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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

Unfair marks in PE Practical/Coursework

10 replies

Molliethecat · 15/05/2018 09:18

My son has just found out his marks in his 3 practical PE sports and coursework, and we feel one of the practical marks, and the coursework score is just wrong.

He went on a Skiing assessment in year 10 to a Snowdome, and was advised he had scored 14/15 out of 20. We went skiing in February and filmed him which we were going to send in to the school, but the school then arranged another trip to the Snowdome, saying it was a chance for the students to improve their marks. We then find out he has been given a score of 11 which has been submitted to the examiner, and when I queried it, all I was told is the score might change after moderation. If we had known we could have sent in our own video that showed that he was a competent skier (he's been skiing since he was 6). The school have apparently lost the videos from the Y10 assessment.

...and then onto the coursework. He's been doing this since Y10, he's never been given any feedback, and when we went to the Y11 parents evening, his PE teacher said she couldn't even find some of the work, and could we send it in again. We did this, he got some feedback, and our son updated the work based on it. We then find out it's been submitted, and he's got 10 out of 20. Speaking with another parent who's son goes to a different school, they've had feedback 8-10 times over the 2 years, and that school did everything to help their students (apart from writing it) to ensure it was the best it could possibly be.

I feel my son has been let down, and he now won't get the grade he needs to do A level PE (he's got a total of 52 out of 80). I've tried challenging the school, and they just say it's all been sent to be moderated and the score might change.

Does anyone have any similar experiences, and is there anything I can do, if the school has been negligent?

OP posts:

BubblesBuddy · 15/05/2018 09:43

I had strong suspicions that the the school
submitted the wrong mark for DD in a different subject. This was some years ago but it had the same effect.

I asked for clarification on what had gone wrong, but as it was a private school, and she was leaving, they refused to investigate.

I think you need to speak to the Head of Year. Take it further if you need to. I have noticed that some schools go all out with advice and support for students whilst others don’t do all they can. As an example, DD got a B in GCSE Art but an A grade at A level. Totally let down at her first school. This wasn’t the subject I referred to above but it shows the difference that encouragement and stellar teaching makes. She achieved an A* in Photography A level so she wasn’t a B at GCSE.

Complain about quality of teaching and support. I’m not sure if Private videos should be allowed though. A look-alike could be used. What seems odd is why he didn’t get better marks at the Snowdome. This is what I would want investigated as it seems a very low mark.

BlueBelle123 · 15/05/2018 09:51

Mollie Ds is also doing GCSE PE and had no guidance or help for written coursework and the grading of sports was atrocious Ds is county standard in one yet still only awarded 17 out of 20 due to ill on day of assessment. We've just chalked it up to experience and are moving on as he doesn't want to take PE any further.

RexManning · 15/05/2018 09:52

Where are you based, OP?

In England at least as of this year, schools have to tell students any centre-assessed marks before they are submitted to the exam board to give them the opportunity to request an internal review of the marks. It sounds like your DS's school has failed to do this.

You need to speak to the head of PE or member of SLT who line-manages the department. Ask for a copy of the school's policy on 'non-exam assessment' (the new name for coursework) and specifically for their policy on internal reviews of centre-assessed marks, in line with JCQ guidance. You might find that they are magically a bit more helpful!

Which board is he with?

happyinherts · 15/05/2018 09:57

I found a lot of anomalies with PE at GCSE level. My son was at that time in the GB athletic squad and received an E grade for doing 100 push ups whereas a boy that did three got an A. When questioned, it was stated that the boy who got an A put in more effort. Yes, that may be true - boy B was not an athlete and was actually obese, but to do a hundred took effort outside of the classroom that day. It puts youngsters off the subject if they see unfairness. Definitely take it up with the Head of Year - but my thoughts are that those with real talent aren't always the ones that achieve the highest grades.

Original poster

Molliethecat · 15/05/2018 10:06

Thank you for your response. I have complained to the school, but I don't think they'll be able to do anything, as everything has now been submitted. You can appeal, but only on what was sent, not what the school hasn't included. They accepted my video for golf - but you can see it's clearly my son, and on the skiing video, we made sure that you could identify him. The problem now, is he has to get level 6 to do A level, he won't be able to do it if it's level 5 or below. I know he could make up some of the marks with the exams, but he struggles putting things down in writing sometimes, hence why he needed the highest possible score from the coursework/practical parts. I feel the school have let him down completely.

OP posts:

Original poster

Molliethecat · 15/05/2018 10:13

Responding to RexManning, we're in England, OCR board.

OP posts:

RexManning · 15/05/2018 10:15

Complain in writing to the headteacher, OP. The department have failed to follow the JCQ's regulations. Include a copy of this guidance. It is unlikely that moderation has already taken place and although they will be reluctant to do so they may still be able to correct the mark submitted by declaring an 'error'.

Astronotus · 15/05/2018 10:20

Mollie. Consider this from a different angle. If your son wants to stay at the same school to do A Level PE and needs a 6 then make an appointment with the head teacher now. Don't be put off with a deputy or head of year, make an appointment with the head. Calmly explain what you think may have happened and why this may affect your son's final grade. If there have been serious mistakes by the school then after they investigate you may find that the school mysteriously allow him to take the A level, even without a required 6. They are supposed to follow their public entrance criteria but we all know that they are able to make different decisions behind the scenes. Keep it calm and polite and you may win this one if they are aware of their staff's inadequacies. Your son may not be the only student these PE mistakes have affected.

Astronotus · 15/05/2018 10:22

Read Rex's guidance notes first. Then request a meeting with the head. Keep it very polite. You will get more help that way.

Ariela · 15/05/2018 11:15

My daughter's school we weren't told till just before the exam, and I didn't exactly understand why but it went along the lines that as the girls were physically disadvantaged compared to the boys for most sports, therefore the highest grade she could get would be a B as they'd be assessed against the rest of the class - and there were quite a few really sporty ones in various county & national teams. (This despite being extremely proficient at riding, she won a dressage national competition a few months later). Didn't matter in the overall scheme of things as she wasn't doing it for A level, but I was a bit narked this comparison wasn't mentioned at the start.

Hope the OP gets him in for A level.

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