Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

Low A level assessed grade from teacher who doesn't like DS - WWYD?

151 replies

Wonderwine · 02/05/2018 19:38

DS has always had a problem with one of his A level teachers who doesn't seem to like him (a vibe we picked up early on at parents' evening).
Some of it is of his own making, as in Year 12 he was a bit disorganised/lazy and didn't do very well in his mocks. However he admitted this and has pulled his finger out and worked hard this year.

We had a bit of an issue with this teacher when A level grades were being predicted as he predicted a B for DS on the basis of his mock exam, whereas all his other work pointed to an A being appropriate. In the end we challenged it with the school as it was important for his UCAS application and the teacher reluctantly changed it. However he said that he 'saw DS as more of a 'B' sort of person' and that DS would need to do something very 'different' to change that Hmm.

Anyway, DS has worked hard this year, but still feel this teacher dislikes him (and us) for challenging the prediction.
As part of his A level he had a piece of internally assessed work
(20%) which this teacher has given a 'B' equivalent mark. It is a small class and DS knows it is the lowest mark. Knowing the usual quality of the work of some of his peers, he feels that he has been unfairly marked harshly.

What if anything can he do? The teacher is also the head of dept, so there is no higher teacher to appeal to.
I don't know if all the projects get moderated by the board, or just a sample of them.

DS has been told he can appeal to this teacher, but he has no information about why he has been given the mark he has, so doesn't know on what basis he would appeal? Confused

OP posts:
Mrskeats · 03/05/2018 17:05

He is doing 4 A levels? Why?
Part of the problem.

HeckyPeck · 03/05/2018 17:09

If you're going to, you should ask for the reassessment now as it will be too late after the exams.

TheFallenMadonna · 03/05/2018 17:14

If his is the lowest mark it will certainly be externally moderated.

Original poster
Wonderwine · 03/05/2018 17:32

Mrskeats - Further Maths as a fourth. Quite normal when they want to do computing/engineering, although I accept it isn't always necessary.

I really don't think it's just in DS's head. Perhaps I've painted him as an arrogant, obnoxious student - he really isn't! All his other teachers love him, he is polite, (normally) hard-working, respectful and has been Head of House/ prefect etc in Sixth Form.
This is the first time we have ever had a problem with a teacher in his entire school career, which is why we are a bit flummoxed by it.

If his is the lowest mark it will certainly be externally moderated - why? Do they check the highest and lowest?
&
it will be too late after the exams - why? Surely any of the component parts can be resubmitted for re-marking?

OP posts:
BoneyBackJefferson · 03/05/2018 17:35

- new to the school as DS started the A level course
So he was lazy and didn't meet the behaviour or work expectations of the teacher, you have said this.

- the A level course was a new board for the school too (it's not an essay subject btw, it's a technical subject, think Electronics/ Computing..)

Still to wide an area and the specs for this are vague to say the least

- there were some issues about teaching in the early days when DS and his classmates realised they were being taught the wrong combination of modules and pointed this out to their teacher.

hearsay

- at the parents evening where he told us he 'saw' DS as a B level sort of candidate (based on one exam) he then proceeded to discuss each of the other pupils in DS's class and tell us where he thought they were relative to DS. DH & I were completely shock as it was so unprofessional.

Drip feed

- when we challenged the UCAS prediction, the headteacher, the head of Sixth form and his form tutor all agreed with us, so the teacher was more or less told to change it, which he clearly wasn't happy about.

not surprised by his response as the head of sixth form and tutor are not likely to be specialists (unless another drip feed is coming) and it puts all results in jeopardy

- I think this teacher is out of his depth. He is teaching a bright cohort of students who ask questions and challenge him. When they ask him questions he tells them to 'google it' to find out the answer.

That is your bias coming through, in 6th form they should be able to find out the answers by other means, they shouldn't be spoon fed.

BoneyBackJefferson · 03/05/2018 17:36

it's not an essay subject btw

They are all written subjects now. just knowing how to do something isn't enough, you have to critique and justify.

BoneyBackJefferson · 03/05/2018 17:37

why? Do they check the highest and lowest?

Yes, any outliers and those that are too far off their expected grade.

TheFallenMadonna · 03/05/2018 17:41

You can't individually ask for a review of marking of centre assessed components because the external moderation process means it is already reviewed.

Bobbybobbins · 03/05/2018 17:43

It would be difficult to ask for a coursework 'remark' after results day- this is for exams normally. Two options are to leave it to the external moderator, as pp have said the lowest and highest are always checked and they are not afraid to change marks esp if a new spec (as we found out last year) or use the new process to ask for a review of marks, but not sure when the deadline is for this.

BoneyBackJefferson · 03/05/2018 17:51

To go against the grain.

You can ask for NEA to be reassessed, but you will be paying for the entire cohort to be regraded by the moderator, The school will need to get permission from every student (as their grades could be affected) and it costs a reasonable amount that you won't get back if you are wrong.

TheFallenMadonna · 03/05/2018 17:56

As I said, you can't individually ask for a re-mark.

SluttyButty · 03/05/2018 17:59

My dd was an A* student at gcse. According to her teachers she is a brilliant essay writer. However that jump from gcse to A level has been a struggle for her to get the right composition and depth required for A level essays. She's had to stomach the criticism and help on offer and take on board everything that's been said to improve her technique.

Maybe he needs some extra sessions in it?

