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Secondary education

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Original poster

Exams cancelled

999 replies

noblegiraffe · 04/01/2021 20:13

Alternative arrangements will be made.

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

OP posts:
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Barkleyspaubles · 04/01/2021 20:42

2nd set of mocks for us in 2 weeks. Kids have been working towards them so I'll be aiming to do those (Eng Lang).

W00t · 04/01/2021 20:43

Our mocks we're supposed to be over the next three weeks...fuck knows what we're meant to be basing CAGs on? We've had some Y11s with 95% attendance last term, and others on 20%.
It's just so unfair on them all.

DenisetheMenace · 04/01/2021 20:43

Barkleyspaubles

“A Levels really should go ahead if at all possible in my view”

Disagree. All candidates are not enjoying a level playing field, very far from it. Grossly unfair to expect them all to sit the same examinations. Ongoing teacher assessment and predicted grades are by far the fairest mechanisms.

SnowballedMum · 04/01/2021 20:46

This an opportunity for the education system to restructure. I would love for the children to have another year in school; restart the academic year from September. Spend this spring and summer term focused on extra curricular activities, developing a love of learn and self improvement as opposed to this exam obsessed culture. It would give the EY children more time to play and start structured learning from 6-7.

pointythings · 04/01/2021 20:48

We haven't had Yr 13 mocks yet - before Christmas they got pushed back to end of February to allow for more content to be covered. DD2 is on track in her subjects, but it's not like that for everyone.

So what now? Not surprised the government has no clue and no contingency plans ready to go.

treeeeemendous · 04/01/2021 20:51

I don't understand in this situation why some schools left their mocks til this term.

I'm personally wondering if some gcse exams will go ahead (English, maths, science?) Boris didn't actually say that all exams were cancelled.

Would appreciate some clarity asap though

angelhorror · 04/01/2021 20:52

@noblegiraffe

There are exams this week, so there should be info signposted.
He on,y referenced exams this summer Angry
KittyMcKitty · 04/01/2021 20:53

@noblegiraffe

Alternative arrangements will be made.

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

I have a year 11 & 13 and work with exam students so I’m fairly heavily invested!

I noticed he didn’t say cancelled just that they couldn’t go ahead in the current format.

I don’t see how they can do CAG for yr 13 - there’s no data. My year 13 was due to have mocks starting Monday. They did formal Sept exams but that’s it. My ds and his friends feel v let down by the government. Their school is wonderful and has an assembly with them all first thing tomorrow. They know they are lucky they’re in an amazing school and feel guilty that although things are shit for them it’s a lot worse for others Sad

My yr 11 has had mocks. I’m not really fussed about her as I’m confident she will be allowed to do the A levels she wants.

The year 11’s I work with I’m gutted for. There is a real risk that this marks the end of education for a number of them and they just disappear- it’s really upsetting.

blackheathdad · 04/01/2021 20:53

it is the state school kids needing to sit the exams in January so they are at a disadvantage again .. there is no public concern in any media re 11+ exams .. and no recognition that a whole group of children have had to sit exams recently .. grammar schools entrances requirements have taken in no consideration for different education levels .. analysis will show that huge number of grammar places have gone to private school kids this year .. the senior school entrance for state school kids has been a national disgrace

calamityjam · 04/01/2021 20:53

So what is likely to happen with A levels? Dd has her predicted grades but her psychology is lower than she deserves because she had to miss 2 assessments due to isolation. Luckily she already has enough for the first choice of uni, if they use these grades, but why should she drop 2 grades through no fault of her own.

finisterreforever · 04/01/2021 20:53

@noblegiraffe

I hope they don’t ask for CAGs. We don’t have the data we did last time.

And Y11 and 13 can’t be set adrift from now. It was bad enough from the end of March.

Will CAGs be possible with mocks done before Xmas ?
NeurologicallySpeaking · 04/01/2021 20:55

@SnowballedMum

This an opportunity for the education system to restructure. I would love for the children to have another year in school; restart the academic year from September. Spend this spring and summer term focused on extra curricular activities, developing a love of learn and self improvement as opposed to this exam obsessed culture. It would give the EY children more time to play and start structured learning from 6-7.
This is not a possibility. At all. There is not enough space in the various settings for children to not move up. Unless we all stopped having babies for 12 months. Or expanded nursery provision by 1/3 overnight.
finisterreforever · 04/01/2021 20:57

@SnowballedMum

This an opportunity for the education system to restructure. I would love for the children to have another year in school; restart the academic year from September. Spend this spring and summer term focused on extra curricular activities, developing a love of learn and self improvement as opposed to this exam obsessed culture. It would give the EY children more time to play and start structured learning from 6-7.
That will screw up families in poverty, I wouldn't be able to afford for my child to be in school for an extra year after they turn 18 without the tax credits and child benefit continuing. 6th form is covered by them but another year from age 18-19, a year 14 in effect would not be.
Panicmode1 · 04/01/2021 20:57

My Y11 was supposed to start mocks today. Now what?! At least last year, my current Y12 had done mocks and only had a couple of weeks of each course left. How can they do fair assessments now - some kids will cheat and do assessments with books, and others will be honest ...

