Failed Maths GCSE - Appeal or not?

[mirjon66]

Hi

My daughter failed her maths GCSE by 3 marks, she was very upset as her teacher said she could get a 4. My eldest daughter did her AS Level in Sociology this year and was put down for Special Circumstances by the Head of 6th Form but my other daughter wasn’t given Special Circumstances even though they both went through the same experience(s). Should she have been given the same?

Should we appeal it as it was so close (her friend failed by 1 mark).

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Did you apply for special circumstances?
Do you think school followed their procedure. afaik, there is no remarking to be done this year. How are you hoping to gain 3 marks?

You can’t apply special circumstances after the event.

4 marks, 1 mark below or whatever it doesn’t matter. Saying your DC could get a level 4 doesn’t mean she should or would get one! She was under - I doubt very very much you will get anywhere with an appeal. Get a tutor resit in the exams in the autumn term.

You are not understanding the pass mark here pass mark is say 50/100 you child gets 49 she has failed. Else you appeal and she passes the next person with 48 says what about me I was only 1 mark off her and the girl above me for 49 and has now passed …… etc

Weren't grades assessed by teachers this year using a range of tests, coursework etc? How did she have a final 'mark'?

Thanks for the replies.

I didn’t know you had to ask for Special Circumstances. My eldest was put down for it by the head of 6th form apparently.

Her teacher told her she failed by three marks after she got her results.

I’m not a mind reader who knows how they worked out the grades. Granted if she sat the actual GCSE and failed by 3 marks that is different than her teacher working out what she should get based on numerous tests, mock etc.

How do I know if they have made a mistake unless she appeals?

Thanks for the replies. For those with the harsh comments my girls had to deal with a father who said ‘go f*ck yourself’, among numerous other swear words and put downs, plus we were homeless for a few weeks, she would definitely have got those 3 marks if not for that and Covid as well.

Will leave DD to decide what she wants to do.

I think you should appeal.

@mirjon66 morning could you email the teacher and ask for advice ?

Tbh she may need to sit the exam in Autumn term. All special circumstances needed to be raised before submission and I think you are too late.

If she sat exams like my son we were provided with marks for each subject and signed by the marker and the counter marker.

They may have provided information in her envelope if you wish to appeal and what grounds yiu can appeal.

Good luck

I would definitely ask the school for advice and appeal if possible.
Does the fail mean your daughter won’t be able to do what she wants to do next year? What are her plans?

Covid didn't count as for special consideration as everyone taking exams this year was in the same boat. I'm amazed at this "3 marks away" thing as schools were able to make judgements based on a range of assessments. If she got a 3 not a 4 then that should have been a holistic opinion of where she was- not just the mark from one paper. The school should have shared with you a document saying which assessments were to be used for creating the teacher grades and you should have had the chance to say that the assessments, for example, happened when your child was absent/struggling. Did you receive that document?

@Moonlaserbearwolf

I would definitely ask the school for advice and appeal if possible. Does the fail mean your daughter won’t be able to do what she wants to do next year? What are her plans?

She can still do her 4 choices at 6th Form but now has to do Maths on top. She is down for History, Sociology, Child Care and Health and Social Care.

@boomwhacker

Covid didn't count as for special consideration as everyone taking exams this year was in the same boat. I'm amazed at this "3 marks away" thing as schools were able to make judgements based on a range of assessments. If she got a 3 not a 4 then that should have been a holistic opinion of where she was- not just the mark from one paper. The school should have shared with you a document saying which assessments were to be used for creating the teacher grades and you should have had the chance to say that the assessments, for example, happened when your child was absent/struggling. Did you receive that document?

No didn’t receive anything.

Her whole class failed (about 14 of them) the teacher told them all he would probably have to fail most of them, yet told us on results day the grade wasn’t down to him. Her and her friend always scored highest out of the class.

I would help her retake in November. Hopefully you can sort the special considerations with the school and practice more until then so she gets the pass.
Good luck

@mirjon66 I think you need to contact the school and ask for advice both on the appeal process as well as how these marks were assessed.

We were given a standard document explaining if we wish appeal as well as how each grade was given as well as evidence of all his exams in the Summer .

If you have not received anything, I would email them. They should of given you an email address rather than a generic admin email

If they let you appeal I would. Unless she wants to do it again at college and see if she can get a higher mark.

I assume the 3 marks away thing was a test that she took.
Every school calculated the grades differently because the government told them it was up to them but your kids teachers should have explained what percentage each test was.
Eg 4 tests worth 25% each.

My kids were asked to fill in a form for special consideration (if they needed it) during form time and sign a declaration thing. Our school told us to contact them if there was anything that they should know.

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/JCQ-Student-Appeals-Guide-2021.pdf

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/JCQ-Student-Guide-July-2021-Handout.pdf

Our school sent these to parents and kids

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/JCQ-Student-Guide-July-2021-Handout.pdf

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/JCQ-Student-Appeals-Guide-2021.pdf

With better formatting

Sorry it combined them again but there's 2 links

Thanks for the replies.

