Surely they can't cancel GCSEs and A levels again

[Marcellemouse]

Heard there are calls for it. After what happened with this years cohorts surely it can't happen and it's a terrible idea.

If we are to have compulsory education to 18, there is no need to have a public examination at 16.

About 50% of pupils take A-levels currently. I am not sure where this idea comes from that education is now compulsory to 18. The requirement is for education or training and training can include helping in a local charity shop for 20 pounds a week.

Kids won't step off the gas if they think there's a possibility of no exams. They'll do the opposite and be working their arse off now as they know the alternative is that the teacher ranks them. They need to do their utmost in every class test and bit of homework.

Agree. I have a Year 13 who tends to coast and then pull it out of the bag at the last minute (as he did for his GCSEs).

I've told him in no uncertain terms that he can't get away with that this year and he needs to work consistently through the next 8 months on the assumption that there won't be an exam to pull it out of the bag for.

The message seems to have got through...I hope.

We’re preparing for that AND exams going ahead.

I’m impressing on my Y11 classes - and Y10 - that every single thing they write in their could be part of how I make a decision about their grade.

Also that they may well lose further time but still have to sit exams so they need to make the most of every minute they’re with me.

It’s all we can do at the moment.

Very unlikely there is no reason they cannot hold a socially distanced exam session, the problem is actually covering the syllabus in time so many kids may fail but the actually exams are very unlikely to be cancelled much of Europe managedan exam session in 2020 so sure we could run one in 2021.

Teacher assessed grades should be submitted late June. Algorithm should be used only to flag up potential anomalies as a basis for part of the selection of schools to have moderation, with schools submitting evidence to support grades awarded. There should also be just some random selection of schools to be moderated so that schools don't manipulate to fit the algorithm. Results all finalised by end July.

All processes should be negotiated with the heads' unions and the uni sector and should be defined and publicised by 1 November so that everyone can see the goalposts. Moderation to be carried out by well-trained, experienced subject specialist teachers who will not be needed to mark exams.

Ofqual should then evaluate the outcomes compared with previous years and universities should evaluate drop out rates, engagement and outcomes for the last normal year, this year's mess and the 2020/21 solution. Then look at what would be best for students, schools and unis going forward.

Any other Exams Officers reading this thread (and the news in recent days) and wondering about whether their job is relevant any more?!

I would also say teacher assessment worked last year because that year 11 had covered the syllabus but the stage schools shut so was fair. If the problem is missed syllabus content how does teacher assessment work, if you haven’t been taught geography topics four to seven then the teacher cannot assess you as understanding them any more than an exam is a fair way of assessing whether you understand what you have not been taught.

I don’t know what the answer is but I cannot see how missed teaching is solved by teaching assessment unless teachers start saying “yes yes I am sure peter would have understood algebra if I had taught it to him, I mean I haven’t so he doesn’t know but he’s a bright boy so would have been fine!”..that is a long way from the robust system in place last year when the teachers had a full year and a half of work, in school assessments and mocks on which to make the predictions.

@Qasd

I think the exam boards need to modify the criteria. Maybe they could do part course work and a slimed down exam for 2021. I know different schools/colleges teach different parts of the syllabus at different times so not easy but instead of ministers peddling out "everything is going to be normal" they need to recognise that the system isn't fair on the class of 2021. I think this planning should have been going on in the Summer, they knew at that point students had missed a a whole term out of a 2 year course and they must have been aware that there would be disruption going forward.

I agree with you, it was much more straightforward to assess gcse and A level students this year because they had probably covered the topics and were entering "revision" phase, they had sat proper mocks. However, I don't think they can just now say everything can go back to normal. It really isn't fair on these students.

Centre assessed grades are a quagmire. They are unfair on many levels.

For the time and money rich, they can lead to subject access data requests and legal arguments over the evidence. This is hell for schools and teachers. Those without that kind of access to specialist advice have to suck up the awarded grades.

I am sure it is not beyond the wit of the examining boards to structure A levels on taught content and to make them more application rather than knowledge tests.

@SmileEachDay

We’re preparing for that AND exams going ahead.

I’m impressing on my Y11 classes - and Y10 - that every single thing they write in their could be part of how I make a decision about their grade.

Also that they may well lose further time but still have to sit exams so they need to make the most of every minute they’re with me.

It’s all we can do at the moment.

Although I agree with you that the kids need to step up now in case of teacher assessed grades I also think how horribly stressful for them!

DD is in year 11 and has so much homework set that she is struggling to get her art coursework done (and she wants to do art alevel). She has mocks coming up in November but again the homework means there is not much time to revise and she is very aware how important these mocks are as they may be used to allocate her final grade. I'm worried about her and worried if she will end up doing well enough to get into her preferred college.

@SpikeyBaby

Kids won't step off the gas if they think there's a possibility of no exams. They'll do the opposite and be working their arse off now as they know the alternative is that the teacher ranks them. They need to do their utmost in every class test and bit of homework.

Agree. I have a Year 13 who tends to coast and then pull it out of the bag at the last minute (as he did for his GCSEs).

I've told him in no uncertain terms that he can't get away with that this year and he needs to work consistently through the next 8 months on the assumption that there won't be an exam to pull it out of the bag for.

