Question about grade boundaries for GCSES and A’levels 2021

[Questioningit]

At our school grade boundaries were applied by SLT with no actual teacher input. Was this a fair way for grades to be awarded this year? We’re questioning one of DDs grade which was not in line with any grade she’s previously received.

Yes. That was a valid way of deciding grade boundaries. Plenty of schools had similar policies. It’s not what happened in my school but was an acceptable way of doing things.

The teacher input would have been in the setting and marking of the work.

From what I understand of the whole process the school had to set out their policy and let parents/students know what that policy was. So they should have made you aware that was how grade boundaries were being applied this year.

If you feel DD's grade is wrong then you can appeal but they have such strict rules on reasons for appeal it's been setup this year to be very difficult. We managed to appeal 2 of DD's grades that made no sense (due to her working at, predicted and target grade all being 2/3 grades higher than the final grade). We had extensive evidence on them making procedural errors, without that I doubt the grades would have gone up.

@Questioningit

At our school grade boundaries were applied by SLT with no actual teacher input. Was this a fair way for grades to be awarded this year? We’re questioning one of DDs grade which was not in line with any grade she’s previously received.

Since the evidence from each student was supposed to be considered individually and what they could and couldn't do, and their particular circumstances taken into account, if he a school simply gave students a test or series of tests and stuck grade boundaries on them, then they were not following the guidance.

@jgw1 they sat 2 series of exams - mocks and May assessments both in the form of actual GCSEs. These were marked anonymously not necessarily by their own teachers. The mark was given to SLT who applied the grade boundaries.
@AzPie that’s brilliant that you’ve been successful. DD was also working at/ had target grade 2-3 grades higher than the one she received. Can you tell me what procedural errors you found?

We pointed out a number of errors, without being too outing (as some of it is very specific) we pointed out that

• mitigating circumstances were rejected when they should have been granted

-DD was assessed on content she hadn't been taught meaning they should have submitted alternative evidence.

@AzPie thanks. Glad you got a good result for your DD.