Exams cancelled 2

[Orangeblossom1977]

Started a new thread as last one is full.

I’ve just watched a video on YouTube from a college on how they’re doing their grades. Not sure if I should say the name of college. They are giving their students estimated grades before May half term and 98% will be right and the grades they get, if they don’t like their grade, they can do a small assessment on a small amount of content to improve their grade. He said if I could give the students the grade now I’m sure they’d be happy and relieved. They are getting estimated grade this Friday, probably means today. When they do the small assessments before half term if students look like they’re having problems, they’ll pause the test, go over that topic and then resume the test. Really shocked. My daughter has to do all 3 exams for chemistry and biology and chemistry is on all content and she’s not looked at the paper 3 before let alone practiced one and only has 3 weeks notice before she does these assessments. They aren’t giving them their marks they get, let alone the grade. This college has taught all content but not testing them on all of it.

@Orangesandlemons77

We live in the middle of nowhere so no job opportunities. He hasn’t done DofE and I’m not sure what he could do volunteering wise. He wants to be a PE teacher so perhaps something sporty. I work in a school so the plan was he was going to work with some Y6’s but we can’t have anyone in. It’s all just a bit rubbish for them all.

majaso what the heck?

We’ve learnt today that they’re keeping them until the usual break up day in July but they’ll get a bit longer at the May/June half term to allow teachers to mark/moderate. They’re saying they’ll do some social/fun activities in those last 3-4 weeks. I’m sure the yr11’s & 13’s will be thrilled.

Also said most students will be getting grades higher than their UCAS predicted grades, very few will be lower than them.

And the college have posted this info online? Can you link please?
Ours aren’t been told topics or anything and are feeling incredibly pressured. Apparently there were a number of them in tears during exams this week. There’s been no revision time for this first wave of exams.

@notdonna They're keeping them til July

That would cause uproar at my place. Social stuff will be nice but it really isn't easy to keep teens occupied all day with just social stuff. I feel for the staff with no time to focus on the other years either.

DfE announcement re leaving is pretty sensible. Remote stuff can be provided which will tick the box, they've even recommended Oak. Then we can invite students in for 6th form prep in their chosen subjects.

They can do social stuff outside school. Mine will not be happy about it as it’ll no doubt be pretty rubbish. What have DfE said re leaving herc? There’s no way mine would want more remote especially in sunny July. Is that what they’ve said? They’d rather be at the park playing tennis or basketball or having a picnic or going on a bike ride. Definitely not doing more remote learning.

DH's school after planning to run activities - social and academic - 3 weeks after half term, but they will be optional for students. The Academic stuff is there for those who feel they have gaps in their learning that they need for university. The social stuff for those who need to not be alone at home again. It's good that it's there and optional, but I doubt will be taken up by many. Most Year 13s just want to feel free from A level study and to make up for list time being as independent as covid rules will allow them.

Making it optional is a good idea

Has anyone seen this published last night “ Instructions for conducting examinations
JCQ Guidance on the determination of
grades for A/AS Levels and GCSEs for
Summer 2021”

The big shock to come if grade descriptors and how to distinguish from a grade 5-6, 6-7 etc

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/JCQ-Guidance-on-the-Determination-of-Grades-for-A-AS-Levels-and-GCSEs-Summer-2021.pdf

Primrose Kitten does a good video on it at

Grade descriptors guidance below:

www.jcq.org.uk/summer-2021-arrangements/

Grade descriptors are pretty useless tbh! They specify content in some cases and ofqual has said not all content needs to be assessed.

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

Grade descriptors are pretty useless tbh! They specify content in some cases and ofqual has said not all content needs to be assessed.

JCQ have crazily escalated the already big fuck up on summer 2021 that had been imposed by Gavin and Ofqual

I'm not sure it's entirely JCQ's fault. No one knows what grade x looks like because grade x doesn't exist as a quantifiable thing. Until this year when it suddenly needs to.

Yes I'm not blaming JCQ, they've been shafted too.

They have also pointed out that last years grades were where the children could have got to but this year it's where they are now.
So the year where the children probably won't reach there full potential due to lack of teaching, experience and more stress have to be graded on where they are.
Awful.
Can schools adjust the children to higher grades based on the school performance from 2017-2019?

*their

Can schools adjust the children to higher grades based on the school performance from 2017-2019?

DS is under the impression this is what they’re going to do in his school.
Something I’m struggling to understand is how can a dc that hasn’t finished the syllabus for a subject at one school potentially get a higher grade than a dc that has completed it at a different school? And what does that mean for a dc doing that subject for A’level. The whole thing is mind boggling.

The whole thing is mind boggling.
Yes it is.

Am I missing something? Why is no one addressing the mis-match between the basis on which A level grades are now being awarded and the basis on which UCAS offers were made? My daughter received her predicted grades and 5 UCAS offers last November, all on the basis of expected exam results , but now schools are being told that if a student is currently working at B , but their trajectory would have indicated an A in the actual exams, they must be awarded a B?

@ENesbit

Their ability at this point is what is being measured. A student getting Bs last November should have improved to an A by now. Not all the syllabus needs to have been taught.

Happy to be told I am worrying unnecessarily, but the JCQ example on p 26 contemplates a student with tracking data indicating that they are currently performing at B but could potentially have obtained an A in final exams . The grade given now will be a B , UCAS offers have been made on the basis of predicted grades which in turn would have taken into account the school’s tracking data.

That situation happens every year with UCAS though. Students get predicted grades and then don't achieve them (for whatever reason).