The message seems to have got through...I hope.

Same here. My son definitely coasts then does ok in exams, but he definitely seems to be working harder now. He was lucky as they stayed on track in two of his subjects and although he had no MFL lessons and just set work, his teacher says they are on track too so if they do have some sort of exams he should be in a reasonable position. I wonder if open book exams might be an option.

Ofqual stuck its fingers in its ears when it did its consultation and basically ignored everyone and the only thing the media picked up on was getting rid of poetry from GCSE English lit (which then didn't happen anyway).

Dd has worked hard all through lockdown and continues to do so now. It’s a slap in the face for committed pupils (and teachers) if any kind of test is abandoned.

How would CAGS work a second time? Experience would tell teachers to be as generous as possible, in order for their pupils to compete with everyone else and to avoid charges of unfairness from pupils and their parents. Threats of moderation only served to spur some schools to estimate grades even higher, knowing they would be marked down.

And universities (at least the top ones) cannot admit extra numbers again.

Another one with a Y11. I've told her to prepare for the possibility of no exams, and that everything she does now counts - clearly she's getting the same message at school, as she's having constant tests. She's hugely stressed out by it all, despite being an excellent student (I think assessment is better for her than exams, as she's not great at revision, but the work she churns out throughout the year is consistently 7+). The school have pushed their mocks back to January (normally do them in November), to give them more time to cover the syllabus.

The not knowing of the end goal is so very unfair to both pupils and teachers, and could have been addressed much earlier. When the 2020 exams were cancelled, of course I had sympathy for the students, but I started asking then about what would happen with the 2021 cohort, losing at least a term's teaching. These poor kids are being ignored.

The whole situation is incredibly stressful. My DS worked very hard through lockdown and still is. Where the teachers have said they can't complete the syllabus he is going through and trying to fill in the gaps. We have spent hours getting this organised so he has the best chance of reaching his potential. I just don't think it is fair that all our students are being left in this situation.

They have to plan for all sinareos

Although I agree with you that the kids need to step up now in case of teacher assessed grades I also think how horribly stressful for them!

The uncertainty is stressful for sure. Teachers - the ones I know - are doing their utmost to make everything “in class” as normal as we can. Tbh I’ve always been a massive nag about “being the best you can be every time” so my students may not actually feel it’s that much different 🤷🏻‍♀️

My dc is home edded ( year 13) which has it's own stresses, so we could do without this.
Really feel for all students, parents and teachers living under this current shadow, what a s**t show.

I can’t see the exams will go ahead. The differences in how much of the content has been covered will be huge between a school where there has been no isolations, and one where there has been 4 lots of 2 weeks missed (on top of the 14 weeks in spring/ summer). Can you imagine the front pages - “my son took the exam and didn’t recognise half the questions”.

I also think that if they were going to move to coursework assessment or sone kind of exam / coursework mix, that it would have had to be in place way before now. With no funding, they’d be lucky to get this sorted in time for the current year 10 and 12.

They just can’t announce it yet because year 11 and 13 will down tools (and who can blame them). Expect a teacher assessment announcement in Feb once the schools have had a chance to get some test data compiled this term.

I still think government took premature decision to shelf exams for Year 11 and 13 last year. They could have sat those exams through July and into August. There was always going to be less Covid when weather warmer. Last year's cohort only missed 1 week of March, 2 weeks of April and May is revision so 3 weeks of teaching.

This Year 11 already missed 1 week of March, 2 weeks of April, 3 weeks of May, 4 weeks of June and 3 weeks of July so 13 weeks in total. We have been back less than 1 month and most schools already missed 1 or 2 weeks. They will lose more over winter. Every time one child or teacher gets it the whole bubble is at home for 2 weeks. Virtual learning is so variable between schools.

I agree with previous poster who suggested all years resit the year. I recognise this would put pressure on schools but maybe hiring a portacabin classroom and hiring an additional teacher would be best option.

It is not just Year 11, Year 10 lost the same amount of teaching time and I don't see how they can catch this time up unless steal a week at Xmas and Easter and pay teachers extra 2 weeks money.

@actiongirl1978 yes, me! Although still really busy at school and trying to plan for any and all scenarios...

When I read that universities were calling for this, my first thought was ' how very sensible'. Rather than students spending all that time focusing on exams, that can just learn what they need to know before moving on to university. They will have caught up with their education and not be starting uni at a disadvantage.

@caringcarer

It is not just Year 11, Year 10 lost the same amount of teaching time and I don't see how they can catch this time up unless steal a week at Xmas and Easter and pay teachers extra 2 weeks money.

But surely they were in year 9 then so less of a big deal? Or are your DC at a school that does 3 year GCSE courses?

Year 11 and 13 will be, by far the most disadvantaged cohort. They will have missed more exam level content than any other group. They are in and out at the moment. They will be shelved, they just don’t want to say too early.

@caringcarer

It is not just Year 11, Year 10 lost the same amount of teaching time and I don't see how they can catch this time up unless steal a week at Xmas and Easter and pay teachers extra 2 weeks money.

Year 10’s last year lost most of their input and will do as Year 11’s. They aren’t comparable.