Exams cancelled 2

[Orangeblossom1977]

Started a new thread as last one is full.

Interesting about the LFTs. Our school, like every other, was set up for LFT testing at beginning of January but it was optional. They added that anyone who refused the testing could still attend school providing they were symptom free. I think other schools made the tests compulsory. Having said that I think our school demographic would be quite compliant and do the tests.
If they do go back on the 8th it gives them 3 weeks to get mocks or mini tests done PLUS attempt to cover the remaining syllabus. That sounds like quite a tall order depending on how much disruption occurred last term.

@NotDonna

Why would only give 3 weeks? Or do you mean 3 weeks until Easter? I’m assuming they will still be in school after Easter won’t they?

I’m normally very compliant with the LFT’s however he is definitely not going to have it done this time as it will just show positive. We have just isolated for 2.5 weeks, I can’t do it all over again.

Yes, sorry three weeks until Easter.

I've been assuming that they would finish teaching the syllabus until Easter and then any tests/exams would be after Easter. If they are going on continual assessments I'm assuming this can only be until a certain point as the teachers would need to submit these. Although the GCSEs were due to be until 2nd July I'm not sure I can see them being assessed until this point? Seems a bit late in the day.

You would assume that Gavin Williamson will have all the answers on Monday - but I think we can all see how that might go ......

Ofqual seemed to suggest results being submitted by teachers in either May or June.

May seems too early.

I also wonder when the “results” day will be? I know there was some talk of changing it. I’d like to be optimistic and book some kind of break for the summer but knowing my luck I will book then have to cancel it as they have changed the results day.

Yes iheart there’s no point doing the LFTs in your case. I find it interesting that our school policy was to allow students in regardless of whether they took the tests or not.
I used Easter date as that’s what noble had mentioned, plus it’s historically when the revision period starts / syllabus completed but also because I expect people will mingle over the Easter holidays regardless of rules. I think people are getting lockdown weary and if schools have been back 3 weeks will have the attitude of ‘kids are mixing anyway’.
I’m hoping the return to school & assessment plans are announced Monday at the latest. Schools are going to have only 2 weeks prior to the 8th to get their heads around LFT testing and assessment planning. Again, seems rather rushed.

@noblegiraffe

Ofqual seemed to suggest results being submitted by teachers in either May or June.

May seems too early.

May & June were the options on the proposal, weren’t they? So results could be a tadge earlier in late July/early August to allow for any appeals. If there’s no algorithm though, the appeals maybe very few.

I've been assuming that they would finish teaching the syllabus until Easter and then any tests/exams would be after Easter. I’d assumed the same. Other than English lit and history where the modified syllabus has been covered and they could probably start assessing sooner. I’m thinking the govt will give deadlines and leave an awful lot up to individual schools.

I would have thought schools that didn't do mocks before Christmas will be keen to test their students as soon as they can when they are back face to face. Even if they plan to test them again. I believe that is what DH's school is doing - for Y11 at least.

I hope we get exam years back. We need to start assessing them and giving them the best chance of getting the grades they are capable of.

Ofqual bloke promised an announcement in the week beginning 22nd but worded v cagey as he said they were doing a joint one with DfE.

I just want this exam year to be finished. Having had two DC already take GCSEs, I'm finding this so, so much more stressful.

@littlequestion

Where does it say about Thursday, *@PettsWoodParadise*? I haven't seen that? Was really hoping it would be Monday like everything else. I have a year 11 and it's getting ridiculous. No idea whether to revise, what to revise or when for!

Good question! I swear I saw it as Thursday but now I go back to the same articles on TES and they just say ‘next week’. Don’t know if i imagined it now or if the articles have been updated. Sorry if that was wrong or misleading.

DD isn’t doing any revising but she has a maths exam paper every week and she is so fed up of them!

“ While No 10 is aiming for all pupils in England to be able to return to school from 8 March, the government will not finalise its decision until Friday at the earliest. It cautiously insists that schools will reopen from that date, rather than on that date. Final decisions about A-levels and GCSEs will be announced on Thursday.”

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/17/masks-compulsory-for-englands-secondary-school-pupils

Today or next Thursday?

We were told end of Feb, I cannot for the life of me think of any time the DfE have delivered early.

But I'm assuming they mean next Thursday or they'd have said 'tomorrow'.

So tomorrow we find out about the return and then Thursday the assessments. I’m praying that IF there’s a return it’s staggered or rota. The last thing anyone needs is the hokey-cokey of isolations when schools are trying to assess and garner evidence.

Logic would suggest you'd know the assessment plan before announcing the return plan... but logic is not a thing, it seems.

Govt and logic in the same sentence. 🤣🤣🤣
I wonder if Boris will be swayed by other nations plans. I know Scotland are staggering the return and aren’t Wales waiting til end March? I’ve lost track of what is happening regarding their assessments of both GCSE & A level equivalents though.

In the Sunday Times today it said that A level results day will be two weeks earlier than usual (to allow appeals) but universities say they may not have places for those appealing this year.

It would make a lot of sense for teachers to be open with pupils about their university offers and basically advise which to firm and insure. For example, my son has a spread of offers from AAB to BBC. If his tutor told him not to bother with the AAB ones, that would be very helpful - and vice versa. Then people would have far more certainty that they would be making the grades they need for their offers (or not and be able to start planning for Clearing). But I suppose they won't do that because they won't want the sharp-elbowed parents weighing in and pressuring the teachers to give higher grades.

The article also said that schools will be provided with those mini-exams but won't be compulsory. But will schools feel they have to use them? It is not very fair to tell the kids no exams and then say they will have to do them after all, albeit that they will be shorter and probably easier to prepare for.

I wish they would just let teachers keep on teaching and children learning and allow full teacher assessment. Dd has so much homework that there has been very little time to revise and what should she revise??? She would rather keep going and try to cover as much of the syllabus as possible so she feels she has completed her a-level years. But if there is to be formal assessment, will it be on everything she's been taught(and struggled to revise) even though other schools may have covered more/less of the syllabus? She needs answers and the stress is really taking its toll☹ She is also worried about going back in to college full time without safety measures, she would rather continue with home learning now they're in the swing of it but be allowed to meet more than one person outside to catch up socially.

As it's the day before the announcement of the results of the consultation is anyone else expecting a drip feed of news from 'sources' to pre-prepare everyone for what is likely to be announced tomorrow?

I thought there had already been a leak. Grades to be given to students in early August rather than July as previously stated - which might indicate teachers don't have to deal with appeals.

All I want to know is the date they will finish. My year 11 dd has found this whole year very stressful and I'm just keen to have it completed.

Is there likely to be a universal end of year 11 date or will it be fine to individual schools?