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Secondary education

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Original poster

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

84 replies

GreenTeaPingPong · 14/03/2021 18:49

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 Sad.

Is your DC's school doing similar?

OP posts:
Member · 01/04/2021 21:15

Mocks were originally planned for mid Feb but cancelled due to lockdown.

After return on 12th March was announced there’s be formal assessments in exam conditions in the core subjects (math, Eng and sci) in the week before the easter hols & options subjects after Easter.

Today I’ve been emailed a list of further assessments 4-5/week from the week after that until 28th May which appear to be a mixture of in-class & mass exam-like scenarios.

They’ve been told since Sept to put in an effort in case exams were cancelled but it seems as though we’ve ended up with 6 months of sustained effort that’ll count for little & no capacity left for further “peaking”

ChocOrange1 · 01/04/2021 21:23

@GreenTeaPingPong

My DS had mocks planned for January but they were cancelled. So he will go into 6th form college having zero experience of any kind of exam, except for Y6 SATs.
Not really any different to going into GCSEs having had no experience of exams. Most students do end of year exams in years 7-10. And the assessments they do will be exams even if they're not sat in a big hall. Plus, all the lower sixth will be in the same position. I wouldn't worry about it.
littlequestion · 01/04/2021 21:35

I think by the time the government decides what "catch up" they want to do, several years will have missed out entirely. It will probably start in 2023!

I'm also shocked that after pushing back exams originally, everything has now been brought forward. I appreciate it's the same for everyone in current year 11, but surely this cohort will struggle with the move to 6th form.

I am dreading the 3 month plus summer holiday for my year 11. Jobs will be really hard to come by so there will be lots of loafing about doing nothing.

What I'd like more than anything is for the 6th forms to run some sort of enrichment/ catch up during June for new starters. Wouldn't it be great if they could get them"settling in" bit out of the way so they can hit the ground running in September?

I don't imagine for a minute that they have the resources (or the energy) to do this though.

SaucySarah · 01/04/2021 21:59

I have heard of two local schools (including ours) who intend to let the kids go by Friday 14th May.
No NCS, no summer jobs, no indoor socialising, no holidays with friends, not much even of holiday worth family,
DD is desperate to get out of school,but boy, it's going to be a long summer.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 01/04/2021 22:03

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.

Who is putting on these activities? Another pie in the sky idea and very few students would want to attend.

I understand your frustration re assessment. But the majority of students would be on study leave from May half term anyway. Our school wants to keep the students in, I am not looking forward to that and I hope students vote with their feet on that one.

Original poster
GreenTeaPingPong · 01/04/2021 22:05

ChocOrange1
Most students do end of year exams in years 7-10.

Not at my DS's school. No end of year exams in years 7 to 9. Year 10 end of year exams cancelled due to you-know-what. Y11 November mocks postponed to January, then cancelled.

OP posts:
AChickenCalledDaal · 02/04/2021 11:40

@GreenTeaPingPong

ChocOrange1 Most students do end of year exams in years 7-10.

Not at my DS's school. No end of year exams in years 7 to 9. Year 10 end of year exams cancelled due to you-know-what. Y11 November mocks postponed to January, then cancelled.

Me too. They did do some end of year exams in years 7-9, but the majority were sat in classrooms, in lesson time, and were relatively low stress. Normally, they use the exam hall for Year 10 mocks, year 10 end of year exams and two sets of year 11 mocks, to give them exam practice in the right atmosphere. But for this year group none of those exams have happened.

They also don't intend to use the exam hall for the year 11 assessments - and they don't do AS. So DD2's first proper experience of a high stakes public exam in the assembly hall will probably be her A levels. And she suffers badly from exam stress, so it's a major worry.

ChocOrange1 · 02/04/2021 11:59

@SaucySarah

I have heard of two local schools (including ours) who intend to let the kids go by Friday 14th May. No NCS, no summer jobs, no indoor socialising, no holidays with friends, not much even of holiday worth family, DD is desperate to get out of school,but boy, it's going to be a long summer.
Indoor socialising starts 17th May and there's no reason why they can't do UK holidays with friends or family.
Thethingswedoforlove · 02/04/2021 12:03

NCS is running this year. Starts early July. My dd is booked onto one for three weeks.

