GCSE summer 2020 thread 6 - Carry on Corona Cohort, Further adventures aboard the Corona Charabanc.

[FoolsAssassin]

The summer of discovidtent for the Corona Cohort trudging on towards results day.
Ofqual have done them a little video to explain their results:

Please feel free to join us to see what twists the next bit has in store for us all.

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@OrangeCinnamon
AQA. She needs to hang on to it until the school confirms that she can swap. If she can, I was planning to donate it to the school in September (some students are from low-income households).

Thats a good idea @Silverhill Dd OCR anycase..she really wants to carry on with Religous Studies but is a bit torn with trying something new too so Sociology it is ...gir now.

@KingscoteStaff camping ...but in your back garden?

We’ve just had an email from the school with a whole load of updates, but advises that they don’t expect the school to be fully open / back to normal in Sept & will keep us updated.

I think lots of them are planning camping which could work well if they each take their own tent. Outdoors is good, so the main issue is how campsites manage bathrooms.

hello everyone!
Totally dropped off the last thread so checking I on this one!

Apparently my school have/will tell kids their centre grades because our entry policy says they can come on to their A Levels with their CAGs if it differs from official grade. I am by this and. Grr.

That's my school for you!

Wow @piggywaspushed - that can't be good for your fellow teachers! Although as a parent I would like to know, I fully understand why we won't be told.. Our letter re results days this week yet again stated..
As you have been informed in previous emails, your results are being awarded by the exam boards following moderation and statistical analysis of evidence provided by teachers. *Your teachers are NOT awarding you the grade; it is the exam board. For that reason, you MUST NOT ask your teacher about the grade awarded. Ofqual have produced a video clip for students which can be found by following this link Ofqual - guidance for students.
So although I would like to know, I'm pleased the SLT are protecting the staff from potentially awkward converstations with students.

I think it sounds sensible. As long as the school says something like "these are your CAGs, it is likely that some will be adjusted in the moderation process, but you can "be confident that your start at sixth form is secured" or "discuss with us what changes you should make to your sixth form plans"

It will be much better for the mental health of students to have some certainty about next term even if there is still a question mark over the actual grades. It also means that if they may know early that they want to or need to sit the exam.

.... although more likely that the school will not disclose the actual CAGs, just confirm that they were good enough to meet entry requirements?

It's definitely against Ofqual rules , monkey...

Tbh, I am more annoyed that we are going to get students into A Level course who haven't got the grade (in my case we are talking grade 3s here...) who will be resitting Eng and Ma GCSEs whilst sitting A Levels that officially require 4s. I can see your perspective might be different if at your school you might ask for 7s to sit an A level but student was demoted to a 6. We ask for 4s in Eng/Ma for my subject . The uptake is huge and we had earlier this year been assuming some sort of natural wastage.

And I think it will disadvantage external applicants to the school , too.

I think there’s going to be a huge drop out rate during that first term.

Ds’s school had given reports out with predicted grades out just before lockdown (so that college applications could be made) so I wonder if they can get away wit it on that basis?

Piggy yes, definitely dodgy in terms of OFQUAL rules to give all the grades, but not if they just inform them that their CAGs are good enough for them to progress to sixth form?

Unusual to only require 4s for A level, I would have thought it was more appropriate to point people with weaker passes in the direction of other qualifications. Must be difficult if you end up with a very mixed ability group. What do you do if the course is over-subscribed? May be class size restrictions for social distancing.

The classes are 25 max and there are 2. Normally, that would reduce a bit.

4s is the limit for all subjects. Some can set 5s and maths does what it likes!

I have no idea what will happen in September rd class sizes. Sigh.

That is low. At ds’s School you have to get 5 x Grade 6 to do A levels (slightly lower requirements for practical subjects such as art but the expectation would turn be 1 A level plus a Btec certificate or diploma ) higher requirements for maths & science.

Ds is likely to get 1 Grade 7/8, maybe a 6 and the rest 4/5 except science which I doubt he will pass. He’s due to start a Btec extended diploma in the subject he’s predicted 7/8 in.

They only require 6554444 where DS is going, but to include a 6 in a written GCSE if applying for essay based subjects, 66 in sciences to study 2 sciences and 77 + 7 in maths to do 3 sciences. So I guess they are quite similar to Piggy's school for arts and humanities.

DS's school only requires 8 4s with 5s or 6s in the subjects you want to study for A Level (min grade depends on the subject). I think for their own students who are continuing but don't make grades, they already make a judgement based on the individual if they feel they are able to cope with the course. I actually think that's quite sensible - if the teacher whose been teaching them for the last 2 years think they are able to cope with A Level, I'd like to think that would be taken into account.

Just when we thought we couldnt get much lower DS has announced that he cant do any of the bridging work as he hasnt been taught the new concepts and it is just beyond him. Thankfully he agreed to email the teachers and ask what to do.
To be fair to DS it is ridiculous that they are basically attempting to teach themselves A Level maths concepts.

I told him not to worry as he was so distressed and ubered him over a Big Mac meal.

We are going to concentrate on the fitness and other stuff instead. Its just not worth his mental health at this point.

@ChristopherTracy do you think he might just be a bit rusty? Dd has said she’s stuck on the history work and needs my help. This is a girl who has never asked for help in five years at secondary! I just wonder if they’re out of practice, lacking confidence a bit?

Hopefully his teachers will help! Dd is going to a new school so no one to contact but I’ll be able to help I think.

@ChristopherTracy - you might like to look at this thread which is about a free tutoring service linking university students with school pupils who need a bit of support. Or do you have any friends with slightly older DCs who might like to do a bit of tutoring.

We are lucky that DS1 is able to support DS2 which has been surprisingly successful.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3944327-do-your-student-dc-have-any-spare-time-to-do-something-useful

To be fair to DS it is ridiculous that they are basically attempting to teach themselves A Level maths concepts.

That must be hugely demoralising. Hope MaccieD cheered him up.
DS has some bridging work but to be fair to school they were clear up front it will all be taught again in Sept as there will be new students coming in & existing students who change their choices after GCSE results. Maybe that message went astray at your DS's school?

Thanks all - DS says he knows it will be taught again but probably at pace and maybe half in school and half over video which will be a disaster for him - he is in the lowest set at a selective school. I will look at getting some formal or informal tutoring set up as I cant help him at all with A level maths.

He seems a bit brighter today - he hung the washing out before retreating to his room again. In our house thats a win!

I think some of the lack of confidence probably arising from the bridging material being A Level stuff rather than foundations. I have bridging stuff from three schools ,spanning six subjects and some of it is definitely actual curriculum content. I did say to DS that they would run out if things to teach!

I have gone for reading, watching, and some gentle research tasks for my lot. No way I want them badly learning key concepts! I don't want to create a learning GDP, so I have only set stuff that it won't matter if they don't do it.

Yes, in the last couple of weeks it dropped from the year 11s having 6 subjects to just their alevel choices and one other so they have upped the difficulty now that they only have dc who will be taking those subjects I think.

GDP is not jargon! It was meant to say gap!!

Went into school today with DD to return the textbooks the school had given out. This has cleared a big space on her work shelf. The ones we bought we'll sell at some point.
Felt weird going back in. The car park which isn't massive at best of times had a cone in every other space so the cars could social distance. I got the last available space. What will happen once school returns is anyone's guess as it's pandemonium at drop off/ pick up - I park roads away when I pick up and DD walks out but I normally get there early and wait in car park with her in the morning.