The government should be made to fulfil their promise re Autumn GCSE sittings since there is now no appeals procedure. [Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

[H0usePlant]

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/education/2020/apr/22/schools-and-exam-boards-undermine-promise-to-pupils-of-september-tests

So having had the chance to sit GCSEs( understandable in the circumstances if schools don’t go back until the Autumn) the gov promised a robust appeals procedure and Autumn sittings. There is now no appeals procedure to speak off as regards actual results and it’s looking less likely there will be Autumn sittings.

They promised both originally and many kids are going to be really upset that through no fault of their own that there will be no chance to put right any issues with GCSE grades allocated. It will surely have an impact on the future chances of those wishing to attend Russel group unis.

Having read several year 11 threads it’s clear all schools aren’t adhering to advice that work from home after school stopped is not to be used.Many kids do cram( there is no gcse rule book prohibiting this), some kids will have had issues outside and inside school that will have an impact on grades being allocated without exams. Private schools have an added incentive for higher results and no Sats data. Teachers, schools and circumstances vary. As such it’s clear in all likelihood there will be discrepancies.

My dd has had an awful time and isn’t holding out much hope that she’ll get what she should/ could have done. She has been working hard since school left for Autumn sittings as that is what was promised. These appear to be disappearing too. Sitting GCSEs next summer whilst studying for A levels isn’t workable. They have hoards of free time and anxiety now. She is now feeling powerless to put right any discrepancies herself. We as parents will be powerless to do anything when results come out.

It’s shit and the gov should surely be offering money to exam boards to ensure exams are held in the Autumn as they promised.

It isn't true that people were told work done after the schools closed wouldn't count. The wording was that any pupils who didn't do any further work/assessments wouldn't be disadvantaged. So in my DS's school he is still doing gcse work and assessments for the next three weeks which I understand would be used to support the grades awarded.

And although private schools don't do sats, well they do plenty of exams other tests to support whichever results they are awarded.

It is a crazy situation and I feel for all yr 11 and 13 pupils.

But what are her school offering? In just over 3 weeks my DS starts pre a level prep in his chosen subjects - are her school doing similar?

The communication has been a little muddled but personally we were never going to do re-sits. Once DS starts a levels that will be his focus and if necessary he will take a gap year and apply for university then as another poster suggested.

No Teen that wasn’t us. Why wouldn’t you let school know, especially now?

I’m not sure many parents realise the only way to put right discrepancies now is for Aut sittings.

I’m not sure many parents realise the only way to put right discrepancies now is for Aut sittings.

I think most parents will accept the grades their children are given. Every year there are students that are disappointed. If they are really fussed they retake. In reality very few do.

But that isn’t fair Mrscampbell, it really isn’t.

If my dd had had that opportunity we’d be happier. The system isn’t a level playing field is it. We really don’t want to get into complaining re unfairness which interestingly you can’t now anyway. She just wants her chance to show what she could have done if sitting now. Some kids clearly are getting that opportunity by the back door.

I don't understand why you and your DD seem so anxious that the school won't grade her correctly then?

This isn’t every year and in previous years the chance to sit exams wasn’t taken away from them.

I'm in the middle of grading GCSE's right now, it's a very thorough process taking into account lots of different factors. It's taking hours.

Teen because she wants good grades(not top) and surely you need plenty of evidence for that not sporadic bits.

If she had been given the chance to submit extra now like others are she’d be providing it in spades. It clearly isn’t fair. But she thought no point crying over what you can’t change just get on and prove yourself by sitting the exam. We supported her in that as thought it was sensible. The original info/ advice told kids to do that.

The system isn’t a level playing field is it.
Nor were exams.

We really don’t want to get into complaining re unfairness which interestingly you can’t now anyway
Unfairness of what?

She just wants her chance to show what she could have done if sitting now.
June 2021 is available.

Some kids clearly are getting that opportunity by the back door.
What opportunity?

Kids not doing extra now will be disadvantaged. Two kids at the same level with the same amount of evidence. The kid doing extra now gets the justification needed to get the higher grade. The other doesn’t. How is that fair if you can’t even have a chance in the autumn to sit and put it right?

@pinkblanchmange

Agreed. Even classes of 19 are taking approx 6 hours to decide. Cohorts are nowhere near done yet but 8 hours invested so far.

June is impossible. Who can study for Aleveks and GCSEs across a whole year. You could just swing it for the Aut.

