English teachers, advice please?

[TeenDivided]

DD is dyslexic & dyspraxic with MH issues, has an EHCP. Missed all y11.
'Resat' Eng Lang this summer, got a 3 (60 marks, AQA).
A big issue is the sheer length of the exam, she only managed 90mins in each exam even though gets extra time but did attempt all questions (which she hadn't done in mocks). Away from exams can do all questions individually OK enough. Was exhausted after each exam, not fit for anything.

So we have options:

• get paper back to see distribution of marks
• ask to resit in November. She is more well now than in May/June, but still not great.
• just aim to resit next summer - but she will be sitting maths then too which we dropped this year as it would be too much
• ask about switching to Functional Skills. I haven't looked at the spec but it seems to have shorter exams
• Resit Nov if doesn't get ask to move to FS for the summer?
• push college re a scribe which would make the sheer length less tiring but is a new skill to learn

If it makes any difference she won't go above a L2 qualification at college if that.

Are any of these a worse idea than others?

Scribe or rest breaks might be useful. How are her typing skills - could she use a laptop? Not an English teacher but work in school.

Typing is out due to poor dexterity and remembering where the keys are.

She gets rest breaks, but as she can't leave the exam hall and go and cuddle a dog for 30mins (!) they mainly just prolong the agony.

Not a teacher, but as someone who staggered gcses and A levels over a few years due to chronic illness...

I would resit in November while she still remembers the content and can concentrate on solely that topic for a few months. I did so for Maths and found it much better for my confidence and anxiety to only have one subject to worry about.

She gets extra time, but does she do the exam from home? I was able to do so, with an invigilator there and letter from my GP.
This meant I didn't need to use up any extra energy on getting dressed, travel and getting worked up on the way there. I think when I was too tired to get dressed I sat a couple in my pyjamas to save energy.

English teacher and examiner here.

Get the scripts back.
Enter for November.
Push for a scribe.

Happy to give more advice by PM.

I would get the papers back and resit in November while it’s fresh in DD’s mind, then swap to FS if not.

Is DD receiving any additional support for English?

Before approaching the college about a scribe consider whether speech recognition software would be better? Some students find that better as it doesn’t require as much human interaction. Also, a reader or reading pen so DD isn’t using energy reading.

Does DD sit the exam in a separate room?

Technically there’s nothing preventing the rest breaks being away from the examination room with a dog.

She can absolutely leave the exam hall supervised. My lot I walk them round outside for up to ten mins. I make them sniff the lavender to calm down and then we toodle back in so she could go out and hug the dog for ten mins!

I forgot to say she does have an electronic reader, and is in a small room.
Speech recognition probably wouldn't work well due to lack of clarity of speech, though she is a lot better these days...

I suspect that college are reluctant on scribe and/or leaving the room due to invigilation issues. Perhaps I should as for her to have a support guinea pig! (Which isn't quite as ridiculous as it sounds as she is doing animal care and they therefore have loads of animals on site.)

I do think she'd be in with a reasonable chance in November. She got very stressed before paper 1 due to the pre-exam arrangements and then the electronic reader not working. Doing it instead straight after half term could work well.

This time last year we didn't have the EHCP, nor the formal dyspraxia or dyslexia assessments. She also hadn't attended school since the pandemic. So we are winning really.

My gut reaction is resit Nov, and then immediately switch to FS lessons until results. I need to see what a FS paper looks like I think. That can be next week.

Thank you all, I don't know anyone relevant in real life, so it is very helpful seeing what others think. Keep opinions coming.

I would avoid speech recognition. It needs training and isn't always reliable. A scribe should do the job better.
And I would definitely go for November.

If she has attained a grade 3 in GCSE, the Entry Level / Functional Skills should be very straightforward for her, but it's obviously not an equivalent qualification.

If you get the scripts back before trying again in November, it will be possible to see where most marks have been gained and more marks could be picked up.

If timing is the real issue, and the understanding is there, some borderline students benefit from strategically focussing on only certain questions.

@Lopar

This is the thing - keep going for the GCSE, or try to get some kind of qualification before leaving college (which may be in 2 years, but could be 1).

Timing isn't an issue per se. She has loads of time, it is stamina that's the issue. She's not great at English, but I really feel she could pass under the right conditions.

With an EHCP DD can stay in funded education until 25, or 26 in some circumstances.

