Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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:
Thread gallery
16
Fortyfifty · 21/01/2021 10:00

@Fortyfifty

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.

When I say grounded I mean psychologically, not that she's not allowed out Smile

Although we're all currently
grounded in that sense!

SeasonFinale · 21/01/2021 13:36

@ninja

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
Yes, working in an exams office we are waiting to see what impact that will have on the Consultation and whether these will now disappear from the Ofqual/English boards plans too or whether they will drag them out and then dump them!
portico · 21/01/2021 20:49

You may find this useful, 65,000 ofqual responses so far and 5 key themes have emerged

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-gcses-2021-teacher-workload-concern-says-ofqual%3famp

Cuddling57 · 21/01/2021 23:00

@NotDonna I wanted to say your post above about a parents roll at the moment has really helped me and my DS on a stressful day today.
Thank you

NotDonna · 21/01/2021 23:44

And that’s made me smile @Cuddling57 pleased my musings are of benefit.

Stormer · 22/01/2021 00:12

It was a lovely post NotDonna, nicely summed up a good approach. My god it's going to be a long few months, isn't it? Grin Gin

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2021 07:46

The 5 issues that have come up most are basically the main strands of the consultation. The private candidates , although a very small group, have some powerful parent groups lobbying and encouraging each other to fil in the consultation (article in The DT today is basically written by one!) I see NEA completion isn't a 'main issue' but the rest doesn't surprise me. They really have to tackle teacher workload : it wasn't even a direct question in the consultation and yet clearly teachers - and nonteachers I am guessing- have raised it many times!

NotDonna · 22/01/2021 08:19

That’s exactly what I thought piggy The main strands are the question areas. No revelations there whatsoever. Teacher workload is a massive issue. Despite there being no direct questions all teachers and most parents & DC will highlight this as it’s an enormous issue. I’m not sure parents and DC really understand what NEAs are. There’s a practical in chemistry A level but is that an NEA? I’ve no idea if there’s NEAs in GCSEs - MFLs have an oral element being faffed with but I’ve no idea if that’s an NEA. Difficult to comment if not fully understood.

TeenPlusTwenties · 22/01/2021 08:31

Well, I filled it out this morning the best I could.
I have no idea what would be in DD's best interest.

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2021 08:55

NEAs are a big issue in subjects that have them : practicals went from science already , I believe.

Art is 100% portfolio at the moment and then there are NEAs at A Level in Eng Lit, LangLit, history, film, media, graphics and some others.

At GCSE it is a smaller groups but again the technology subjects and media subjects plus, no doubt , some others. NEA = coursework.

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2021 08:56

I missed geography out...

KittyMcKitty · 22/01/2021 09:00

@Piggywaspushed

I missed geography out...
The Geography NEA is huge and there is a big issue with fieldwork (required compulsory 5 days to collect data to write NEA). Some schools did fieldwork and some didn’t. This pushed the NEA into yr 13 with fieldwork being rearranged and then canx. Then the advice was to use Google Earth! I don’t seem how there can be parity between those who got to do fieldwork and those who didn’t esp as a large chunk of NEA is about presenting/ analysing data collected.
KittyMcKitty · 22/01/2021 09:02

At GCSE drama NEA (2 performances plus associated portfolios) accounts for 60% (40+20) and music also 60% - composition & performance.

Piggywaspushed · 22/01/2021 09:30

Ah yes, I forgot drama, although I think changes were made for drama and music unlike for the written essay type NEAs?

KittyMcKitty · 22/01/2021 10:16

@Piggywaspushed

Ah yes, I forgot drama, although I think changes were made for drama and music unlike for the written essay type NEAs?
Some but marginal really

Drama gcse devised performance now teacher assessed as opposed to externally and scripted can be a monologue.

Music gcse 1 composition as opposed to 2 and performance just solo (as opposed to solo and ensemble).

Similar adjustments at A level to music & drama

KittyMcKitty · 22/01/2021 10:19

Music is potentially a problem if students don’t have access to composition software. Software is free but needs a highish spec pc to run

Watermelon999 · 22/01/2021 10:49

[quote NotDonna]@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!![/quote]
This is really good advice and is what I try to do too! (Easier on some days than others!).

Much as it can feel like doom and gloom to us, it’s so important that they don’t pick up on this to cause any more anxiety....

Watermelon999 · 22/01/2021 10:54

One of my dd’s concerns is that the “test papers” are going to be released early, so that teachers have access to them and can select suitable questions for their students to take.

She feels this could be manipulated to suit the class by less scrupulous schools/teachers and that it could benefit those students who have teachers as parents.

Is this a valid concern? I have to say I can see her point though I said that I’m sure most schools/teachers would act professionally...certainly the ones we know would.

portico · 22/01/2021 10:58

I personally am hoping for teacher asessed end of year exams (board nominatr being the primary CAG determiner. The only exception being for students whose EOY throws up an anomaly, whereby mock results need to be referred to.

Fortyfifty · 22/01/2021 11:10

@Watermelon999

One of my dd’s concerns is that the “test papers” are going to be released early, so that teachers have access to them and can select suitable questions for their students to take.

She feels this could be manipulated to suit the class by less scrupulous schools/teachers and that it could benefit those students who have teachers as parents.

Is this a valid concern? I have to say I can see her point though I said that I’m sure most schools/teachers would act professionally...certainly the ones we know would.

My DDs college have said they are writing an exam for them to do when they get back in face to face. They are currently doing a maths 'mock' online, which won't be counted. I don't know if they will also do the board papers but their strategy since September when they have been in to class seems to have been test the kids at every opportunity. Sciences and maths, they have data galore, and I am hoping they will be able to use it.

I'm trying not to stress too much about DD1, she's in a good position with predicted grades bigger than what she needs and sitting on 5 offers. I'm more worried about DH at this point as a HoD maths, selective school, who is going to be in for a very stressful summer term.

NotDonna · 22/01/2021 13:17

DD2 has just meandered in for lunch & said they’d just had on online chat with the deputy head. A number of the teens (including her) are worried that her school have decided not to do mocks. She said her last exams were end of years in Yr9 as they’re weren’t any in yr10. I had forgotten this. She’d quite like the exam practice and a formative judgement incase the iGCSEs stay. Not for them to be summative though. I see her point.
watermelon I’m sure your daughter has legitimate concerns. Of course schools will select the papers/questions that are most relevant to their students. They’re not going to set them up to fail. I would imagine there’ll be a temptation to teach to test too.

ihearttc · 22/01/2021 16:11

DS is worried about PE, a subject he wants to take at A level as he hasn’t got nearly enough evidence for his 2 sports.

Cuddling57 · 22/01/2021 16:26

@ihearttc what sports has your DS chosen? Do they not do them at school?

ihearttc · 22/01/2021 16:50

He chose football which has been fine (he hasn’t got a huge amount of evidence because obviously no football from March-July). He got some this term from his actual team but I’m not convinced it’s enough. His other sport was Cricket and he didn’t get to do it over the summer so he was starting handball at school instead after Christmas and now they haven’t gone back!

Cuddling57 · 22/01/2021 19:24

@ihearttc does he not play football and cricket for the school?
At the moment our school have said they know the children well enough to be able to give them a grade and if we aren't happy with what they get then we can provide more evidence. They plan on doing more sport when they get back to school too.
Maybe football will start again late feb as an outdoor sport?
If it comes to it maybe consider asking if you can provide video of him doing skills in the park and shooting - I know it's not real match but may help?
Does he like running? He could use an app to track his runs and times as evidence? Take heart rate before after etc. If he can show improvement I bet the PE teachers would love that.