GCSE and A-level guidance has been issued

[TheletterZ]

The guidelines for the GCSE and A-levels has now come out.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877842/Summer_2020_grades_for_GCSE_AS_A_level_EPQ_AEA_in_maths_-_guidance_for_teachers_students_parents.pdf

Main points, schools will come up with the grades using their professional judgement and performance in exams, assessments, in class etc...
They will then rank the students in each grade band.
This will then be subject to statistical analysis by ofqual and might be adjusted.
The results will be published ahead of the usual schedule and certificate will look exactly the same as any other year.

Just been reading this.

Also - early entries, so doing exam in Year 10, are unlikely to be awarded a grade and asked to sit next year instead.

From the document:

More

Results in August, but no later than normal exam date hopefully.

I’m just glad there is some guidance now. I’m in both boats, a daughter in year 11 and a teacher. Seems as fair as it can be but I am not looking forward to ranking students, especially between classes!

Aldo, glad the results will be out by the normal results day or earlier.

Wonder if the schools/teachers will be under pressure to reveal the grades?

The guidance states that grades should not be revealed to parents or students. There's a section in the teachers' guide that states that these are exempt from GDPR regulations, whereby a student can request their personal data, the estimated grades are exempt under a section the Data Protection Act.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877930/Summer_2020_grades_for_GCSE_AS_A_level_EPQ_AEA_in_maths_-_guidance_for_heads_of_centres.pdf

Do they rank the students by subject or across the year group? Surely it's got to be by subject (fingers very tightly crossed.........................!)

By subject - so for core subjects the whole year will be ranked but options subject just those taking that subject

So for instance the geography teachers will decide on who they predict would have gotten a 5 in geography. Then they rank all of those grade 5 students against each other and submit that data.

Phew! Not out of the woods but DD is very good at some subjects and far worse at others (probably like most I guess).

It's going to be really hard for the Y11s to work out whether or not to re-sit as they won't have revised or done the exams and are likely only to have a handful of weeks to decide and resit. Perhaps if resits would be "upwards-only" but otherwise it's going to be a real gamble.

The advice is totally as expected -teacher grades will be issued based on expectations if they had sat exams, then the boards will put that data into a formula along with the rank order, student prior performance and historical school attainment to deliver annoverall grade.

It is the best that can happen now. It is good that schools are not totally responsible - what they submit might not be final grade once student prior attainment and school preformance and establishing similar attainment to previous years are considered. It is good that students should not ask and schools not reveal what is input.

It is good that students are clear that they do not need to submit further work or try to continue to prove themselves. It is now out of their hands (like after exams) and they just have to wait and see.

Did anyone hear More Or Less on Radio 4 abiut predicted A Level grades this week? It mentioned that 75% of UCAS prediction grades are over-predictions. This year too, many students won't be awarded their UCAS predictions because they are overly generous. Usually those students are a bit disappointed but know it was based on their exam. This year they might feel a bit cheated, even though many wouldn't have actually got those grades anyway. However, the option to challenge via an Autumn exam remains, which is good.

Remember too that even very good Unis often take students with less than their UCAS offer when it comes to results day. The same will be the case this year too.

Hope students feel reassured that they do t have to keep producing A Level work and can start to look forward a bit now.

I;ve just read the Scottish guidance and it's exactly the same. (Unusual, as Scotland often likes to go their own way on all of this...)

I have a 17 year old who should have been sitting Highers - our university entrance qualifications. He's relieved that the SQA are taking a holistic approach and not just looking at prelim results as he did badly in one subject, although well in others. They will also look at the coursework which he has already submitted (except in Maths, which has no coursework).

The ranking in order and comparing to previous years makes a lot of sense too.

I trust his teachers to get this right. I know how busy teachers are going to be with all this and I also believe the right checks and balances are in place to stop a school saying everyone was on track for an A*.

It's very tough for our young people, especially for those who are planning on Uni places on the basis of these results.

Anybody know about retakes, my dd might might want to do them if her grades aren’t what she wanted. Like many I suspect she hasn’t had the best year for a variety of reasons. She needs a time frame so she can revise for gcse retakes and focus on prep. Didn’t find the advice that useful or saying anything new.😩

Sorry Alevel prep

Can I ask a question that I appreciate might make sound foolish but here goes ...

I have picked up on a pp saying that there is no point struggling through with subjects that they were sitting in June 2020 (year 10 English Lit in my son's case) as the marks they already have will be the ones that will be used.

