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.

Why on earth is it crazy?Does Autumn mean Sep, Oct or Nov? It’s ok for those whom this won’t be an issue but for others it’s a big deal. Autumn means they’ll need to study all though the summer and potentially through the beginning of Alevel courses. Would be good to have some idea that is all.

@WombatChocolate

The Ofqual guidance about work undertaken after schools were closed on 20 March is as follows:

"There is no requirement to set additional mock exams or homework tasks for the purposes of determining a centre assessment grade and no student should be disadvantaged if they are unable to complete any work set after schools were closed. Where additional work has been completed after schools and colleges were closed on 20 March, Heads of Centre should exercise caution where that evidence
suggests a change in performance. In many cases this is likely to reflect the circumstances and context in which the work is done."

My reading of this is that schools can but don't have to take into account any work done between 20 March and the submission of the grades, but they need to be careful about bumping up grades based on work done during that period. However, "exercising caution" is not the same as disallowing it.

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...)

Scotland's education system is completely separate from the UK. They have gone their own way, there are just many similarities because there were not a lot of choices on how to proceed.

@aut0replenish they won’t be retakes given the exams haven’t happened but an opportunity to sit the rxam in early autumn term. There will also be the opportunity to appeal the result as well. Obviously this will get tricky if students want to resist lots of papers and are also starting A level or other further Ed courses.

It’s quite vague isn’t it?

I like the ranking element so if a school over marks on the whole, they know which to downgrade.

@aut0replenish - having been both a teacher and examiner for English - both GCSE and A level I can tell you that exam system isn’t particularly fair either. This is a pretty decent solution and as a teacher and parent of a Year 11 I’m pretty happy with it. We have lots of evidence to sort our rank order.

Some will want to sit the exams for a whole variety of reasons. It seems like such a mess. Some schools/ teachers will be over generous, some not generous enough in comparison. They will all have different levels of experience.Some kids will get less than they would have done if sitting the exams. Some more.Just makes any grade seem pointless. How on earth will they wade through the appeals and deal with them on an even playing field?

I just think a more specific time estimate for resits( for the want of a better word) ASAP would be really helpful. Obviously you can appeal but the best thing for some will be to take it on the chin and just sit the exams.

This graphic from the OCR board is a helpful summary.

There is opportunity to sit an exam both in Autumn and next summer, so students could have two chances, if they are not happy. To be honest, I think it is more likely teachers over estimate than under, however, most teachers really do know their students and will have lots of opportunities from the past two years to draw on their decision making and exam boards will be checking this. I think it’s all pretty fair given the current situation.

I don’t know. I’ve gone to moderating meetings in the past albeit not secondary. Some teachers are real sticklers for not being over generous. Others really generous. Assessments differ too.It’s pot luck as to what you scenario you have working out your grades

I think where it’s going to fall down is those poor classes who have had a series of supply teachers over the last two years. For instance in some very challenging schools with high staff turnover and absence will not have a lot of data to go on.

Frankly we’re resigned to what ever she gets as can do nothing about it but need some kind of a plan ASAP re sitting the exams in order to move forward. It’s not just having grades she’s not happy with forever but getting on Alevel courses she has applied for. She won’t be alone.

Scotland's education system is completely separate from the UK

I suggest you brush up on your geography... Scotland is PART of the UK.

But the point stands - exactly the same approach to awards as the exam boards south of the border which is as it should be given that Scottish students will be applying for places in English/Welsh/N Irish universities, and vice versa.

@aut0replenish I get what you are saying BUT - as various posters have pointed out previously, the exam system isn't perfect either and there have always been issues with the marking of exams as well. Some exam markers are much harsher than others.

In the same way that the last-minute crammers potentially lose out under this system, the consistent hard workers who might crumple under the stress of exam conditions will potentially benefit. There is no system that would be completely fair to all unfortunately.

No but having every single exam taken away from you after a difficult period is very different to a consistent plodder buckling in one or two exams or having an over zealous marker in one or two.

There is no system that would be completely fair to all unfortunately.

Absolutely - impossible to create a system like that. But I think that across the UK the exam boards have made the best decisions for the majority, in a very short time period. Who knows, had this outbreak started in August/September when the exams were still 6 months or more away, decisions may have been different. But Scottish Highers were due to start on something like 28th April. They just didn't have the time to come up with lots of alternatives, evaluate them, consider impacts.

The fact that the whole of the UK is adopting the same approach makes it much clearer for students and universities.

It’s pot luck as to what you scenario you have working out your grades

If a teacher/department don’t have a range of data/evidence on a pupil after practically two years of teaching them, then that is appalling.

If you look more closely at the guidance (there are multiple documents giving more in depth guidance), it is very clear to outline what evidence teachers can use (explicitly not just mocks and NEAs) in order to make it much more fair. In all honesty, if a student has not ever produced anything (give it homework, classwork, tests, mocks, projects) of higher grade work in two years, then it is highly unlikely they would have pulled it out of the bag in the June exams anyway.
For those pupils who can pull it out the bag with very short crammed revision (a tiny minority) then that is what the Autumn exams are for.

I fully appreciate that this is a very stressful time for you and your daughter but these grades are not just going to be picked in just a couple of seconds/out of thin air)
Give the schools and exam boards a little more time to collate this guidance so that they do everything they can, not to misinterpret anything and not disadvantage anyone.

So will they be able to start alevels and do retakes at the same time. Will 6th forms be expected to be sympathetic?

Can I ask a question please?

If the students dont know the grades submitted how do they know what university will take them? I have a DS who is predicted 3 A*'s and has 5 university offers the highest being at AAA.

How will he know how he did in the end?

Does Autumn mean Sep, Oct or Nov?

It says in the Autumn session or the next summer session.
So I would take that to be when the normal Autumn retakes are, which is usually November,

How will he know how he did in the end?

He'll get his results in the summer as usual. Hopefully around mid August as usual.

Some schools/ teachers will be over generous, some not generous enough in comparison.

The assessment boards will still be moderation using school past data, so if their exam grades overall are higher than their normal ones in previous years it will be noted.

Will 6th forms be expected to be sympathetic?

Yes. They have already told to be, when the whole exam thing first was cancelled.

Thank you. Our school asks us not to ask the teachers presumably to stop any arguments about what is being submitted until it it too late to do anything about them. I do agree with this approach btw.

So he will get his grades lets say August and then he will be told whether he has made either of his two university choices.

I presume that although he has 5 offers he will need to drop 3 of them as normal? If he doesnt get into his Firm and Insurance then he goes into Clearing?

Yes, the UCAS selection has remained the same although the deadline for making those choices has been put back.

If all 5 offers were received by 31 March - deadline to make first and second choice is 19th May.
If received hem all between then and 20 May - deadline is 4th June.

I presume that although he has 5 offers he will need to drop 3 of them as normal? If he doesnt get into his Firm and Insurance then he goes into Clearing?

Yes the cycle operates as usual, although dates have been amended. Do make sure he firms and insures on time otherwise he'll be outright rejected. He'll get his uni place outcome on Track as usual and yes if both decline him he'll automatically be in clearing.