Exams cancelled 3

[HappySonHappyMum]

Started a new thread as number 2 is full…

Totalled the number of formal and informal assessments my DD has had so far and they total 43 across all her subjects over the last 5 weeks. Just one more week and 6 assessments to go. Madness isn't it!

Someone asked on the last thread why schools would be using Y10 and Y12 work to form evidence. My DD is being assessed on Y12 content in maths and sciences. Modules are more like stand alone subjects within the subject. Competency in Year 13 mechanics for example, would prove nothing about her competency in statistics, all of which was studied in Year 12.

We're using y10 evidence for the same reason. They do most of literature in year 10 so they need to use that evidence or do new assessments on things they've not touched for a year.

@HappySonHappyMum Same here pretty much. half way through - 19 down and 15 to go.

I haven't posted on the threads before but have followed closely and like many have worried/anguished/raged over the situation. School, I believe, are trying to get the best evidence they can for their students. they must have crazy amounts of marking and I don't envy them one bit.

@MrsHamlet

We're using y10 evidence for the same reason. They do most of literature in year 10 so they need to use that evidence or do new assessments on things they've not touched for a year.

I can see why but surely that’s detrimental to the students? In English in particular essay writing skills can improve immensely by year 11. DD recently revisited the Shakespeare play they studied in year 10 and they wrote an essay in class which I assume will be used as evidence, rather than use a potentially inferior essay written at the start of year 10. But I guess this just further highlights the different approaches by schools.

DS who has up until now been very calm about everything has just had a huge meltdown about the maths paper they sat today. He is in the top set, good at maths but not a Grade 9 student. He said that 90% of the paper he couldn’t answer and even the students who are usually top of the class and aiming for Grade 9 also really struggled.

I’m getting increasingly frustrated that my dss GCSEs grades are going to be compared against other dcs who have been told exactly what is going to be on every assessment they’ve doing and their assessments are half an long all sat together in the classroom. How is it remotely fair?

DS is sitting 'exams' over two hours long. Two a day in some cases, under exam conditions. I know students in other schools being 'taught and tested' in class, bite size topics at a time.
No comparison.

Have had a really long time to think about all this now - I mean haven't we all(!) and I've come to the conclusion that although each schools methods may be different the outcomes are likely to be the same. No school is going to want a dodgy set of results on record so they're going to give their students the best possible grades they can (especially as the appeal process is going to come back directly to them to bite them). With every report my DD has ever had there is a MEG on it for each subject. If this truly is a reflection of the what my DD was likely to achieve then her results should mirror this report - else every report she has ever been given is worthless. I can't see that my DDs grades could be radically different from this because anomalies would surely be pulled up by moderation and by checks. I mean if her MEGs have been 4s all the way through and she suddenly turns up with 7s that is like to be spotted and adjusted by the moderators right? The worst thing about this process though is the waiting now because we just don't know and can only keep our fingers crossed about the outcomes which are not in our own children's hands.

One more week to go here as well. Next week looks busy with lots of assessments. Also the NEA for DT to complete. Had an email asking us to help support with that. (hmm, think that means get involved) as it is 50% of the grade. So lots on here.

Thanks for starting the new thread. DD is going to be getting raw scores on her exams over the next two weeks but won’t get her grades.

I have booked off 12 August and the day after as although they will be DD’s hard earned results I won’t be able to concentrate! Anyone else in the same boat?

My DD has formal exams, sorry 'assessments', starting on Monday for three weeks. NEA is all done, thank goodness, roll on mid June when all this madness is over.

I did raise an eyebrow regarding my bill for A levels which I assume school will have to pay to the exam board when it will be my DD's teachers doing all the hard work.

We've got one more week here (A levels). Psychology is done, big exam earlier this week, still two big Biology papers and a smaller History paper to go. History is International Relations, which is her biggest strength. DD2 feels she has finally mastered the art of the synoptic essay so is feeling good. We'll be glad when it's all over though.

I have a Y11 at a failing Academy.
Taking 6 GCSE's & and a Btech.
Autistic and Dyslexic.
Has had NO formal exam concessions as 'not exams'.
So is doing full time School, taking old exam papers during that day, and being set homework. No 'exam timetable' as 'not exams' so he doesnt know each day if he is to sit a Paper or not. I don't know when term will end. His friend at the next local School (30miles away, rural area) has had a revision timetable, exam timetable, is being given his raw scores as he sits each paper and will finish at half term.
Ds is at breaking point (as am I)

In English in particular essay writing skills can improve immensely by year 11
They can, yes. But we've focussed our heavily weighted evidence in recent stuff so they could focus on smaller amounts of content.
There's no perfect answer. But every school is trying to do the best they can. It's horrific for everyone involved.

@MrsHamlet

In English in particular essay writing skills can improve immensely by year 11 They can, yes. But we've focussed our heavily weighted evidence in recent stuff so they could focus on smaller amounts of content. There's no perfect answer. But every school is trying to do the best they can. It's horrific for everyone involved.

I hope our school is weighted towards Yr 13 stuff. DD2 got a new Biology teacher in September and her grades have just jumped. He's absolutely amazing, really gets complex concepts across and embeds them. And he put so much time into DD2 helping her catch up after her appendicitis last month. She's actually come on in everything in Yr 13, and let's not forget a good chunk of Yr 12 was also spent in lockdown.

Ds has had weeks of assessments

He’s holding up though! Getting good marks back so far

I’ve finally come to terms with cancelled proper exams since he’s had so many, and seems happy

Dd has finished college today! All feels a bit surreal really and like she was barely there. Her college assess at the end of every term so they are using all of their year 12 and 13 assessments. It has meant she's only had 6 exams but it also means they will be considering some dodgy results from year 12! We have absolutely no idea what to expect from her results and which uni offers to firm

My ds had a week of assessment last week, school I’d finished now for him. Though, he is attending taster sessions for his A Levels.
I am surprised that May schools are still assessing with such frequency and depth.

@portico

My ds had a week of assessment last week, school I’d finished now for him. Though, he is attending taster sessions for his A Levels. I am surprised that May schools are still assessing with such frequency and depth.

You know I’m back, cos the typos are back in the three - retuned below:

My ds had a week of assessment last week. School is finished now for him now. Though, he is attending taster sessions for his A Levels.
I am surprised that many schools are still assessing Y11/Y13s with such frequency and depth.

I will start posting use laptop instead of iPhone.

I'm amazed these kids are finishing early.
I know it's lots of marking for teachers and they have a deadline to meet but for an important year group to miss out on so much teaching already I think they should have had more f2f teaching and assessments in July instead!
My own DS is thrilled to be finishing at the end of May though !

Was to there something about finishing three weeks later at some point?

Things change I know but not sure if I remember it correctly

@MarshaBradyo yes I remember reading that too! Leaked to the newspapers and an unpopular idea?!

Marsha Yes there was something about exams finishing later than usual. That's what I am finding so frustrating. DD is only just 'coming good' from her MH issues. If she had that 4 extra weeks that would be quite significant in terms of her preparation time.

I am surprised at schools finishing already when info doesn't need to be submitted by the schools until 18th June. On the other hand finishing early means less stress for pupils and more time for staff to moderate.