Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

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

Will IGCSEs go ahead

247 replies

Summertime2 · 08/01/2021 12:44

Anyone on here with a child taking international GCSEs in the uk and have any info as to whether they will go ahead in June?

We have been told by the school that they are not cancelled. Rather worried about this as it will very much disadvantage these uk kids who've missed so much teaching when they are lumped in with all the many more international students who have been taught as normal - and then examined as if the same...

OP posts:
MrsMiaWallis · 12/01/2021 19:58

Dd said thr grade boundaries have always been 80% for an A, not sure it can go much higher!

SusannaSpider · 12/01/2021 20:03

I think this must be the results for the resits and early entries. DD is waiting for early entry core iGCSE results on Thurs and is getting increasingly twitchy and upset. Her school were ridiculous in pushing them to sit them, I'm so worried for her.

MrsMiaWallis · 12/01/2021 20:30

The November resits grade boundaries are on their website. A level looks normal to me, roughly 70% for an A

feistymumma · 12/01/2021 20:34

My son's school said they are still going ahead although this was the stance taken last year by the exam board and then last minute (23rd March) they released a statement saying they were cancelling them as lockdown had continued longer than anticipated. Not really fair on learners I think but who knows they might cancel UK exams and continue with international ones if we remain in lockdown post February half term

SusannaSpider · 12/01/2021 20:50

@MrsMiaWallis

Thanks, that might reassure her.

Original poster
Summertime2 · 12/01/2021 21:56

We've not heard anything else at all from the school. Mocks have been cancelled so DD is just in some limbo it knowing what to revise for or when.

OP posts:
KaptainKaveman · 13/01/2021 08:37

@Orangeblossom77777

Seems unfair that private school pupils get a chance to do exams but state school pupils do not. I heard some private schools may be doing the exams online.
Yes those private school kids are at such a disadvantage aren't they Hmm

Utterly ignorant post.

MrsMiaWallis · 13/01/2021 08:43

KaptainKaveman

I believe she meant that it was an advantage for private school pupils to do exams.

KaptainKaveman · 13/01/2021 08:53

@MrsMiaWallis

KaptainKaveman

I believe she meant that it was an advantage for private school pupils to do exams.

I certainly hope so. If that is the case then I apologise. This last year has enhanced the unfair advantage privately educated dc have over state education more than ever.
NotDonna · 13/01/2021 10:05

schoolsweek.co.uk/revealed-williamson-sets-out-his-plan-for-replacing-exams-this-year/
noble kindly posted on ‘exam cancelled’ thread. Point 9 suggests iGCSEs will be cancelled along with IB etc.

CarrieErbag · 13/01/2021 10:20

My dd got AS level results with CIE yesterday, she is predicted all A grades but got a D 59% and a C 69%.
Safe to say she is beside herself and very worried about Summer exams.

MrsMiaWallis · 13/01/2021 10:34

I certainly hope so. If that is the case then I apologise. This last year has enhanced the unfair advantage privately educated dc have over state education more than ever

Yes perhaps. It was a shame that many state schools didn't teach online in the summer term.

Original poster
Summertime2 · 13/01/2021 10:55

@NotDonna I've looked up his actual letter - doesn't mention iGCSEs. I think because the letter is to Ofqual and they don't regulate the iGCSE exam boards. From the latest updates on the Cambridge and Pearson websites I think they are digging in to insist these exams go ahead.

I think this will be politically unpopular because it will suggest private school kids are getting an advantage (ironic, because it will actually mean they inevitably will be disadvantaged and get lower grades than they would have been predicted).

But I don't know what regulating body has the authority to insist that the exams are cancelled and fall in line with the rest if the UK.

OP posts:
MrsMiaWallis · 13/01/2021 11:10

We are presuming they'll go ahead. Frustrating for dd personally as it's the one she's most unsure about! The two 'notmal'A levels were the ones she would have welcomed a chance to take!

Muckedip55 · 13/01/2021 11:10

I don’t think legally there is any regulatory body which can make the boards cancel.. I think it’s down to schools to make a fuss if they think that unreasonable for pupils to sit exams this year. It’s been accepted by dfe that it’s unreasonable for the vast majority of uk kids to sit exams so schools using igcse’s need to make the point.

NotDonna · 13/01/2021 11:44

ironic, because it will actually mean they inevitably will be disadvantaged and get lower grades than they would have been predicted
The teacher assessments will not be predicted grades though. They could be based on anything. We simply don’t know yet. And that could be just as risky as taking exams are. I hate the exam culture. I don’t think they’ve ever been fair or ever can be. Anything can go wrong on the day. I would like to hope that teacher assessments could be fairer. I think teachers certainly will try to be, if allowed by whatever the govt may impose. But that’s the issue. Will whatever they conclude be any fairer?

dopenguinsdance · 13/01/2021 17:42

Participating schools are keen to have the exams go ahead as 'normal'. The 2021 exam timetables have been published. The IGCSE exam boards "would like" to run exams apparently, not least because of the even worse logistical nightmare that they'd face trying to run the same exams at different times in different countries, if at all. However, last year the exams were cancelled in the UK to fall in line with mainstream GSCEs and the same could happen again. At present the advice is to continue as though all subjects are going to be examined in some form; the feeling is there'll be some formal assessment just not solely by the centre-assessed algorithms of 2020. Possibly internal testing plus teacher assessments, with external moderators?

happilybemused · 13/01/2021 19:48

I'm a bit confused about if state schools can take IGSE's?

My understanding was they were not allowed by Micheal Gove in 2019.

So why the hate for private school advantage on this thread ?

Apparently Gove thought they were incomparable.

MrsMiaWallis · 13/01/2021 19:49

So why the hate for private school advantage on this thread ?

I think there was one random poster.

MrsMiaWallis · 13/01/2021 19:51

They are 'allowed', they don't count towards league tables which state schools have to be aware of.

Most good private schools don't really give a shit about league tables so can use the boards that they like

NotDonna · 13/01/2021 19:51

@Summertime2 you’re right. I’d misread it or had at least assumed when ‘other exams’ like BTecs & IBs were mentioned they were including iGCSEs but you’re right, they’re not actually mentioned and thus probably not included.

happilybemused · 13/01/2021 19:55

So why comment if it isn't your concern ? Mumsnet baffles me.

I only comment on threads that are something that affects my family

End of

NotDonna · 13/01/2021 20:01

So why the hate for private school advantage on this thread?
I think it was a misunderstanding in this case. But there’s always going to be hate towards private school advantage.
Regardless of whether exams or CAGs are fairer they’ll be an outrage if Indys do exams (even some) and state don’t. For this reason alone I think the govt will pounce on the boards to withdraw offering iGCSEs to U.K. students.

maddy68 · 13/01/2021 20:02

Currently the IGCSE are going ahead.

NotDonna · 13/01/2021 20:04

Can you imagine the hate then @happilybemused?

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.