GCSEs 2021 - what on earth will happen ?

[Emmie12345]

Will the current cohort even get to Jan mocks at school?

Ds was all set to start revision in earnest tomorrow but what I wonder will happen re exams ...

They are meant to go ahead.

Ive just posted on the yr11 thread that I’m confused about these Jan mocks. Will they be standardised across all English schools?

Until these strategies are actually announced to the schools (and not just via the Sunday newspapers!) I’d just encourage your child to work hard in lessons and do their homework. Then they’ll be in the best position, whatever happens, be it exams, CAGs or something in between. It’s criminal what the DFE are doing to these young people, saying one thing but drip-feeding other things to the press, so as adults we need to stay as calm as we can on the surface!

I’ve not actually seen the Sunday papers but there’s not a lot we can do other than be chilled for our teens. Not a lot our teens can do other than keep plugging away and have zero expectations.

@NotDonna

Ive just posted on the yr11 thread that I’m confused about these Jan mocks. Will they be standardised across all English schools?

No. Because schools teach things in different orders.

DC high school have Mocks in Nov. Always have done so it can't be standardised atm
But I too would encourage all involved to apply themselves as if the mocks were the real thing

123rd luckily my DDs always apply themselves. That’s my concern. They kinda have to give 100% continuously or at least feel they have to. That’s not sustainable. Even over half term it’s been incredibly difficult to prise them away from their books even for an hour dog walk!!

The entire situation makes me very cross. It's obvious to all except the Govt that these exams cannot possibly go ahead as fair assessments in June, given the wide variety of experiences year 11 kids have had in terms of lockdown provision, periods of bubble closure/isolation, and we're only just in November and about to go through a testing Winter. My personal prediction today is that this initial month's lockdown won't work with all the kids still going to school and infecting each other and their families, and by 2nd December Govt will admit defeat and at least partially close the schools. Meanwhile kids and teachers continue to deal with the uncertainty. All they can do is keep plodding on, but as PP says they can't be at the top of their game all the time...

I suspect they will use teacher assessment again. Teachers and schools are expecting it so robust records are being kept so it'll be very accurate

I think that too Maddy, but it's the waiting and not knowing. If BoJo / Williamson made the call now kids could concentrate on what they need to do, instead is stressing about exams that may not ever happen.

If BoJo / Williamson made the call now kids could concentrate on what they need to do, instead is stressing about exams that may not ever happen.

..........123rd - but what they do for the next 10 months? If you tell them that their exams are cancelled and CAGs will be used, there will be a lot of kids who stop working and do fuck all until next Sept.

@delightfuldaisy19
Quite the opposite - if CAGs are used again we will continue to be create multiple opportunities for the students to produce evidence of their ability right up to the last minute!

Our (private) school normally does mocks in february, but are considering pushing them back a few weeks so the kids don't peak too early. They had exams in september, kind of pre mock mocks, on what they have covered so far. They seem to be taking the attitude of being hopeful for exams, but also telling the kids that everything counts now, as they need proof the children deserve whatever predicted grade given if exams are cancelled, so coursework and any other exams are to be taken seriously. It would be a foolish child to coast the rest of the year - schools will need to defend the grades.
She is fortunate that her school offered a full schedule of online learning during lockdown and are geared up for that if need be. Only one case of covid in the school so far and only one class of children needed to isolate.
I thought there was no reason to cancel exams last year - syllabus was complete, schools were empty and you sit apart during exams. This year teaching is so varied between schools it seems much harder to justify.

[quote NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy]@delightfuldaisy19
Quite the opposite - if CAGs are used again we will continue to be create multiple opportunities for the students to produce evidence of their ability right up to the last minute! [/quote]
Exactly that. They could do end of 'topic' test so subjects broken down into smaller chunks
The kids could concentrate but would have less stress. I think anyway

They'll shelve the GCSEs again, but too late to put a decent standardised system in place.

DS school has just moved their mocks from November to end Jan.

I say just give them all a blanket pass

In the future if they look back on this years' grades (if GCSEs even continue to be a thing, I reckon the jury is out on that) they will all be considered made up.

DS is currently taking mocks for which they had three weeks notice. We've been told that 'last year, these mock results proved useful in helping us to produce centre assessed grades'.

So a really worry that DS' grades will be from Nov mocks after loads of missed work in Y10 and just 7 weeks of Y11. Presuming they can keep the schools open through all this, then your kids probably will be taking mocks in Jan/Feb, so get them revising now to get the best grade they can, incase the real exams don't happen.

It's never going to be a level playing field this year but I hope DS can get enough to get on his college course and he can move on from there.

Good luck for your children this year - it's not an easy one.

On the plus side/ silver linings and all that - our run up to mocks was so short, there's only so much stress you can fit into three weeks!

It’s absolutely criminal and cruel what they are putting these kids through.
The gov have no idea how their shambolic lack of efforts have affected them and will do for decades to come.
All this pretend worry about kids well being- it’s a pack of nonsense.
Poor kids, poor parents and poor secondary school teachers.

My DS is doing his mocks this week too. Who knows whether he will get to sit the actual GCSEs in the summer. It’s all so stressful and I’m surprised they still had the mocks this week seeing as so much time has been lost this year.

My dd has mocks in a couple of weeks. They have been told to treat them as if they were the real thing. DD also has a "proper" GCSE coursework deadline that is due the week before - not the best timing! She has worked consistently throughout lockdown, and although she is feeling the pressure, she is ok. Many of her friends seem to be really on the edge, though. It's shit for the kids this year.

Are January mocks a thing? My daughter's friends in year 11 are doing mocks next week. They feel they are way behind in the curriculum already. It's a huge pressure for them.

I like your optimism but In my experience (22 years of teaching), if you tell kids that we will be using CAGs and we are not allowed to use data after a certain point (as happened this year) then many, many kids will think what’s the point in writing another sodding essay. The call of the XBox will be much more appealing.

Ds starts mocks in November

DD was doing Mock Mocks in English yesterday. She said she was absolutely freezing and her teeth were chattering when she came home. Her proper Mocks are in Nov not Jan.

My DS told me yesterday one of his teachers said they would use the November mock grades for GCSE marks if summer exams don't go ahead.
Very worried, seems unfair and not thought through.