Y11 parents - when are your kids being assessed / doing mocks?

[52andblue]

My Ds is Y11. Currently due to sit GCSE's next summer

Last assessment (predicted grades) done in Nov 2109.
Just been informed that no further assessments will be done until Feb 2021 (presumably mocks, but no actual info from school yet)

What ??? Is this standard please?

Our school are doing one lot of mocks in November this year. This is not standard and normally they would sit another set of mocks end of February, by which point they would have finished the whole course. After then the rest of the rest of the year would be used for revision.

Note this year is different to give them more time to fit in the missed out work from lockdown. Last years year 11's missed no content of our science GCSE's or A levels all they missed was revision time from the last mock to the finial exam which they didn't sit.
Which is why I've been saying for months now to anyone who will lision that they didn't really lose out at all it's this year group who missed a big chunk of the course and need to catch up. Make sure they go through any revision guides they have been given or you've bought and don't miss anything out. No content has been dropped from next year's exams.

Nov, like every year.

We have them in November and again in Feb. Your DC's school probably wants to finish the course first, after lockdown. We are only doing half the paper now

Nov and Feb

Teacher here (head of department) - my school do mocks in Dec, but each dept will be doing there own ongoing assessments as they have been since Sept. So far my year 11s have done 3 small key term/knowledge tests and 3 assessed exam questions. We’ll continue with this type of assessment, along with end of unit tests when necessary, throughout the year to build up a true picture of each child’s ability. This isn’t just because of Covid we assess like this anyway.

But they are doing NO assessments at all until Feb.

Nothing since Nov 2019?

What the heck will they base things on if exams are cancelled?

@52andblue have school actually told you this? Or is it something your DS has interpreted? I doubt very much that there’ll be zero ‘assessing’ happening. It may be more informal ‘assessing’ rather than exams. Trying to avoid the stress? I don’t think kids ever stop being assessed whether they’re aware if it or not.
DDs school usually have half GCSE mocks before Xmas and half after. This year they’re predominantly after - I’m guessing so they can cover more content. A level mocks in Feb as per usual.

They might not be doing major assessments and sending results home, but it's unlikely they're not assessing at all. They'll probably be doing plenty of past paper questions in lessons, and building up a picture that way.

They might not be doing major assessments and sending results home, but it's unlikely they're not assessing at all. They'll probably be doing plenty of past paper questions in lessons, and building up a picture that way.

They might not be doing major assessments and sending results home, but it's unlikely they're not assessing at all. They'll probably be doing plenty of past paper questions in lessons, and building up a picture that way.

They might not be doing major assessments and sending results home, but it's unlikely they're not assessing at all. They'll probably be doing plenty of past paper questions in lessons, and building up a picture that way. It will probably be at different times in different subjects, so there's no "assessment week/mock week" for you to be told about.

The school my son goes to does November mocks but only one paper for English lit as they haven't finished the final book, one paper for English lang. Most subjects are not finished being taught so this is a taster of what exams will be like.

They then do another set of mocks in February. Only after this were we given official expected grades for GCSE. But they are assessing throughout the year, always.

Ds2 is in year 10, they just sat one element of one of their History exams during a lesson as it can be done in 45 minutes. So an actual past paper.

'No formal assessments planned until next year' (no info when)
'some informal ones have taken place whilst your son was signed off by the Consultant. These cannot be caught up on'
A chemistry one is planned for next Friday (so ds tells me, not the DHT).
he has the option to stay until 5pm to take it, or miss it (there is no school bus home at that time, and its a 20 mile journey which i will do, but he will struggle hugely taking a test at that time with his ASD etc)

There was a Zoom meeting. I could see the DHT and the Senco but they did not realise that as they could not see me (none of us good with tech). I realised that further conversations with School were probably pointless when I saw the Senco nudge the DHT and make gestures with her hands as I was asking my first question. He smirked. I stopped dead. Then I said: 'do you realise I can see you?' She muttered: 'oh, god' to him and the call ended not long afterwards with promises to 'find out and get back to you'. They won't of course.

December my daughter has just been told

November they are doing 1 paper for each of their GCSEs and then in Feb they are doing the full mocks.

Our school moved end of Y10 exams to September, and they were like pre mock mocks. They have another round of less intense exams next week, and actual mocks are scheduled after February half term. They are treating the ongoing exams and assessments seriously in case they need to justify predicted grades if the exams get cancelled next year.

My son has had less formal class assessments this November ( still exam level material) they’re having mocks as soon as they go back after Christmas and then something ( he’s not clear what - probably more short assessments?) towards Easter.

Mocks next week at DDs school, it was this week but due to 25 of the year being off due to a case of Covid they moved them

January, as usual. After school holidays, so hopefully not many will need to self isolate then.

Dd year 11 is in her second week of mocks, the windows are flung open in all the exam rooms as they are in the rest of the school. She is freezing cold (so cold she can hardly write, they can’t wear a coat or anything over their school jumpers). Yet the teachers invigilating are wearing big thick coats, hats, scarves and gloves. Its shocking.

Normally they're done in November, but seeing as most of our Y11s have spent at least half of the autumn term at home in various stages of self-isolation, they've been pushed back until February.

January

I'm an invigilator. Mocks are in January at my school. We have dates for the actual exams starting May 24th so at this stage, are expecting them to be able to go ahead. However, I have two grandchildren in Yr 11 at that school and teachers are also warning them that everything they do could be used for assessment (so no slacking).

My DS had exams last month which should have been taken at the end of Y10. Then he'll have Mocks in January. In between there's lots of ongoing testing and revision classes. It's relentless at the moment.