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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

October A levels anyone?

356 replies

Skerryberry · 13/08/2020 20:44

With so many getting results they were disappointed with, are any DS/DD's choosing to take the October A levels ?

Are they taking all their A levels or just one or two?

How are they planning to motivate themselves with exams only 50 days away? DC has not opened a book since March... eek!

I may need some hand holding!!

OP posts:
Linus33 · 13/08/2020 20:57

Yep! Disaster here. Feel for sorry for the cohort this year. I've a just-in-time DS. He did so little for his mocks to see how much work he had to do for his real exams. Well, the reality was he had a long way to go but was prepared to do the work but COVID kind of stripped that opportunity to work hard when it mattered away.

So, he needs to retake two out of his three. He thinks he can't achieve both by October, so will do one then and the other in May. I think this is hugely unfair to give them essentially only 6/7 weeks to prepare for an exam when they've had nothing since March! How can this be fair on top of what they have had to contend with this year? I realise that my DS could have worked harder and this is reality of not but previous years haven't had COVID.

Sorry and rant over but really is this acceptable? Of course only those that haven't achieved what they need will feel this but it isn't and it's a mess for so many of our young people.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 13/08/2020 21:31

My DS is hoping to take all three. Just read that they will not be charged to sit the Autumn exams. In an earlier email from school (June-ish), it said parents would have to pay for these exams to be sat. That would be like kicking someone when they are down.

OP posts:
TheKickInside · 13/08/2020 21:39

DD is considering doing one or possibly two in October. I'm really concerned about these exams though - who is going to set the papers and who is going to mark them?

Normally, as I understand it, exam marking is an extra summer earner for many teachers, but they won't be available.

I fear the autumn exams will be a random, demoralising, disaster thrown together at the last minute.

Hoghgyni · 13/08/2020 21:44

I don't think many are bothering. They are either scrabbling around for places in clearing or hoping that an appeal based on CAGs and mocks will come up trumps and they can take up a deferred place next year.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 13/08/2020 21:47

I think very few young people will choose to sit them.

I am wondering how they will set grade boundaries. Obviously there will be no 'dead cert' A* candidates sitting as they would have been awarded that grade this summer, and very few 'dead cert' A grade students. However, they will have to award those grades. DS is hoping to trade up to at least two A grades. (CAGs were an A and B, both downgraded).

If anyone has any inside info, do share!

OP posts:
Coffeeandbeans · 13/08/2020 21:50

My child is going to have to resit. He hasn’t got the grades to get into the military. Not everyone chooses university. He has 7 weeks. I’ve told him it is unrealistic but what other options does he have? I can’t find any local colleges where you can resit a year, it is a mess.

Hoghgyni · 13/08/2020 22:58

Coffee does he need to do all of his subjects? Can he focus on one of two and appeal another?

kitnkaboodle · 13/08/2020 23:07

Hi all - I'm in! 👋 DS was going to take a year out and apply to UCAS this autumn with 'grades in hand'. His Y12 was interrupted with health issues "and now THIS!" as we keep saying. His highest grade today was a C. Sad School have told him to bin the grades, knuckle down to exams in October and think about lowering his uni aspirations. Sound advice but a bitter pill to swallow. Going to leave actually sending the UCAS application until the 11th hour, when he will have his 'real' grades. Let's try to keep this support thread going!

frustrationcentral · 13/08/2020 23:14

I don't understand why they backtracked on the idea of giving out results last month? Would have given those retaking the chance to prepare!! I haven't got a child doing A Levels this year, but GCSE's instead. Dreading next week

kitnkaboodle · 13/08/2020 23:23

Frustration: we knew that DS's grades weren't going to be stellar and tried to encourage him to start studying again round about the start of July. Sadly it fell on stony ground and he is the type who needs an actual disaster like this to get him into gear. I think most kids had fallen into a kind of lethargy/dream state by the summer! We'll be looking at a online tutor to help him cram.

