Exams

[Wakemeuuuup]

So what is actually happening with exams! My poor yr11 son is in bits. He hasn't had a chance to sit mocks yet. Boris didn't say they're cancelled!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/national-lockdown-aoc-urges-dfe-cancel-btec-exams%3famp

BBC are reporting all GCSEs and A levels cancelled.

That is not what Boris said... such poor reporting.

@NorthernLights77

I'm sorry you're in this position too. I hope your son can relax soon

It’s all very well saying they will be grades fairly by teacher assessment etc but what about all the schools who haven’t even done their mocks yet?

This is quite honestly an absolute shit show. I’m a TA and I’m in every day for keyworker children.l which Secondary Schools don’t have many of. They could have easily made provision for the exam years to sit their mocks with all the provision for testing that had already been provided. The whole thing is ridiculous.

He said "alternative arrangements" which could be an exam or assessment. I'll be watching out for details of the Welsh/Scottish solutions to this issue.

January BTECS are going ahead.

DS is Y11
not yet taken mocks

Whilst I listened to our so called prime minister saying not all exams can go ahead I thought - they'll get them all sitting English and Maths. I think that would be a really sensible way to proceed tbh. Get them all a grade in English and Maths - somehow - to allow progression to FE. The rest is immaterial really in the grand scheme of things.

DD is in year 11. She did her mocks in November, expecting results tomorrow. She would prefer to do the exams but isn't really that bothered either way. Above all, she just wants to know what's happening.

If they go ahead with maths and English only, how will they cover the content that they have missed in those subjects? Do people think that time will be taken away from other subjects? And if so, how will that impact on those who are going on to do A-levels in non-core subjects?

I can't believe the BBC are saying they are cancelled.
Boris said "We recognise that this will mean that is not possible, or fair, for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal."
Fewer exams in each subject, a mixture of one exam and CAGs, On-line assessments... Loads of possibilities.
BJ didn't say they were cancelled.

What an unsettling time.
Many of the current year 11's have missed out on so much teaching with the last quarter of year 10 spent at home and now this. How can taking mocks mean much? They can't be compared to previous years results when they haven't even been taught as normal beforehand.

DfE email to schools tonight reads:

In these circumstances, we do not think it is possible for exams to go ahead fairly this summer. The Secretary of State for Education will be asking Ofqual to consult rapidly on an approach for alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly

He said alternative arrangements which could be a test/assessment of some sort so it's really poor that many news outlets are saying that exams are cancelled.

He doesn't know and alluded to Gavin consulting with OfQual so I suspect that we won't know for a few weeks months

I'm curious why BTECS are going ahead this week.

I wonder what will happen with the year 6 SATs...

Why shouldn't the btecs go ahead this week?

In my DDs college, the percentage of btec students is low compared to a levels. Presumably they will be well spaced out for an exam and can be asked to wear a face mask. At my DDs 6th form college, they have been wearing masks in lessons since september.

She's not doing btec though and is one of the year 13 students A level students who had been plunged into a sudden state of anxiety over the new uncertainty. She's spent Christmas revising for mocks. Clarity is needed ASAP for these students (and year 11s)

I listened to it and got the message that GCSE’s would be cancelled and CAG’s used as did DH. This poor year group have lived with the unfairness of missed schooling, very bad inconsistent remote learning (March to July), sat in school in freezing cold classrooms (Sept to Dec) and uncertainty for over nine months now!!!

I'm curious why BTECS are going ahead this week.

Because exams aren’t cancelled. Many exams will not be going ahead in their current form. In other words, changes will be made to some exams.

I have 60 students sitting the BTEC exam tomorrow and no idea if it will actually go ahead. Yes BJ has said they will but we require staff and papers. Invigilation requires staff. Setting up the room requires staff. And we are all told to work from home. Waiting on more detail from Pearson and the college but I just feel so bad for my students.

@IgnoranceIsStrength

DS is in limbo as he is year 12 and was told to go in today yesterday via email, doing BTEC exams. He’s beside himself and hasn’t slept.

It’s not ideal. I have a year 11 son and have the same concerns. The last lockdown his mental health spiralled to such a low level it was terrifying. This time round there isn’t the pressure of exams looming which in one part is good but also not so good too. My son is blasé he’s convinced that down to predicted grades and assessments in class he’ll get what he needs to move on to his chosen college and A level subjects. It really worries me that he’s simply got no direction from now until September. Whatever the grades given, these kids haven’t been through the rigours of gcse exams and a proper education....I haven’t got the answers but it does feel concerning

This is just dreadful. Boris needs to go.

I've told my y11 and 13 students that we're carrying on as planned until somebody who knows what's happening tells me to stop.
All along, we've been hoping for the best (doing exams) and planning for the worst (this) so we keep going.
I'm not going to panic them even if I'm wondering what the fuck is going on.
BTEC and Igcse will go ahead. Our exam team will be there to invigilators as planned.

43123sunshine Don't let your son down tools until we have some clarity. Even if teacher assessed grades are used, teachers will continue to teach and continue to assess up to the end of their school year.

@Fortyfifty

43123sunshine Don't let your son down tools until we have some clarity. Even if teacher assessed grades are used, teachers will continue to teach and continue to assess up to the end of their school year.

Yes I hear what you are saying, I will continue to apply encouragement to keep him working and not leave him lazing in bed all day (which would be his choice) however in the last lockdown his grades slipped by at least a grade in each subject, he had a total mental meltdown and simply couldn’t function and produce the work in a home environment, it wasn’t pretty and myself and the school become very concerned about his well-being. It really was the most awful time and I feel sick at the thought of relieving it all again.

59123sunshine The impact on teenagers has been awful. I don't feel there is anyone who understands their developmental needs advocating for them inside the government. How messages are delivered can make a big difference to teens.

I'm sorry to hear how your son was during last year. My DD was up and down emotionally. She mostly coped and fortunately can self-study easily at home (unlike dd2, so I know how different kids can be)

I'm not looking forward to facing DD, Y13, today.