This was a totally predictable scenario. They should have been able to announce the Plan B today.

And what of my current Y12 who is supposed to submit his DT A level prototype by the end of Jan, but needs access to the lab but won't get any until Feb.

HasaDigaEebowai · 04/01/2021 20:59

Ds1 had GCSE mocks after October half term so his school has some data but loads of the kids underperformed because they’ve missed so much school and they haven’t finished the courses. His exams are also igcses in the main and so I’m unsure how they will be affected. Will they continue because they are sat all over the world?

Goodbye2020Hello2021 · 04/01/2021 21:02

I noticed he didn’t say cancelled just that they couldn’t go ahead in the current format

This.

I'm currently really annoyed with my DH who has just announced to exam year DC that exams are cancelled.

They haven't been cancelled.

At least I bloody hope they (and courses) haven't been cancelled.

1000s of Year 11/13 with nothing to do for 8 months.

portico · 04/01/2021 21:02

fizzingbubbleseffervescence
He said some exams for some pupils. What the hell does that mean? A levels but not GCSEs? English & maths but not others?? I hate this uncertainty

Good spot, I missed this point!

JigSaw879 · 04/01/2021 21:03

@SnowballedMum

This an opportunity for the education system to restructure. I would love for the children to have another year in school; restart the academic year from September. Spend this spring and summer term focused on extra curricular activities, developing a love of learn and self improvement as opposed to this exam obsessed culture. It would give the EY children more time to play and start structured learning from 6-7.
What about academically driven kids actually wanting to sit their GCSEs and A-Levels this summer?? I don't think advising some self improvement projects will cut it with them.
Cleanmean · 04/01/2021 21:03

I have yr 11 and yr 13 dc. Both missed huge chunks of last term due to contracting covid. They had mocks but did fairly poorly due to no online learning and being v poorly. Their mocks next week are now cancelled. I'm worried for them, their mental health is up and down, they don't know what's happening and I'm terrified they'll disengage from education. They are both bright but three data the school currently holds for them does not reflect their ability as they missed so much last year too as our state school had no online learning provision until the end of November 2020.

Boysarebackintown · 04/01/2021 21:06

Feel for my DS . Missed whole term in year 12 with no online teaching , missed essential fieldwork trip for geography NEA and then two weeks of this term used to catch up on the assignment related ( therefore missing other essential lessons) . Teacher assessments lower than he needs for Uni. Some will say he should have worked more independently- but he needed teacher support in a lesson / school environment. He’s gutted as he hasn’t been given a chance to prove himself. Last year cancellation of exams at least happened when most students would have finished their curriculum and were in a revision phase. But this years year 13 have not covered half of what they should have. He’s had to apply for uni courses without setting foot in a uni campus. Who knows how they will unpick this. I’m sad, angry and so disappointed.

SnowballedMum · 04/01/2021 21:07

@NeurologicallySpeaking. The government should expand early years provision, reopen children centres and implement forest school programmes.

@finisterreforever. The government should fund children in poverty for another year, increase child benefit.

The universities can be subsided for one year.

There is a work around that may be costly but worth it for our children.

negrilbaby · 04/01/2021 21:09

@treeeeemendous

I don't understand in this situation why some schools left their mocks til this term.

I'm personally wondering if some gcse exams will go ahead (English, maths, science?) Boris didn't actually say that all exams were cancelled.

Would appreciate some clarity asap though

So that we could teach some content!
Iwantacookie · 04/01/2021 21:09

I'm waiting for more details. Hoping they dont fuck it up as badly as last year

Barkleyspaubles · 04/01/2021 21:10

@DenisetheMenace perhaps our schools have had different experiences. Our large 6th form cohort have had online live Teams learning for those isolating since September and catch up invitations to Y12 lessons via Teams for revision. We've prepared them fully for mocks and they've (with a small usual few) stepped up. Those with multiple isolations have been offered one to one tutorials in as many subjects as we could manage. My dept have tried really hard with them and I willing to bet that's replicated in lots of settings. CAGs for A' Levels last year were grossly unfair. I'm hoping for centre estimations plus external exams as fairest. Those who haven't engaged still have time to try. Also they need to own a result. Current Y12 are not as sure of their abilities as they might be in my experience, as a result of not having to sit anything in 2020.

SnowballedMum · 04/01/2021 21:11

@JigSaw879. I would understand their frustration however for long term the additional year would do wonders for the mental health. It could give them an opportunity to explore other interests that are not part of the "broad curriculum".