Exams cancelled 2

[Orangeblossom1977]

Started a new thread as last one is full.

Crikey @ineedaholidaynow assessments in June will make it really tight.

I wonder if they will change their mind before half term! I suppose it might be just in case they need more work from some students.

They are then offering pre sixth form support for a few weeks

Yes, maybe if they’ve got enough evidence. We’ve not been told what will happen after half term.

My DD has two weeks of timetables 'formal assessments' from the 22nd March. She then has zoom lessons throughout the Easter holidays to prepare her for 6 weeks of classroom based 'informal assessments' after the Easter holiday. Can't tell you how p*ssed off I am at this continual testing and the pressure they are putting on our kids after all this time out.

Can't tell you how pssed off I am at this continual testing and the pressure they are putting on our kids after all this time out.*

Please don't blame the teachers. We're concerned too but ofqual/DfE have said we need to provide evidence. The last thing I need to want is to spend my summer under and ofqual investigation because they think our grading was incorrect. I completely agree that this process is awful. I'm not loving doing a shit load of unpaid marking (that I'd usually be paid for), writing assessments (that the exam board usually does) or the stupidly short turn around this whole thing needs. We know its awful for the students. We will do our best for them.

Thank you @HercwasanEnemyofEducation. I'm certainly not blaming the teachers. I can't believe (or maybe I can) how little time teachers have been given to sort all this out. And you still haven't received the full details about the exam board assessment tests.

We had DS's parents' evening the other night, the teachers were being so supportive of DS, so I am hoping he can stay calm throughout the next few weeks (I don't know if I can say the same about me!)

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation I don't blame the teachers at all - the lack of info from the Department of Education is leading to schools to decide that they're going to need shit loads of evidence which SLTs are translating into 'let's test the kids until forever'. My DD has been out of school since the end of November - on her first day back told she would be having 'formal assessments' under exam conditions and two days later given a two week 'assessment timetable', informed she'll be having zooms over her Easter holidays and told she'll have six weeks of informal tests after that. She's just supposed to slot back into the system. No time to get used to even being back at school and process the change that this all has involved. I fear for our kids I really do.

Our school delayed the mocks they were meant to be having after February half term until after Easter. I assume to let students get back to being in school mode. This has made the next few weeks easier but makes next term look grim with the added assessments too.

I think the whole experience has been awful. There will be a different profile of success than there would have been had the exams taken place. I do not agree that all teachers have been as busy as they would have been. In secondary there seems to have been based on my knowledge of 6/7 schools less teacher interaction, little work set, lesson finishing early and more and more the attitude that it's the students who need to be independent and take control. I agree they need to do this to a certain extent but there has been a significant number of teachers in the 6/7 school secondary schools. I know of who have taken this opportunity to do very little

I don't blame the teachers but from reading this thread there seems to be very different approaches from different schools which is unfair on the children who will all be under different amounts of stress, different assessments and receive different grades.
Our school have said lots of mini assessments some half hour up to two hours! Plus maybe any coursework plus maybe past mock results!
Our school also seem to think they need to keep in line with previous years results - but I thought Ofqual said they didn't

@Cuddling57 I was just thinking the same. DSs school are doing a 3 week assessment period in may. Students will do these in exam conditions using their centre number to prevent bias. Previous work done won’t be considered in the final grades, these exams provided by the board will be the grade. Seems like GCSEs to me?? I genuinely don’t know what to think but can’t think the school would want to disadvantage it’s students. They must believe this is the best way to grade them. I wouldn’t mind if all schools were doing the same thing but it does seem some schools are going easier on their students.

Never mind keeping in line with previous years. How can they assess these children against the same criteria of previous cohorts, when most of their year 11 learning (for DS anyway), will have been done remotely? Very few will be working at their true potential and as with usual extenuating circumstances (this years must be the most extenuating ever!) dispensations must be made en masse.
A grade 7 or 8 for example this year, will be very hard earned compared to the last few years.

Our school also seem to think they need to keep in line with previous years results - but I thought Ofqual said they didn't

Ofqual have said they do. They will be checking grade profiles from 2017,18,19 for inconsistencies.

@cptartapp The whole process means they won't be assessed against the same criteria. That is why exams are cancelled and each school is assessing the students based on what they have been taught. Dispensations are being made for each subject at a centre level. For example our history dept are only assessing 2 out of the 3 periods of history they should have studied, because they didn't have time to cover the third one. But the top students will still get a g9.

@katieloves A couple of exam boards/qualifications have said they won't be providing unseen assessment materials so your ds school may be in for a shock!

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation that’s interesting. The information on how they are going to assess year 11 and 13 was given out over a week ago so possibly a bit prematurely. DS is not amused as friends of his at other schools are either not having assessments at all (one school), having half hour assessments in the classroom (another school).

Whereas ds will apparently have proper GCSE style exams with invigilators in the school hall as normal years and with just his candidate number so no teacher bias. Seems a very different approach.

So many different approaches from schools

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation
'But the top students will still get a g9'
Would you mind expanding on that?
Eg. If over the last few years your school had 5% of students get g9 in history. Will 5% of students get a g9 this year too? Even if those 5% top students score 'not so high' on the test albeit the highest in the class?

The massive disruption and majority of face to face learning will still surely mean most students won't be anywhere near the top of their game, even with less topics to revise.
A grade may reflect their ability at the time tested, but I suspect not what they are really capable of in many cases. Some of my son's topics (March - July last year) have been practically self taught!
Will the fact the pandemic has happened at all feature when giving out grades dependant on quality of work produced? After all, last year had results given based on what they would have achieved 'on a good day'. This year it should be at least that.
Are 2020 results not being factored in at all?

@Cuddling57 Essentially yes. It's a bit more nuanced than that but that's what will happen.

@cptartapp I think you're not understanding exactly how the grades will be awarded.

Brilliant question cuddling this is something I’ve been wondering too.

So really, in order to do ‘well’ it’s about going up the rankings within the school cohort? 😬

@notdonna Yes. This is the same every year though, only you're trying to go up the national cohort.

So a child sits a class test whose mark will count for 'evidence'. Has had six weeks exactly in school/face to face teaching in the last twelve months.
The result is a level 6 bordering 7.
What do you give?

Sorry your last answer clarifies it a bit.
Are the 2020 results not factored in when looking at previous results?