MNHQ here: Calling all Year 11 and Year 13 Parents - Tell Labour education ministers about your and your children’s experiences of education and being awarded grades this year

[JuliaMumsnet]

Hello.

We were contacted by the office of Kate Green MP, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, about an event the Labour frontbench is hosting tomorrow morning about exam results and qualifications. Parents can join and have their say about how they think it went and what could be better. More information below:

"Labour’s education team wants to hear from any parents with children finishing Years 11 or 13, who have received their A-level, BTEC or other technical qualifications, or GCSE results this week.
We would like to hear about your and your children’s experience of education and being awarded grades this year. How you feel the results system has been managed this year and the support that has been available to you this week.

We are also keen to hear about any changes you think should be introduced in future and any changes that would have supported your children this year.

To join the discussion, sign-up here to receive a zoom link to join the discussion: labour.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUudOiqqD8iH91CxuuAW50lcAZfyc9tuIPr
On: Friday 13 August 9 – 10am
With: Kate Green MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary

Thanks

MNHQ

Hi MNHQ. Any idea why Kate doesn't want to hear views of parents from year groups already affected (current year 12) once last year and liable to be impacted again?? (and, also year 10..)

Seconded @Piggywaspushed 😳

@Piggywaspushed

Hi MNHQ. Any idea why Kate doesn't want to hear views of parents from year groups already affected (current year 12) once last year and liable to be impacted again?? (and, also year 10..)

This

Hi Kate
My year 13 was at an independent school, didn't miss a single day of learning, had online school throughout lockdown, had over 50 assessments and got the grades she needed for University. Her teachers and the school did an amazing job.

I guess that's probably not what you wanted to hear though.

Thirded @Piggywaspushed

Next year's A levels need attention now whilst there's still some teaching time ahead. Because the amount that was missed in year 12 had been both large (lockdowns) and variable (isolations, sone repeated)

And that's a year group who has already been affected (last year's GCSEs) and stands to be the only year group to be affected for two sets of public exams.

If there is going ro be a change to exams (smaller 'core', more as options) schools need to know now so the core can be fully covered by all before teaching time runs out. Otherwise it's going to be down to luck (how many times bubbles burst, SI needed, access to tech, quality of off-site provision, how well individual's motivation held up as the weeks dragged on) and quite possibly, affluence and a repeat of the entrenchment of advantage

@Bryonyshcmyony why do you assume they don’t want to hear your experience?

Over 70% of private schools got A or above for every single A level they did. It’s not a secret that independent/private results jumped significantly this year.

Other people’s experiences perhaps from state schools are no less important than yours.

@Piggywaspushed

Agreed!

Dd has just received her A-level grades and she was quite disappointed. Ucas predictions A, A, B but got A, B, C. Fortunately she got into her first choice university but something went wrong. Her large 6th form college taught online for longer than most, then had them back one week in college, one week at home. There were large gaps in understanding and never time to go over anything, but dd worked really hard and her marks were gradually going up. The college sets a 'benchmark' at the end of each half term and decided to use these as their evidence even though some were sat at home, some in class, some people knew the contents beforehand etc, and when they were set they were never intended to provide their final grade. Dd only had one final benchmark after exams were cancelled and she got A*, A and B in them, but clearly this was not enough evidence and her previous marks brought these down. Dd would far rather have sat actual exams like in other schools. This has not been a fair exercise and dd feels let down by the system. Thank goodness it didn't ruin her chances of going to a decent university!

@gleegeek congratulations to her, sadly there was so much disruption for some so her chosen university will have likely taken that into consideration.

Other people’s experiences perhaps from state schools are no less important than yours

Presumably more important if things didn't go as well

@Piggywaspushed

Completely agree!

My DD got her A level results this year. She s at a state 6th form college who were exemplary in their handling of both lockdowns. They have great pastoral support in place and made sure all students had the means to keep working by getting them laptops or having them in college. Online lessons began a week before that first March 2020 lockdown.

Like many, my daughter exceeded her A level predictions and she feels detached from those results because she did not take standardised exams or assessments. She and we did not want exams to be cancelled. We wanted the government to formulate a plan b last summer, which would have reduced the content of most A levels. But the same parts for every student.

The hardest part I'd this year, for my daughter, was when exams were cancelled and teacher assessed grades announced. She commented that it felt like the teachers had gone from being on her side to unapproachable, having to take on the role of assessor. She was no longer able to have a dialogue with a teacher to discuss the liklihood of getting a certain grade and with no formal mock exams ( hers were due to take place in January) she felt lost over which university place to firm. Also, she knew she wouldn't still get a place if she dropped a grade as she knew then many universities would be oversubscribed. January 2021 to June 2021 was a period of constant stress and uncertainty completely beyond what usual exams would have been. This must not happen to next year's cohort. A plan needs to be made ASAP.

@Bryonyshcmyony

You have a narrative and are sticking to it and that’s fine. It doesn’t change the reality of how other people were unfairly impacted and have to live with that.

Just because your daughter had a great experience as the majority from independent schools did, does it mean you need to downplay other students from less advantaged backgrounds.

You’ve stated your experience, please don’t try to discourage people from stating theirs with your snarky comments. So pious.

You’ve stated your experience, please don’t try to discourage people from stating theirs with your snarky comments. So pious

Different experiences shouldnt discourage anyone from saying anything (otherwise I'd never post as my experience seems very different to the majority on Mumsnet)

I can see Labour are trying to find issues to berate the government with as they should be as an opposition party. Shame they did the best part of fuck all when discussing the mess that is education in this country.

And there's still no plan for 2022

Shouldn't an opposition party ALREADY know what the bloody issues are and have formulated a plan?!

Can I point out that any questions etc are supposed to be directed via the Zoom link in the OP...

I think it is good they actually want to hear directly form parents tbh. More than the DfE does.

@Piggywaspushed

I think it is good they actually want to hear directly form parents tbh. More than the DfE does.

Teachers maybe It's pretty fecking obvious where the problems are

It's obvious that they just want snarky media headlines that appease cross parents.

Nothing to actually help!

What dies teachers maybe mean??

And how is this all connected to 'media headlines' which have been controlled by the governing party almost throughout, in damaging fashion. If you have things to say go to the meeting, if not, don't.

All opposition can do is listen and lobby and attempt persuade. This is a step.

There is no point in joining a zoom about years 11 and 13 if your main concern is year 12

I hope that the discussion in this thread is passed to the organisers.

There is still time to avoid that year group being 'double whammied'

This initiative isn't going anywhere near it - but it would be good to hear if there were anything that will minimise ongoing detriment in 2022

Lessons from the past are all well and good. And indeed necessary perhaps as part of decisions for 2022

But as getting it right for 2022 should be the top priority for public examinations policy, and doing it now whilst there is still time ie before the autumn term when most teaching time in that final year takes place, I would very much like to hear what the Opposition is doing on that - their own ideas, and also what they are doing to get the government to act in time

I am going anyway and have asked a question about year 12. At least they will get the question.

Absolutely agree with your last para btw.

There are thousands of medically clinically vulnerable pupils going into a new system in schools where they won’t know if the person sitting next to them is from a household that is positive or even if they are testing. They are ‘sitting ducks’. The stress on these children and their families will be intense. There will also be children who live with vulnerable people scared to go into school in case they hospitalise their family member by passing on covid.
How can we help these pupils when there are no measures to lessen or even assess the risk anymore?