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Original poster

GCSEs 2018 (18) Well that's all over, let's get the party started

999 replies

Stickerrocks · 23/08/2018 14:17

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3341060-GCSEs-2018-17-What-will-be-in-your-coffee-cup-on-Thursday

OP posts:
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6
LARLARLAND · 27/08/2018 19:51

Does that mean Alexander that the AQA Drama results were poor across the board? What are the teachers particularly disappointed about?

AlexanderHamilton · 27/08/2018 20:15

Inconsistent results I think. OCR have also been mentioned. Several are moving towards Eduqas.

AlexanderHamilton · 27/08/2018 20:15

I’m not directly involved as I always worked in out of school settings.

Rufustheyawningreindeer · 27/08/2018 20:19

Inconsistent results I think

Interesting

Annoying if its caused dd any issues

But interesting

LARLARLAND · 27/08/2018 20:23

Inconsistent results seems to suggest that the quality of the examiners was not as high as it should be. Is that fair comment?

AlexanderHamilton · 27/08/2018 20:25

& how the Mark Scheme was applied. I gues in a practical subject it’s always subjective to a certain extent. I’ve also seen some questionable LAMDA marking over the years.

LARLARLAND · 27/08/2018 20:47

Surely how the mark scheme is applied is pretty concrete? I know the essays would be subjective but I can’t imagine there would be too much variation in how they are marked?

LARLARLAND · 27/08/2018 20:53

Sorry. It’s the performance element which has been marked inconsistently isn’t it...

Sostenueto · 28/08/2018 06:44

Surely when you deal with performance, whether musical or dance or drama or even art its always difficult to be consistent when judging said performance because, after all, any artistic performance is subject to personal preference.

Sostenueto · 28/08/2018 06:50

Even with a rigid mark scheme the judges will vary in their opinion on the performance as the arts involve the emotions and everyone's emotions vary.

JufusMum · 28/08/2018 11:19

I have asked for DD's German script back. Amongst her 6/7/8's German was a 3. Really odd. She got a 5 in the mock and had a tutor after that. She answered every question on reading, writing and listening and felt confident. Her teacher was sitting in on her speaking with the examiner and said it was perfect.
Only one student got higher than a 3 in DD's school. 36 students sat the exam. It seems really odd. Maybe DD didn't write her name on one or more of the papers? I think it's a bit fishy.

AlexanderHamilton · 28/08/2018 11:26

That does seem very odd.

whistl · 28/08/2018 11:34

That is odd, Jufus. You are talking about the oral - wight?
One of the school's MFL teachers did his oral exam. I think it was his class teacher, actually. It was taped, I guess so that it could be moderated.

But your DD had an external examiner for the oral??

It sort of implies that the exam board don't think much of your DD's German teacher's ability to assess the oral herself, and if no one got higher than a 3, then it implies they didn't think she taught the class well either.

Clavinova · 28/08/2018 11:45

I have asked for DD's German script back
Not the original script I hope - just a copy?

JufusMum · 28/08/2018 12:09

DD had an external examiner for the oral, it was taped but her German teacher sat in (well - he was a supply, her actual German teacher left in March).

Clavinova yes I have asked for a copy of the scripts, I want to see where she went so badly wrong.

ReservoirDogs · 28/08/2018 12:23

It sounds like there was a serious issue with the teaching if only one person got over a 3.

Did they cover all of the tenses that they were supposed to and were the pupils "trained" how to use at least 3 in their answers?

JufusMum · 28/08/2018 12:30

Reservoir I think so, DD had a private tutor and she was 100% sure she would secure at least a 5.

brainmelt · 28/08/2018 12:40

jufus definitely right to ask for it back!

Can I ask, will we ever get marks, or only grades? DS letter only gives the grade achieved, but not what his actual mark (percentage) was (except, oddly, for Maths). First time for me, as you can see. Do we have to ask for them?

whistl · 28/08/2018 12:45

DS got the edexcel grades printed on his results sheet, but not the AQA grades.

I think its because Edexcel made it easy for the school to print them out and put them in the right envelopes last Wednesday, but AQA didn't. So, if Ds wants his AQA scores, he has to ask and the teacher can look them up individually.

Each school seems to do their own thing, brainmelt, so if you haven't got the raw marks already and you want them, then its probably best to ask now.

BlueBelle123 · 28/08/2018 12:50

Edexcel appear to be a lot more transparent than the other boards, as not only do you get the overall mark but they allow teachers to access all scripts free of charge. At Ds's school the person with that information would be the exams officer, I mean finding out actual marks.

BlueBelle123 · 28/08/2018 12:54

Jufus considering everything that you have told us about your DD's school I think she has done phenomenally well, they are brilliant results under normal circumstances let alone what she has had to put up with, I wish her all the best for her new 6th form Smile

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 28/08/2018 13:10

Yes, only Edexcel marks on DS3's results sheet as well, plus 'old style' GCSE UMS. Funny because on The other two boys, Edexcel maths was the only result they didn't get.

That does sound rather disappointing, Jufus. I think seeing copies of the scripts is a good idea. It may help you to understand the marking even if it doesn't show any marking errors. Would the German tutor have a look at them?

brainmelt · 28/08/2018 13:14

OK thanks. Bother, I wish I didn't have to ask for it. I don't want the school to think we're being a pain in the ass, bothering them for nothing (exams officer must be so busy), as it's really only out of normal curiosity, and also because it feels odd you sit an exam and never know what mark you got. Probably best to leave it up to DS to decide and ask only if he wants to.

JufusMum · 28/08/2018 13:37

Bluebell thank you - with 2x8, 3x7 and the rest 6 and 5 I think we are more than happy under the circumstances at School From Hell - but DD was expecting a 5 or 6 in German. She's a bit annoyed.

EllenJane yes the German tutor wants to look - she is spitting feathers right now!

TerfTerf2 · 28/08/2018 13:39

We are in the same boat! DS got a 6 on eng lit and dreadfully disappointed as he felt it was a strong subject and well-answered papers. We asked English HoD on Thursday for marks and she said she'd be looking at them that day and would let us know. Heard nothing.

Asked history teacher for marks too, to see where DS lost marks on his strongest and favourite subject. Teacher has replied today saying he can't access that info til next week and we should ask the Head.

So I've emailed the Head Grin It's not on that some schools keep parents guessing about this stuff, we have no idea of protocol because they don't tell us! I know they have the marks, the exam board has no issue with us knowing them, so why is it so guarded?? Don't feel guilty about bothering the school! This is what they're there for and if they won't make it easy for themselves then they have to expect emails during summer hols. Sorry rant over Angry