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Secondary education

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Original poster

GCSEs Summer 2020 (thread 4) -the final countdown

999 replies

PostNotInHaste · 28/02/2020 12:23

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.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 20/03/2020 15:07

The end of July.

RedskyAtnight · 20/03/2020 15:13

I guess if there's subjects where our DC need/want a particular grade for further study there's an incentive to keep working at that subject in case they need to sit the exam. And they need something to keep them busy!

I mentioned upthread DS is desperate to study Geography A Level but is worried his GCSE grade won't be good enough, partly because of poor mock result. Actually if he spent the next few weeks/months putting in an hour a day of geography he'd be in a good place to sit an exam if he found he needed to, and if he didn't, he'd be in a good place to start A Level running. Some of his other subjects he thinks he might get 3s in, (and was working hard at to get a 4 in the exam) but actually if push comes to shove and he does end up with a 3 I suspect he may not care so much if it means further work and a further exam. English and maths obviously exceptions.

The only bit that is a shame is the "grades will be indistinguishable from other years". I think they should be distinguishable!!!

aibuquestions · 20/03/2020 15:14

@0DimSumMum0 Yes our school is closed at the minute too. Kids assumed at first that the Uk announcement included them, but then realised it didn't. I think Pearson know Int Schools have been off longer than the UK in some cases so I'm hoping they are going to make allowances for this. Hoping for a clear update where they tell us what constitutes them regarding a school as "closed" is it how long or by a certain date. What have your school told you, if anything. SO glad to have someone on here in the same situation.

shawarmasue · 20/03/2020 15:16

Another International mum here ! Can’t believe British kids who happen to be abroad (whose schools have been closed for longer than the UK) still need sit exams.. they are broken and shattered .. all were all chugging along quite happily and then the ambiguity of “no,yes,no” had thrown them .. these are kids and their mental health is so fragile - so worried about them all last night and perplexed at the lack of parity

RedskyAtnight · 20/03/2020 15:18

Wondering how the plan (to allow students to take an exam if they want) will work for subjects with an element of coursework where the coursework hasn't been submitted yet? Guess there will have to be opportunities to provide it?

BadMoon · 20/03/2020 15:21

Thanks Comefromaway - that's extremely helpful.

FlyingPandas · 20/03/2020 15:27

@redskyatnight I guess so.

This decision feels about as fair as we could have hoped for although inevitably there will be many who will feel disadvantaged by it. To be fair, there are also many students who are probably disadvantaged by the public exams - everything riding on one or two rigorously controlled exams, performance anxiety and stress etc - and might end up with a better outcome this way.

There’s no perfect system but in the circumstances this is going to be about as good as it gets. And at least if they get results in July that gives them time to revise before the autumn. What they potentially lose is that golden post-exam summer chill out before their results envelope drops through the door. But unfortunately we are where we are, these are unprecedented times.

RazzleDazzle26 · 20/03/2020 15:30

I suppose it’s as I thought it would be.

dd needs a 5 for English. Mocks 6 and then a 5, predicted 6. I suppose the worry is that the school is found to have been generous with their gradings and they get shifted down...

Role on end July!!

0DimSumMum0 · 20/03/2020 15:47

@shawarmasue - Hello! Absolutely, I totally agree with you. Two months of missed school already and they've been told there will be no dispensation at all for their missed lessons. Then to not know whether they are taking their exams or not when the UK's have been cancelled is really taking it's toll. I feel like they have really been forgotten in all of this.

shawarmasue · 20/03/2020 16:00

Couldn’t agree with you more ! The children who have been told today they will STILL sit their GCSEs are shattered by all this plus all the worry with the virus and grandparents.. I just cannot believe this all .... so much anxiety for young shoulders I’m worried - some of DDs are very fragile tonight

HPFA · 20/03/2020 16:32

I think we need to try and be positive about it. It's possible that a child will only have one or two subjects where they really want to improve their grade. They will have a month or two to work really hard on just one or two subjects and could well end up with a much better grade than they would have had otherwise.

shawarmasue · 20/03/2020 16:58

I understand your point but it’s not an easy time to study and focus .. plus what does teach our child about fairness for all ? Today all the UK Year 11 friends are posting celebratory photos as they say goodbye safe in the knowledge their GCSE work is done.. but those who happen to abroad because of their dad’s job are setting the alarms for early tom to keep studying .. but they will all end up with indistinguishable grades .. how do I explain the fairness of that to her as a mum when we are also dealing with health issues the same as everyone else ? I would be glad of any help today as I’m a loss for words to her

Wheresthebeach · 20/03/2020 18:13

I’m pleased grades will come out in July. Fingers crossed it happens on time.

