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

[MillicentMartha]

New thread for us. Interesting times.

Old thread here

I agree BackforGood.

I think the independents probably feel they need to provide something so that there's a reduced prospect of next term's fees being challenged.

DS has almost completed his CS project which is/was worth only 20% of his A level. School deadline is 24th April. I hope that will still be counted, as Ironoaks says above.

DD had a few more mocks, they've sent them to be done.
She's enjoying it 😳
I think, even if not admissable towards any grade (not exactly moderated) it's helpful for her to finish up.

@MillicentMartha in Scotland it's been announced that course work will not be externally moderated but can still be used as teacher evidence in deciding grades. I have a slightly disappointed but understanding dd here who just finished her AH physics project.

@Alittkewornout I really hope they don’t do that here , that will really tip ds over the edge , he sweated blood and tears over his history coursework, quite literally . If he found it wasn’t going to be marked ( 30% of A level ) he will be horrified . English coursework due in by school this Friday , the same applies but it hasn’t been so stressful

We've had the blood and tears over History coursework too! Now he's been told the final draft has to be in by 9am Friday we've had complete meltdown!!!

Am I totally missing something here? I agree with BackforGood on all points made. My son's school has not sent any online lessons or suggested that students ought to still be studying. There are no exams. Are students continuing to study as a personal sense of closure on their courses? This is not criticism by the way, this is intrigue. I just know that my son has drawn a line under it and has accepted there are no exams to study for. Appreciate that they will all handle this situation differently but wanted to check he hadn't been too premature in "clocking off" 😊

@Peaseblossom22 I know, I didn't tell dd until she had submitted it last night as she has spent ages on it. It is all double Dutch to me but my dh had glanced over it and quietly said to me that it is really very good. At school quite a few of their teachers are SQA markers and head markers* or whatever the right terminology is, so I have no doubt it will be marked rigorously but its not quite the same. I think all she is bothered about is that she gets her 3 A's at advanced higher to match all her other nat5s and Highers😉. She needs to As fir second year entry into maths at St Andrew's but holds an unconditional place for 1st year entry so she is aware she is in a very lucky position. Her prelims were also excellent but lots of her friends are not so fortunate. I work in the NHS so she is well aware that in the current situation it's very much low down the list if things to worry about. Hoping A level students get a better outcome.

Sorry needs 2 As that should say!

@Herecomethedaffodils DSs school haven't set any more work, except telling those who haven't to finish coursework.

They have suggested to look at the University website for reading lists for the course you're hoping to study and keep abreast with current affairs if appropriate. More relevant to people like DS wanting to study PPE than perhaps MFL methinks

@Herecomethedaffodils they will be awarded a grade in July but there will also be an exam later if they are not happy with the grade so ds school are saying they need to carry on working to make sure they have that option .

I think by Sept they will be massively over cooked , they will have moved on but who knows

Agree with @peaseblossom22... Dds school taken same approach so that DC ready for exams if necessary in the summer... Also they are keen to have some structure to the day for mental health reasons so will continue with a set timetable till at least exam leave (8thMay)...

In terms of course work... The History teacher actually went out to one girls home who was in self isolation to get a signature on the work (with appropriate protection) to says its her own work... So they seem to be ensuring course work is in.

Agree with Hugo... Schools abandoning pupils now is not great.

Some state schools around here are definitely saying school is over . Text books handed back,kids out with 40 hour week jobs at supermarkets . And that’s a whole other thread

It’s not fair for independent schools to make grades conditional on more work if state pupils are not doing this , but it’s not fair on state pupils for independents teaching next term to be taken into account .

Our school hasn't 'abandoned' pupils oneteen. The teachers are all collating evidence from existing work to go towards assessments, and are on the cusp of getting the guidance confirmed officially. But work isn't being set and the teachers are saying keep your hand in if you want to, with an eye of autumn exams - but absolutely nothing formal or compulsory. Evidence submitted will be of varying evidential value, and work signed off before the announcement of exams will be fully legit - work coming afterwards will be not necessarily legit. I would expect it to be marked less harshly for starters.

