GCSE’s summer 2020 thread 5 - And then there were none..

[FoolsAssassin]

Once upon a time there was a group of year 11 students who had spent the last few years preparing to sit their GCSE exams in the summer of 2020. Then one day they woke up and found themselves as characters in a real life disaster movie and as if by magic the exams disappeared.

What lies next for the Corona Cohort?!

Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1 (Year 10)

Anyone lurking please feel free to jump on in .

[Mominatrix]

DS has had a normal timetable from school this week using google classroom and video calls. He has had essays and graded work to complete in all classes, so no down time for him. Not sure what will occur over the Easter break and the next term, but I’m certain the school will update us.

DS is determined to sit exams in the fall if he is not satisfied with the grades he is given because he made the mistake of not revising for mocks, but since then his performance has been a complete turnaround. He needs to have the best grades he can get as he plans on applying to US unis and the only real grades they will have to assess him on will be these GCSE marks.

[JustHereWithMyPopcorn]

Checking in.

We’re still having a mixed bag of work from school. DS is logging in to teams every day but not many setting work, I’ve told him to make sure he checks in every subject change. He’s had maths, English, biology, chemistry andPhysics work but only one piece from each all week.

[Piggywaspushed]

There is a growing disgruntlement at exam boards about the DfE's heel dragging on all this.

[Piggywaspushed]

This is in a joint union statement :
Until we know what arrangements will be made by Ofqual, in consultation with us, about the awarding of grades for public exams, teachers should not be setting exam-related work for year 11 and 13 students, grading and marking it, collating ‘portfolios’, and/or doing predicted grades

[nolanscrack]

Shocking advice,surely the advice should have been to carry on in as normal a way as possible until the Ofqual decision,not stop.

[AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore]

Very, very work being set for ds (in marked contrast to dd in Y9!!) - he's keeping on top of what he has got, and focusing on keeping his skills up for subjects he wants to take at A level: we've bought a couple of A level text books and he's flicked through those, plus teaching himself a new coding language (which, luckily, is his definition of fun anyway!)

Heard very, very little from school other than confirmation of no prom and no year book. DS is fine on prom, a little sad about yearbook. We may try to pull together a non-official one with his mates (or possibly via PTA....)

[Seeline]

DD is getting full online timetable, but breaks up this afternoon.

Getting very mixed messages from teachers eg 3 past papers for maths to do over the holiday, a revision pack for English to put together, and chemistry saying the proposed mock after Easter won't be happening, unless the advice from the DfE says recent work done at home can be taken into account, so maybe keep revising!

Head has said next half term will be spent giving them an intro into their A level subjects....

Really don't know how to advise DD to proceed

As for Y13 DS, different school seems very keen on encouraging them to submit work that is of the highest quality to help with grades

[FlyingPandas]

The whole situation is so frustrating for all concerned. I can see the unions’ point, to be honest. I really can’t see how exam boards will be able to take into account any ‘online from home’ work or assessments set post 20 March, it would be so unfair on students whose home life (for whatever reason) can’t enable effective study in the current situation.

On the other hand it makes total sense for individual students to keep on with revision or general work for any subjects they (a) may want/need to retake and/or (b) are taking for A level. And I suppose for some schools, continuing to set actual work does at least make sure that that happens. But everyone needs some official proper guidance soon!

[Piggywaspushed]

So say all of us!

[ChristopherTracy]

DD (Year 7) got an email telling off from one teacher along with a few others for not submitting homework via Frog - even though she had done the work just didnt know how to submit it which I thought was particularly harsh. They are on an inset day today

[StampMc]

Not heard A WORD from school except an email saying “don’t contact us, we’ll contact you”. I’m sure ds could produce some excellent work during this time, given that he knows it would “count” but he hasn’t been set any. It’s very worrying that others dcs in other schools are building portfolios of evidence about how great they are and mine is doing bugger all. (He is vaguely looking at his a level subjects and looking after his siblings while I work as well as doing bugger all)
It really unfair that some kids have been cast loose and some are potentially boosting their grades it’s what is the equivalent of last minute revision.

[Piggywaspushed]

And that is exactly why work done at home won't count.

