Unhappy with coursework/music composition grade

[Coughee]

So my dd is in year 12 and had results today. She did well overall but got an E in music composition. (she got an A for performance). She is gutted. She's worked hard and didn't see this coming.

I'm not happy with the teacher but I don't know if I'm being unfair. She has 2 music teachers, one is great and did the performance stuff with her. The 2nd is new to her and did the composition. They worked on the piece through the year with the teacher looking at it regularly but she says he didn't give her any feedback, he just changed bits of it and sent it back to her.

Surely that's not right? How could he have overseen her (and other pupils) submitting work of such a low standard? Would I be unfair to complain to the school? Is there any point?

I’m not an authority on exam regulations but I’m pretty sure the teacher should NOT have been correcting parts for the student! As far as I know, suggestions for ways to improve can be given but not actual corrections, so I’d have serious concerns about the teacher’s understanding of the spec, at least.

Thanks for your reply. That's what I think too. Suggestions for how to improve is exactly what happened with her gcse composition and she did well in that. How are we to know if his corrections contributed to her low mark?

If you're in England, and this is NEA work regulated by JCQ, she should have been given the mark before it was submitted to the board. There is then a period in which you can ask for that work to be looked at by someone independent if you do not believe that the mark awarded is fair.
If that didn't happen, then you might be able to appeal. But if it's gone to the board and been moderated, then they have judged that mark to be the mark.
If it's an exam, then you can ask for a review of marking ... but it sounds like there's a issue at centre level.

Thank you, she's in Wales so I believe it's Wjec. But yes the issue is more with the teacher than the way it's been marked. She's been working on the composition all school year. When I did A level coursework we had feedback from the teachers and the opportunity to improve the work until we knew we were submitting something of a good standard. How is this not the case here?

Some specifications specifically forbid teachers from giving any feedback on NEA. The two courses I teach permit written feedback on one draft but I know that another subject doesn't allow that at all. It's worth checking the specification to see what is permitted.

I have submitted E grade work to the board. In every case it was because I'd done was permitted and that was the standard of the final work submitted. Candidates are simply not allowed to keep getting feedback until it's "perfect".

I used to teach music at gcse and A level. Composing is notoriously hard and the assessment criteria is very vague. It depends if it was internally or externally assessed really. If she got an E I would imagine that the teacher's marking was downgraded at moderation if marked internally. I would check who marked it first

Thank you both, that's really useful to know and gives me some good questions to ask if I do decide to speak to the school about it. I did have a look at the wjec site last night but I'll take another look to see if I can find out more about the spec and how it's marked

Composition is notoriously hard to mark. I’ve done it and I hate it because you are marking the work of your own students. Your daughter should know the specification down to the last detail. There are specific things that need to be included to gain marks and they don’t always relate to the actual quality of the music - more technical stuff. Is she continuing to year 13? If so, there is a lot she can do to get a higher mark next year if she prepares now. Start by getting the music teacher she trusts to give her feedback on last years work and ask how she could have improved it.

Thank you so much - I think that's exactly what's been missing. At gcse she was told exactly what she need to include but there doesn't seem to have been that kind of feedback this year. She is continuing with music in year 13 and they can opt to do more performance and less composition which she will certainly do but composing will still be a significant part of the mark.

She is meeting her trusted music teacher today so hopefully they can form a plan of action.