Exams cancelled

[noblegiraffe]

Alternative arrangements will be made.

How stressful to announce that with no details about what will happen.

I'm impressed @portico that your DS is happy to re-sit. Hopefully he won't have to.
We are hoping for passes for my DS. He is a round peg in a square hole for school and would not be open to taking exams again unless forced to.
He is amazing and has so many other attributes that will help him do well on his chosen path. Just needs to get enough passes to get on the next step!
I'm less stressed now we have received his mock November results.

I have noticed schools here have been 'overwhelmed with applicants for sixth form' for next years intake. I was told this by one school locally and that they are not taking 'reserve' applications due to this

I am unsure why they are so overwhelmed this year unless it is due to pupils deferring / resting from last year...

Simon Lebus, the new head of Ofqual, warned that results would be less reliable this year and that appeals could prove difficult. In a response to Mr Williamson, he said: “We are of the view that exams and other formal assessments provide the best and fairest way to assess student attainment. We regret the fact that exams will not take place this year. We will work with you and others across the sector to put in place the fairest possible alternative arrangements.

“Without exams we will not achieve the same degree of reliability and validity as in normal years.”

In the Times today. Sounds like they are not happy about the exams being cancelled..

Ofqual hate Gav. He dropped them in it last year when he randomly announced that kids could use their mock grades as their exam results.

They offered lots of solutions to the exam grade issue last year, none of which he took up and then he blamed them for the mutant algorithm that worked exactly as they had been told it should.

And there’s a new head of Ofqual because the last one had to fall on their sword for Gav.

All things considered, including the stress on young people of another change, I really hope there is a U-turn on doing exams.

Stormer
All things considered, including the stress on young people of another change, I really hope there is a U-turn on doing exams.

Me, too. But I doubt we will get that U-turn

I know

Psychologically as well as academically, they’ve really screwed the Year 11 & Year 13 cohorts. Unforgivable.

Not sure what I wish for.
My ds will probably be fine either way, however, he is at a school where there is a lot of disavantage. The school is trying its best- vulnerable kids at school, devices where they can at home.
However, exams are going to disadvantage some massively I feel.
Pupils need to be able to move onto the next stage and be encouraged to develop knowledge until then.
Mini tests sound like a recipe for chaos though- as would be a u turn on exams I think...

Were the children allowed to use mock results last year for GCSE's?

I just had my son's SEN review meeting. The SENCO (who is also his English teacher) told me that as far as they know the guidance is that teachers will award a grade and then the "small tests" that they will sit will be used to moderate that grade.

@Cuddling57

Were the children allowed to use mock results last year for GCSE's?

No, Gav announced that they would, Ofqual went WTF? Schools went mad.

Then Ofqual released some hastily cobbled together guidance, it was withdrawn almost immediately (on a Saturday!) and then Gav u-turned and said they’d have CAGs instead.

My DD is in the vulnerable category. She’ll be at a disadvantage no matter what the option unfortunately. I suspect the mini tests and teacher assessments may work to her favour in terms of grades. But speaking generally, I think overall exams (with the previously discussed adaptations) may be the only way to get the most level playing field. Nothing is going to be ‘fair’ at this stage though.

I heard from the school, my DC has to go into school to do a test to see if they can get extra time, as they aren't taking up their key worker space that's not happening any time soon.

@noblegiraffe thanks for the explanation.
Another reminder how badly they messed people about last year.

@portico

No they haven’t said anything NotDonna, I will find out at parents evening tonight. I am pretty sure DS will do well in future assessment as he has been if working his socks off and scoring highly in topical exam qns at home. Sadly, no recent opportunity at school to showcase uplift. I am more concerned at universities, top, if his GCSEs are low. My plan b of Nov resits and 2022 a levels start dates should be fine

We are new to all this.

Do gcse grades affect university applications, or are the more bothered about a level grades/predicted grades?

My dd should do well enough to get onto her chosen a level courses, so I’m not unduly concerned, but would be if the gcse grade affected choice of degree!

“Cuddling57
Were the children allowed to use mock results last year for GCSE's?
No, Gav announced that they would, Ofqual went WTF? Schools went mad.

Then Ofqual released some hastily cobbled together guidance, it was withdrawn almost immediately (on a Saturday!) and then Gav u-turned and said they’d have CAGs instead.”

Does anyone know why they weren’t allowed to take mock grades into account alongside cags and take the higher of the two, like they did with A levels?

Cuddling57

Were the children allowed to use mock results last year for GCSE's?

No

Thanks Noblegiraffe and Rainbowraine for the context.

1. Just to clarify, are we saying mocks results did not influence CAGS last year.

2. Do we expect Ofqual to say Term 1 mocks will be included in CAGs. Reading being - Our Headmaster went through all Y11 and Y13 classes in Sep/Oct 2020, on a daily basis, do edict that these mocks will matter for final CAGs scores if exams don’t happen in 2021.

DS2 received his English GCSE result today. Two grades higher than he was awarded last summer.

Has there been any mention of the possibility of exams being taken next autumn?

@Watermelon999 re if GCSEs are relevant for university applications - in the main yes. Only a very few schools now do AS levels so all universities have to go on is a teen’s GCSEs, their personal statement and the school reference. Some university courses require specific grades in maths and/or English, sometimes but very rarely in a related subject. Not having a valid and reliable set of GCSEs will make it tricky for universities.

@LynetteScavo well done to your DS! Is he currently doing A levels? Or is he starting those in September? There’s mean no mention of autumn resits as yet.

That’ll be interesting to see portico as some schools like ours were due mocks in Jan/Feb fir both GCSEs & A levels

Does anyone know why they weren’t allowed to take mock grades into account alongside cags and take the higher of the two, like they did with A levels?

They didn't do this, this was what Gav announced and then had to u-turn on when it became obvious it was a bonkers idea.

They could take the higher of the CAG or the algorithm, or sit the Autumn exam. Or they could try to appeal the grade.

Mock grades were used to inform CAGs.

Do we expect Ofqual to say Term 1 mocks will be included in CAGs.

I'd expect Ofqual to say that a range of evidence should be taken into consideration, including, presumably, these suggested mini assessments. I don't think they'll be prescriptive about the exact evidence but will specify that it needs to be of a particular quality.