[ihatethecold]

lighthearted..... I did a fab quiz that was sent to my dd's school email yesterday. it was Spanish but felt more like geography. it was the highlight of my day naming Spanish speaking capital cities.

[Piggywaspushed]

Sounds fun!

I love a quiz!

[dontletmedowngently]

DD hasn’t been given anything, they were told on their last day that the teachers would be using all the existing evidence to submit grades. The school has a high percentage of PP and many pupils who will be unable to submit extra work online so they shouldn’t be penalised against those who can.

They’ve all been told that every existing Year 11 is guaranteed a sixth form place at the school regardless of grades which has given those that had been waiting to hear from other schools a Plan B. The school has said that they’ll start sending out some pre A level work, presumably when they have a chance.

In the meantime, DD has started learning sign language, is planning to learn Korean (BTS, sigh) and is looking at other courses in the subjects that interest her. She is so much more relaxed this week, it’s really nice to see.

[FlyingPandas]

@StampMc honestly, they aren't 'boosting their grades'. Plausibly, they are boosting their chances of a decent resit grade, because they'll be less rusty if they keep up their studies now, but that's not the same thing.

Admittedly some DC on here are certainly being told by schools that they should continue to submit work/complete online assessments "just in case" but there will be a variety of potential reasons for that:

1. Many independent schools will continue to set work because they need to justify the ongoing charging of fees, which is fair enough.

1. Some schools in both independent and state sectors may continue to set work because, for whatever reason, they might not be confident they have enough data on their Y11/Y13 cohort and feel the need for extra 'back up' just in case OFQUAL challenge their grade recommendations. Schools completely confident in their existing data won't feel the need to do this.

1. Many schools across both sectors will continue to encourage DC to keep their studies up - either via formal lessons or by sending out additional work to be completed online - in case they need or want to resit any subjects in the autumn, which makes total sense (even if they choose not to, yes DS1 I am looking at you)

• Many schools across both sectors will encourage DC to focus on preparation for A level subjects and again this may be via formal work or just links to potential websites or helpful books etc, and again makes total sense (even if they don't do any of it, yes DS1, I am still looking at you).

But I don't think any schools have said that they categorically WILL be able to use this post-school-closure work.

I know it's easier said than done to say 'try not to worry' but that's all we can realistically do at the moment.

[Wheresthebeach]

DDs school has them working on a full timetable. It’s actually been good for DD as they are FaceTiming during lessons and I think the social interaction is good for her. They say they are preparing for on line exams in case they are allowed to sit them. I don’t think it’s a good idea but it does mean dd has something to focus on.

[HPFA]

Discussion hosted this afternoon on how to make the grading system fair. Still more questions than answers though!

twitter.com/TF_Ambassadors

[HPFA]

And more thoughts:

blog.pupil-progress.co.uk/blog/supporting-teachers-through-the-2020-grading-changes/preparing-for-internal-verification-of-teacher-predictions?hsCtaTracking=eae5d88b-15ff-41ba-81c1-b83ad7f5e7bc%7C3d64fbef-0bb4-4ab9-94a9-08e542cafb40

This is where it becomes so tricky. Most of us probably have a fairly realistic idea of where our kids will end up. But trying to manage that at a system level.....

[KingscoteStaff]

We know that academic fluency slips over the 6 weeks of the normal summer holidays.

Imagine what a struggle it would be to start the A level syllabus on September 4th if our DC have done nothing since March 23rd! Not to mention if they want to sit the September exams...

Of course teachers want them to keep working.

[Piggywaspushed]

That's interesting and matches my thoughts but still overlooks GCSE NEAs which may well be partially complete(and, obviously unmoderated). This will be the thorny issue for some subjects.

[ProggyMat]

Could not agree more Kings
Also, surely the grades given will have to take into account that students would have kept working and revising?
Therefore, the point at which they were at on 23rd March could quite easily improved by at least 1 if not 2 grades at the exam proper.

[Piggywaspushed]

Probably for quite a few. HPFA's post does make sense if you read the link. It is quite reassuring really.

I teach a subject with only one year's worth of data at GCSE (happily amazing) but I wonder how that will play out.

[Oakmaiden]

My daughter has just spoken to her music teacher. He has said that for WJEC music no coursework is being considered (as it wasn't due to be submitted before school closed) and the will be going purely on teacher predictions.

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