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Higher education

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Original poster

Coursework moderated from an A* to a C

178 replies

Fossie · 15/08/2019 16:16

DD lost out on uni place as her Product design coursework (50% of her grade) has dropped from a borderline A* (according to her school) to a C which changes her overall grade from an A to a C. How is this possible? The school and her teacher are ‘puzzled’. This has happened to all in her class so all are affected. Neither firm nor conditional will take her now. Any ideas how to challenge this?

OP posts:
SinkGirl · 15/08/2019 16:18

This happened to my entire class with our Graphics GCSE many years ago, except that they decided none of our coursework met the criteria and we got 0 for it.

Sounds like the person teaching it has missed some vital aspect of the criteria if everyone has been marked down. I wish I knew what to suggest, other than contacting the

HerSymphonyAndSong · 15/08/2019 16:21

It makes more sense that the entire class was marked down - it suggests an issue with the marker. That’s what moderation is for. What an unpleasant surprise, however

crushingonpacey · 15/08/2019 16:25

The school has messed up somewhere with their marking..I would be discussing it further with them.

LolaSmiles · 15/08/2019 16:26

That's a really awful situation.

It sounds like they've taken a sample from the centre (normal and happens every year) and the moderator has found enough substantial problems with the sample that the whole centre has been pulled down.

I would start by finding out if your child's folder was called for the moderation sample. If it was then I don't think you've got much to appeal. If it wasn't then you could try to appeal on the grounds that it was pulled down substantially without being looked at as part of centre adjustments. I'm not too sure on how that would work though as Ive never been there. The college/6th form exam office should be able to advise.

Rest assured, someone in the college / 6th form will be getting a tough meeting for something like that happening, not that it helps your DC in the meantime

Original poster
Fossie · 15/08/2019 16:26

I will be talking to the school again tomorrow. I’m not hopeful the grades will change.

OP posts:
Emilyontmoor · 15/08/2019 16:29

I assume the school will seek a remark. This happened with my DDs Resistant Materials Technology GCSE (not to the whole class though) and it went from the unexpected C to a high B which made her overall grade an A. Even if it does not get marked up they will at least get feedback. And if it is an issue of poor teaching then the school should be advocating for your DD with the universities she applied for. Happened to a friend of DDs who missed her required grade because of poor teaching. When a new Head started in September she sacked the teacher and got straight on to the uni who were actually cross they had not been briefed - she was an otherwise excellent candidate - and offered her a place for the following year.

Original poster
Fossie · 15/08/2019 16:40

The teacher has been there a while (and for DDs GCSE) and is generally good. I was told. Would get a call from the school telling me is the coursework mark is just ‘scaled’ or moderated down. I’ve had no call and no one answered the phone when i called so I will have to go in tomorrow. All the places are going at universities so I don’t know what can be done.

OP posts:
Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 16:59

It's happened in DDs History coursework too. Dropped 6 marks from an A to an A and she is now 2 marks of an A. Luckily still got the grades needed but apparently school are querying it as the whole class has gone down and last year this teacher's marking was spot on.e

Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 16:59

off an A*

IgnoranceIsStrength · 15/08/2019 17:01

Happened to me many years ago..was assessed by teacher as a B. Came back as a U. Whole class affected. Our grades werent changed unfortunately and I am still bitter now

Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 17:02

What was the issue ignorance ?

Drabarni · 15/08/2019 17:03

It sounds like poor teaching OP.
Tell dd to go and see them, to find out what has happened.
Perhaps something at her age she should be doing without Mummy holding her hand Grin
Sorry this has happened to her and her class mates.

Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 17:09

I went in with DD. Even then we were sent from pillar to post. Depends on how confident your DD is.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 15/08/2019 17:13

I’d be in with my daughter. Too big an issue to be left to an upset and probably intimidated teen. Plenty of other opportunities to practice being an adult that are less important.

SinkGirl · 15/08/2019 17:24

Absolutely agree Tinkly - no way would I have been confident enough to challenge the school etc on this at 18.

Pieceofpurplesky · 15/08/2019 17:24

It sounds like the teacher's sample marking was out and so the whole class have been scaled. With new mark schemes etc. it will happen.

Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 17:30

Head of 6th form said that they are roughly shaving off 4 marks each year to make grade attainment harder. This means that DDs marks would have see her well in A* last year or year before.Cheers Gove!

Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 17:31

Good luck Fossie perhaps contact the uni and let them know.

LolaSmiles · 15/08/2019 17:33

It's happened in DDs History coursework too. Dropped 6 marks from an A to an A and she is now 2 marks of an A.

The problem here is that no teacher can tell any student their coursework has got a particular grade. The grades are only set for a cohort after all coursework files are in nationally for the board andhave been moderated. From the raw marks the board set theboundaries for the coursework.

Your child can't have dropped from an A* to an A because they wouldn't have had the current year boundaries. At best staff can say "based on last year's boundaries it would be in the region of..." If staff have given firm grades then they've been foolish,equally they may not have and have offered approximations which are taken as being fixed by students.

E.g. I clarify that with students every year and then there's always some who say 'how many marks am I off a C/A/A?' or will tell me they don't need to be secure on one section for the exam "because I have an A in coursework".

Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 17:38

I understand Lola but she had got 40/40.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 15/08/2019 17:47

In 2002 (I'm so old Smile) my French a level coursework went from an A to a D on moderation. It was annoying for sure but I never got it remarked as no one did then and I had got in to my uni so it didn't matter.

So annoying though so you and your daughter definitely have my sympathy

LolaSmiles · 15/08/2019 17:49

She had 40/40 subject to moderation. Dropping 6 marks would probably mean the moderator agreed it was in the top band (possible one objective in second highest) but not full marks. Plus the boundary forA* on coursework is usually much higher than exam ones so a drop to an A is not beyond the realms of possibility, especially if the new specification differs significantly from the old spec.

For example, if I'm not careful I still find myself marking mock exams too harshly for the new spec a couple of years in because it's much easier to get high marks on the new spec than the old one. The same can happen with coursework or in reverse. The other thing for staff to consider is that standards canbe a little easier in the first run through and then once the board have a cohort or two to judge it, things tend to steady out.

Benjispruce · 15/08/2019 17:53

Hmmm thanks of that info. The school seemed concerned and were querying it, as the teacher felt he had been on the strict side when marking. I am over the moon but I think as it is so close(2 marks) it's frustrating as she got A* in her mock and every essay.

oneteen · 15/08/2019 17:54

Happened to my DD with Product Design GCSE last year and her overall grade went from an A to a B, she missed the A by one mark...also affected all her PD class- with some very upset girls. It was also something they could do nothing about because most had achieved A in the written exam (so there was no room for a remark). I was incredibly annoyed because it was a very experienced team of teachers.

Original poster
Fossie · 15/08/2019 17:54

DD got 105 out of 120 according to school. Now got 72 out of 120.

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