The college may prefer students not to leave the exam room, but if it is what DD needs they should facilitate it and if DD would be more likely to achieve a 4 it is also in their interest.

My nurture group have just been entered for both Entry Level and GCSE English, having become familiar with the Entry papers and practising them, but in the main being taught the skills for the GCSE in lessons. They do cross over.

Students who attained only grade 1 or 2 on the GCSE have the Entry Certificate at its highest level.

The only consideration with just doing both, is the Entry requires a unit of short tests done in controlled conditions in the classroom, once prepared for and before terminal exams, as well a a spoken language project which is different from the presentation for the GCSE.

The GCSE really does demand a lot of skills to be demonstrated in the time given. Some of my students were entitled to extra time, but couldn't keep going and didn't use it in mocks. This caused problems as section B of each paper is the extended writing, and worth half the marks of the whole exam for just one task.

I had my class turn to this first to make sure it was at least done (as they wouldn't have used the extract/s provided for analysis as inspiration anyway!), rather than only completing shorter tariff reading questions in section A and then forfeiting 40 marks for not getting round to their own writing.

Ha, this reminds me of my GCSEs. I sat them from home and they organised an invigilator.

We had just adopted our cats. We'd shut them in the bedroom for the exam, but not 10 minutes later they were scratching and meowing at the door wanting out. My husband opened the door to go in, but they dashed out, and there was no getting them back in as I had started already.
So I had one cat on my knee for the exam and one on the desk sat on the paper. 😂
Another time, one was on the windowsill and got into a screaming match with a neighbourhood cat. Husband had go out and shoo it away.

They were OK after that though! Great memories.

@Lopar Is Entry level the same as Functional skills? I thought Functional skills was a L2 qualification and Entry level was below that?

DD was so upset last night.

The GCSE really does demand a lot of skills to be demonstrated in the time given. Some of my students were entitled to extra time, but couldn't keep going and didn't use it in mocks. This caused problems as section B of each paper is the extended writing, and worth half the marks of the whole exam for just one task.

Can you tackle the questions in any order?

OP

I've used 'via voice' in uni exams, as long as you put the time in it will recognise your voice, and this was years ago, I'm sure the software is better now.

I'd suggest she needs breaks with somewhere to rest.

Entry level is a level of qualification not a qualification itself.

So entry level is the lowest achievement
Level 1 is the next level, as she has a GCSE grade 3 she already has this.
Level 2 is GCSEs but also other qualifications such as level 2 BTEC.
Level 3 is AS and A Levels, IB BTEC level 3 etc.

Please give her a hug and congratulate her on her achievement, she only needs to push that grade up by 1 to get her level 2 GCSE.

The problem is going to be picking her up, dusting her off and getting her to try again. She has had so much to contend with in recent years this is yet another knockback.
It's a fine line between telling her it's not the end of the world, whilst still wanting her to try to pass.

I can imagine she isn't feeling confident at the moment, and that's an awful feeling.

I wish I could wave a magic waand.

Functional skills are available in different levels, from Entry Level 1 to Level 2.

If you do move to functional skills it might be worth sitting level 1 first, which DD should pass given she has GCSE grade 3, to give her the best opportunity to be successful, boosting her confidence whilst allowing her to familiarise herself with the format of functional skills.

I've asked college to get her scripts back to cast an eye over & to see the mark profile. I partly want, just for peace of mind, to know the examiners didn't just give up when faced with her handwriting/spelling and miss content. (Especially given the comments I've seen re AQA English marking this year.)

Push for an early ehcp review in September and add info about exams etc onto the plan and state that a scribe would be beneficial. This would make pushing for a scribe easier. Then resit in Nov when it's fresh (although with how the wait times are around here you will probably not have the ehcp review back, it will still help to argue the case.)

Also an English teacher here and ex TA for exams as well and 100% second this. Also look into restbreaks. Contact the school now though as they will need evidence of these.

Also not functional skills but I have worked with a lot of students on the Step Up to English qualification and it is far more manageable bot content and time wise so may be worth looking into.

I've had DD's AQA Eng Lang papers back. Part of me is amazed she got as many marks as she did, but she was attempting the right thing for each question so that's good. Will be discussing with college how to proceed.

@TeenDivided at least with the papers, college should be able to help her tackle the specific problem areas

Hopefully.

Do you know what the 'rules' are re resitting usually? Without an EHCP do they have to keep redoing the GCSE as long as they get 3s?