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Secondary education

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Original poster

Eton - naughty, naughty, naughty!

31 replies

cricketballs · 26/08/2017 12:14

"A teacher at Eton College breached exam security by inadvertently giving pupils confidential information before sitting a paper"

report on the BBC here

In reality there should be more that just Mo Tanweer in trouble - there are others who should be taking responsibility, such as the Exam Officer

OP posts:
catslife · 26/08/2017 12:23

Link to other thread about this is here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/3016385-Eton-caught-cheating-on-Pre-U

Original poster
cricketballs · 26/08/2017 12:27

thanks cat I was wondering why this hadn't hit MN!

OP posts:
bengalcat · 26/08/2017 16:03

As a parent I'd be furious at this - no idea how many boys sat Economics but the papers suggests their exam mark will be discounted

meditrina · 26/08/2017 16:06

It's explained in the link on the other thread. The candidates are still getting marks as only one paper was invalidated, and it was wholly not the fault of the candidate. Do standard procedures (assessing and adjusting based on papers sat) has been used, just as it would be for other missing papers that were not the candidate's fault (injury, illness, fire etc)

ImperialBlether · 26/08/2017 16:13

For any teachers reading this, these are Eton's statistics for A level in 2016 and here are their GCSE results.

ImperialBlether · 26/08/2017 16:16

Does anyone remember that when Prince Harry was at Eton, his A level Art teacher had cheated, in that she'd produced his portfolio for him? She admitted this. She also said that she'd seen the head of sixth form (I think it was him) whispering to pupils during their exams.

I knew it happened in some schools. One of my A level students told me that his Maths teacher in his old school had written a lot of his answers for him - just took his pen off him and wrote them in! It's pretty obvious when the stakes are high (performance leagues, parents paying a fortune etc) there will be cheating. Exams shouldn't be invigilated by anyone at the school.

IsItJustUsOrNot · 26/08/2017 17:15

There are also recent related threads about exam cheating at a Prep school (not Eton) in both the Staffroom and AIBU...

Tabymoomoo · 26/08/2017 17:33

It has nothing to do with the exams officer - the teacher was a principal examiner for one of the exam boards (Cambridge) and leaked info to members of his department at Eton. There must be more to this as I don't get how a teacher could be so stupid!

Eton won't be affected it's one rogue teacher who'd barely been there 5 minutes.

Re: cheating in general at schools I've seen and heard of a lot of coursework "cheating" but never during exams. I don't know any teacher who would be stupid enough to take that sort of risk.

Ta1kinPeece · 26/08/2017 17:35

Have posted on the other thread.

Eton have been caught.
I'd be more surprised if they were the only school doing it.

GallicosCats · 26/08/2017 18:46

ImperialBlether I remember the Sun headline when that story came out: 'Harry Rotter and the Half Brain Prince.' Grin

Prince Harry probably inherited his mother's, erm, less than academic bent as well as her people skills.

Ta1kinPeece · 26/08/2017 18:50

Imperial
Why are the PreU grades not on that list - as it was not A levels that were involved in this current story

ImperialBlether · 26/08/2017 23:05

Because Economics is not listed on the statistics for 2016.

Ta1kinPeece · 27/08/2017 12:36

Imperial
So is Economics the only PreU that Eton take ?
Every other subject is standard A levels ?

ImperialBlether · 27/08/2017 12:52

No, [http://www.etoncollege.com/userfiles/files/Final%20Summer%20PREU%20Statistics.pdf here are the PreU results for 2016.]] It seems Economics wasn't done that year.

I only found this out by googling "Eton A level results" - I don't have insider knowledge! I used to teach A levels so am mildly interested in their results.

sadusername2 · 27/08/2017 14:24

Imperial blether, I had a look at those results and for GCSEs what really stood out for me was the result for Art in 2016. All 59 students who took it got an A star. All of them. In the other subjects there was a bit more of an even spread.
Amazing that so much such artistic talent could be concentrated amongst the students and then nurtured by staff.

Michaelahpurple · 27/08/2017 14:49

It made me thoughtful about the whole question of teachers writing exam papers. Whilst it is appealing to have a teacher who has had experience of doing so, hence schools proudly commenting so, one really wouldn't want one's child's teacher doing it in their year 11 - how on earth could they oversee and guide revision?

Ta1kinPeece · 27/08/2017 17:26

what really stood out for me was the result for Art in 2016. All 59 students who took it got an A star. All of them. In the other subjects there was a bit more of an even spread.
As somebody who did Art GCE at a selective private school I find that result weird beyond belief.

My art teacher was opinionated - if you did it her way she marked you up, if not she marked you down
come the exam, three girls she hated got A (no * in those days)
one now lectures at RCA

the chances of a whole class having a style that matches the examiner is vanishingly small to the point of gross improbability

THe lid of the box has been opened

sadusername2 · 28/08/2017 07:24

Surprise surprise it isn't just Eton, Winchester too. Charterhouse being investigated too. Link to the Sun as others behind paywall.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/4337205/three-of-britains-top-schools-accused-of-helping-pupils-cheat-in-exams-with-one-professor-suspended-over-scandal/amp/

BurnTheBlackSuit · 28/08/2017 09:22

I'm shocked that those who write the exams are teachers in schools teaching the very pupils who will take exams.

That HAS to be unfair.

Is that also true of GCSE and A Level exams?

Clavinova · 28/08/2017 09:24

I do not think Charterhouse have been accused of cheating though. The report I read suggested that Charterhouse pupils spotted something about the Pre-U Economics exam on social media - they informed their teachers - who in turn informed CIE. None of the Charterhouse pupils have had their results annulled. I am wondering whether the whistleblowing from Charterhouse led to the investigation at Eton as it relates to the same exam.

42isthemeaning · 28/08/2017 09:28

What do you think happens in university? It certainly used to be the case that the lecturers wrote the exam for the students to sit on their courses. A relative of mine was even told to dumb down exams to ensure more students would pass. Confused

catslife · 28/08/2017 10:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ta1kinPeece · 28/08/2017 16:47

42isthemeaning
At University, EVERY student is taught by the exam setter
so the playing field is level.

In this instance, those schools who could afford to hire the exam setter
from an exam board with no ethical standards about conflicts of interest
got rather better "service" than everybody else ......

cakeisalwaystheanswer · 28/08/2017 22:47

Sadusername - re the Art, exactly the same story at St Pauls 52/52 got an A* at GCSE in 2016. I remember noticing the same thing years ago when I visited and being amazed because taking a "creative" is compulsory and not everyone can be good at Art. I was told that it was all about progression, showing development etc. Hmmmm.

Clavinova · 29/08/2017 08:52

taking a "creative" is compulsory and not everyone can be good at Art

That explains why 147 boys (73% of the year group) did not choose Art as their 'creative'.