University 2020 :4: The wait for grades and better days ahead

[MillicentMartha]

New thread for us. Interesting times.

Old thread here

@goodbyestranger - thanks for your helpful input! Because we’re not in England and have different holidays.

Poll of teachers showing that roughly 2/3s of Y13 are getting some sort of teaching - small sample though.

Thanks @noblegiraffe - Is year 13 the year they sit A levels? (Different year numbering system here)

Some indies use tests such as CEM's InCAS, but although these are standardised, I'm not sure whether the standardisation is against a nationally representative sample, or the cohort sitting the tests for that year group that year? (We don't have DC in indies, but I have come across DC who have taken the InCAS tests).

Yes, help, Y13 is A-level year.

Y13 is A level year.

@Helpnotsurewhattodovirus Schools in my area break up on Friday. I guessed that’s what you meant rather than you had gone away on holiday! How long is your school off for? My DS hasn’t really been given a lot of work as they had already finished the syllabus and it was just going to be revision until study leave.

Thanks @PBLR, we’ll hang on for a bit re contacting Birmingham. Didn’t expect them to know what they’d do, just wanted them to be aware DS would have been taking STEP. Now they won’t get any result for him, so they might not know he was originally going to take it, so just wanted to let them know. I guess he’d put it under ‘other’ on his UCAS form...

DS isn't getting any teaching, but has some Welsh Bac work to finish off before the nominal end of term (tomorrow), so he's been doing that. He says his Physics teacher is putting up useful resources for those going on to study it at uni, so he's planning to look at that when he gets round to it.

Once the Welsh Bac is safely out of the way, next step is student finance application and actually making his decision on offers [hmmm]. I'm not pushing those at the moment, but they need doing some time soon!

He's also passed on a letter from CAMHS to his college, giving an outline of his MH issues over the last couple of years, in the hope that they will be taken into account - particularly since they started before GCSEs, so had an impact on them, too.

Thanks yes, I mean school has broken up rather than we’re away. Do other people not say we’re “on holiday“, meaning from school? Maybe a language thing?

So it sounds like there’s not much extra evidence being gathered?

Our village is a coastal holiday village/ beauty spot and people here are getting a bit touchy given that certain airbnb's here are advertising their lets as being especially desirable as we're in a 'Covid-free zone'! I took holiday to mean you were away from home, but I might have been a bit quick to assume :)

Dds school have formally confirmed that all teaching (YR13) has finished as at the day the school broke up - last Friday. I know they are putting alot of effort into Yr12s now who they still plan will sit exams after Easter (how i dont know).

The Yr13s will start mini EPQs next term all geared to future work, Uni courses.. Its fairly small year groups of 85-100 girls...tiny classes for A Levels - probably 10 and under.

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We have broken up too. Not had any work since they cancelled exams though

@goodbyestranger - no worries. Yes that is shit and would really annoy me. so stupid of people. We actually have a holiday house but made the decision it would be selfish to go.

@oneteen - that sounds excellent. My son is a flexible boarder so I’m really not sure what will happen. The school has rolled out a great programme for earlier years but haven’t been very helpful further up the school. Hopefully they’ll get something in place as we’ll be paying a terms fees!

Help - have you had any notification about fees reduction, if you don’t mind me asking? We’ve had one school reducing fees by 20%, two by 15% and one by nothing at all (as yet)! These are all day schools though. I would imagine flexi-boarding schools would need to offer higher discounts.

Obviously all overseas trips, extras and clubs and school lunches are cancelled too, so further savings there. Plus they’ve all frozen fees for the Autumn term. At least it’s something.

10% reduction for day pupils, 30% for boarders.

Only 5% but I’m not sure if that’s day if boarding now I’m thinking about it.
I work at a school myself and this is a nightmare for schools, boarding particularly. Our promised wage rises have been cancelled. So we’re below state now. At least we’re being paid I suppose, so better than some...

Dds school has delayed fees until June until they review them.. Boarders at boys school are being charged day fees instead of boarding fees.. In fairness I'm happy to pay the full fees because they are providing an education for my yr13 for the whole of next term (normally would be in school for 3 weeks). I think they are being sensible and ensuring that there is structure during the week for everyone but can also provide assistance for those who may have to sit summer exams... The mini EPQs will be good prep for Uni..my DD didn't do an EPQ in Yr13 so she'll definitely benefit without the pressure.

15% reduction for term 3.

Just wondering if anyone had a sense whether if you go for the Sept/Oct exam because you’re unhappy with the grade you were given then you lose the grade you were given. Is it like when you ask for a review of marks that your grade could go up, down or stay the same but the review is the grade you get?

Surely that will be the case Fab.

Well not necessarily StSaul and Fab. If a candidate sits a GCSE or A level say in June and gets a Grade 4 or an D then they might do it again in Jan ( or next year) to get a better grade but if the second sitting produces a Grade 3 or an E then they won't lose the first grade if has been awarded already. If the grades awarded this year come in July and are awarded as the Awarding Body's are saying then candidates should get both if they do the 'resit' in September

However these are strange times - we shall see