Local schools getting easier GCSE exams / inflated grades

[JoannaFurneaux]

Hi all,
my daughter is currently at grammar school where they are having very strictly run exams over the course of a month. 2 per subject. One of his friends goes to a local private school. Apparently his friend at private school said they have been having exams for weeks all of which can go towards their exam grades. Her friend who previously had struggled is forecasted to get almost top marks in every subject! Another friend at the same private school is also getting much higher predicted grades. Previously had also struggled as well. This sounds extremely unfair and is putting extra pressure on my own daughter and is surely not an isolated case. Does anyone know the best place I can complain to about this? I simply want to ensure the fairest possible outcome for my own daughter which at present it sounds like she wont get.
Thank you
Jo

@jgw1 exactly

All the local secondary comps near me are doing this

Why do you think it’s unfair? Your school can do that too they’ve just chosen not to.

Our year 11 are being tested every two weeks and have been since January

All scores go towards the overall grade. Sounds more like your school is being tougher but that’s their choice

The other schools aren’t doing anything wrong as evidence can come from any form

Yes I wish everyone could have just had their normal GCSES in the first place then I would have no complaints.

@Pastanred

All the local secondary comps near me are doing this

Why do you think it’s unfair? Your school can do that too they’ve just chosen not to.

Our year 11 are being tested every two weeks and have been since January

All scores go towards the overall grade. Sounds more like your school is being tougher but that’s their choice

The other schools aren’t doing anything wrong as evidence can come from any form

That's a different perspective and maybe you are correct. It is hard not to feel annoyed about the fact there doesn't appear to be a level playing field though!

I totally get it and I’d be just as angry but I’d be complaining to your school to be honest as they do seem more strict than most

Most kids near me got inflated grades last year - my dn got a 7 in one that she got a 4 for in a mock. No way would she have got a 7! But it’s very common and sadly whilst it’s wrong I’d be in the ‘if you can’t fight then join them’ camp!

I agree OP. My friend is SLT and says at a meeting it was notable the historically 'weaker' school students were doing classroom test and teach every couple of weeks. My nephew for example.
Others were having DC sit end of term tests in exam conditions. DS2 has two and a half hours Biolgy 'exam' on everything they've learnt tomorrow, and then a further two hours RE.
I'm afraid the genuinely brighter students won't stand out this year.

It’s extremely unlikely that your daughter will only be assessed on the examinations in a one-month block. The teachers will be collecting evidence week by week in the form of written work, short tasks and tests in class. If it helped you could consult the school and find out what sort of assessment is taking place.

And my nephews brother (same school) got six nines, and the rest sevens and eights last year. They in no way reflected his Mocks.

Guidelines are to run a series of low stake assessments and not just run exams, so it might be your school that is not applying the guidelines.

Schools can use a wide range of evidence to determine their grades, not just exams, they can use open book or different style of questions. All schools, even private ones, have to be consistent to previous years (not counting 2020) and they are all being checked. Random sample of students and subjects to be sent in..

If you are angry blame them Department of Education, not schools trying to navigate a very tricky situation.

You know what though... the system is totally unfair on lots of kids anyway. The kids in the crap schools with the endless stream of supply teachers are the ones who constantly miss out, year on year.

The kids with SEND in a class of 32 kids with no extra help, compared to those in private school in a class of 15.

Those who have parents who can pay for tuition, grammar school entry tuition, extra-curricular; and those who don’t.

There is no ‘fair’ in education.

I'm very surprised that any schools are giving their Y11s any sort of grades right now. Grading individual assessments would be bonkers, it's going to be hard enough grading the lot.

That school is setting itself up for a raft of appeals if that's what they're actually doing.

It's an absolute mess - could've been avoided if they never cancelled GCSEs

If they had opted for continuous exam conditions assessments, they would have been inundated with equally angry parents furious that their children were being put under inhumane levels of pressure when they hadn't even completed the course and that not enough time was being dedicated to mental wellbeing.

If they stick with a single batch of exam condition assessments, they would have complaints about how it's inhumane to put so much pressure on them by assessing purely on the basis of a single day.

If they hold assessments in classrooms, they would have complaints about how it's inhumane to assess them when there is no room/somebody with a cough or a sniff/there is noise in the corridor or above them.

Somebody will complain the tests were too hard and it's not fair or humane.

Somebody will complain the tests were too easy and it's not fair or humane.

Somebody will complain that there weren't any tests and it's not fair or humane.

Somebody will complain that there is any form of assessment taking into account work completed in lockdown.

Somebody will complain that the assessments aren't taking into account work completed in lockdown.

Somebody will complain that there was an expectation to do any work in lockdown.

Somebody will complain that there weren't punishments for failing to complete work in lockdown and there wasn't enough work being given.

Somebody will always say at [other school] they aren't doing anything at all and are giving the kids vastly inflated grades for free.

In short, whatever way you look at it or do assessments, there will be people furious that the way that is chosen as to be the best for the kids to maximise their results fairly. Because they don't think their child will be the one benefitting from that particular approach, whatever it is.

@Pastanred

I totally get it and I’d be just as angry but I’d be complaining to your school to be honest as they do seem more strict than most

Most kids near me got inflated grades last year - my dn got a 7 in one that she got a 4 for in a mock. No way would she have got a 7! But it’s very common and sadly whilst it’s wrong I’d be in the ‘if you can’t fight then join them’ camp!

