If you have a Y11 DC, what's the school doing about GCSE assessment?

[GreenTeaPingPong]

Can you help me get an idea of what other schools are doing for GCSE assessment? I especially would like to know when they're going to be doing assessments/tests, if they've told you.

I was dismayed to hear from my DS's school on Friday that they'll be doing assessments in class over 8 weeks beginning in one week's time from 22nd March - meaning they'll have had just 10 days of teaching before they start assessing. They've had minimal teaching online, perhaps 5 or 6 live webinars per week since January, and DS has not been very engaged, so I was really hoping that he would be able to have at least a month or 6 weeks of school before being assessed, so that he has a chance to up his game. But now it seems they'll be assessing basically only on the work they've done from Sept - Dec 2020 .

Is your DC's school doing similar?

we've been told that they cannot use the virtual mocks from january as effective invigilation couldn't be guaranteed....

so they're doing one more week of new stuff and then revision including some timed assessments in class - and then the 3 weeks before June half term will be exams. it's more stressful than the actual GCSEs to be honest?

@GreenTeaPingPong

Her school is sensible and I trust them to get things back on track in sixth form. My DS's school only goes up to Y11, then it's 6th form college, completely different institution. A level prep in June sounds like a very good idea but couldn't happen here

I wonder if any of the 6th form colleges will offer summer term/summer courses, because they must also be worried about whether Year 11s have actually covered all that they need to.

You are right, it's all very anxiety provoking. Particularly as DD has now announced she has her first assessment-that-definitely-counts on Wednesday and swears that can't remember a word of it and is just going to write the whole subject off (foreign language). It's hard to tell whether this is teenage angst/hyperbole or whether the whole subject is about to do down the tubes.

@GreenTeaPingPong yes, definitely same school!

@littlequestion Ha! Thanks for pointing out about the science assessment, typically DS had no clue about that and said he had science yesterday and it wasn't mentioned [sigh]. We should learn more in the webinar for parents.

You have my sympathy, AChickenCalledDaal, DS has similarly given up on handing in his drama portfolio, despite my pleas.

Do people think there will be ranking within schools like last year meaning that grades will be rationed or will grades be given out based on at least one piece of evidence at that level? if someone got an 8 in the mock but 6 in the summer test would they be awarded the 8 from the mock, the 6 from the summer exam or a 7 as that would be their average?

So I have more details from DS...

His assesment dates are 20th April to 11th June. Mocks taken in September will be taken into account in some subjects as will tests undertaken in both GCSE years. Still no idea on what's happening with PE practical though.

No new learning. Constant tests from now. All over by 28 May.

DS has similarly given up on handing in his drama portfolio, despite my pleas.

It's scary seeing a previously motivated student just giving up. DD says their teachers are in shock because the student formerly regarded as the golden boy of the year group arrived on the first day back with headphones clamped on, shirt hanging out, slumped with his head on the desk and has basically not engaged with anything since. Their school is being very good about recognising that they've had a hard time and motivation is low. But they have such a short time to try and turn things around.

Our school is doing a weighted average (but not told us how the weights are spread) across:
work done to date (from Sep 2019 to March 2021),

assessments this week (they were due to sit their mocks in January, but these were cancelled at the 11th hour when they didn't return to school), 1 exam per subject

another week of assessments in May

final week of assessments in June, where they are likely to use the Ofqual questions supplied (some Ofqal questions may also be used in the May assessments). These exams will be shorter, no more than an hour.

From April, the school will keep us informed of the grade currently attained, thereby allowing the May & June assessments to help improve their grade, and give them an idea of what they will need to achieve to do so. If any of the assessments throw out an outlying low mark that seems unusual for the pupil, the school can discount it.

The idea is that they need to be able to have provable data to come up with the marks they've awarded. It's a sensible approach, but my DD is on her knees. I'm not expecting great things from this week's assessments, but hope she'll have honed her exam technique a bit more for May & June after a decent break at Easter.

The school have said they consulted with other schools in the area, and they're all doing a similar thing.

@EmmaStone it's a shame your school aren't running the department of Education.
They sounds like a reasonably balance approach.

My ds has just done a few mock exams and then after Easter there will be a couple more. I think they're using the mocks to grade them.

I teach secondary science. We are doing end of topic tests as per usual to assess the last bit of content which was taught over lockdown. We'll then be doing regular in class assessments plus revision, with more formalised exams in the first two weeks of May (this is to allow a catch up period for any students who are ill or isolating to do the exams and time to allow us to mark and collate evidence by the 18th June deadline).

The aim is to have as much evidence as possible, so if there's the odd place they've done poorly over the last couple of years we can provide other evidence to justify a higher grade.

Unfortunately, I do think it is going to be extremely stressful for y11, and the two weeks of government tests will be awful (as it's a way shorter time period than normal exams).

Unfortunately I also don't think there is a good way to do this that won't be stressful - and the later schools leave any summer tests, the more risk students who miss them won't be able to have the chance to catch up, which would be extremely unfair.

It's the 18th June deadline that is the problem - that's early, even compared to when exams normally finish, and obviously time has to be allowed for teachers to mark and the data to be collected centrally.

