Exams cancelled

[noblegiraffe]

Alternative arrangements will be made.

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

Thank you noble, mathsgenie helps us alot. But, I will give you a call if I need help. Trying to sort DS EdExcel mock scores P1 50/80, P2 52/80 and P3 63/80. Did a diagnostic of his mock papers to identify focus areas across all 3 papers. It’s much harder exam than the O level I did in the 80s

Thanks KittyMcKitty

We will try that, too.

Sorry, this is my last rogue post - as I’m going off topic. This for AQA Eng Lang and Lit teachers and well versed parents. Which is the best option to work to the Mark schemes?, Is it Salles videos, Bruff or GCSEPOD?

Actually Noblegiraffe, I could do with knowing any website that covers Edexcel Further Maths Core Papers 1 and 2, Mechanics 1 and Decision Maths 1. I need these for DS1 who is in Y13, please. Normally, he uses qns from Physics and Maths Tutor website.

www.mrbartonmaths.com/students/a-level/a-level-notes.html has got some further maths links.

If you want videos they have lots here: (organised into playlists) www.youtube.com/channel/UCyyRmnmtgVy5Sm7_UiCLFgQ/featured
And more videos here but not organised so you have to search through them www.youtube.com/channel/UCyyRmnmtgVy5Sm7_UiCLFgQ/videos

Thank you Noblegiraffe

Mr Bruff is probably the best but I really dislike the "this is how the examiners try to trick you" thing.

Massolit is amazing but your school will need a subscription for free access. I hate Bruff. And actually so does any girl I have taught!

Some Oak video lessons are pretty good.

With English Lit, I'd go for getting them to really appreciate the texts and the intentions and ideas of the writers. I find Bruff and co obsessed with hoop jumping through mark schemes.

I second massolit. I've spent part of today wallowing in Paradise Lost.

I may get an I heart Prof McRae poster...

MrsHamlet
Mr Bruff is probably the best but I really dislike the "this is how the examiners try to trick you" thing.

Thank you MrsHamlet, is that Mr Bruff for both Lang and Lit, pls.

Piggywaspushed
With English Lit, I'd go for getting them to really appreciate the texts and the intentions and ideas of the writers. I find Bruff and co obsessed with hoop jumping through mark schemes.

Tbh, I’m only interested in aligning with the Mark schemes; it’s too late in the day for to inculcate a love of the texts - as well as trying to achieve decent grades

The markschemes for English are utterly unstudent friendly though : they just change the adjectives...

They don't need to love the texts, just appreciate why they were written.

Whatever you do don't let DC near Mr Bruff on Poppies. He talks utter complete bollocks.

@Piggywaspushed

I may get an I heart Prof McRae poster...

I don't think he's on there but I have an autographed David Punter photo. My kids wrote to him one year and asked!

That is so cute!

Have you seen that Wales have changed their way of assessing - ditching the regular assessed tests and gone to completely teacher assessment. WJEC are going to produce some adapted past papers to allow teachers to carry on assessing their students

@portico there are a number of videos for Further Maths here arranged by exam board and topic amsp.org.uk/resource/fm-videos

If the school has registered with the AMSP they'll have access to notes, resources and exercises too

Thanks ninja (GREAT username!) I hadn’t seen that. I’m not sure how I feel about it, will need to mull.

@noblegiraffe spot on as ever.

Data collections keep SLT people in a job. Endless bloody spreadsheets and titting about using last years's grade boundaries for English teachers. I'm very experienced but can almost never agree the same mark exactly as 15 other colleagues. Where parents think we find the time in 3 non Con tact hours to mark 30 mark essays (one takes 15 mins if you annotate and correct) and there are 4 in a full Lit mock. It's a trend that started about 15 years ago or so in the state sector and it's time it died. The numbers are a smoke screen and always have been! We waste such valuable planning time and, dare I say it, one to one help time with the kids because the data drop dog is wagging the teaching tail. Rant ends. 😁

Thank you ninja for this link.

@noblegiraffe

I know, Stormer, teachers have a big role here in keeping the momentum going and continuing to have high standards and expectations. It’s obviously much harder when we’re not in the classroom so we need to try to keep on top of them as individuals as well as as a class.

Parents are obviously also key players.

That really worries me, I'm out at work all day so my year 11 has to get on with it. If I'm key to his work then I'm a rusty key that's not functioning.

We waste such valuable planning time and, dare I say it, one to one help time with the kids because the data drop dog is wagging the teaching tail. Rant ends.

I agree.
When I first started teaching my ‘free periods’ as they were - PPAs - were spent preparing materials, assessing & standardising.
I had time to talk 1:1 to feedback verbally to students at lunch and after school. They would drop in willingly & often informally.
We had time to discuss work and ideas.
Now, this time is taken inputting data, data & more data. Then analysing the data and setting targets about the data.
SLT have forgotten what it’s like to have more than a handful of classes a day.

28soggyandwet

I see it more as a parents role to help keep their dc's moral up. I've voiced all my exam fiasco concerns to DH or on here. To Dd, I keep up a bright and breezy front. I keep her grounded.

@soggyandwet allowing your DD to crack on with home schooling whilst your working is pretty much what everyone is doing. It’s more about when you are at home, trying to carve out a bit of fun, chill time, keeping everyone’s chin up best we can. Listening to their woes, understanding, not minimising or adding. Keeping our doom & gloom scenarios to MN and not our kids. I’m sure you’re far from a rusty key!!