GCSE predicted grade reviewed from A-A* to C

[BlueBrightFuture]

DD worked hard on this subject both on the art work itself as well as research and annotations. She left her book at home twice this year… once she forget and left if by the front door and the second time because a piece she had worked on the night before had not dried properly. I know nothing about art but I think her books look well presented. Yesterday when the end of year report came home DD’s predicted grade was revised to a C whilst she had a 1 for effort and a 1 for attitude for the subject ( 1 being the highest mark).

I have asked to school what their reasons are for downgrading her work and was told that it was downgraded because he had not seen her work and that he can’t mark what he has not seen?? I know that DD often mentioned that Sir had not checked her book during the book check because she is at the bottom of the alphabet and there was no time left in the lesson. I e-mailed him about this and his version of events is that did not have her book with her on the dates that the books were checked. I don’t understand how this would be the case because she has her folder with her when she leaves the house in the morning? I’m not clear how she loses her book between leaving the house and arriving at school on a regular basis. Also the folder she has on her contains only a few pieces as the previous folder was full and has been kept in the schools’ cupboards since June of this year together with her first final piece. If the book is in school then how does the teacher not have time to mark it?

I know that she will get a new teacher from September because this one is moving on to another school. However I think it is unfair to send a student in the summer holidays without a clear understanding as to what her current levels are and what she can do so she will be in a reasonable position by next September. I have e-mailed the head of art at the school but it seems that they have packed up for the year and are not very interested in dealing with this matter before the summer hols.

Thinking about emailing the school again and ask for further clarification but not sure how to put it to them in a nice way that I really would like to know how DD what her predicted grade based on her work rather than C because I have not seen it.

Any tips greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Email back saying 'I would like an accurate predicted grade for DD based on the work she has completed. It is important that she know what her current level is and what she needs to do to improve, and I am sure that you are aware that predicted grades need to be as accurate as possible for college applications. She will be bringing her art folders in to you tomorrow, please can you return them to her, along with the revised predicted grade by Friday. Many thanks, X'

And copy in the head of department.

as above, which should sort the problem out. I did think though - does your dd have a locker? only I found my ds was taking books and folders (including art & dt) into school and leaving them in the correct storage place at the start of the day but then ending up in the actual lesson without them as he forgpt to pick them up and the teacher wouldn't let him go and collect them (though hes yr 8 so bit younger) just a thought.

Is any teacher really going to go to the bother of changing grades - and doing all the resulting paperwork - at this stage of the year. Especially if they are leaving.

Based on past horror threads about teachers losing GCSE coursework, I would be more worried about DC understanding the importance of knowing where their stuff is. Another tip: keep photographic evidence!

Perhaps a pre-emptive e-mail to the new teacher in September to discuss the wrong grade? They will be ecstatic to get a C grade predicted pupil up to an A*/A result.

Thanks. I will email them again as suggested. I have the impression that the art teacher is not bothered about making an effort as he is gone at the end of the week. It is just that I don't want to come across as "one of those parents." There are probably a lot of other parents wanting to clear up matters before the summer break.

She has a locker, I was thinking along those lines as well but it is so small it just about fits her PE kit.

I'm finding it all really strange.

Just to clarify, is your DD just finishing y10?

Yes, she is year 10. Going in to y11 next September.

Thanks for the tip to make photos. DD will be bringing all her stuff home today and tomorrow do she can make photos .

I have emailed the d hoop as suggest. Telling them in a nice manner that she is coming to see the teacher with her work rather than "would it be possible to see the teacher". See what they say.

If your dd achieves an A-A* and her predicted grade is C, the school will achieve several Value Added points, so maybe they have done it on purpose?

Sue it doesn't work like that.

Value added are worked out based on I think KS2 SATs. They can't just predict lower to boost their value add!

The prediction has been lowered from A by the teacher because for some reason the work hasn't been looked at. Normally teachers are expected to be very accurate with their predictions by the end of y11, and are expected to justify deviations from final results.

Losing the will to live with the art department to be honest.

Got an e-mail from the school saying that they looked at the work and are confident she is capable to achieving an A-A* but that her recent effort has been below expectations which is why they changed the prediction to a C.
No mention of the fact that they only looked at the work after they awarded the grade not an explanation why the teacher made the claim he was not able to look at the book whilst it was in the art cupboard at school except for the work in her new book but that is only a few pieces anyway.

Thing is that they have given her a grade 1 for effort which is the highest grade you can get.

I am the first one to admit that I don’t know toffee about art and could not tell you the difference between a good piece and a bad one but I do know that the fact that she doesn’t put a lot of effort in to her work is nonsense. She spends hours and hours on her work every week and takes care of presenting her work neatly. I’m confident that what she has produced so far is to the best of her ability and if that work only deserves a C than they can’t say that she is capable to get an A

I really don’t get it… I feel a bit like being told by the gas man that I need a new boiler whilst all I really need is a new switch Iyswim. Now what?

Thanks

Is this worth the arguement in Year 10? She has more time next year and she now knows to get her brain into gear about deadlines and the quality of the work. If she cannot do that, so be it. Frankly the A* children are pretty obvious - they have a clear talent. There is a new teacher next year so I am sure it will get sorted and she will be more mature.