DD's school is selecting a specific number of pieces of evidence in each subject which meet the Govt criteria, but are tailored to the subject. So in some subject that might be mocks, where they have happened, but in others it may be coursework that was undertaken under the right, consistent conditions. They are also having two assessment periods, firstly over the next couple of weeks and then again just before half term, so it seems quite clear that most subjects will use those two assessments as part of the evidence. It feels like a reasonable balance between having a robust process but not over-egging one intense period of exams that this year group aren't really ready for.

Reading this with interest and frankly a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. My son is suffering really badly with depression and has almost completely dropped out. He's been going downhill in terms of engagement and production of work since the beginning of Year 11. He's on a reduced timetable and supposed to be doing some work remotely from home (as he can't manage a full day at school) but there's very little being produced. School are being accommodating but I don't think they've made any announcements about how they are conducting assessments/evidence-gathering and the million dollar question from me is how much they can cherry-pick to get the best bits of evidence for my son. His grades were fantastic in Year 10 but not so good this year. Or, rather, there probably actually isn't much from Year 11. And there's little chance of him doing much of any value now. There's now way he'd be able to produce any work under exam conditions.

Mum I hear you. I'm in pretty much the same position. It's heartbreaking. DD can't even get in to school due to anxiety and depression.

Some of the things my DS school are doing are assessments every lesson until they leave, they are going to use the last 3 years of work and tests and they will be doing 2 weeks tests in April. I'm appalled by the pressure that is being put on students to get through all of this! The schools in our area failed massively on setting work or revision in any lockdown, my son had no contact from school but that was mainly down to his teachers leaving as soon as lockdown was announced.
I'm watching my DS, his friends and my DN buckle with pressure so the school can get their grades because somewhere they know they've messed up massively.
Ds is currently in isolation due to his friend lying saying he's been near him when he had covid and he hadn't so he's missed another week of learning.
In lessons they are starting new subjects that will be featured on these exams because they haven't been taught in lockdown.
From a promise of no GCSEs to this has come as a massive shock to them and there's tears and students begging for help but no one is listening. This is the most unfair situation Iv seen in schools for a long time.

My DDs school is also starting 8 weeks of assessments from next week.
Which means she doesn't have enough time to finish the teaching on the higher level Maths paper so can only get a B.

I get it's a shitstorm but I really do think that as soon as the "actual" GCSEs were cancelled someone should have realised that there may not be enough teaching time to complete the course, and therefore not offer it.
Really feel like she's missed out.

@MumofTeenDespair and @TeenMinusTests I’m sure someone on another ‘exams cancelled’ thread said the DfE will be doing an autumn series. I’ve no idea if these will be classed as resits. Given they’ve not really sat anything they shouldn’t be. I’m wondering if that will be an option? or even trying again next year when MH is improved/stabilised? It’s so very difficult and I really feel for your DCs.

Thank you NotDonna . I think for DD the only things we'll be looking to resit asap are maths & English language and that is so she would have the possibility of not having to do classes for a whole other year if it can be avoided. Otherwise for DD at least a fresh start at college is what she needs (provided she is well enough).

teenminustest that’s the thing. Who wants to be studying all summer for resits or repeat a year? They just want to move on and start looking forward to something new. More of the same is quite demoralising. Here’s hoping they get enough evidence so they can avoid those scenarios.

So just to increase my general disillusionment with the school system in my area, I've just seen it mentioned in passing on school newsletter today, that the last day of school for Y11s is 26th May. 26th May!!!

So the government might be talking about extending the school year or the school day to help students catch up, but DS's school in their wisdom are chucking Y11s out a month early. Of course DS is delighted, as while I'm out at work, he'll be able to spend all day on his computer gaming for 3 months until he starts 6th form college. 3 fucking months.
I've just had enough now. They don't give a shit about wellbeing of students, just make it easy for the teachers and their timetables. What about 4 weeks of enrichment activities in the morning and fun PE in the afternoon? Nope, no work experience, no transition to college, no nothing.

I have just spent about half an hour trying to find the contact email for the governors, and finally found it and have written a strongly worded complaint.

Ours finish on 21st, although I think there are still some classes for those who need them. In some ways I'm relieved as DS has barely been there anyway (signed off sick for MH reasons) and it's been stressing me out every morning worrying about whether he's going in or not. But - yes - 3 months of staying in bed all day is not good either.

Enrichment activities - good idea. My son might actually bother getting up to go to those.

Thinking of getting him some work experience sorted out but totally from my own efforts.

I guess the teachers have got a big mountain of paperwork ahead of them though, and the prospect of being first port of call with complaints about grades too. It's a shitshow all round.

Re finish dates; as staff we have been instructed to provide our Q-TAGs to SLT by the end of May to allow for their moderation prior to entry.

There is nothing left to deliver that will impact on grades; you may find that there will be sessions offered for students who will be starting their L3 courses in September but give schools & colleges a chance as we are receiving information/guidance through constantly that need our urgent attention

Our year 11s are also finishing at end of May. It's because the school assessed grades need to be done and dusted by mid June. So there has basically been a monumental but very quiet u-turn on the whole concept of giving this year group extra catch-up time by pushing the exams back.

So there has basically been a monumental but very quiet u-turn on the whole concept of giving this year group extra catch-up time by pushing the exams back.

So it seems. Who'd have thought when they decided to cancel GCSE exams that that would lead to students who've missed huge amounts of school leaving school even earlier.