Aibu to think they will probably end up having to cancel the 2022 exams as well

Itisasecret · 06/01/2021 18:47

@Howcani667

Or make significant changes as they planned to this year. When all is said and done they will probably have had more disruption than they had this years cohort especially if they started GCSEs in year 9.

No they really won’t. This years cohort missed most of their Yr 10 and YR 11 F2F. All being well next year will have a full YR 11. It doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be adjusted but they are by no means worse off, not by a long shot. This year have missed both years of F2F content, they are by far the worse off in this scenario.

Howcanidothis3 · 06/01/2021 18:56

@Itisasecret year 10 missed half of last year and look on course to miss 2/3+ of this year not to mention the potential for disruption thereafter

MrsHamlet · 06/01/2021 19:07

Schools are not meant to start GCSEs in year 9

Hulllassie65 · 06/01/2021 19:08

@MrsHamlet

Schools are not meant to start GCSEs in year 9

Many do I heard 60% as a stat. My DS who has just had his exams cancelled started his GCSEs in year 9 and is very great full he did as it meant they had done a full year and a half by the time lockdown first happened

meditrina · 06/01/2021 19:13

I thought no the DofE really needs to get on the front foot and show some leadership now about 2022 public exams.

Last term was badly disrupted for some, this term looks as if at least half and possibly more will be on line.

It is highly likely that it will not be possible for the entire syllabus to be covered.

Schools don't teach topic schools in the same order, and they need something more than dumb luck to help them work out what to prioritise as a likely-to-be-examined topic, and what might still feature but in sections with more choice on which questions to answer

Gallantgoose1 · 06/01/2021 19:18

@meditrina

I thought no the DofE really needs to get on the front foot and show some leadership now about 2022 public exams.

Last term was badly disrupted for some, this term looks as if at least half and possibly more will be on line.

It is highly likely that it will not be possible for the entire syllabus to be covered.

Schools don't teach topic schools in the same order, and they need something more than dumb luck to help them work out what to prioritise as a likely-to-be-examined topic, and what might still feature but in sections with more choice on which questions to answer

But equally Scotland and Wales made the decision very prematurly which wouldn’t have helped their students if things had been fine

Itisasecret · 06/01/2021 19:19

[quote Howcanidothis3]@Itisasecret year 10 missed half of last year and look on course to miss 2/3+ of this year not to mention the potential for disruption thereafter[/quote]
And? Schools should not be starting GCSE’s in Yr 9. Some try and get a head start in the summer term but they shouldn’t be.

You absolutely cannot compare a year which has had ALL of its content years disrupted to a cohort which will probably get a full year without interruptions and significant changes to the syllabus. (That will happen). Cancelled totally? If we are ok in the winter, then no. They are not worse off at all.

Frozenintime · 06/01/2021 19:24

Our school started GCSEs in Year 9. Our son has missed most of last year and a chunk of this year. It will not be fair for them at all

meditrina · 06/01/2021 19:25

The courses are essentially 5 terms (as the sixth is the exams themselves)

The class of 22 has had erratic loss of none, some or many weeks of one term, and may well likely see all of a second term gone (and let's not predict that online learning is going to work well for all)

So it's around 40% of teaching time gone or impaired.

It s likely that changes to the syllabus will be needed to try to mitigate gate at least one of the inequalities ?

PurpleMustang · 06/01/2021 19:45

My son also started in Yr 9. Now Yr 10, has already been told his business exams are changing that is taking this year. They take some exams this year in year 10 so their exams will be disrupted already.

AnneOfCleavage · 06/01/2021 20:07

Lots of school do three years GCSEs so it is disrupting to have missed some elements whether a two or three year course.

At last they learnt from last years' fiasco where our poor year 11s were stressed up until the 11 hour whether they'd get a horrid algorithm grade like the poor year 13s had or a teacher grade. Wouldn't wish that stress on anyone plus not having done as many mocks for teacher assessment and the the March ones cancelled as lockdown happened out of the blue hence some grades being lower than should have been as no proof to show as such.

