Y10 and 12 parents - Exams 2022 covid adjustments consultation

[noblegiraffe]

The government have opened a consultation on their proposed arrangements for 2022 exams, which closes on 1st August so that hopefully we can have confirmation of details early next academic year.

Link to the consultation here: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-the-assessment-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2022/proposed-changes-to-the-assessment-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2022

A handy summary of proposals here:

schoolsweek.co.uk/exams-2022-what-you-need-to-know-about-plans-for-gcses-and-a-levels/

Online response form here:

ofqual.citizenspace.com/public/proposed-changes-to-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2022/consultation/intro/

Basically the proposals are

choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography

changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical activities in science subjects, and assessment in art and design

the provision of advance information on the focus of the content of exams, in the majority of subjects at GCSE, AS and A level (where there hasn't been a choice of topics to study)

the provision of support materials in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams (in maths this will be a formula sheet)

Thanks for this-I have a child in each yr group!

Thanks @noblegiraffe I've been waiting to see this. I'll link to this thread on the yr10 support thread.

Thanks for this @noblegiraffe you really are a star keeping us all up to date. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

For maths, the addition of a formula sheet is pretty crap tbh. The main adjustment for maths will be to the grade boundaries.

I can't see any clarification about which grade profile they will be pinning 2022 results to - we know 2020 results were 'inflated' and the assumption is that 2021 will be too, so will we be going back to the 2019 grade distribution?

The problem with adjusting the grade boundaries for maths to account for overall lower attainment is that the papers are tiered and we don't enter students for higher who are scraping a low percentage. If they are entered for foundation and get a 5, they could have benefited from low grade boundaries on higher that would have given them a 6.

It's going to be tricky.

Thank you for this @noblegiraffe
I'll have a look later and forward to it to parents I know. I assume it's just England this applies to?

Yes just England.

I still can't see what makes some subjects more 'special' than others which is what grinds my gears. Why should Eng Lit have plenty of time to get through when obvious and undamaging cuts could be made to the content of the GCSE I teach and its not even up for discussion? Grr.

Make sure you fill out the consultation, piggy! They never remember 'niche' subjects or groups of people and rely on the consultations to flag them.

I did last time. Made no difference...

There is no place to comment on other subjects....

My heart is sinking a bit at this (thank you so much for the alert though). I carefully read it all Kath year for my year 13 child and thought the outline about delayed timing and increased optional itsu made some sense, and then there we were, flailing around all spring term, not knowing what was going to happen and trying to get an irritating teen to start revising for an unknown aim.

I really can’t bear it if they muck around through to eater again for my year 11.

But I guess I will have to.

What I didn't realise, piggy from filling out other consultations, that it is clear when you read the responses that some people don't stick to answering the prescribed questions. Just find a free text box and say your piece.

Art & design, but not DT?
DD has done absolutely no practical work this year due to Dt rooms being only used for Y11 bubble...who then didn't even have exams!

Thank you, will have a look and share it with a few friends. Interesting that you say that about the foundation/higher papers, that would definitely apply to our DC1 who's on that cusp.

And can anyone link to the Y10 thread?

A formula sheet may not be much adjustment, but it could be a big help in Maths & Physics for some who struggle to learn them but know how to apply.
It will certainly help if my just-finished-y11 DD has to retake next summer (will they stick that adjustment in for this Nov too do you know/think?)

I have done noble but last time each subject did get a box : and it still didn't make a difference. Partly, it has to be said, because of the apathy of teachers of the subject (who then whined afterwards) so that most of the people who responded in my subject were from exam boards...

They literally have no interest in any subject outside of a handful - which peculiarly included ancient history.

Last year history and geography teachers in my school were literally twiddling their thumbs and humming while the rest of us were struggling to get our courses finished.

A formula sheet may not be much adjustment, but it could be a big help in Maths & Physics for some who struggle to learn them but know how to apply.

There are actually very few formulae to learn in maths (area and circumference of a circle, area trapezium, volume of a cylinder are probably the ones they struggle to remember at Foundation, the rest they tend to remember).

Advance knowledge of the focus of the exams is apparently going to be provided 4-6 weeks in advance which is useless.

I really don't understand this 'advanced notice' stuff.

Won't it just add massively to the stress of pupils & teachers? They have a nice steady build up, then suddenly a month before they are told 'light and dark in Macbeth' or something and then the teachers feel they have to cram that theme and all possible ways it could be asked?

(My DD might be an exception. Her processing skills mean anything like time tables & formulae seem really hard for her to remember.)

Thank you, as always, Noblegiraffe, popping this here so I can come back to it.
Had DD2 with CAG GCSEs last year, DD1 with TAG A Levels this year (🤞) and so DD2 will be back in the mix for A Levels in 2022. It’s been a bummer of a time 🙁

Yes, thank you Noble you keep us very well informed.
Any chance you can tell me now what my DD's GCSE results will be to save me 4 more weeks of worrying?

Ah Teen I can’t tell you what her results will be but I can tell you she will be fine because she’s got her mum looking out for her. :)

.

I do coming 4-6 weeks ahead is the most bizarre concept. Good luck r et parent who struggles to get their children to crack down early to revise - “but we don’t know what they want us to focus on yet”. Our school has 10 day odd of teaching at the stater do summer term before the exams start - this news will come out in the holidays. So children will be trying to interpret this stuff alone

What do they mean really by advance notice of topics? Like what?
And what kind of critiques should we be putting in, any suggestions?