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

[MillicentMartha]

New thread for us. Interesting times.

Old thread here

Apologies cats, week 2 of covid infection here, not at my sharpest but at least not getting worse.. Is it not the case though that if you are a school that gets on average 30 A for a given subject year on year then that will be used in the calculation ? Consistently high achieving schools shouldnt have any need to be concerned and must surely have enough information by now was my point. Where its trickier is the anomalies. For example DD at an Indie where humanities traditionally weaker than sciences but her year is a real outlier, easily double “could” get an A than would be the norm. How do the school show that? It’s a wretched state of affairs.
Teaching next term is going to be “extension” type material to prepare for chosen degree for which I am most grateful. My DT are floundering with no focus. @goodbye will rejoice that DD has chosen Classics as an add on, an unexpected delight!

Yes I realise there are some massive sixth form colleges and that’s a good point.

I do like to think schools know what they’re doing. For instance, my DC in the lower sixth gets “working at” grades on his reports now. If they had to grade him right now, they would probably give him one grade higher for each subject which would be absolutely fine for him. I wish that were the case to be honest!

It may even turn out to be that it’s the current year 12s who are most impacted by all this, in the event that a higher proportion of this year’s cohort decide to take the Autumn exams which would mean they defer.

In a way, although I sympathise with the position the current year 13s have been thrown into, at least they have a kind of “safety net” in the sense that if they’re not happy with the teacher assessed grades, they can take the Autumn exams. I do realise that gap years are not what many will have planned for through, not will they be financially viable for many, so it is very difficult. Time will tell, I guess.

DS found out today he isn’t going to get a grade as his exam centre doesn’t have enough information to grade him - he has taught himself a fourth A level after doing his A levels last year. Whether the universities who made him offers will take pity on him remains to be seen.
Good luck to all your DCs whatever their circumstances.

Hopefully thIs will help your DS:

We know many private candidates (students who have been home-schooled, following distance-learning programmes or studying independently) are anxious to know how these arrangements might be applied to them. Heads of centre have been asked to provide centre assessment grades for private candidates registered to take exams with their centre and include them in the rank order where they are confident that they and their staff have seen sufficient evidence of the student’s achievement to make an objective judgement. We are urgently exploring whether there are alternative options for students who need results this summer to progress and for whom a centre assessment grade is not possible. It may, unfortunately, be necessary for some to take exams in the autumn or next summer to get their grades. We appreciate that this is a matter of real concern to private candidates and will provide an update as soon as possible. We have asked organisations that represent universities and FE colleges to consider private candidates when making admissions decisions this summer. They have told us that they believe that institutions will consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allo

Oh FabTab that is such sad news. Thinking of him and you of course.

Fabtab that’s gutting. Is he planning on contacting his potential universities straight away or waiting until term ‘officially’ starts next week?

Hoghyni I think that info re private candidates was amended in the recent update

Thanks everyone for your help. He has written to four of his five offers and asked whether they will look at his position sympathetically.

Oh FabTab, I’m so sorry. I know he’s already taken a gap year this year so he could do FM, so he’s not going to want to take another. I really hope one of his universities will be sympathetic.

Fab tab, I know nothing about uni admissions but if it were me I would be v impressed that a student had taught himself an a level in his gap year, whether or not he had the actual grades. It shows a real interest in the subject along with huge motivation and brilliant self study skills . I think he'll be ok.

Writing to them now is proactive and positive so well done him - I hope it works out 👍

www.gov.uk/government/news/ofqual-seeks-views-on-gcse-and-a-level-grading-proposals-for-2020

Thanks millicent, specialted, newgirls and goodbye. One of DS’s universities has responded and told him they think he will still get a grade but it might mean he needs a new exam centre. They have said if he doesn’t get a grade they’ll consider changing his offer to an unconditional one.

That's positive news @fabtab

Good 👍

Does anyone knows what happens if someones grade changes dramatically from year 12 to13 due to a special need being identified and medicated for and 50% extra time being agreed by exam boards at the end of February, so not given to any assessments until close to lockdown? I've not seen any guidance from Ofqual on such circumstance. I'm sure there are probably a few teenagers in every large comp which this sort of situation for both GCSEs and A levels. This has affected all 3 of my dds subjects, one she moved up from a C/D at the end of year 12 to an A in her March mock.

Yes - Mushroom3 - the guidance and consultation paper that GoodbyeStranger posted at 10.20 above specifically refer to the teachers forming the judgment based on any SEND arrangements and no doubt they will be aware that there has been an upward trajectory in grades since diagnosis and should therefore be taken into account.

I've seen on a fb uni page that grades are published on 13th August as they would be under normal circumstances.

Yes, Dept of Education seem to be announcing that they won't get their results any earlier than usual after all.

Also Ofqual have published details of the consultation on the proposed method of assigning grades.

www.gov.uk/government/news/ofqual-seeks-views-on-gcse-and-a-level-grading-proposals-for-2020

I’m not surprised by the results day changing back to 13th Aug. It was heading that way on one of the previous updates. Makes no difference. At least everyone will be around and won’t have booked a holiday for 13th Aug. Not that July holidays will happen anyway, though! Universities will be set up for staff being available then.

Has anyone spotted confirmation that the autumn series exam results will not be accepted as fulfilment of current university offers (albeit necessarily deferred)?

It does look like the ranking given by schools will be more important than the actual grade as grades will be adjusted to fit the statistical expectations for each centre. I hope they will take into account outliers.

No, where’s that Kingscote? Not even for deferred offers?

Oops, just seen that @goodbyestranger had already posted the consultation link.

@FabTab, did he get a predicted grade on his UCAS form? If so, who supplied that?