If some are getting extra work and assessment now, they all should. The advantage is obvious. Least of all the fact that doing work at home unsupervised for assessment is very unreliable.

i agree with teachers posting here about the process. Clearly it's far from ideal, but it will be thorough and it will be to a massive extent accurate. Op you do need to realise this.

I was a teacher for years and as others say, very rarely surprised by a grade. Certainly almost never surprised at a higher grade than I thought.

I called what DS2 would get last year with only a couple of grades wrong, and I wasn't even his teacher.

A massive jump up between Feb/March and May is not that common. Teachers will know what your dd would have achieved.

Unis don't care that much about GCSE grades beyond the basics, they care about A level predicted and to some extent personal statement, then maybe extra things like relevant work exp.

I'm sorry your dd is struggling op, and I see that you and she are frustrated and disappointed, but if I were you I would encourage her to focus on her A level choices and Eng and Maths if she thinks these might be below a 5.

surely you need plenty of evidence for that not sporadic bits

Ofqual have appreciated every setting is different with regards to evidence. There is no formal evidence they want us to provide. School cannot tell you what evidence they are considering. I can't tell you what my school are doing. But I will reassure you it isn't just mock grades, or just homework marks, or just assessments. It's a thorough process with allowance for gut feel. Remember we are awarding the grades we think they would have got in the summer. Not the grades we have evidence they have achieved.

Also agree re time taken, I am assessing a private candidate and it will take hours.

If some are getting extra work and assessment now, they all should. The advantage is obvious. Least of all the fact that doing work at home unsupervised for assessment is very unreliable.

Most setting have stopped setting work for GCSEs. We have continued to set work but made it explicit that it is not assessed work.

H0use I don't think you are correct.

If a school is taking extra evidence now, I can't see how that will help its overall grade profile for a subject. The school's submitted grades will be checked statistically over their usual results. They can't suddenly uplift everyone.

The unfairness actually comes when a school lets people continue to submit late evidence, as the school won't actually know who has done the work. That would allow individual pupils to leapfrog others in their own ranking order.

Schools will know pupils improve from mocks to real exams. They will know which pupils were working hard to improve and which won't.

If your DD is a hard working high achiever, I don't really see why she shouldn't get awarded the 'right' results.

The unfairness actually comes when a school lets people continue to submit late evidence, as the school won't actually know who has done the work. That would allow individual pupils to leapfrog others in their own ranking order.

100% this

Hence why we are ignoring any work after 23rd March

Hec that is reassuring. We’ve tried to inform school of everything along the way but also to step away as sure they’re inundated now . Didn’t contact teachers. Put all efforts into Aut sittings as advised. Really don’t want her doing June sittings.

The fact others are getting to continue submitting work for assessment is really unfair. Surely all should have had that opportunity if others are.

Teachers aren't stupid, we know if any kids are sending us work now then it's possibly not their own work. We're looking at a huge range of factors before deciding on grades.

Teen no they couldn’t uplift everyone but for some on boarder lines or those who are a tricky case it will be an advantage surely. Two kids very similar from different schools, the kid doing the extra will have an advantage.

Ofquals statement means centre's have to pretty much ignore any work done.

By not disadvantaging students who haven't done the work, you conversely can't advantage students who have because of the nature of the ranking process.

Anecdotally most schools I have heard of are ignoring anything post 23rd March.

I also think you're getting a bit bothered about the word evidence. We won't be sending any evidence to ofqual. I don't think they will ever ask for it unless we launch a cohort level appeal which is very unlikely.

I just find all the fairness, variations in schools and mess not worth thinking about. The best and healthiest thing to do was to get on, study and show what you can do. Told dd then there would be no what ifs. She’d have knowingly done her best and all she could do. I think they deserve the chance to do that.

As it stands it’s what she wants to do and she’d be gutted if they went ahead and she hadn’t prepared. I don’t want it on my shoulders if I tell her to just focus on Alevels.

For those on the borderline, the centre assessed grade isn't a guarantee anyway. The grades will be moderated statistically nationally so students may move up or down. The grade the teacher inputs may not be the grade the student ends up with. Ofqual have also been clear about this.

The extra work cannot be an advantage. It's not allowed to be.

Hec but if a teacher had given a higher grade due to newly submitted work then that kid is taking away a grade from somebody else when boards shuffle, or not?