‘lasts’ and that’s what she’s sacrificing her shirt signing etc for.
Disappointing yes. End of the world - no. Not for her at least.

DBML very interesting and useful - thank you for explaining all that

My child is also devastated as she’s worked so so hard. She’s done a lot of coursework which seemed to get marked today which is good for her

My other DD is at college and is doing a BTEC and I am not worried as there are no exams she can easily distance learn and complete modules

I’m not angry with the gov or think they have made the wrong choice - I’m just really really sad and frustrated this has happened to my child that is all. For her. When she’s worked hard for this and it’s all up in the air. I think it’s ok to feel that way about it

DD said to me tonight ‘ok so Friday is my last day as a year 11?’
She’s accepted it all, missing prom etc, leavers day. It’s just the exams she’s most worried about. She wants to do A levels

You’re welcome @chocolate

I’m not saying that’s what’s happening...I don’t know. But, if the exam boards base this on predicted grades, it should be pretty accurate and fair for most children.

Also thanks @DBML as I think that’s been my DD’s stress over what will be taken into account
I told her I think it will be predicted grades and they will take her into 6th form, I hope they do anyway

I know it’s not the end of the world, but for DD it feels like it. There are friends she will never be at school with again, who are going elsewhere for 6th form. She wanted the chance to shine, she has worked so hard. She wanted to see the results of that determination.

She won’t have a prom, which seems trivial to us, but is not to them, and certainly not to my bank balance having bought the bloody dress!

I know this may seem a bit daft, given that people are dying and that society seems to be breaking and she is confused by all of that too...how people can be toting the “be kind” one minute and “every last fucker for themselves” the next. These are quite complex things to try to understand at 15.

It is perfectly normal to be disappointed, especially when pupils have been working so hard.

The predicted grades should hopefully be fair if that’s what is used.

As for the celebrations, why not delay them? The pupils can celebrate their end of year, grades and the end of coronavirus all in one go. Perhaps schools and parents can join to do something very special for them later in the year and invite all back.

Thankfully I had not paid for the dress yet!
She’s ok about missing prom like I said. I think that missing out on signing shirts seems little in comparison to spending your whole school career studying for something that might not happen 😂
She’s a sensible one. She logged into all her online learning on a laptop someone lent me tonight she’s ready to go with online tutorials but worried about forgetting things
Also other kids keep making shit up like they will have to repeat the year 🙄

I can’t see that happening but a nice idea. My youngest will be leave no primary school and to be fair I feel a bit robbed after 18years of primary school to not be able to say goodbye and for my youngest not to have that special time either. Am feeling very melancholy.

Leaving not leave no!

@Menora

Your daughter sounds like a smart girl. Tell her not to listen to the rumours. And her hard work and effort will not have been overlooked.

We do not inflate predicted grades in our school because of children like your daughter. If we gave all of the pupils A’s now, that would indeed undermine all your daughter’s hard work. Not going to happen - no sane teacher would allow it.

I still think delay rather than cancel celebrations. They all deserve a good party when this is over.

Good luck to her.

Thanks
She’s a really good girl and that’s why I feel emotional about it! This would have been DD1’s ultimate dream scenario to be honest 😂

We do not inflate grades (at least in my school we don’t) and we focus on what the child could realistically achieved.

Private schools tend to over-inflate grades though, and poor-performing schools tend to under-estimate ability. I hope to God the exam boards take into account individual school performance to prevent cheating.

Well obviously they don’t know what’s going to happen yet. Come on, guys, give them a chance

No fan of this Government here, but agree with this. First priority, saving lives. This is moving so rapidly that things that can wait for now must wait for now. Students won’t be disadvantaged (in the long run I suspect possibly the opposite).