Exam diet 2021.

[wingingitwithgin]

So we were told no National 5s or Highers last term.
My child has been continually assessed and tested week after week. Prelims in school before Christmas and online after Christmas.

Online learning better than 2020 but not great. No live lessons. Lots and lots of new material given but not taught.
Today announced exams to go ahead start of May as planned. Prelims disregarded as some done online so all prelims even school sat ones won't count.
Exam in May will determine grade. If pupil is self isolating /COVID they will use other evidence.

My child is burnt out by the switching of goalposts. Another month doing new material, no study leave then exams like normal (only the poor teachers marking them)

Ok this would seem fair if all schools doing this but their friends at 2 different high schools say they are just continuing with mini class tests like autumn term. Madness the difference in approach.

What are your schools doing?

I would think most teachers will just give them the benefit of the doubt (even if they know they have cheated) Not worth the drama of appeals. It would only give them extra grief on top of their already highly stressful end of term.

Would not be at all surprised to see a U turn on the appeals

It doesn’t leave a lot of time for doing all the marking does it?! Our school is sharing out papers for marking with two other schools to try to get a fair marking standard across all the papers. I can’t imagine the extra work and processing that this involves. I really don’t envy the teachers having to decide on the final mark/grade, discuss with all their pupils and then get these results off by June 23rd?!! to all the teachers on here!

Thank you, Lovetomato, that is much appreciated

I'm thinking of letting DS3 stay home for the next two days, he's got ADHD and sitting playing on his phone all day with no work to do is driving him nuts. I'm going to tell the school I've sorted out some last minute work experience (helping me with gardening) or that he feels unwell, havent decided on which fib to use yet!

Which year is he in? I doubt anyone would have a problem with that but I would want to be a million per cent sure he didn't have a bit of an assessment here or there he still needed to complete. Liaise with learning support to check with his teachers maybe?

ds has just had a message from the school to say they are sitting another physics higher paper on Monday. Looks like it is back to studying for ds this weekend 🤦‍♀️

What?! Is it because they believe pupils had had sight of the paper before the last assessment exam?! If that happened to my DS he would freak. Physics was the last exam he took and he did about 8 past papers at home in the run up and was getting good marks when he marked them. But by that stage he was so wrung out, pasty-skinned and ground down. It’s been lovely seeing him get some colour back in his cheeks and a bit more zest for life. If he was asked to sit another exam he’d be raging. He did not get sight or wind of what was in his last paper at all. How is your child taking it Wings ?

It was a message from the school, he's not home yet so don't know.

Yes it is because they have 7-8 pupils with very surprising marks, ds knows who a couple of them are and the pupils know there is a group that had the papers but no solid proof of who did and who didn't.

They sat their physics 2 weeks ago, then last week due to the anomalies they sat (unannounced) the 2018 paper in class. They now want another paper sat for further evidence, think it is because it needs to be unpublished questions.

I think ds will be fine with the paper, he's had consistent marks for physics throughout, will just be pissed he has to revise again over the weekend when he thought it was all over and would be able to get out and about a bit. Will just need to find something to keep his spirits up (chinese takeaway tonight!)

@WeAllHaveWings this is shocking but I can see why the school has been forced to do this.
Very unfair for the kids who didn't cheat.
Your child and you must feel like you are on a rollercoaster!

ds is home and is easily pleased with a Chinese takeaway!!

He says they (all 5 that were in class) were told some pupils scored >90% on the multiple choice then

longs?? long!

DS isn't happy. He was meant to finish his assessments today. Only they were told they now have an additional assessment in one subject on Monday. It isn't one that you can do much revision for, but he is a bit frustrated that he'd thought he'd got exams over and done with and now there's another one outstanding. It isn't clear why there is an additional assessment. No one has suggested cheating and he thinks the teacher wants to give everyone a chance to do well.

Dd had her friend over last night now it's Level 2 and allowed 🎉

Friend is in S5, just sat her highers. Friend had already told dd this but repeated to me that the last geography class before their exam they went into the class and the exam paper had been left out on the teachers desk. Teacher didn't turn up for the class and the pupils all took photos of the paper. Friend then got an A in her exam.

I'm disgusted.

That's awful. It is stories like that which make me so sad for the current S5s. To get into a good course you only get one chance at doing your highers, but the results may be completely discredited.

Tell the school.

Thing is, the kids will be delighted if they get lots of As. Until they try to get into university with them next year

And what about the kids who worked hard to get As? Such a shame.

Or the ones who worked hard and didn't cheat and don't do so well because of the whole Covid situation?They would feel like what is the point of doing the right thing if those with the artificial As get away with it? Devalues the kids who have worked their backsides off for genuine As that's such a shame for them. It just gets worse doesn't it?

It’s very unfair that there’s not one system they are all following
The ones with access to the papers and input from tutors will (obviously ) do better
I suppose that is the case every year ,just more obvious this year

@dancemom agree with @Mistressiggi. Tell the school, we had to when ds was sent the English paper. You can tell them to keep your dds name of it.

The whole class won't get As, I can't see them allowing that much grade inflation, what will happen is the wrong students will get them.

There is still - just about - enough time for the class to resit a paper if they know now.

Just had the school newsletter, weird a few senior teachers leaving and yet another young maths teacher going. The two I know as they have taught my kids are probably about my age so over 50 and seem to be talking really retirement. I hope there's not going to be a mass exodus but I can't say I blame anyone for needing a rest after this year.
Meanwhile DS3 has had his English marks back, a good A. I think it's a fair mark, his teacher has been saying good things about him all year and the whole class did not get super high marks. As others have said, let's hope its not devalued by cheating. U haven't heard of anything very dodgy at DSs school, worst probably the English teacher dropping a few hints about what texts it would be a good idea to learn quotes from.

That "weird" was meant to be "quite".

👍🏼 well done to your ds for his A in English @Wbeezer.

Ds has been told they should get their maths and English marks tomorrow, french on Wednesday and sciences on Thursday when they've marked the new physics paper they did today 🤞🏼