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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Wrong controlled assessment

15 replies

geographer · 03/05/2015 09:40

We received a letter from dd school today to say they have completed last years controlled assessment for her geography gcse rather than this year.

This makes up 25% of her gcse mark. The exam board won't accept their marks and their results will be taken from exams. The school are blaming a teacher who was on long term sickness but surely they must have controls in place a quick look at the examination board website tells you it is the wrong one.

Where do we go from here? We have a daughter who has her first exam in three weeks who wants to study geography a level and up until now was on target for an A / A* and a school that is totally incompetent.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 03/05/2015 09:53

Did the school say it was too late to do a new piece? A rushed piece would be better than none.

If she wants to do geography at A-level, is it at the school she is currently at? The school should allow her to take it even if she doesn't get the grade because of their mistake. If it's another sixth form then they should write to the new school explaining the cock-up.

FuzzyWizard · 03/05/2015 09:54

Oh no! I really feel for your DD. although I can also, as a secondary teacher, see how it could take until now to pick up on. As a HOD I would check with my colleagues that CA had been completed and would take a glance over a sample to check all was OK so would have picked up on this but I know some departments just ask for their teachers to submit CA marks and wouldn't look at the work itself until moderation time (often around now). Also if I made a mistake like that as HOD no one outside my department would ever pick up on it. No one from management has ever checked up on our controlled assessments.
In terms of their grades being based solely on the exams- if that means that they will be given UMS in line with their exam grades for the CA this may actually go in their favour. Our students usually perform significantly better in the final exams than in CA (mostly due to insanely high grade boundaries). I'd just clarify with the school that the students won't just be awarded a 0. If they will be awarded 0 then the school need to get their act together and sort something out over the next week or so.

superram · 03/05/2015 10:06

It is not that difficult a mistake to make, the exam board tweak the questions. We had planned a fieldtrip to a city-we now have to go to a national park-but annoying but we did realise. I would ask the school to contact the exam board again-as it isn't the students fault-zero marks just doesn't sound right-if a school loses cw the child doesn't get zero there is a formula they apply. What if the school lost all the ca's. I wouldn't accept this.

titchy · 03/05/2015 10:31

OP didn't say they would be awarded zero for the CA. She said the exam board had agreed to base the grade on the exam component only.

That seems entirely reasonable and as a pp said may work to her advantage.

If she's thinking of doing Geography A level at that school though I'd want a serious amount of assurance that they were up to delivering the syllabus.

noblegiraffe · 03/05/2015 10:41

Oh, if they extrapolate results from the exam marks then that should be fine.

I expect next year that the syllabus will be checked and triple checked to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Original poster

geographer · 03/05/2015 11:08

Thanks for the replies.
We will be going into school on Tuesday so find out what has happened and what is happening.
There was a rumour going round at the time of the controlled assessment that it was incorrect ( another pupil heard two teachers talking) but dd went to supply teacher and HOD and was assured all was correct. The research for the controlled assessment took up many hours as little support was given at school and The pupils had to complete the controlled assessment for two hours after school on a number of Fridays as time was at a premium.
We have also found out 1/3 of the course has not been covered so she is still attended extra sessions after school on a Friday and had a whole day of geography on a PD day. The extra pressure is not helping and she has spent more time on geography than other subjects.
The school does not have a 6th form so she will be moving schools for Alevels but we do have another dd in year 9 having just put geography down as an option!
Lots of pupils have given up geography we think the class is down to 9 having started from 25. It is such a shame both me and OH studied geography at uni and dd has a real love of the subject.

OP posts:

FuzzyWizard · 03/05/2015 11:16

I'd be really cross a about that! 1/3 of the course still to cover?! sounds to me like the HOD has been quite lax- it is difficult when staff are long-term sick but it's ultimately our job as HODs to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen. Last year I ran myself ragged mopping up after a similar issue from February onwards. I couldn't have slept at night if I'd just shrugged my shoulders and blamed the supply or sick member of staff. These kids get one go at GCSE.
It sounds like they are trying to sort it now but it must be very stressful for your poor DD and her classmates.

GentlyBenevolent · 03/05/2015 11:55

My DD1 would have loved to have had her Geog GCSE just marked on her exams - she would have got an A rather than the A that she got due to her CA pulling her down. Your DD has everything to play for and though it's annoying of course and you should make a fuss to the school, I think you can reasonably be very positive to her - the outcome is entirely in her own hands and she can still get an A.

Original poster

geographer · 03/05/2015 11:57

Thanks fuzzy wizard
I can see why it has happened the school have made (in my opinion) ridiculous faculties geography comes under 'world studies' and the HOD is a french teacher. But still is is her job at HOD to ensure her faculty is being taught the correct syllabus and complete all the work.

OP posts:

LimeFizz · 03/05/2015 11:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

geographer · 03/05/2015 12:03

Thanks gently B that's what we are trying to do but dealing with 16 year olds is not always easy! I'm cross it arrived Saturday morning and she saw it straight away as she saw the school stamp on it. She wasted yesterday being upset and cross but seems to have calmed down now:) and is revising! But we have to wait til Tuesday until we can clarify what is happening I'm sure the school were thinking we will have calmed down by then.

OP posts:

FuzzyWizard · 03/05/2015 12:10

That is really unusual. I think most HODs would struggle to keep on top of such different subjects. To my mind there should be a geographer with some sort of responsibility for geography even if they ultimately answer to the Faculty Head. I take back what I said about the HOD being lax, sounds like the management have put in place an ill-thought-out faculty system, probably to save money. The faculty head can't possibly be expected to effectively oversee such different subjects. I'm betting it also covers History and RE too? Madness!

Charis1 · 03/05/2015 20:04

It isn't too late to do it again. The exam board will give an extension.

Charis1 · 03/05/2015 20:05

Although, have just read the exam board are taking the mark from just the exams, so retaking unnecessary, and nothing to worry about.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 03/05/2015 21:30

That is harsh - some exam boards certainly accept the wrong CA as they know it is not her pupils' fault.

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