DC got a 5 in English Lit 5 marks off 6, worth remarking??

[Madcatperson]

Just that really - DC predicted 8, working consistently at higher than a 5 all year (6/7/8). 5 marks from an overall 6 - looks like they got a 6 in one paper and a 4 in paper 2 (aqa). DC's first GCSE (y10), and first typing (due to handwriting but not much prior typing practice in class. No laptops were given to anyone for the first exam due to invigilator oversight, which was eventually sorted! ). Is there any point in a remark as 5/160 marks is quite a bit of movement? They're predicted 7/8 s in all other subjects next year and ideally want to study a subject with high average entry requirements (like vetmed/medicine). Seems a shame if one (still reasonable) mark may pull the rest down. Just looking for some initial views from anyone with AQA remarking experience as no teachers were at school today to speak to.....thanks!

But the school couldn't give a definitive 8 in mocks because they didn't really know what 8/9s looked like. Also English Lit is notoriously one that year 10 should not be put in for as they do sometimes lack the maturity that somehow does materialise in that final year.

@Madcatperson the school
Won't know until that info is released from the exam board. Using a PC in some cases has marks taken off (spellcheck is used by some pupils). Last year Eduqas took half marks of all pupils using a pc

Hope I am not too late to the party. There was a great thread about this last year. It was not uncommon for people to go up by 20+ marks so it is worth the punt.

On another note, both Ofsted and the governemnt want schools to stop year 10 entries and your post rather illustrates why. GCSEs are meant to be sat at aged 16 and literacy subjects rely on a level of insight and maturity that develops over time.

My understanding is all spellchecks are tuned off and the SPAG marks of up t 4 marks are not awarded if a scribe is used ( I think..)

This is not true about marks being taken off as far as I know. Over half my class have a laptop concession!

I would definitely give it a try op, sounds like the grade is too far up the boundary to go down.

Interesting on seeing what pp have said about year 10's doing GCSE's early.
My ds's school put all year 10's ( apart from set 1/2 ) in for the English literature exam this year.

Ds has AS, he struggles with understanding things like Shakespeare and poetry but worked his socks off and got a grade 4 which I was thrilled with.
He's predicted excellent grades next year but was worried sick about the English lit.

Out of his large group of friends he was the only one to "pass" ( grade 4 ) which really shocked me. They're all in set 3/4 out of 9 and a couple of them scored 4 in their mocks and got lower in the actual exam.

I agree that they are too young at 14/15.

If you have a scribe or use a computer there is a jcq cover sheet that goes of with the paper that determines the proportion of SPAG marks that they are allowed to be awarded I think. If I recall correctly everyone, regardless of how they say the exam is entitled to up to 1/3 of SPAG for grammar. If someone with a scribe dictates their punctuation they are entitled to up to 2/3 of SPAG. Those who use a computer without spell check or dictate the selling of every word (which has never happened at my school they all tend to go for the 2/3 option) can get full marks for SPAG. It’s worth checking that she hasn’t been given fewer SPAG marks than she is entitled to.

Sorry for the awful punctuation in there.

Yes dumbledore post is one of the things that can affect marks in word-processed scripts. The coversheet does need to be filled in correctly to ensure all available SPAG marks can be obtained.
There are a few other issues with wordprocessed scripts so you need to check that all pages were printed out correctly and that all the pages were numbered with questions nos. etc.

Thanks all for your helpful comments - really appreciated. I've emailed the teacher/exams person offering to pay if needed. No great hopes of increased marks but at least my daughter's happy we're doing what can be done. For PP querying why we're doing it, it's because we understand for vetmed type courses uni's tend to want to see ability across the board? Hopefully it's not quite as cut and dried as that though! I'm definitely going to ask them to double check cover sheets etc -as mentioned in my OP when they turned up for the exam (in a room for all students with differing special requirements e.g typing, needed quiet room etc), there were no laptops even set out- they sat there all confused until someone had the sense to ask why they only had paper and were asked then to put their hands up if anyone needed a laptop , then delay starting the exam until laptops were found, logged on etc. ( One of the pupils with Asperger's was really unsettled by this). Gives us little confidence in the invigilator!

Madcatperson If your DD is considering Medicine etc she probably does need at least a 6 to keep all her options open....www.themedicportal.com/application-guide/choosing-a-medical-school/gcse-requirements-for-medicine/

Thanks oneteen , I think that's why she was so upset by her results - although as people upthread have pointed out it's a pass, therefore fine, why the concern - she knows that it narrows her options. It seems so unfair that an exam taken at 15 in y10 can have such an impact on future careers. I'm also kicking myself for agreeing she typed it in case this somehow reduced her mark..

In all honesty, despite what sounds like a shambles which the school needs to address, the typing for your DD will only help, not hinder her. I'd catch up with the SENCo when school's back in if I were you and just check all the ramifications of exam concessions.

piggy that's what we thought until last year when marks were taken off

That sounds like a cock up somewhere. Anyone using a laptop should have spellcheck disabled. I thought that was standard... Am amazed.

Just checked JQC regs. The only students permitted to sue a spellcheck are those who meet the criteria for a scribe (very few children). They would then only gain the G of SPaG unless they dictated all spellings.

All other students using laptops MUST have spellcheck disabled and, therefore, are treated the same as all candidates (I ahve noticed soem very peculialry inaccurate marking of typed scrpts, must say, icluding in our centre in mocks, and by examiners). Check how accurate your DD's typing is, too, as they lose marks that way! You cna see how many typpos I make! I ahve left them in for illusatrative purposes. Also, some students who type neglect cpaitals and punctuation (especially paragraphing) far more, even though they know the rules.

Link : www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration/regulations-and-guidance/access-arrangements-and-reasonable-adjustments-booklet

If she’s safely in the 5 I would go for it - one DS’s English Lit GCSE papers went up by 11 marks back in 2015 and then last year under the ‘review of marking’ system his girlfriend’s English lit A level went up by a ridiculous 18 marks (out of a paper where only 60 marks are available...), and another of his friends had an increase of 12 marks or something. If there’s any subject where it’s usually worth it, I’d say it’s English...

An increase of 18 marks on a 60 mark paper is incredible! What was the change in grades TabbyTiger?

Overall the grade change was a B to an A* - on that paper it was from a D to an A I think! It was really ridiculous, and I think about 5 from her class of twenty had increases of 5+ marks. It was the first year of reformed A levels so maybe that played a part.

That is so interesting because the implication is that the change from remarks to reviews will lead to fewer changes in grades. Your experiences show the exact opposite to be true.