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Secondary education

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Original poster

What about GCSEs and A levels next year?

23 replies

Notcontent · 17/02/2021 13:55

This year’s exams have been cancelled. But I think it will also be really hard for students who are expected To sit their exams next year. I have a year 10 dd. She has had pretty good remote teaching but it’s still not the same as being in school. It’s hard to imagine she will be expected to do mocks in less than a year after all she has been through and missing out in two terms of school.

OP posts:
clary · 17/02/2021 16:41

I think there will have to be adaptations made.

It would be dreadful if the exams were not conducted next year, especially for curent year 12s who would then go to uni without ever sitting a public exam.

So I think all possible steps will be taken to make it happen. I think they should decide quickly what they will do. They will have to drop a text in English, drop topics in other subjects, maybe not have the speaking exam in MFL, include formula in the science exam paper, make the exams open book...something for sure.

treeeeemendous · 17/02/2021 17:21

Well I had hoped Gavin Williamson and co would have come up with a good plan B for the current year 11s but apparently not.

I really do hope they are forward thinking next year especially for the current year 12's who already had their GCSEs fucked up.

Bobbybobbins · 17/02/2021 17:24

Hoping for done adaptations too - along the lines of what current year 11 would have done. For English Lit, we dropped a text.

RedskyBynight · 17/02/2021 17:26

It does need to be decided quickly, so schools can plan their teaching. It's no good dropping (say) an English Lit text if half the schools have already studied it.

Bobbybobbins · 17/02/2021 17:28

@RedskyBynight

Definitely. We got to choose which text though so each school could choose the one they hadn't started which worked quite well.

clary · 17/02/2021 17:29

@RedskyBynight

It does need to be decided quickly, so schools can plan their teaching. It's no good dropping (say) an English Lit text if half the schools have already studied it.
Exactly. There needs to be a decision at least in broad terms by this summer if not earlier imho.
Hopeful201 · 17/02/2021 18:40

The problem is there may be more disruption, but I agree they need to start sorting it out. I have one doing A levels and one doing GCSE next year.

PorcelainCatStack · 17/02/2021 19:46

It’s hard to say but I think the results of the consultation on the 22nd will have a bearing on next year. Maybe not immediately but when the time comes.

PorcelainCatStack · 17/02/2021 19:48

Pearson (Edexcel) are also doing a consultation on what people think should happen to GCSEs and A-Levels going forward. Might be worth filling that in too:

ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/552/210207?list=1#?

RedGoldAndGreene · 17/02/2021 19:51

I would support a trimmed down curriculum for Summer 2021 GCSEs. They need to consider getting the kids in after exams if they are continuing that subject to A-level
/degree level. Eg Sciences, maths

olivo · 17/02/2021 20:19

I hope they do not drop the speaking in MFL,
I wonder who decided this would be the best way. They definitely need to think about next year so that the goal posts are fixed and so that the current year 12 and 10 know what is coming.

Original poster
Notcontent · 17/02/2021 21:00

@olivo

I hope they do not drop the speaking in MFL, I wonder who decided this would be the best way. They definitely need to think about next year so that the goal posts are fixed and so that the current year 12 and 10 know what is coming.
Why do you say that? My dd is doing a MFL subject and she is getting very little practice.
OP posts:
PorcelainCatStack · 17/02/2021 21:27

They’ve dropped speaking this year (had they been going ahead) so makes sense that’s what will be dropped next year if needs be.

clary · 17/02/2021 21:49

MFL is my abject and I'm not mad about speaking being dropped, but that's what they were going to do this year. At least it's a clear unit, also one that students panic about (tho they often do better than they expect).

Otherwise they could drop topics (tricky - which ones) or give more choice in the essay questions (which again they were going to do this year) and maybe more scaffolding - extra bullet points. Maybe give some vocab in the reading and listening papers? Students just won't have learned as much 😭

clary · 17/02/2021 21:49

haha subject not abject!

Manchestertimes · 18/02/2021 01:07

My year 10 daughter has had three periods of isolation since September so basically she will have had around 6 weeks face to face education in the last year! I really hope they make allowances for 2022 as my child will need it!!

starlilly88 · 18/02/2021 09:38

They have to do something quickly. Those doing practical subjects can't be assessed from home, and my son is doing science a levels and has missed a lot of lab time and practical assessments that can't be done at home. If the older ones don't go back until after Easter, that's only 12 weeks of face to face school in 13 months! Kids have really been let down

Original poster
Notcontent · 18/02/2021 10:43

Yes, the Government will need to make a decision soon and it would be very disingenuous of them to say that a couple of extra weeks of school over the summer or a longer school day will fix things.

OP posts:
treeeeemendous · 18/02/2021 11:27

@Notcontent don't pin your hopes on it, they seemed to think that would be ok for the current year 11's and look how that's panned out. I'm not sure why they were so insistent for so long that the exams would go ahead as normal. I really think it's time to overhaul the whole system now.

meditrina · 19/02/2021 23:52

@clary

I think there will have to be adaptations made.

It would be dreadful if the exams were not conducted next year, especially for curent year 12s who would then go to uni without ever sitting a public exam.

So I think all possible steps will be taken to make it happen. I think they should decide quickly what they will do. They will have to drop a text in English, drop topics in other subjects, maybe not have the speaking exam in MFL, include formula in the science exam paper, make the exams open book...something for sure.

Pupils have already lost a random amount of schooling in the autumn term (SI, burst bubbles) and it now looks as if all of this term will be online (with quite variable standards and levels of engagement)

I think adaptations will need to be made - along the lines of those proposed for this year, before it became clear that exams could nit go ahead this year)

And schools need to be told this, as soon as possible (say, no later than start of summer term) so that remaining time can be put to best use.

cantstopstressing · 22/02/2021 14:13

What about kids in subsequent years? I have a DS in year 8 who has also missed nearly a year's schooling. At some point they will have to revert to exams/objective testing and I worry his year will be the year they clamp down/firm up and he may suffer for it. At least with teacher assessment they typically over-estimate.

Pieceofpurplesky · 22/02/2021 18:24

Year 9 and below will be fine as they have not started their GCSE courses and there will be catch up put in place where needed.

10 and 12 will need their exams adapted - they need to bring in a coursework element for all subjects so their is evidence of anything like this happens again

meditrina · 23/02/2021 07:19

10 and 12 will need their exams adapted - they need to bring in a coursework element for all subjects so their is evidence of anything like this happens again

Very possible and we need to know now what form it will take, so that teachers can use the remaining time to best effect

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