For what it is worth my DD had a crap teacher for Art at GCSE and got a B. Was predicted an A. She changed school for A level and did get an A for Art and A* for Photography. She worked like stink, did really high quality work, and met her deadlines.That is all there is to it.

If it were a downgrade to a B I would not make much of it to be honest but to downgrade from an A to C in a matter of a few months needs an explanation that we can work with and make decisions. If a C is indeed what she is going to get it would be worth considering dropping the subject because with a C she would not be allowed back at the school for A level.

Not sure how much teaching time there will be in year 11. I have the impression that not long after Christmas teaching stops and it is all revision for the end of year GCSEs.

I'd pick it up with the new teacher at the start of next term. You and your daughter to could make an appointment and take the portfolio with you in a positive way. You could say you were disappointed with last year's final C and are looking for advice to improve this.

More broadly what are her predictions for English, Maths, Science, MFL, etc.. Providing those are OK I wouldn't worry too much about art I don't think unless my child wanted to go to art college.

All other subjects are predicted A & A*. It is just art that sticks out like a sore thumb. If she has a C there is a chance the school will not take her back. Priority is given to students achieving B and above and it is heavily oversubscribed. We have meantime learnt that DDs form is now not getting a new teacher but the head of art will be taking the class instead. So can only hope things will improve but if things don't change early on in the year we may look in to dropping the subject. Shame.

Most schools, even the most selective ones, don't usually make a student leave because of one C grade! That is not going to happen. Usually the most selective of schools want A or A* in the A levels chosen and if Art is not among them, so be it. I never know how Art can really be assessed when all the work has not yet been done! There is time for improvement in year 11 so why is a final grade prediction based on Yr 10 work? Clearly there is a lot of room for movement in the grade and I would concentrate on what your DD needs to do to get the grade up. The teacher will be able to help with this. A Year 11 prediction at the end of next term, rather than at the start of it, would be more valuable surely?

You must know if your DD is an arty type. Most of us do know if this is a subject that suits a child or not. You seem to indicate that she wanted to do Art A level but then talk about dropping it. Was she really A level material, if you are honest? It is a subject that requires a lot of work (more at A level) and if your DD does not want to do it, then dropping it may be the solution.

I think it is unlikely what she will go on to do art at A-level. I'm honestly not sure if she is the arty type. I have never been interested in art and I don't have an eye for it. The stuff she produces I would never be able to do. (but I draw stick people). Thing is that the school have always maintained that she is good at art which is why she picked it as her non academic subject.

If she isn't going to do it at A'Level, what's the issue? My children went to very academic schools. Ploughing Art or a GCSE other than Maths or English would not have disqualified them from the 6th form. Why on earth don't you think they will let her back in if she gets a C grade for Art?

Is it actually possible to drop a subject for year 11 anyway? Unless she's taking it to A-level I would just let her enjoy it without getting upset about the prediction. And it sounds like the teacher based it on absent work, not the quality of the actual (unseen) work.

As I said before it when applying for A Levels the school gives priority to students with grades B and above.

She could drop the subject provided she takes enough subjects. She is fluent in French so that could be an option. Life would probably have been easier if she had to start with but we did not think a French GCSE has any value to someone who is fluent in French.

But even the most selective schools only want 8 or 9 A-B with A's for A'Level study. So, if the school is uber selective then your dd must be taking a min of 10 GCSEs and there's some slack. One of ds's chums got a freak b for English Language. The v close to top of the league table school didn't quibble. Don't really understand the issue still. Sorry.

The issue is that she wants to go back to the school to do her A levels without worry about getting in. I have no idea what other schools require and I don't think it is relevant. Anything other then meeting the criteria for her current school is not important.

So, a

Where my DDs went to school even the fluent Chinese girls did Mandarin GCSE! Also, GCSE is a prep for A level and A level French. If you think A level French should be no problem for her, how is the school to judge this? I would be looking for her to be going onto degree level, providing her essay writing, interest in French literature and culture and reading/translating is good enough. Why on earth would you not take a GCSE you can allegedly get a very high grade in? Of course it has value!

I have never, ever, heard of a school wanting all A or A grades for 6th form. Even the most selective ones. How many children does the school kick out each year, OP? That would be interesting to know. If a child is a genius at maths and science but not so hot at Art, are they really not allowed back in? I bet, if you ask, there are exceptions. I would also think that B and above might relate to Ebacc subjects and ones required for A level subjects. Why would they throw out someone with 9 As and a C but keep someone with all B's? That is purely ridiculous and the person with the A*s is much more likely to get better A levels.

I teach a coursework heavy subject. I often have to move grades down when students don't have the work. They may have done it but not presented it, or handed it in/ left it in Geography etc etc.

It would have to be several consecutive pieces of work for me to move the grade down, but it happens all the time.

Also, if I've asked for work to be handed in, and it's left in their cupboard without telling me, I don't go and look for it. I assume they've handed it to me.

He knew it was in the cupboard because at Christmas time he said that he could not mark all the work because he had not seen it so I emailed him just before half term and asked him to check her work and if anything was missing to let me know. He never said anything was missing. The school tells students that they can leave completed portfolios and final pieces in the cupboard. If they don't know what is in it then lets hope nobody's work goes missing. DD has brought all her work home so she can make photos of the work as suggested on this tread.