Haydon not reducing science GCSE topics other schools are!

[joeyblogy]

Hi

Are there any parents here concerned with Haydon School continuing to tell pupils they should to prepare for ALL science topics even though pupils will only be tested on half of those topics. Rooksheath school have already advised pupils of the topics that will not be coming up so they can focus revision on the necessary topics. Why is Haydon School doing this? they've proved to be very lazy with not providing any guidance on how they will be using pupil assessed work during the lockdown period to help determine pupils final grade. All the remote assessment work seems to count for nothing. Other schools have provide guidance to their pupils well before Haydon has.

I don't know the schools in question but there's no standardized way that testing and assessments are going to be carried out so some kids are at a massive disadvantage. They've done this so parents aren't directing their anger at the government on results day

Is your child doing A-level in science? Playing Devil's Advocate here but look at it as a positive thing as they'll be more ready for A-level.

no GCSEs. My son's cousins at one other local harrow school has been given a reduced list of topics for science.

Every school can assess as it wishes.

They can decide to set tests which assess the whole curriculum. They can set tests which assess any proportion of the curriculum. They can set pieces if work which are not tests.

Teachers are asked to form a ‘basket of evidence’ from across the course. They will have most of it already and the last pieces of work in whatever format will be added to help them decide the overall grades.

It’s no good being cross as every school is doing it differently. This is the whole point. Schools have different evidence to start with and are now adding different evidence. They have to take a holistic view of each basket (and what’s in it can vary for children within a school too).

And it can vary between departments too. One might choose to set an essay that the kids know the title of in advance. One might choose to set a whole past exam paper.....but actually gov advice is gha5vthe assessments shouldn’t replicate exams.

Giving a wide range of topics ensures good consolidation, balance and opportunity for a weaker topic to have less of an impact.
It makes no difference to the final grades as each school makes it's own decisions and for upcoming exams will set their own boundaries.
Comparing schools is pointless.
If these were external exams it would matter, but they are not.
50+% of my students continue to A level. We are setting a wide range of topics.
I know it will generate the required data as I'm an experienced teacher.
Let the school do it's job.