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Original poster

2015 Yr 12 support thread

837 replies

Needmoresleep · 08/01/2015 11:48

Mocks this week, and the reality of AS exams in a few months is starting to hit home. I don't think it will be an easy journey, so would welcome some company.

OP posts:
MyPelvicFloorTrainsItself · 14/08/2015 23:28

I think that the whole cohort have to give permission for a remark?

Mitzi50 · 15/08/2015 00:01

DS got an unexpected A in one subject. However, apparently everyone else's marks were so poor that the school have asked for a complete cohort re-mark

DD's school had a similar issue a couple of years ago. All of the cohort's papers were remarked free of charge with the promise that no-one would be downgraded. Some students marks went from a C to an A!

Dunlurkin interesting comments about maths and physics. We have requested copies of the maths c1, c2 but, most of cohort will be retaking these anyway. DS also got a D in physics and has regretted taking the subject.

Dunlurking · 15/08/2015 07:17

Mitzi50 are our ds at the same school?! Glad I'm not alone in concerns with the Physics. Interesting about AS being partcularly dull. I thought the mechanics in Physics would complement his Maths but they did S1 Maths, leaving M1 for year 13 so no benefit or crossover between the subjects whatsoever. Someone in another thread has spooked me with a query about the significance of the 4th AS (I think their dc had failed it). Warwick was mentioned but I've checked his wouldbe course there and they don't mention the 4th AS but Exeter and Bristol, from what I can gather, may well look at it (the course is AAA in their specs), so I think we will have to go for a remark. We'll see the photocopies. It will be a job to find a Physics teacher to look at them. Ds got an A rather than the predicted A for GCSE and we ordered the script and asked the teacher to go through it with ds as he was doing it for A level and needed to see his weaknesses. It never happened, despite numerous reminders.

I agree with you about a cohort remark giving protection from downgrading. I think we were told that when a cohort of English GCSEs were remarked - ds had unexpectedly (well to me anyway) got As in both his English and we weren't going to give those up!

MyPelvicFloorTrainsItself · 15/08/2015 07:37

How can the school promise no marks will go down? Confused

FuzzyWizard · 15/08/2015 08:50

Shock at the school promising nobody would be downgraded. That was very naughty of them as there is always a chance that marks could go down as well as up.

Northernlurker · 15/08/2015 09:28

I think the issues must be that it's the cohort remark rather than individual. I would still want it in writing from the exam board though!

Mitzi50 · 15/08/2015 12:57

Pelvicfloor as far as I can recall (and I may be wrong) it was something to do with the fact that all of the papers that had been remarked at the students' request were found to have been significantly under marked (presumably by the same person). The exam board then offered to remark all of the papers free of charge with the promise that no mark would go down. We had not requested a remark but DD's grade went up (although by then it was too late to be of any use).

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 15/08/2015 13:38

AFAI understand it, school selects a number of papers (between 8 and 20) to be remarked. If the difference in marks is more than 5% - think that's in each paper- then the whole cohort gets remarked. At that point, no grades can go down, plus there's no charge.

This is happening with one of DDs subjects - we're paying for a remark of just her papers, but the school has picked some papers where they think there will be more than the 5% difference (we know of at least two who are two grades below what would be expected), and if the whole group get remarked, then the school will refund our payment. So fingers crossed for a whole group remark Smile.

Marni23 · 15/08/2015 14:47

I was reading up about this earlier and noticed that a minimum of 8 had to be re-marked first before a whole cohort re-mark could be triggered. But what happens in cases where there are fewer than 8 in a class? The more 'niche' subjects at AS/A Level often have very small classes (this is the case in the subject that's caused the problem with DD's UMS). Does that mean a whole cohort re-mark could never happen?

zazas · 15/08/2015 23:36

Interesting reading about remarks etc as the longer it has gone since my DD has received her grade for Economics, the more she has realised that her mark she got just can't be right. It was a low D - nearly an E! Her other paper (that she knew she had messed up on one question) was a high B which gave her a C overall. She has only ever received A's on her Economic exams etc and her friend who she has always scored higher than received an A. She just can't even imagine how she could have answered it so wrongly that it was nearly an E... We don't want false hopes or anything as it is the first time we have been in this situation but fingers crossed there has been a mistake...which seems CAN be the case.

MadamArcatiAgain · 16/08/2015 08:27

one of ds1a bright friends got a d in geography which was very very unexpectedly. a clerical check revealed it should have been a* , so it can and does happen.
I am not sure that you can refuse a remark if the school wants one. they pay for the exam

MadamArcatiAgain · 16/08/2015 08:46

that was at GCSE BTW but I am sure it applies at a level too

Lancelottie · 16/08/2015 08:59

We had to give permission for a re-mark on one of DS's GCSE papers last year.

Anyhow, DS has emailed school to say he's very happy with his current grade, thanks, and could they please let him know whether this is an Extended Review re-mark with no chance of his grade being reduced.

As he rather ruefully said, it's typical of this teacher that the first time DS does really well, he gets a circular email from school saying 'these results are very unrepresentative of student ability...'

Lancelottie · 16/08/2015 09:03

DS has also just told me that on a (mock) joint assessment in this subject, he and another student wrote exactly the same write-up. DS got half marks and friend full marks for it.

I'm starting to think that the teaching team are somewhat biased here.

MyPelvicFloorTrainsItself · 16/08/2015 09:10

His email sounds like a good idea to me.

It does sound as if his teacher in biased. Some are unfortunately.

MadamArcatiAgain · 16/08/2015 09:43

at our school a student's permission is not sought for a remark , so it cannkt be a requirement

FuzzyWizard · 16/08/2015 10:12

Are you sure Madam? Do you mean for an ordinary remark? What would you do if their grade went down and they lost their university place?!

Mitzi50 · 16/08/2015 10:31

What I think is worrying is that it is quite clear that marking is not consistent and reliable. At AS level you have time to get papers back and decide whether you want a remark, at A2 you have no time as you are trying to sort out university places - it just adds to the stress.

MadamArcatiAgain · 16/08/2015 17:34

Sorry, I stand corrected.I have just asked my DS1 and 2 and they did have to sign!

Lancelottie · 16/08/2015 17:37

Ah, now DS would have just signed because his teacher asked him to -- I'm sure he wouldn't have realised he had a choice if he hadn't asked us about it.

Cherryburn · 20/08/2015 21:11

Have name-changed in the wake of hackergate! About time I did it anyway...

Has anyone who ordered re-marks/return of papers heard anything yet? Not heard a thing here so am assuming paper not back. I guess they deal with the priority re-marks for Y13s first.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 20/08/2015 21:27

we asked for a priority return of paper, but AFAIK DD hasn't had anything back (was done on Monday).

Dunlurking · 20/08/2015 21:37

We had a message today that photocopies of Maths papers (Edexcel) were back ready for us to collect from school - Physics not back but it is a different board (AQA). We have until 17th September to decide on remarks.

Leeds2 · 20/08/2015 21:42

Good Luck to all of you requesting remarks.

We didn't, but I haven't heard of anyone who has getting their paper back yet.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 27/08/2015 09:11

paper is waiting in the school reception, DD currently still asleep in bed - would it be dreadful if I nipped out and collected it for her quickly scanned it to see if the horrid examiners have been mean to my baby Wink.

We actually have a potential issue as to how to decide if a remark is appropriate, as both DDs teachers for that subject have left, and the replacements are both new. So just got to trust that either of them are clued up enough on the marking to be able to advise properly.

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