I'm a teacher and was asked to declare if my child is sitting A-levels this year - anyone else?

[chuckingitin]

Just that, really (and thought I'd post on here for more chance of a response).

I'm a humanities teacher in a secondary school and this year I was asked to register if I had a child sitting A-levels (not specifically in my subject).

This didn't happen when my DC were doing GCSEs so wondered if this is something new?

And why would they need to know that one of my children is taking A-levels?

It's a potential conflict of interest. It's not new.

Surely they just want to make sure you aren’t marking their coursework or exams?

They should for gcses too. Perhaps it was picked up on their last JCQ inspection that they weren't doing this.

Also is there any chance you may be asked to invigilate for A levels and they therefore need to know. We asked for disclosure even if child was at another school and doing different exam boards.

At my school we're asked every year if we're helping any family member to prepare for an exam with a coursework component. I've helped family members with maths but that doesn't have any coursework so don't matter.

Yes we are always asked this. We have quite a few staff children at my school too, and last year a child of the leader for assessment was taking exams- they had to have their key for the exam office taken away temporarily.

This is so interesting! Makes sense but you don't think of this

We are an 11-16 school, but every year everyone is asked to declare if they have a family member sitting GCSE's - either in that centre or a different centre.

OK that's interesting. Btw DC is sitting at a different centre/school.

I was not asked for when my DC was sitting GCSEs (I was working in state then; DC always at independents).

Why is it conflict of interest if I'm not teaching the subject they're sitting?

Ooh, that’s interesting. Did they ask for your children’s names? I wonder whether they are continuing the ‘Do teachers’ children do better?’ research.

I'm not a teacher but maybe they need to manage the risk that a teacher might have advanced sight of a paper, maybe as an invigilator or an exams officer, and let slip to their exam-sitting child what's on there? I can imagine the temptation could be huge - 99.9999% of teachers would never ever do it, but some people are willing to truly do anything for their kids.

Only asked to do this when marking for the exam board, and if marking a subject they are taking. As a potential conflicted of interested.

Seems odd and most centres and exam board leave up to the teachers to declare this sort of stuff themselves. Odd they have asked you directly.

My school asks all of us every year.
I also have to declare it to the exam board I mark for.

We have to do this too and as an examiner, I declare my own and both my dds’ schools. School asks for even a tenuous link and will risk assess from there.

I don’t view it as any sort of issue.

I'm assuming because working in education makes you privy to more info than most people would have in this area, even if you don't teach it. Idk though, just a guess!

I've never been asked this as a teacher. Why is this a conflict of interest? Am I being thick?

I declare this as an exam marker, but not as a teacher.

I have to declare it in advance as well. Exam papers are delivered in advance of the exam and they're in the same building as I am and they need to ensure that I have no way of accessing the exams office and sneaking a look.

Yes, same here. We are always asked. DD is at a different school doing A levels so I am not allowed in the Exams Office where papers are stored.

We were all asked this year, I can’t recall being asked before but that may be because my kids weren’t sitting exams so it was a simple no. I declared that my son was doing his GCSE this year. I work in his school but in an admin role and my knowledge of computer science is non existent!

Never heard of this research - what is it??

I used to teach and each year we were asked to declare this. It’s been around for years. Staff aren’t allowed into the exam paper storage cupboard regardless of any conflicts. In all of my previous secondary schools it was strictly the exams officer only. We weren’t allowed into the exam venues at all and couldn’t see a paper until all pupils had finished including those with extra time or who started late.

It must depend on the school, and not be a legal requirement. We are of course never allowed into the exam room that stores exam papers - all of that is dealt with by exam officers etc. But I have never been asked as a teacher to declare whether I have children doing exams and which school they are at. Only ever had to declare as an exam marker.

I sat my GCSE's almost 30 years ago, and my mum was in the SLT at my secondary school. She had to declare that, and all my work for every subject was sent for moderation. I went to a specialist FE provider for my A levels, and all my mum had to do then was declare I was no longer at her school. As far as I know, my A levels just got normal levels of scrutiny.

So I don't think this is a new thing.... But as a member of SLT, she was acting as senior invigilator and as an exams officer.

I don't know the ins and outs of teaching but there can be many reasons for conflicts of interest.

Overall, ensuring fairness and making sure there's no appearances of favouritism which may be based on nothing but avoids affecting the reputation of the school, teacher and the integrity of the pupil's work.

Just suggestions, I know it's not your school but maybe a teacher could be doing some extra marking or invigilating and their child's papers need to be triangulated with that school.

I don't know if teachers sometimes conceivably move between schools for exams?

Maybe so his coursework can be moderated to ensure it's his own work (although that's quite quaint these days asking whether Mum has helped what with AI, tutors and essay mills).

@WayneEyre I was just thinking it would apply the opposite way too, to make sure a child is not unfairly disadvantaged because of internal staff conflicts etc. I'm glad this is in place.