GCSEs Summer 2020 (thread 4) -the final countdown

[PostNotInHaste]

Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1(year 10)

Hope OrangeCinnamon doesn’t mind me starting another in her absence , feel twitchy without ! Apologies in advance if I have messed the links up.

The last thread ended with discussion of possible school closures, not really what we want to hear at this point - let’s hope things sound more positive as thread progresses.

Agree some generous offers of help from teachers on Facebook etc. I feel really sorry for them as busy in run up to exams (as still scheduled at this time), dealing with anxious pupils, own family worries and prepping online resources at zero notice. Thank you.

We have no idea of predicted grades, either.
Until the year 10 exams, we hadn't ever been given any kind of 1-9 grades for anything, and some teachers refused to use previous grade boundaries to grade January mocks.

Yes piccolo, in our mocks some subjects did use previous grade boundaries but English, Biology and Geography certainly didn't (boys were told and we checked!) also, because they suspected a child of cheating in one maths paper the dismissed everyone's grade for that one and it was DS's best paper!

Oh dear - just had a text from DD. They were supposed to be filming their final Drama pieces tomorrow in case the examiner can't get there as scheduled. The girl she is doing her duologue with has had to go into 14 days isolation because her sister is ill…..

I've assured her they'll be able to sort something - students must have been ill for the practicals in previous years. There must be system, yes??

I'm sure the coursework dates will be pushed back.

DS's music teacher is self isolating for 2 weeks and he's the only person at their school who can record/moderate coursework.

But I reckon the school will be shut before he's back.

Seems there is a huge variation in how schools report student progress. We get reports every couple of months from Ds' comp. So we have had 5 predicted grade reports since beginning of year 10.

I would be delighted for some certainty for my ds and using predictions would be one way of doing that. He is finding it frustrating and stressful trying to second guess what will happen. However, those with low predictions who could absolutely smash their grades in a last burst of intense effort will be disadvantaged.

I think the only 'fair' way would be for each school to be allocated a spread of grades equal to say the last three years' results for that school. So if on average 10% get a 7, they have to allocate 7s to 10% of the year. This should resolve some of the inconsistencies between schools in the way they issue their predicted grades.

It's obviously not great as it means there's no allowance for a particularly good year group and it would be hard to moderate for very small schools ( I know a small private school where they have 5-10 pupils per year so the results vary wildly). But for dd's school, for example, they seem to get almost exactly the same spread of results year on year.

I'm really hoping for this approach now, even though I know it will be disappointing for them not to take exams. The re-take in Nov idea is a good one for those who've had a sudden surge in work ethic.

My daughters just had mock results back from a few weeks ago. She's got 7,8,9s. If they started GCSEs tomorrow she would still do well but no school for 2 months I don't know what she'd get. She doesn't work well at home at all. (Has ASD she's very much school is where school work is done and home is her sanctuary away from it all.) I can't see any way she's going to get the GCSE grades she should do. Either not being at school in the run up to the exams or them being delayed, both would have a terrible effect on her.

Given that at this point any of the things proposed here will disadvantage someone I do think it is important that their grades have something to distinguish their cohort.

I agree @postnotinhaste - future colleges/universities/employers etc will need to distinguish them from other years and see their results in context. Particularly for the A Level year.

A simpler CV before the grade will so. Education secretary statement at 5pm.

Simple not simpler

DCs school is shutting for year 8 and year 9 from tomorrow.

I feel it's likely schools will be closed from Monday

My DS school has today shifted a load of kids from higher to foundation papers and not given parents any choice in the matter. DS will now be dong foundation maths. I think they know school will be closed from Friday, and are panicking as haven't even finished syllabus in some subjects.

PostNotInHaste - any school closures will now widen the gap between the rich and poor and between those struggling at school and those who study well on their own. A very complex problem to rectify.

My dd has come home very upset saying the rumour in their school is that everyone will sit the whole year again. Starting from reception year, she has enjoyed year 11 but absolutely no wish to repeat!! I have told her I really don’t think this will happen at all.

Frankiethree I only meant ‘simple’ in the context of something to identify the cohort and absolutely not in reference to anything else.. I totally agree all the other issues are very complex and I feel for those who have to make them as well as the students and teachers. I wouldn’t like to be making decisions at this time. It’s a matter of the least bad choice from what I can see.

That would be a crazy response which would have a knock on effect forever - although it’s one way to shift our society to kids starting school at 5 instead of 4!

Better just to cancel the exams or just try to manage one paper per subject or some in between measure.

I could do with ds repeating year 9! He’s an August birthday and needs time to grow up. And he’s messed around this year.... But I’m pretty sure he’d do the same again next year!

How could you have students repeating content for two thirds of the year? Or are we saying they wouldn’t actually go back to school until this time next year?! That’s unthinkable!

I can’t see it either CrazyCrofter, not at this point in the year.

I do just hope that if they do announce school closures at 5pm they quickly announce the plans for year 11 and year 13 public exams. Dd really isn’t a worrier but she’s had tears this evening, not knowing is extra stressful for an already stressful time

I think the exams will be sat but measures put in place for those not able to sit some or all
DD thinks that an allowance (adjustment to grade boundaries?) ought to be applied because of the disruption and stress to both exam cohorts.
Also, as Post says a flag to highlight CV.

I would love them to but think we might well have to wait a bit for that, hopefully I am wrong.

I think it would cost too much if they repeated a year. Cost of an extra year of nursery, an extra year of debt for uni students. Private school parents paying an extra year. A year group of uni/school/college students not entering the work place

All state schools in Wales are to shut by Friday.
DD's schools has emailed us to say they are following suit, so she's come home in tears, devastated that Friday will be her last day, with no idea what will happen next (she's due to move to a new school for 6th form).