Thread 8 Carry on Corona Cohort: GAV give us the CAG?

[OrangeCinnamon1]

Welcome all to the 8th Thread for this year's GCSE cohort the Corona Cohort!

Some of us have been here since I started first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. It is hoped this will continue. Going forward we intend to stay in secondary so any new threads should have 'GCSE Summer 2020 Thread # : Carry on Corona Cohort' in title just to make it easier to find.

From now on our DS/DD may go down various paths so we decided not to be exclusionary and stay right here in Secondary until HQ chuck us
At this precise moment in time we are awaiting GCSE results that seem to have been produced by an algorithm that also takes very little account of Teacher Centre Assessed Grades. There is an appeal process but it was changed yesterday to include mock results and coursework, then taken down again for review.
Trying to protect our young people's mental health.during this shit show , which the government claims is their priority...when they talk about wanting students back in schools/college in September...

first ever thread

previous thread

Ours have to collect and sign for them. We have to keep them for a certain number of years before destroying them and so we have to keep records of what we have done with them.

Depends on the school whoamI. Ds’s school usually have some kinds of awards thing in the autumn but that might not happen this year. Otherwise you go in to collect. DD’s school posted.

Aww thank you @FoolsAssassin it is a roller coaster ride as a parent of a SEN DC, that's for sure. My younger two are both NT and it has been such a different primary school journey for them. I wouldn't change DS for the world but sometimes the world is a very difficult and frustrating place for him. Your DD sounds wonderful.

I too am grateful to the Eton and other high profile indy head teachers who spoke out. I think what this whole shitshow did at least prove was that so many people were determined to try and get the fairest possible outcome for students and that can only be a good thing.

Gah, I've just realised I wrote 'Corona Consort' rather than 'Corona Cohort' on an earlier post. No idea who the Consort is. Too much wine

Thanks @MrsHamlet

Shame they are not telling us when the actual results are being issued!!
Presumably CAGs will stand and can only be upgraded in the official results in the rare case than the calculated grade is higher?

My exams officer friends don't know what it's going to look like. There is a suspicion that it's all being made up on the fly.

That's ridiculous that they have to wait another week. Just a few hours ago the modified grade was the actual result so why do we have to wait another week for it!

That’s interesting about the certificates, do the schools produce the results slips? Do they ever get it wrong? In Scotland schools don’t issue the results for the Scottish exams. Certificates are received in the post on results day, pupils can also sign up for txt it email results. At the moment the SQA (Scottish exam authority) is in the process of producing new certificates for everyone who is now getting their CAG. The certificate is also a bit like a living document so every time a new level is achieved the next certificate will state all a candidate’s achievements.

Ahhhh: and breath! I think I'll sleep better tonight! We were out canoeing just before the 4pm announcement came in my phone was in a dry bag and the rain set in: it was pinging away with various messages and I couldn't check it: torture!!

Me and ds (another SEN candidate: autistic and with dyslexia < waves>) are both so relieved: I feel like I'll sleep better tonight than I have in weeks!

Results slips come on the day but the certificates only have the final grades on. So if you got remarked, your certificate only shows the final award. And they have natty holographs and the like.

Another SEN mum here!

Ds went to local academy who apparently specialise is asd. They destroyed him long story short after having knife pulled in him he got managed move to decent out of catchment MS and I got him an ehcp via tribunal.

That alone made a difference. School 1, 140 pax per year, 55% pass rate maths 4-9 average last few years.

Current school. 215pax per year. Above NA pass rate 4-9 and 5-9 every year.

Massive improvement in his chances and mocks all 6-9 (except English 2/3!)

Heart rate dropped about 20 BPM when announcement was made earlier. It may not make a huge difference in the end to him but I felt every student should be judged by the teachers who know them best.

Now if the media could just stop calling them estimated grades .....🤯

Have just caught up with the news!

Fab that we’re now getting CAGs. Some of you may remember that DS is at a new school so first cohort of GCSEs so had been advised he probably wouldn’t be affected by the algorithm but still thrilled that all students will be getting the CAGs.

So what is the difference between “CAGs” given on Thursday and “results” given next week?

Also, in all the drama I forgot that DS actually took a BTEC too, any news on those? He’s already taken the exam part (25% I believe) last year and got distinction but not all of the assignments were completed before lockdown

Oh yes,
“Estimated” and “predicted” grades are not useful terms here at all

My ds has autism and hereditary spastic paraparasis.

Thank you for the replies. DD school hasn’t been in touch at all since March apart from one email to tell us that we’ve got to wait till just before midday on Thursday for the results

I'm an SEN mum too, I was very worried about the tracking back to KS2 SATS thing with the algorithm as that was before DS had his EHCP which has made such a big difference.

Just to clarify do we get slips on Thursday with the results which they have been awarded (CAG’s). What do they get next week then? Sorry to sound so dim but with everything that is going on I need to be told in plain English 😂

Next week is "official results"

I assume that means their CAG or calculated grade if higher.

Poor teachers. I'm pretty sure 2020 has been hard enough trying to teach various ways and worrying about returning with not many measures in September.

To now have half their holiday spent sorting and stressing over gcse and a level grades.

And many have already worked Easter and half term and/or provided tutoring for free.

Next petition - extra day off for all teachers next year! Reinstate or re do the VE Day BH we missed

I’m not sure but think they will get CAG on Thursday and then get told the next week if any of them change because the calculated grade were higher?

If the calculated ones were going to be given on Thursday then why aren’t they being given out then? Makes me wonder what’s going to happen to them in between. I may have gone overly cynical though.

This is all an exercise so that no one (including schools!) sees the moderated grades unless they are higher. In other words, we will never be able to see for ourselves how badly downgraded some students / subjects/ centres might have been...

I'm more confused than ever.
@Piggywaspushed does that mean they'll get CAG on Thursday and then official results next week will include calculated grades if they are higher, so basically results can go up between Thursday and next week!

@MrsHamlet that’s bonkers and doesn’t even make sense. ‘Official results’ why are they labelling the moderated results as ‘official results’. Is that what they mean?

laffie , much debate on Twitter but that is what I think.

They will never get to know the algorithm gave them a 2 for music, or whatever..(unless the CAG was a 1)

I think you could be right there Piggy

itsgettingweird I teach primary now, but a big thank you for your shout out to teachers.

Let's hope our dcs can all move on from this ridiculous debacle and have a calmer year next year. I fear that may be wishful thinking :(

Thank you everyone for all your support, and teachers for all your invaluable insights. Let’s hope we all get a better night’s sleep tonight.