Would I be wise to tell him to concentrate on the subjects that are important only? DS had a tutor for English Lit to try and get him up to standard for June but I don't want him to spend a lot of time on this subject if it's a done deal. I would rather he completed the work that he would take at A level.

Hope that makes sense but would appreciate any replies. Thank you

I'm still not entirely clear on whether any work done at the start of next term will count. Schools vary widely in their approach to this and how can Ofqual ensure that kids who haven't done anything since 20 Mar won't be disadvantaged?

Ranking could be very difficult in schools that have lots of very bright DC such as the super selective grammar schools. Will they allow joint ranking I wonder? The top of the ranking could be quite crowded.

No joint ranking allowed @BubblesBuddy.

At my Y10 DD's school they'd all been entered for the exam in one subject, had sat the mock alongside the Y11s and are now unlikely to get a grade. Guidance says Ofqual will consult on this but it's because the Y10s don't need the grade to progress to the next stage. Whilst I do understand the logic, Y10 is already going to be hugely disadvantaged by having to take statutory exams next year without any active teaching for a significant proportion of the course. It seems unreasonable to expect them to re-revise for a course they'd completed on top of that.

Luckily for DD, it's not a subject she'll continue with and isn't a core subject so I expect we'll withdraw her from it if need be.

No, it says work done since schools closed won't be counted.
Have a good look at the government advice to schools and teachers.
It's really important students can now relax and know that judgements will be made and are out of their control at this point.
Since schools finished, some schools have set lots of work and some none - no-one will be disadvantaged and the teacher judgement will be based on their knowledge of students across the course and what they would expect them to get if they sat the final exam.

Remember, teachers know that many students see uplift before now and the usual May exams - because they have school input and revise hard. The grades which will be input will be expected final grade if sitting the exam - not the grade on one recent essay or assessment - those final exam grades take everything into account and the gov website suggests lots of things teachers should consider such as (and it doesn't matter if any school/subject doesn't have all of them) like boo work, homework, assessments, mock exams, NEA if it exists, etc etc - anything that builds the picture.

Schools will be keen to have their students achieve as well as possible - rest assured that no-one will be 'doing them down' but the rank order is to ensure schools can't be overly generous and that if the statistical models suggest X amount from Y school should get a grade A* in Chemistry, it will be X amount who get it and if the school has suggested more than X amount, it will be the highest ranked (once prior attainment and school previous performance) has been taken into account.

It is unlikely schools will see lower results for their overall cohort than previously as the gov will have to be a little bit generous. Unless this cohort have substantially worse GCSEs than previous years in the school, results will follow a similar pattern - so similar %s of students getting each grade in each subject. As always,with exams too, schools with excellent attainment year on year, and students with excellent prior attainment at GCSE will do better - that's what happens in exams too. The teacher will have a chance to reflect where an individual student has outperformed what their GCSEs might have indicated (or underperfomred) but across whole cohorts each year, it is possible to project forward with some degree of accuracy from prior attainment.

Universities always take students who did not quite meet their offer. They will do so again.

Top selectives can still rank their students. They just out more students into the top grades and based on the school and the student prior attainments, more students in those schools will be awarded top grades.

The ones who are less likely to get those grades are the ones who are ranked at the bottom within any grade - but that is always the case - there are students who are hopefully an A*, but when they get an A, no-one is very surprised.

I think ranking is a very good idea.

So no info on retakes?

LetterZ and Fuckweasel, thank you so much for posting those docs. The process seems as fair as it can be in the circs.

Subjects like maths and english will be a bit of a nightmare with multiple teachers, but they will manage. Unfortunately those who will lose out are the ones who were planning to cram over the next few weeks - but I doubt that strategy works for many.

Bright kids can manage it, always worked for me. It’s not just the last minute crammers but those who have had problems outside of lessons that will lose out too. Just doesn’t seem fair. Really need some info re retakes. If they’re not going to happen it would be good to know so time isn’t wasted and focus on A levels starts.

It just feels as if the kids who are in a position to stay on task all year without issues will benefit. Students differ and have different personalities/ life experiences.

It’s all such a mess. I feel so sorry for them all.

They've said quite clearly that retakes will be in the autumn. It's taken them this long to issue guidance for the summer; that was the priority surely? Now I expect they'll deal with the exam schedule. It's getting a bit crazy now; there needs to be a bit of calming down and waiting. The students and patents can't do any more. You can't change it, you just need to wait.