Agreed!

@NeverDropYourMoonCup

If they had opted for continuous exam conditions assessments, they would have been inundated with equally angry parents furious that their children were being put under inhumane levels of pressure when they hadn't even completed the course and that not enough time was being dedicated to mental wellbeing.

If they stick with a single batch of exam condition assessments, they would have complaints about how it's inhumane to put so much pressure on them by assessing purely on the basis of a single day.

If they hold assessments in classrooms, they would have complaints about how it's inhumane to assess them when there is no room/somebody with a cough or a sniff/there is noise in the corridor or above them.

Somebody will complain the tests were too hard and it's not fair or humane.

Somebody will complain the tests were too easy and it's not fair or humane.

Somebody will complain that there weren't any tests and it's not fair or humane.

Somebody will complain that there is any form of assessment taking into account work completed in lockdown.

Somebody will complain that the assessments aren't taking into account work completed in lockdown.

Somebody will complain that there was an expectation to do any work in lockdown.

Somebody will complain that there weren't punishments for failing to complete work in lockdown and there wasn't enough work being given.

Somebody will always say at [other school] they aren't doing anything at all and are giving the kids vastly inflated grades for free.

In short, whatever way you look at it or do assessments, there will be people furious that the way that is chosen as to be the best for the kids to maximise their results fairly. Because they don't think their child will be the one benefitting from that particular approach, whatever it is.

I know what you mean its a no win situation.

@cptartapp

I agree OP. My friend is SLT and says at a meeting it was notable the historically 'weaker' school students were doing classroom test and teach every couple of weeks. My nephew for example. Others were having DC sit end of term tests in exam conditions. DS2 has two and a half hours Biolgy 'exam' on everything they've learnt tomorrow, and then a further two hours RE. I'm afraid the genuinely brighter students won't stand out this year.

Yes that is what I think too. Ultimately it may come back to bite people on the you know where when they do A Levels which I assume will be assessed on a level playing field.

@VorpalSword

Guidelines are to run a series of low stake assessments and not just run exams, so it might be your school that is not applying the guidelines.

Schools can use a wide range of evidence to determine their grades, not just exams, they can use open book or different style of questions. All schools, even private ones, have to be consistent to previous years (not counting 2020) and they are all being checked. Random sample of students and subjects to be sent in..

If you are angry blame them Department of Education, not schools trying to navigate a very tricky situation.

Yes I do get your point.

The rules are quite strict though aren’t they? We have been told that our school is using a combination of the mock exams they sat in November (full past paper), Mini exams which have just happened (but these can’t carry the same weighting) and now full exams. Ds1 literally has 5-6 gcse papers sat in full exam conditions every week for the next three weeks. It’s horrendous, he’s exhausted and the school is taking very seriously its responsibility to give grades that are an accurate reflection of likely results in a normal gcse year.

It isn’t fair, but personally I think the kids in our school are at a disadvantage as a result of the massive number of exams, not advantaged.

@Greenmarmalade

You know what though... the system is totally unfair on lots of kids anyway. The kids in the crap schools with the endless stream of supply teachers are the ones who constantly miss out, year on year.

The kids with SEND in a class of 32 kids with no extra help, compared to those in private school in a class of 15.

Those who have parents who can pay for tuition, grammar school entry tuition, extra-curricular; and those who don’t.

There is no ‘fair’ in education.

This.

There is no 'fair' in education.

It only seems to be a problem when children who benefit from this status quo look like they may not.

Our local fee paying was dreadful last summer, and proudly boasted on social media that they had their 'best ever results'! The thing is these children will suffer long term as they will end up on degree courses beyond their actual ability and come a cropper with horrible mental health consequences. The thing is these schools live or die on their results and they are always going to do whatever it takes to keep their customers happy.

@MarjorieBouvier

If these schools are all sitting exam after exam, presumably in proper exam conditions, then why bother cancelling GCSEs/Alevels in the first place?

Exactly. The year 11s I know all say GCSEs would have been easier as the exam season started in April and finishes in June.

Why don't you complain to your school that they are doing the exams and not assessments? As an aside my DS is half way through his 5 week block of assessments and don't think it seems an easier option. he's got 5 assessments on average for one single subject.

Also at GCSE level as long as they get grades to go on to A levels surely that is the main thing?

Schools have been told they can use a range of work to give grades this year as well, not just the exams / assessments.

@VorpalSword

Guidelines are to run a series of low stake assessments and not just run exams, so it might be your school that is not applying the guidelines.

Schools can use a wide range of evidence to determine their grades, not just exams, they can use open book or different style of questions. All schools, even private ones, have to be consistent to previous years (not counting 2020) and they are all being checked. Random sample of students and subjects to be sent in..

If you are angry blame them Department of Education, not schools trying to navigate a very tricky situation.

There is an inherent contradiction in the guidance that has been given to schools, and it was the Head of Ofqual I think who said as much. If I have 10 students I could have evidence that each of them is producing work of a grade 9 standard. Therefore this year I should give them each a grade 9. In another year in any given exams 5 of them would probably get a 9, 4 an 8 and 1 a 7. But no one would be able to predict who the 7 would be on the particularly day of the exam. So there will be grade inflation, and it will be more than last year, that is designed into the system.

Don’t the rules say the same evidence has to be used by the teachers for all children though. So you can’t use Fred’s grade 9 essay on 12th Night and Julies on 1984.