MrsHamlet · 13/08/2020 23:27

@TheKickInside there are always back up papers for every series of exams so they'll use one of those. And they will be marked by the same people as would mark in the summer - whilst many examiners are full time classroom teachers, not all of them are.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 13/08/2020 23:31

Its a horrific mess and im very sorry for all of you who have children resitting with no schooling since march and no schooling moving forward

Dd is refusing point blank and has done since march. She got a grade lower than she thinks she would have achieved In one A level but isn’t too unhappy about that one

She has one A level that is going to be appealed

Coffeeandbeans · 13/08/2020 23:41

@Hoghgyni he is going to resit one and appeal on one. We shall see how it goes. Personally I don’t think 50 days is enough when they barely finished the syllabus and hadn’t started the intensive revision period. He hasn’t picked a pen up since March. He just assumed he would get the grades. It’s not the end of the world.

Peaseblossom22 · 13/08/2020 23:46

Not the October but we know a couple considering retaking year 13 at crammers ( for want if a better word) . Feel so sorry for them , it’s been a horrid day for many , and those that have survived to tell the tale are too upset by what has happened to their friends to truly celebrate .

mushroom3 · 14/08/2020 00:42

We're appealing all 3 (2 on mocks ) the other one may not go up/be approved for appeal and dd is planning on doing one only. She would have been fine if she had got her CAGs. I have no idea how well she'll be able to do with no work since March!

Original poster
Skerryberry · 14/08/2020 06:58

Any Secondary teachers on here, how would you suggest tackling preparation for these exams when youngsters have not open a book since March and they have 50 days to go.

Start with past papers and see where the gaps are?

Revise the course for 20 days and spend 30 days doing past papers?

Use online tutorials and past papers?

Any advice and guidance desperately sought.

OP posts:
clary · 14/08/2020 07:03

I've read that they will be using the exams set for the summer, so don't worry about the quality of them.

What subjects is this Skerryberry? I was a secondary teacher and now tutor but only know my subject IYSWIM.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 14/08/2020 07:05

Maths, Physics and Geography.

OP posts:
onlyreadingneverposting8 · 14/08/2020 07:16

Yes . DS sitting Chemistry and possibly Maths next June. He doesn't want to go to uni so what's his A levels to reflect more his ability. He missed 10 weeks before lockdown due to illness and dx of a lifelong serious autoimmune disease. Didn't sit his mocks and then the school (in its wisdom) entered a mock result for Chemistry (so they lied) and also moderates the teacher submitted grades down....the, of course they were moderated down by ofqual too!

onlyreadingneverposting8 · 14/08/2020 07:17

Wants not what's!

onlyreadingneverposting8 · 14/08/2020 07:18

Argh! Moderated not moderates! That'll teach me to type when still slightly angry about the whole thing!!

Xenia · 14/08/2020 07:32

I have no connection to MPW but tutorial colleges like this may be able to help those who can afford them www.mpw.ac.uk/sa/autumn-2020-resits/
I would never have cancelled exams nor closed schools to GCSE and A level pupils. It was the wrong move.

onlyreadingneverposting8 · 14/08/2020 07:37

I agree @Xenia there were definitely ways that the A level exams could have gone ahead - especially given the non existent protection students are deemed to require in September! Exams could very easily have been socially distanced and carried out with students wearing masks or even outside! I'm less sure about GCSEs but they generally don't have the same long term affect that A levels do and are much more about league tables!

nutellatoast · 14/08/2020 07:47

I have to say I predicted all of this happening. Students who performed poorly in mocks and had lower grades throughout their studies so far should never have downed tools. Once students were told grades would be given based on moderated teacher predictions they should have realised they were very unlikely to be given high grades yesterday (all teachers had to go on was past performance and if they had no evidence that the student has ever done better they couldn't predict higher). All those who leave it to the last minute were always going to suffer from this system. They should have been studying all this time for the October exams. This is a tough life lesson.

So what to do know - first go over all of your notes making revision notes, practising questions etc Then start doing past papers using revision notes to help at first then moving on to only using revision notes when really needed (use a different colour pen for questions you need to look up and then do some extra revision on those topics). Then do the papers under timed exam conditions without looking anything up. Ideally get them marked by someone else then use this to highlight what areas need extra revision/question practice.

nutellatoast · 14/08/2020 07:48

Urgh "now" not "know" (I'm not an English teacher but I do know how to spell!)