Year 10

[BentBastard]

Do you think they will have perfectly normal exams next year?

I'm concerned they're set to be in a position where they get disrupted schooling for the first year of their GCSE curriculum, then come exam time everything is normal so they face normal exams despite disrupted schooling, then to top it off, grades that will be in competition with the inevitably inflated grades of this years year 11s.

I absolutely see why the year 11s need CAGs but I dont think anyone believes they won't be inevitable inflated, it's not teachers fault, of course, but things that knock exam performance won't be a factor.

How can current Year 10s be on a level playing field? Do you think anything will be done?

There is never a level playing field in any year. A 6 in one year is not the same as a 6 the following year.
GCSEs (other than a pass in maths and English) are mostly used as a stepping stone to get to the next stage. I can't think of a single case where anyone would "compare" the grades of GCSEs of someone in one year against the grades of someone in a different year to make any sort of judgement on them.

I hope that the exam content is reduced (perhaps in a similar way to that suggested for this year) to allow for those with disrupted education, but really this should be announced soon to allow teachers to plan.

I think every effort will be made to enable exams to go ahead next year - not so much essentially for current Year 10s, but for their counterparts currently in Year 12 who've already had at least 1 and in some cases 2 lots of disrupted exams, and who really need to have one set of "proper" results if at all possible.

Of course it's never a completely level playing field but there's an enormous gulf between the usual extent of non level playing field and year groups receiving entirely CAG result based only on taught content and exam results after disrupted course learning and standard exams.

That's why I'm asking what can or might be done.

And to add, it's too late for reduced content because course teaching has already begun and different school will have been teaching different content already.

They certainly have a tough time of it. My Y10 chose food tech and drama GCSEs. She’s not cooked a thing and is only learning theory in both subjects.

My fear is they are the forgotten year group in this and red sky's somewhat dismissive response on the impact for year 10 only serves to reinforce this.

Bent So what would you like to happen? Should the year group have grades artificially increased to bring them in line with the year above? Then their grades won't compare with the students 3 years above them?

I think the only thing that can sensibly be done is to reduce the content to be covered - and remember this didn't happen for current Year 11 until way later in the year. And current Year 11 are only finding out today on what basis they will get exam results (last year's Year 11 didn't find out until about 3 days before results). I agree with you that "something" should be done for current year 10 - my DD is in Year 10 so I have a vested interest - but on the basis of government education pandemic policy so far I am being realistic.

I don't know what should be done. That's why I posted here to spitball (sorry, gross phrase) with others.

I don't see how reduced content works when significant course content has already been taught in some places. How can you remove whole sections of
Curriculum if that part has already been taught in some schools? I guess you mean greater choice of questions in exams so that there are alternative questions available for those who have missed patches? That might work if done properly.

I guess my main immediate concern is raising awareness for this group so they don't get forgotten and levelling measures are given consideration. This government seems to work entirely on a "those that shout loudest" basis so I'm hoping people start shouting.

There is a petition to get content reduced for current year 10’s.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/568162?fbclid=IwAR3rzOYHTQCyKSHwS0lQII3H6d9XZKY90fDv-zqOlJdUQS1z20lW97veQAE

I would imagine it will go to teacher assessment again but like this year probably at the last minute. There's been lots of disruption already and I think that will continue through to at least summer and possibly again next winter, expecting pretty much constant isolations with the constant covid testing but hope I'm wrong. But you just have to prepare for any scenario.

Feel really sorry for the kids as its constant disruption and they don't know what they are aiming for. I got DD not to chose any practical subjects as I expected lots of disruption but its chaos for all the subjects.

Agree they need reduced curriculum- i guess at least if that happens it cuts down on revision. But drastic for sciences where they need it to progress.They've missed so much already! The whole learning how to revise stuff, too.

@BentBastard

I don't know what should be done. That's why I posted here to spitball (sorry, gross phrase) with others.

I don't see how reduced content works when significant course content has already been taught in some places. How can you remove whole sections of
Curriculum if that part has already been taught in some schools? I guess you mean greater choice of questions in exams so that there are alternative questions available for those who have missed patches? That might work if done properly.

I guess my main immediate concern is raising awareness for this group so they don't get forgotten and levelling measures are given consideration. This government seems to work entirely on a "those that shout loudest" basis so I'm hoping people start shouting.

One thing that can be done is saying schools can drop one of four things - so in Eng lit, drop one text of novel, 20C or poetry, as was planned this year.

For my subject, MFL, you could scaffold the essay questions more, supply vocabulary on the exam papers, drop the speaking element, offer more choice of questions in essay and translation, so if a student felt weaker in a particular topic, they could do the alternative.

Grade boundary expectations will need to be lowered.

There is much that can be done but I agree, it needs to be dive as soon as possible, definitely not long after Easter.

Exams must go ahead though. But I do feel for this cohort do much.

My dd is in Year 10 and I've been thinking the same for months and months now. I feel so bad for this year group. I really hope they do something and soon.