Tonylepony · 02/04/2021 13:23

DS’s school had pretty much decided that GCSES aren’t cancelled and he has 3 weeks of GCSEs in the format of normal GCSEs (eg 2x 1hr 45 minutes papers for sciences etc.) all done in exam conditions. He even has a candidate number to prevent teacher bias when marking. The results will be the grade he gets. I’m not sure what I think tbh as other schools locally are doing small tests (30 mins) in the classroom where dcs are going to be told what they’re being tested on. But I do think ds will be at an advantage moving on to A’levels with this approach. I’ve decided not to compare results between schools as I just think it’s impossible this year.

Blubell46 · 02/04/2021 19:41

My ds has been told he will be assessed by his coming exams...it starts in May and goes on for 3 weeks! There are many days where he has 4 exams in one day.

I have now decided this is an endurance test. I really feel for him as he will be sitting in an exam hall with a candidate number ....roll on end of May 2021!

Ericaequites · 03/04/2021 15:58

Fun and PE are diametrically opposed for many teens. More enrichment and low cost trips to museums and cultural sites would be great.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 03/04/2021 17:47

I just don't understand how you think schools are going to be able to put on enrichment with no funding, barely any notice and during the time of year they usually use to sort stuff for the next year. This time will be needed more than ever this academic year because so many plans have been put on the back burner to prioritise assessing year 11/13.

There's plenty out there for kids who want it.

snowdropsinapril · 03/04/2021 18:09

I can't believe this thread. I so feel for the students.

What I don't get is why the exams could not have gone ahead, even if they were online type exams?

It worked for 11 plus and banding tests.
However, I recognised my child is not at secondary yet, but I just can't believe what these kids are having to do or not do, none of it makes any sense to me?

worriedatthemoment · 03/04/2021 18:13

My ds had good lessons all through lockdown , the sat online mocks , then had a week of mocks last year and will have more in may, they will use these for evidence firstly along with classwork and assessments to help back up if needed.
We have been provided with raw scores but they won't give predictions , all in all think School are doing well with it and best that can be done this year
Ds is at state school that supposedly requires improvement yet the school provision and management , teachers etc I think have been brilliant

worriedatthemoment · 03/04/2021 18:14

Also used candidate numbers for last set of exams

worriedatthemoment · 03/04/2021 18:17

@GreenTeaPingPong but in a normal year june would just be some gcse anyway school pretty much finished just going in for exams .
Its normally the time to have off after working hard on gcse etc and some kids do summer jobs and half term week so its not that much different

nancy75 · 03/04/2021 18:18

My DD had exams (in exam conditions) as soon as they went back at the start of March, we get results after Easter.
If they are happy with the result of a particular subject & the school feels they can back up that result they can drop that subject & concentrate on bring up the results of other subjects. Not quite sure if there will be more exams - it’s all a bit vague.
I think they are finishing school at May half term, but again it’s a bit vague

worriedatthemoment · 03/04/2021 18:24

I meant he had week of mocks last week not last year , under exam conditions and using candidate number

mayneedabiscuit · 03/04/2021 18:40

@nancy75 wow that sounds brilliant. My DS would jump at the chance to drop the subjects he did well in and concentrate on the ones he needs to.
How have some schools for this so right but others have got this so wrong?
What a shame for the children under even more prolonged pressure than normal.

mayneedabiscuit · 03/04/2021 18:41

*got

nancy75 · 03/04/2021 18:46

@mayneedabiscuit, we’ve been very lucky with the school, we got a new (unpopular) head not long before Covid started and she has been absolutely brilliant, as have the staff.
They had online lessons up & running from the start & have gone above & beyond for the kids. The situation is still rubbish but I can’t fault the school at all ( it’s a London comp, not a private school)

bumblingbovine49 · 03/04/2021 18:49

@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 Sad.

Is your DC's school doing similar?

We have an assessment schedule that is similar. Between 1-3 assessed pieces of work (most in exam conditions in class) almost every day between 19 April to 27 May . They have also done a few already before Easter . They have to have about 7-10 pieces of work to assess for each subject.

If it had be coursework throughout the year it would have been easier as more would have been done by now . If it had been exams only they would be done in 2-3 weeks max . As it stands it is the worst of all worlds with masses of mini tests , many in exam conditions over 7-8 weeks

snowdropsinapril · 03/04/2021 19:10

But as an outside I don't get it - so you have a variance of different schools doing different things and a set of grades will be awarded?

There can't be any meaningful comparison can there?

And the poor students - none of it makes any sense?

mayneedabiscuit · 03/04/2021 19:15

@snowdropsinapril
That's right.
In our school they are using old mock results (first and only ever sat) towards a % of their grade. 40% in English Literature. So a large part of their grade won't even reflect what grade they are working at now. It will drag their grade down for some students.

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