I'm wondering next year if they will do what they'd said they would for this year before exams were cancelled altogether and give them a heads up on what topics would be on exam paper so students know what to revise as lots of gaps will be inevitable. My DD is year 12 so would be affected next year. So difficult for all the hands on subjects like pe, dance, textiles, product design, drama etc to do 'at home' learning.

Manchestertimes · 06/01/2021 20:58

My son is in year 10 and is doing GCSE'S over 2 years. Last term he had 3 periods of isolation and is off again. He will have had massive disruption to an important year I just hope the government make decisions on their exams next year. I have no doubt they will go ahead just hope they are fair and take into account the effect covid has had on their education.

Thefeep · 06/01/2021 21:05

@MrsHamlet

Schools are not meant to start GCSEs in year 9

I have a year 9 and a year 10. Both started GCSE’s in year 9.

MrsHamlet · 06/01/2021 21:07

They might well have done but it's not meant to happen. Key stage 3 is three years and ks4 is two. Ofsted hate it.

NeverForgetYourDreams · 06/01/2021 21:11

This years year 11 and year 13 children are way worse off than 2020 ones because the 2020 ones had mocks for teacher assessment. Most schools pushed back the mocks to this term so they won't be sat. At least 2020 ones mainly got what they were pitching at. I feel for this years cohort

My DS is year 10 and they surely must have to make some provision for 2022 as their education is disrupted too. Would be very unfair to return to full exams in 2022 without some teacher assessment as part of it.

Itisasecret · 06/01/2021 21:30

@MrsHamlet

They might well have done but it's not meant to happen. Key stage 3 is three years and ks4 is two. Ofsted hate it.

This. GCSE’s are a 2 yr course (exams included). I’d argue that Yr 10s who started in Yr 9 are significantly better off than this year, who are the most shafted cohort of all.

You won’t get any extra for arguing they missed GCSE content in Yr 9, it shouldn’t be delivered then.

PurpleMustang · 06/01/2021 21:46

@MrsHamlet they do it so they take some after 2 years in Yr 10 and then the extra time freed up is given to the remaining core subjects in Yr 11. If they don't get the grade expected they also have an extra chance to retake it. I think it is a great idea. I cant see a down side to it at all

PurpleMustang · 06/01/2021 21:51

@itsasecret thats all well and good saying Yr 9 shouldn't have been taught it but my son is still expected by school to take his exams this year in Yr 10, unless something gets changed. So yes it does matter they have missed chunks. Although do agree they have more time in effect to catch up with the core subjects as already started last year.

MrsHamlet · 06/01/2021 22:15

[quote PurpleMustang]@MrsHamlet they do it so they take some after 2 years in Yr 10 and then the extra time freed up is given to the remaining core subjects in Yr 11. If they don't get the grade expected they also have an extra chance to retake it. I think it is a great idea. I cant see a down side to it at all[/quote]
Apart from the fact that it's gaming the system abd it's not meant to happen.

littlemisslozza · 06/01/2021 22:20

Maybe it's time to overhaul the system and introduce something like the international baccalaureate instead. No exams at 16, everyone gets their certificate at 18 with academic and vocational routes available. In an ideal world obviously... I don't think for a minute that the government would be that organised!

Fizbosshoes · 06/01/2021 22:24

Last years year 11 would have had majority of the actual teaching for GCSEs before lockdown started in March, where as this years year 11s had disrupted year 10 and now year 11. I always thought this years year 11 (and 13) would be in a worse position as far as actual f2f teaching went. My DD is year 10. Most of her Gcse work started last term (september 2020) but she did do some work towards gcses in year 9. I hope that the disruption they have faced, and continue to face as we don't know how long online school will be for , is taken into account. Even if they "only" do 1 term online there are huge limitations for practical subjects (art, sciences, drama, photography,tech subjects) a lit of which have a large course work element.