Summer consultations gcse year 10

[Blubell46]

Please read and give your opinion

Will need to complete in 2 weeks

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/897137/ConsultationnonproposeddchangestootheassessmenttofGCSEsASSandAAlevelsinn2021020620.pdf

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Very interesting, if a somewhat depressing read as a parent of a struggling y10.

Especially depressed that they won't even provide more formulae for maths & science, considering that, up until the changes, many more formulae were provided as standard.

Looks like we'll have to rearrange our July holiday too.

Totally agree Teen. Providing formulae sheets seems to be an obvious move to me. It all seems to be tinkering round the edges and can’t really pick up on anything that will be of any meaning full benefit to my year 10 DD.

I’m also concerned that moving the exam start date to June 7 will mean losing the half term week mid exams. My elder DD did her GCSEs last year and really needed that exam free week. I can’t imagine how she would have coped with four straight weeks of exams.

The week of break was a relief for my DS last year too (he was able to leave a couple of papers fairly untouched until then, Although a good 3/4 of his exams were before the break. Also, his school generally breaks up around June 27th , as does most of the private sector, so not quite sure what will happen there.

The change in history, so they only have to answer 2 out of 3 of the modules will make a big difference to the candidates, probably bigger than the MFL orals change which some pupils will also enjoy.

I guess IGCSEs will follow suit. On dates they surely will have to although it may present problems with their overseas operations.

I had seen a report of this in the news. One thing pointed out is the timing of results for those going to uni or changing schools for sixth form. And if the GCSE exams are pushed but the A levels/IB are not, do schools have the space to run those exams concurrently? Our school has more space than most and we'd struggle. And agree about losing that half term break, with upwards of 20 or so exams it is needed!

I'm dumbfounded by these proposals our Year 10s have missed 1/3 of their courses and all they're proposing is a reduction of subject material in history and geography and a reduction in coursework. My daughter literally will benefit from a 3 minute reduction of performance and composition in music and one module in History. There are no allowances being made in my opinion - our kids are supposed to catch up essentially. Pretty furious and have filled in the consultation.

I have finally read the consultation and I was really disappointed in the changes.

Unless I am mistaken they are assuming the kids will hit the road running in Autumn term!

Science remove 8 practicals and observe - wouldn't some of those practicals been completed in early year 10 and I don't think the kids will have enough time to recap the Summer term

English lit- still 100% Shakespeare is a hard language to grasp and if you are learning it over the summer term with not much on line teaching...how would the child fully comprehend it and that assuming they are still focused

This year is an unusual year and the grades were based on 100% why can't they split it and make it 50% teachers based and 50% exam- would that be possible?

I am worried that our children will be coming back to school in September anxious having been off for so long and will have other things on their mind not just work and then go into full flow of year 11.

In my opinion, the suggestions made in most subjects my dc is taking is minimal .

I really hope teachers complete it as they will have a better knowledge if this is fair - for a parents point of you I think not.

Those schools that moved forward with the curriculum and embraced online learning may be ok. Those that have done revision worksheets for four months, not so much.

Giving them a formula sheet for science would make a good deal of difference to lower ability students. I spent a lot of last year drilling s very low ability group in recalling formulae and how to re-arrange because I knew they could do that, at the expense of teaching some of the harder topics.

With a formula sheet, I wouldn’t have to do the drilling and could spend ,y time teaching more content.

My DS is pretty much stuffed. He has struggled so much to work at home without the face to face support. His school have been great but he’s still struggling. He was way behind already and was only on predicted 4s and 5s.

Trying to help him at home has really illustrated for me that the education system just doesn’t work for kids like DS. I just want him to be done with school now.

Our children are only 14/15 and so very young to understand the discipline of being self taught something these kids learn in later life.

I think the education needs to do more and rethink there strategy

Year 10 are still going through the covid and so I don't see why they can't be treated differently to all the other years and compromise .

Thanks for this OP. Nothing that will really effect my DS except the change of dates and I don’t really understand why pupils sitting History will get a choice on questions but not pupils sitting Geography (unless I’ve read that wrong) Os there a lot more content to History?

I haven’t had a child go through GCSEs yet but I can see how the half term break would be a benefit. Perhaps they could do a few before and the majority after, so the reverse of doing the majority before and a few after?

To be honest I just want them to make a decision so teachers and pupils know where they stand before they start in Yr11!

I agree @TeenPlusTwenties
Providing the formula would help, not just with Maths and Science but helps with time pressures of other subjects (they don't need to spend time revising the formula).

I read the whole thing last night and filled in the form to have my say. I agree with the PP who said they should do 50% teacher assessment and 50% exam so they get the experience of exams (which will be beneficial if they are moving on to FE) but some of the grade is teacher assessed to take some of the pressure off.
Removing the geography field study is helpful in so much that they should have done it in the summer term so at least they won't have to do that. DS is doing Spanish and I think I read that the Spoken part isn't going to be included in the exam grade but as a separate grade? Not entirely sure how that will be helpful. They are reducing the assessed sports for GCSE PE from 3 down to 2, however many of the sports children do are summer sports (DS was doing cricket and athletics) so they've now got to find alternative sports which they may not be naturally able at in order to be assessed on which is crazy.

The thing Im most frustrated is with English Lit. DS started Romeo and Juliet the week before lockdown. They have had no teaching at all on the book (which I appreciate is a school issue) and he has basically had to teach himself the play. He is more science/maths minded so it's been really hard going.
I also agree that the formula sheets would be incredibly helpful as it would provide much needed time when they can revise other things rather than formula.
Please if people haven't filled in the consultation, please do so!

On the feedback I said I didn't see why for Eng Lit they couldn't count the 'best 3 out of 4' sections or something to allow for one topic being weaker than the others having been taught this term.

I also said I really wanted a week's break in the middle to allow for rest/recuperation/revision so it wasn't just a test of stamina.

The deadline to complete is the 16th July, which they recognise is very short.

So please please give your comments- the more who respond the better picture they will have in how to amend each individual subject

Thanks for posting this.

@TeenPlusTwenties

On the feedback I said I didn't see why for Eng Lit they couldn't count the 'best 3 out of 4' sections or something to allow for one topic being weaker than the others having been taught this term.

I also said I really wanted a week's break in the middle to allow for rest/recuperation/revision so it wasn't just a test of stamina.

That's a good idea Teen, you can't say, let's ditch the 20th century text, as schools will do them in different orders, but yy everyone is bound to have a text they are weaker on. I don't see why that couldn't be done, would take the pressure off a bit.

The PE sport thing is a real worry.

Thanks for posting this; I wasn’t aware