JCQ and ofqual gcse grade warnings...

[nostress]

There was a news story a few weeks ago and again today (bbc eduation section and the times) warning about the results falling this year. Saying to governing bodies please dont sack heads! I'm very worried for my DS1! I'm just praying that he secured Cs and above.

On phone sorry for typos! And can't do links!

DD saw this on the news and it has made her start worrying about results day again, especially maths as a resit in year 12 is her worst scenario at the moment! Apparently because this is the first year that year 10's have not sat modules this could adjust grades across the board (isnt that what grade boundaries are for though?).

The warnings seem to be saying be careful about making comparisons this year because of the transition/changes in the exam process. I assume they mean don't compare to previous years, does anyone know if that is right? Which then means likelihood of lower grades this year although grades have fallen for the past 2 years anyway and I am sure it will not have a drastic impact on individuals (fingers crossed anyway!).

Ok, I am confused now as just thought its not the first year that year 10's didnt sit modules, wasnt that last year when the current year 11's didnt sit them?!

Nostress, sure our DC will both be fine :) The closer they get to results the more they think they have failed everything anyway!

Yes I think it means compared to last year. I do think there will be a bigger drop especially in A*s/As and the C/D border due to the new rules on SPAG and removal of extra time affecting 1000's/10s of thousand of SEN kids. And lets not forget the removal of speaking and listening part of the english grade which was previously 20%. I just wonder how much they will let it fall by as I assume they an change those boundaries if the want. 5% drop?

Now that Gove has gone I really do wonder! Less that 3 weeks to go!

I don't think there's any reason for pupils to worry (any more than usual!) The warning meant that overall results would look different because less year 10 pupils have sat exams this year rather than that pupils' exams have been marked any differently. If anything, I take it to mean that schools' overall exam results will be better as they'll have been taken by older pupils, but gcse results may look worse because of the absence of resits.

Removal of extra time? I've not heard of that.

There are new rules regarding extra time meaning it is much more difficult to get it. Bright dyslexic children who could get it before have had it removed if their processing speed is average. I think these are the group who will miss out on As.

Worrying times for any student waiting for results. I just don't think you can feel sure of anything :(

I saw this and wondered if a school has not historically put pupils in for modular exams and end of course exams are the norm then their results shouldn't be affected other than for the spag and S&L changes in English surely?

Stupid question but related; I read in The Times (at the library, wouldn't buy it) that any possible resits will be next summer.

It struck me as a huge class divider. Wealthier kids with more supportive parents (& who can afford resit fees and have the luxury of long-term planning so can see the value of it after 1 yr) will get chance to resit. Kids from families with more stretched finances or families don't see the point, so won't get to resit.

I wondered if I was ignorant not to realise that this class advantage was the direct consequence of Gove's reforms to have all terminal-June-exams for GCSEs (?& A-levels too?).

State schools would pay for a child to resit though lljkk, same as they pay normal exam entry fees. Much as I dislike current education policy it this change isn't really a class divider.

Do they? Ah, I stand corrected. I thought resits were always paid for by parents. Isn't remarking paid for by parents? (Glad I asked)

Now kids have to stay in education or training to 18 I dont think it will be parents paying. But who knows!

Fingers crossed no resits. DS predicted B and C largely and he did put work it. It would be crushing for his Cs to be D!

There will be maths and English resits in November. I think the idea is that for other GCSEs students will not resit, but take what they got. I'm not sure how they could resit random GCSEs anyway, certainly it won't be an option at my sixth form, unless they wanted to get a tutor and enter as a private candidate alongside studying A-levels. I suppose if students really have to resit, then they'd have to go to a college that offers GCSE to sixth formers.

I'm an English teacher. This makes me feel extremely worried about my job. I'm already having sleepless nights about September and the new school year.

You know it's going to be bad when they get their excuses in early.

This is so unfair on the kids . Dd1 has bloody all A*targets. If she misses them she isn't going to rationalise it that this whole year have been set up to fail in the name of 'raising standards', she's going to feel that she personally failed. I am so pleased sodding Gove lost his job. Bastard.

I'm sure those kids who put in the required work will still achieve their expected grades. That's what I'm hoping anyway!

But they might very well not, sausage, due to these changes. That's why these changes are so unfair.

I don't have DC sitting gcses this year so could someone talk me through the changes to speaking and listening? Surely it is good it has been removed from the exam as a lot of kids' (ds1 included) overall grades were brought down by poor speaking and listening as it was very hard to secure top grades.

As for overall changes, I think they're expected to be most greatly seen in those subjects which were usually taken in modules, such as science, maths and English.

Given that in recent years girls have out-performed boys at gcse level but are often reported as benefiting from the modular exams it will be interesting if these changes have closed the gender gap somewhat this year

ds lost extra time entitlement under the revised rules. For those who were borderline it left little time to review and reassess. Fingers crossed.

The chance to regs on extra time, making it conditional upon below average processing scores came in when my DD was doing AS, we and many others were scrabbling around getting a new Ed Psych report with six weeks to go. It would have affected last years results as well.

Speaking and listening is removed from gcse but will be given as an additional score. It was removed after the course had already started- shifting the goalposts. My dyspraxic son had an A* in his assessment (he's doing acting and is very good at public speaking). As I said before he is now predicted a B and a C in english lit/lang. Kids vary so obviously it will harm some and aid others. It wasnt removed from iGCSEs though.

DD1 is another who may well have gone from a B-C for English due to being dyslexic and loosing a very good speaking and listerning mark.

Fortunately she kept her extra time, but there is talk of more rule tightening, so I'm afraid it will disappear for AS/A.

That's really interesting, thanks nostress. Because DS1 did his GCSEs two years ago when they massively cocked up the coursework marking I wrongly thought that for many students coursework hindered them, as it did with the majority of DS's cohort.