I didn’t know you had to ask for Special Circumstances. My eldest was put down for it by the head of 6th form apparently.

Her teacher told her she failed by three marks after she got her results.

I’m not a mind reader who knows how they worked out the grades. Granted if she sat the actual GCSE and failed by 3 marks that is different than her teacher working out what she should get based on numerous tests, mock etc.

How do I know if they have made a mistake unless she appeals?

Thanks for the replies. For those with the harsh comments my girls had to deal with a father who said ‘go f*ck yourself’, among numerous other swear words and put downs, plus we were homeless for a few weeks, she would definitely have got those 3 marks if not for that and Covid as well.

Will leave DD to decide what she wants to do.

With all due respect you CAN NOT say she would have got 3 extra marks if that situation hadn't of happened. You can say you feel she would have done better without the trauma of abuse from a family member and homelessness.

Secondly the situation you described would not count as special circumstances -maybe just maybe if your GP could say it had caused anxiety etc. But being sworn at by someone (although I'm sorry it happened and it should never happen) would mean 50% of Year 11 would need special consideration. The homelessness yes -that might be worth special consideration, I don't know the exact circumstances it depends how much evidence you have. But you can not say -she would of passed because she didn't. Even if you say with a top maths tutor 1 hour a day for 365 days -you can't say even with this that she WOULD of passed. A higher chance maybe but not a definite. . There is no harm in asking -but it needed to be done before not after. You can't expect the school to be mind readers either.

The grade is NOT due to the individual teacher. The students would have sat locked papers (2019 papers) which were kept locked for that reason. These were usually done under exam conditions and marked according to the 2019 markscheme and grade boundaries. The grades WERE NOT allowed to be given to students. The papers were then scanned in and the centre (the school) then made a case to the exam board with evidence to say .........this is what assessments we did, these are the papers, marked etc and this is the level given and the exam board say they accepted, or wanted to view the evidence, or didn't accept it. But this is what most schools did.

Your daughter's school will have communicatde their policy clearly with you -it will be on their website. All school did this - it is up to you to read it.

eg I have just literally clicked on 2 random schools and the policies are totally clear!!
(Random school)
downhammarketacademy.co.uk/exams/
www.bristolfreeschool.org.uk/exams-information.php

Look at her school website and find the information.

My DC was without a computer for 3 weeks in lockdown -that wouldn't have been taken into account. She also got Covid -she got no special consideration. Covid is not a special consideration.

It sounds as if she was borderline and the cohort got moderated down a little. If she had had special consideration it may still not have nudged her over. Her options sound quite time consuming, most take 3 subjects maximum, are they level 2 or 3 courses. Can she resit maths in the Autumn?

My son also fail his. He will resit in autumn.
That’s how it works.

It must be very disappointing for her to not have passed, especially after such a difficult year.

I don’t think that you can ask for special circumstances in hindsight unfortunately. It’s going to be hard to appeal this year, unless you think that you can prove that the school didn’t follow the marking protocol.

Her best bet will likely be to keep revising and retake in the autumn when she has every chance, with a bit of hard work, that she will pass.

I am not asking for special circumstances now just asking if we should appeal as it was only by 3 marks, you can’t tell me none of you would be considering it if it was your child missing out by 3 marks or is it only the ones who got 8s instead of 9s for example and who are clever that should appeal if it was by a few marks. I’m sure the advice would be different then.

Thanks for the replies I will email the school and ask how they came to the grade before appealing but it is worth a try for 3 marks in case something was not done right. We will never know otherwise.

The outcome won’t be out until end of October anyway so she will have to do Maths but we were expecting her to be able to do 3 A level/Btec classes and Maths would replace the 4th but she has to do the four as well as Maths. My eldest daughter got to drop a subject because of our situation at the time and has only done 3 subjects since last Nov/Dec.

The first type of appeal is as administrative check where the school checks everything was done correctly. That would be worth doing.

She can't have 'missed out on a grade by 3 marks' though because that's not how grades were awarded this year. If she got a grade 3 that means most of the evidence they collected for her was grade 3 (e.g. tests, mocks, homeworks). Your daughter should have had a meeting where she was told the evidence being used. Are you sure she didn't?

I am not asking for special circumstances now just asking if we should appeal as it was only by 3 marks, you can’t tell me none of you would be considering it if it was your child missing out by 3 marks or is it only the ones who got 8s instead of 9s for example and who are clever that should appeal if it was by a few marks. I’m sure the advice would be different then.

In a normal year I absolutely would if it was the difference between a pass and a fail. Itis just that this year it’ll be much more difficult (or so everything I’ve heard tells me) to change the result. By all means have a go if it’s what you and your dd want to do, you’re right to speak to the school first and get their advice on next steps.

I’d also probably never bother appealing an 8 trying to get a 9. A few years ago they would have both been A* and to me it just wouldn’t seem worth the stress.