Thread 24 Covid Cohort - Oh Come, Oh Come offers from Emmanuel - and all other universities aswell!

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

I tried to sing the title... It kind of works...

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to posts about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this goodwill continues.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous thread

That’s frustrating @oblomov21 but I’m hoping maybe these mocks would only be used in the absence of any later exams at all?

Dd has an offer from Manchester - AAA! She’s really pleased.

Fabulous @crazycrofter!!

Woohoo Crazy!

Yeah @crazycrofter x

Well done crazyjr.

Wow @crazycrofter, that was quick!

Whoop! @crazycrofter

great news @crazycrofter!

That's brilliant, Crazy!

We had a chat with the head of academics at our school and were told that, in the event of TAGs, various data would be used, but mocks would only be taken into account if they were representative of ability, ie if they showed a pupil's best side, great, but if they didn't go well, they'd use other evidence.

@Oblomov21

Orange, I don't understand.

So they look at each individual's performance in comparison to the rest of the class, rather than just taking a mock grade (which can be a blunt tool anyway if it is made up of different bits of past exams ) .

Good news Crazy. Maybe mine will get one soon.

Congratulations @crazycrofter!

Fingers crossed @Zebracat and all the other late entries!

We had a chat with the head of academics at our school and were told that, in the event of TAGs, various data would be used, but mocks would only be taken into account if they were representative of ability, ie if they showed a pupil's best side, great, but if they didn't go well, they'd use other evidence.
I am the only one who thinks that off? Of course TAGs contain an element of teacher subjectivity but surely the 'file' of evidence should contain the same elements for all students of the same subject within a school?

@EwwSprouts presumably that’s why 40% of A Levels were A/A* compared to about 25% in 2019. Everyone got what they were capable of on a good day instead of the lottery of a one-off exam and a bad day. But if the government are encouraging schools to collect a range of evidence over three terms, that’s what will happen surely? I can’t see many schools giving a B because the student happened to get a C in these mocks and then As in later ones, they’d just go with an A?

@EwwSprouts it sounds odd and could explain why there were nearly twice as many A/A*s in 2021 v 2019. My understanding is that the school should use all the evidence they told students they would use and weight it consistently across the cohort. If they use 3 exam results and just pick the best one, that is not really right.

It would be reasonable to adjust grade boundaries across the whole cohort if they used high boundaries to motivate, so at DS's school, last year they had to get 90% for an A, but for the real A level in 2019 72% was an A, so I would hope they would re-calibrate for TAGs.

I knew as soon as I’d posted that I hadn’t explained it very well.
As I understand it, the point the school was trying to make is that a poor mock result wouldn’t be wholly detrimental to the final TAG, where there was consistent evidence of higher attainment from other class tests, class work, homework etc.

Given that all schools run mocks at different times in the year, with differing content, I can understand why mocks may not be taken as the main evidence; if you know a student is headed for an A* and have evidence of that from work already done, would it be right to knock that down to a B on the strength of one mock exam result, taken perhaps 6 months before the public exams would ordinarily be taken?

Congratulations on the offers, fab news to hear the happiness of the DCs when they hear. We are not expecting anything further until end of Jan from two of them but York haven't even acknowledged DS's application which I found a bit odd when all the others did.

In terms of grades, DS came home yesterday saying that they have been told to expect no proper exams now and that a lockdown was likely. Two weeks ago they were telling them that they would almost certainly be sitting them! I don't like the scare mongering one bit. I also dread the thought of TAGs after the GCSE stuff and also because of DS's Biology teacher. Our school was not one of the ones that did best day results for the past two years, they very much stuck with their normal grades with a small uplift maybe. They also like to do exam grades with made up boundaries - DS's end of year Biology last year he got 67% and was given a B, looking at A level marking this would have been an easy A , 1% under A (they used A level questions) but our school set boundaries at 10% jumps so 70% was an A and 80% was an A. Also no adjustment based on cohort achievement.

I am getting nervous but worse is that DS is suddenly feeling very stressed.

That makes sense @Alsoplayspiccolo, they are saying that one poor result does not mean you can't do well as a collection of results is used to get the final grade. Which is why TAGs are better than exam results, they take a broader range of performance instead of a single day performance, reducing the luck and exam stress elements.

[quote Monkey2001]**@EwwSprouts* it sounds odd and could explain why there were nearly twice as many A/As in 2021 v 2019. My understanding is that the school should use all the evidence they told students they would use and weight it consistently across the cohort. If they use 3 exam results and just pick the best one, that is not really right.

It would be reasonable to adjust grade boundaries across the whole cohort if they used high boundaries to motivate, so at DS's school, last year they had to get 90% for an A, but for the real A level in 2019 72% was an A, so I would hope they would re-calibrate for TAGs.[/quote]
I think DDs school was implying harsh marking on mocks as normal, but if required for TAGs, recalibration would be carried out.

Still concerned that she will have no exams until mocks in Feb, and then further exams after Easter-ish if exams are cancelled. Not sure what happens if there is a lockdown, meaning no exams could happen anyway....

Just I haven't seen anything authoritative that makes me think they will be cancelled. I don't see any signs of a lock-down, the only reason they might be cancelled is because the impact of Covid has been so unequal, but I am not sure that this govt is bothered about equality. We need @Delphigirl!

@Monkey2001 friends in nhs reporting just a 10% increase in covid cases will cause a major issue as hospitals are full of non covid and staffing issues are awful. Once ICUs are full we start rationing care like last Jan when medic friends had no over 60 yrs patients admitted to icu as DH says that’s a little close for comfort . I think the government will continue with a laisse faire approach until 3 weeks post Christmas then panic. I’m assuming TAGs as we have 6 million over 12s and adults unvaccinated and people ( including me) mixing a lot on the lead up to Christmas where as last Christmas only the government were having parties. I hope for exams as it’s far far fairer and a government that decides on using science over what’s great for business but probably very unlikely. Let’s see but I really feel for those in the arts and teens trying to navigate a path through this car crash of country. Rant over 🤣

DD's school saying 'no exams' too. Now piling on pressure over the Jan mocks with are being pushed as 'vital'.

Ugh, I’ve thought all along that there wouldn’t be exams. Dd knows the importance of this week’s tests - but they were only sprung on them a couple of weeks ago, after the government’s helpful guidance so she doesn’t have exam leave.

Ds has been working reasonably hard (for him) for his mocks but he’s adamant he’s not going to revise for Physics this time but he will for the ‘real thing’ - I’ve tried telling him there may be no such thing but he’s not listening!

These mixed messages are no good for the Y11s or Y13s. Schools should be advising them that exams are still due to go ahead, but that the mocks are more important than ever.