GCSE English: proposed changes to speaking and listening for present year 10s

[whoosh]

I am not sure how many parents realise this, but the exams watchdog Ofqual is proposing that the speaking and listening part of the English GCSE which my DS (year 10) took last autumn should no longer be counted as part of their GCSE mark for his year onwards. They want the mark for it to be recorded separately by the exam boards. I am very unhappy about it as it means something that teachers spent several weeks preparing pupils for is no longer to be counted. Greater weight will therefore be given to their other papers. If they had known this was happening the teachers might have spent some of that time on other parts of the course instead. And how can this group's grades therefore be comparable to last year's?

It is very unusual for such a change to come in when pupils are in the middle of their courses. I also think that having something in schools which gets children used to public speaking is a very good idea. And having an exam which involves this means all schools have to work on this.

Ofqual is holding a consultation on the changes, which closes on June 7th: comment.ofqual.gov.uk/speaking-and-listening/

My DD is in Y10.

She did the group listening and talking thingy (sorry, don't know it's official name) back in October. Today, they had a moderator in to judge how the teachers were marking it,so she spent the session talking on a different subject with a different group with a moderator present. Two teachers gave them a score, but neither was the teacher who had marked DD's original assessment.

I haven't a clue what is going on. But I think it is very unfair to change the course for students who have already started it. DD has already done two presentations which she spent ages on (because it is not her "thing"). I think it would be most unfair to discount the work she has already done, although not necessarily unfair to discount it for next year's year 10's.

That's tough Leeds2, her having to do it another time with the moderator - poor thing. I don't think my DS' group had to do that. My DD did it last year and was very nervous doing it - she is very shy - but I think it did her some good in making her speak in front of a group.

Leeds 2
The moderator would be judging the teachers' marking, not assessing your DD. I am a moderator - I do mark alongside teachers but as a way of checking they are applying the standards correctly.