TerfTerfTerf · 20/03/2020 18:31

My heart goes out to all your DC who are worrying about sixth form and all the uncertainties ❤️

My Y11 DS is thrilled to have no exams and to be out of school. His grades are likely to end up better than he deserves. So no, the system isn't fair on lots of people. He's signed up for a college plumbing course with an apprenticeship and only needs passes in English and Maths. I'm kind of annoyed that he's been spared all the exam pressure and the results anxiety etc, and that he will never ever experience it. Exams is a life skill IMO. And he's being insufferably smug about it all as well. So he might not actually survive until September...

On a happier note, their Prom will happen, later than planned, but definite (they have them at school so no worries about bookings) 👍

Piggywaspushed · 20/03/2020 18:43

July? I missed that bit!

Piggywaspushed · 20/03/2020 18:44

Ah... just seen it. Gosh

Piggywaspushed · 20/03/2020 18:44

Who needs exams , eh? Look how much faster everything gets done...

FlyingPandas · 20/03/2020 19:13

It has to be said - for those DC who (a) have good mock results/predicted grades in the bag or (b) do not need especially high grades to progress to their preferred next step or (c) find exams intensely stressful and perform much better in the classroom - it is arguably something of a result, isn't it? GCSEs with no exam stress and no revision to do.

My DS falls into the first category. We/he are very lucky (though admittedly he is also a reasonably diligent student and has been all the way through). And whilst yes, there is a very real chance he would have improved between mocks and real exams - perhaps got a grade higher in some of his subjects - there is, equally, a chance he might have got a grade or two lower, depending on performance on the day.

Really feel for the international students @0DimSumMum0 and @shawarmasue. That does sound incredibly tough under the circumstances.

crazycrofter · 20/03/2020 19:30

There are definitely winners and losers out of this - just as there were when they ditched coursework. I’m not sure what dd will be awarded - she’s worked pretty hard this year but was definitely gearing up for a bigger effort in the next few weeks. So she may have done better than the grades she’ll be awarded.

On the other hand her mental health hasn’t been good this year do she may not have managed as much revision as she planned. I can imagine a scenario where she ran out of time and it all went to pot. There’s definitely a sense of relief and a lightness about her that I haven’t seen for a while. So I’m pleased about that.

I do worry that A Levels will be their first experience of public exams. But they’ll all be in the same boat. Sorry for those of you abroad who are still in limbo!

crazycrofter · 20/03/2020 19:31

I wonder if this experience will lead to the reintroduction of some coursework to GCSEs?

FlyingPandas · 20/03/2020 19:44

Absolutely, @crazycrofter. Mental health challenges here too. Swings and roundabouts and all that.

Re their first experience of public exams - tbh I think a lot of schools run their mocks under identical conditions to the real thing. DS's school certainly does (I work there and have seen set up for both mocks and real thing). Same rooms, same layouts, same strict restrictions etc. Which will hopefully help them in prep for A levels. And yes the whole year group will be in the same boat.

Still feels surreal though. Can't quite get my head around it.

Wrongdissection · 20/03/2020 19:48

It’s so strange. I have spent at least the last 2 or so bringing so many things back to ‘you’ll need it for GCSE’s’ or ‘when you do your GCSE’s’ or ‘you’ll have to for your GCSE’s’ and many other variations on the same topic and now... nothing 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wrongdissection · 20/03/2020 19:48

2 or so *years

firstboard · 20/03/2020 20:38

Year 11 mum here. We have mixed feelings about the govt announcement. DS has been excellent in Sciences and Maths, he will easily get 9s in them. He would be happy with 7s in History, Geography . Even 6 won't affect his future plans as he isn't taking them in A levels.

English has become our biggest worry. He plans to do Medicine in future and a few good Uni ask for a 7. He might end up getting a predicted 6. If he did exams, he had chance of scoring a 7 . He might have gotten a 6 ( depending on the day of exam). We decided not to fret about it and resit if he gets a predicted 6.

Schools usually set Mock exam papers at high level of difficulty to shake up lazy students. So Mocks would become a bottle neck for many DCs.

Let us support our DCs in tough times. We are tad lucky because this isn't A levels and our Uni places aren't jeopardized by this situation.

Good luck, wash your hands and this too shall pass