FULL A-level and GCSE Autumn Exam Series 2021 announced

[noblegiraffe]

It's just been announced that A-level and GCSE exams will be running in all subjects, A-level in October, GCSE in November/December for students who are unhappy with their TAGs this summer.

There will be no modifications to the papers to account for lost learning.

www.tes.com/news/gcses-a-levels-2021-autumn-exams-offered-all-subjects

School leaders already saying it's a waste of time for schools to organise, doesn't address the issues of different learning loss between schools and will create more problems than it solves.

www.tes.com/news/gcses-a-levels-2021-headteachers-schools-condemn-autumn-exams-plan

Not sure there'll be many takers, tbh.

When are Maths & English Language GCSE retakes usually?
Will they still run as well as November sessions?

What happened last year in the end?

(Very interested as may not get DD up to speed in maths for current deadline, but would prefer her not to have to spend a whole year retaking at college if it can be avoided.)

The maths and English retakes are usually in November after half term so I guess they'll be at the same time as normal.

For last year "Our analyses show that, of the students that have a grade from the summer, around 45% have improved their grade, just under 40% have the same grade, and around 15% received a lower grade in November."

ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2021/01/14/gcse-english-and-maths-results-in-the-november-series/

Yay! A new paper.

There were exams last autumn, a student of mine took. hers (iGCSE admittedly so a bit different). Maths and English retakes would normally be Autumn. Ridiculous to take no account of lost learning tho 😤

@Phineyj

Yay! A new paper.

#desperateteacher 😀😀

Did many pupils actually resit GCSEs in subjects other than Maths or English language last year?

My DS took exams last year, he went up significantly (while studying A levels). I think if you get low grades due to the teacher taking a bit of a dislike or putting you at the low end of the rankings, you will have to take subjects. I think it was a good thing he did some exams, he needed to see what it was like.

If by some miracle DD passes both maths & English language I would maybe offer her to sit Biology in November, but a) it's not likely, b) I think she wouldn't be sufficiently motivated and c) she probably won't have the energy either.

This doesn’t bode well for any concessions or adjustments for loss of learning for the current year 10’s either

Barely any, Teen assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/930174/Entries_for_GCSE_autumn_2020_exam_series.xlsx

@scrappydappydoo

This doesn’t bode well for any concessions or adjustments for loss of learning for the current year 10’s either

That’s a good point.

That really wasn't many was it.
But I guess for those involved it would have been important, especially the Home Ed community.

We had no takers at our school for resits beyond maths and English for those who got below a 4.

From ofqual POV, looking at the number of students who will want to resit (tiny) it does make sense to not have a complex system of mitigation. I don't even know how they would do it. Some subjects could be easily cut down, eg only one text in English or only one unit in history but maths is a non starter.

I guess if someone is really keen they can spend June, July & August catching themselves up on missed syllabus.