It would be interesting to know how many of these schools asking for extra work are in the independent sector. Hands up any state schools doing this sort of thing? (Mine is down). Because indies have a real interest in justifying next terms fees at the moment. I also think that they might have an interest in not wanting to outrage parents by predicting a lower than desired for grade, because that won't do the school's PR much good going forward. Very different considerations apply between the two sectors. I really hope that it won't translate into an imbalance of places at unis, putting back the steps made in access - but one would hope the exam boards will have a keen eye on that.

DDs teachers have been told they need to keep setting work, but have been clear in their emails that they're only setting it because they've been told to, and do not expect to see any of it back for marking. Two subjects have also been adding work to do to actually finish the course, which they do want to be completed and sent back in. Not sure if it's the same in humanities subjects (we're maths and science here).

We'd already worked out before the schools properly closed that some kind of evidence bank would be needed to support predicted grades, so DD was already planning to finish modules, and see where previous assessed homework could be improved (which she would have been doing as part of exam revision in any case).

She's also found five or six Future Learn courses which are directly relevant to her degree choice, so will be doing those over the next few months, as "practice" for how she knows she'll need to work at uni (ie more self directed, aka "not sitting about in your pants watching netflix then bashing the essay out ten minutes before it's due in" ).

goodbyestranger X-posted with you - state school here, still setting work.

But goodbye how can they be ‘on the cusp’ at getting guidance at your school but not at others . I work in a school and I can tell you there is no evidence that Ofqual are ‘on the cusp’ of anything . Quite rightly some would argue the attention is all on other things in Gov.

I agree about the state independent divide though and that this in unhealthy , plus feedback at the moment is that independents are likely to be harsh er on grades whereas some local state , one renowned for giving high predictions to get offers , are just saying they will award predictions and the moderation is likely to be very light as there isn’t the resource to moderate everything by July and it’s worth a gamble FGS

DD's school has very definitely stopped teaching them.
Email from head to all year 13 parents basically saying That's all Folks, goodbye and good luck!

DD has had emails from individual teachers to say goodbye, and her teacher in her degree subject has suggested some ideas for reading for uni prep, but that it absolutely it.

She is very much an "on the cusp" student, despite working blood sweat and tears the past 18 months, so if there was any chance of submitting work to possibly strengthen her chances of higher grades she would welcome it.

Unfortunately though, hers is a struggling state comp and they probably don't have enough resources to support the rest of the school, let alone the students who have effectively now left.

It's expected in the next few days Peaseblossom, according to our HT.

Sorry if I've missed this Lobster, but I hope your DD is on the mend, illness wise.

Mine has literally just told me that they’ve been told that it will come but that it’s ‘not high priority’.

Dds school not giving out any assessed work but they are continuing teaching and supporting the girls.. They have also indicated they expect some girls to sit exams come September or when ever...

I know my Dd is very happy that she has some structure to the day... Although appreciate that's she's fortunate and state schools are not in the same situation.

I don't think parents will be querying fees...apart from maybe exam fees already paid.. Girls were only due in school for 3 weeks next term... If parents income has changed I'm sure schools will be sympathetic..

There clearly is a huge variation of what is being done by schools for year 13's. Ds's school, state grammar are not sending any work or anything. They were told on their last day to complete any work that was due in at by the end of last week. We have had a letter from school outlining the process of awarding grades as it is known so far. The only instruction we were given was not to contact teachers to ask what grade they were suggesting!

On his last day DS worked out that it was 200 days until term started at his top choice uni! I am trying to make sure he gets up everyday by 9:30 and does some work of his choice. At the moment he is writing a linguists problem. He also has a thick maths book he wants to work through. I am also hoping for some exercise, but he is fully embracing the "Stay at home" rule!