BitOutOfPractice · 03/05/2018 18:02

at the parents evening where he told us he 'saw' DS as a B level sort of candidate (based on one exam)

Not on the basis of one exam at all - based on his entire year 12 performance and effort I'd say

KittyVonCatsington · 03/05/2018 18:04

Ok. This could literally be me as your DS’s teacher although not all of the details match my situation.
I too this year, for one of my students, been forced to up a predicted grade. Doesn’t mean I hate the student but I didn’t think at the time they would be an A student (in my case) based on their work. Lo and behold, still waiting for said student to get an A in anything.

I too have had another student who questioned my (Computer Science NEA) mark as being too low (had been moderated) and been told by the parent I didn’t provide enough feedback even though the JCQ guidelines prohibit specific feedback. Student asked for a review and another school conducted it and the mark stood. (It was in the 50s so possibly an A grade anyway!)

All I can say is:

  1. your DS’s project will be sent off to the exam board who will check marking anyway and adjust up or down.

  2. if you want a review, do it quick as NEA has to arrive BY 15th May and review can take time.

  3. Predicted grades are not desired grades or grades to aim for (those are target grades) and silly to ‘waste’ offers on unrealistic grades. If your DS ends up with an A, there are other routes to his desired courses (Clearing etc.) so don’t panic. But forcing a teacher to change a predicted grade is not on, when they have justified their answer, in my opinion.

KittyVonCatsington · 03/05/2018 18:07

As I said, you can't individually ask for a re-mark

Actually, brand new rules this year means you can. But the school should have given sufficient time for the student to review.

We gave our marks to students by 31st March and gave them two weeks to review. They then signed if they were happy with them or carried out a review with another school if not. As above, one student asked for a review.

Low A level assessed grade from teacher who doesn't like DS - WWYD?
TheFallenMadonna · 03/05/2018 18:09

Sorry yes of course.. I meant after results day, as the OP suggested.

TheFallenMadonna · 03/05/2018 18:11

That should have been communicated with the OP's DS, in fact. We have sent letters home with marks on!

KittyVonCatsington · 03/05/2018 18:13

Sorry, I should have realised the context FallenMadonna!!!

TheFallenMadonna · 03/05/2018 19:21

No, you're right to point it out. It is important that people know that you can ask for a review before moderation now!

Scabbersley · 03/05/2018 19:25

A B is fine

I know this isn't helpful but I am open mouthed at how involved you are.

Dd got an E for her AS mock even though all her homework was As and Bs. It didn't once occur to me to make a fuss. You've got absolutely nothing to go on other than you think the teacher doesn't like him.

Mrskeats · 03/05/2018 21:14

Agree totally with scabbersley
You are too involved and happy to accept hearsay and make assumptions.
4 A levels, especially in tough subjects like further maths, leaves very little free time on the timetable and requires a ton of hard work and application.
You said yourself that your son has a tendency to be lazy but you are very keen to just blame the teacher.
4 A levels is only for the few and not required by even Oxford and Cambridge. Much better to get 3 A grades than get B grades in 4.

Original poster
Wonderwine · 03/05/2018 21:16

Sorry, but some people are making assumptions here or not reading my original posts.
He got a B just ONCE in his Year 12 summer exams. He admits he didn't revise enough because he was concentrating on his AS levels in Maths/Further Maths which actually count towards his A2s.
He doesn't have a history of on-going poor performance - his predicted grade prior to his summer exam was A and all his homework and other tests were A/A. The school encouraged him to apply for courses where the entry requirement was AAA or AAA then at the very last minute, based on this ONE exam this teacher downgraded his prediction to B.
When we asked about it at parents' evening there was no specific reason/evidence given, just that the teacher 'felt DS was more of a B student' (and then went on to evaluate every other student in the class in front of us too!)
It's all just too bizarre!
Right now I don't mind whether DS's grade is an A or a B, but I just want to be convinced that it has been FAIRLY derived and I don't feel that at the moment.

Thanks for that link Kitty. It seems to contradict what DS has been told:

  • he was told he has 2 weeks to appeal if he feels his mark may be wrong
  • told that his teacher cannot give him any materials/ specific details of the breakdown of the marks/ copies of his marked project
  • also told that if he asked for a review it would be reviewed again by the same two teachers who originally reviewed it.

Don't know what to do now! Think I will have an informal chat with the exams officer tomorrow.

Scabbersley - I am always surprised by how disinterested and uninvolved some parents are - especially when things like university entrance is at stake. As FordPerfect has rightly pointed out, there is always margin for error and a huge number of exams get challenged and remarked every year, resulting in grade changes (both up and down).

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 03/05/2018 21:19

You said he was disorganised and lazy throughout year 12

BoneyBackJefferson · 03/05/2018 21:29

- he was told he has 2 weeks to appeal if he feels his mark may be wrong

Why is two weeks not enough time?

- told that his teacher cannot give him any materials/ specific details of the breakdown of the marks/ copies of his marked project

The teacher can only give him materials that will aid him in assessing his work, not specific breakdown of marks awarded or copies of the marked project.

- also told that if he asked for a review it would be reviewed again by the same two teachers who originally reviewed it.

This you may have a point on.

But even if he was A/A* all through year 12, This is a separate piece of work that he is supposed to use the information and learning passed on to him by the teacher. As the other students seem to have done this why hasn't your DS? Unless he was disorganised and lazy throughout year 12 and didn't apply himself to the project work.

helpmum2003 · 03/05/2018 21:31

@Wonderwine - if you can get a remark I would - you clearly have doubts which you cannot reconcile. It appears the chance of a change is low according to those who know (I know nothing about it) but at least you won't have 'what if?' in your mind.

I don't think you have any more to gain by continuing this thread. And you are right to be involved....