GCSE English Lit and Language review of marking

[SomersetBrie]

There is lots of chat about review of marking on the GCSEs threads but I am interested specifically in anyone who is reviewing English (Lang or Lit) and whether the review provides an increase in grade.
DS, predicted a 7, got a 6 in both. He is not very close to the grade boundary (4 marks away) but the difference in marks between Paper 1 and Paper 2 have encouraged me to request access to the papers and see if it's worth a review.

Is anyone else asking for a review? I am curious to know how many marks people go up/down and if it results in a change of grade for many people.
(DS does not need a 7 but he was expecting a 7 out of 1 or other at least.)
This is AQA.

Excellent! If she is one mark short of next boundary maybe you could get another review 🤣🤣

Excellent! If she is one mark short of next boundary maybe you could get another review 🤣🤣

@Bufftailed - upgraded to a 9 so nowhere to go but given how random this seems to be who knows 🤣. Honestly, much as I’m pleased for her and all the youngsters who get upgraded, they really need to get this sorted. How can anyone have any faith in the results especially given how important they are for the next steps?

Maybe they could make an exception and go 9*?? Seriously though , V well done to your DC

I agree though. I find it shocking and it undermines the whole system. I’m sure certain schools, parents, DC more likely to get a review. Uh - anyway. GCSEs are quickly starting to feel part of history

Maybe could go round again and back to a 1? 😀

Yes like pontoon you could go bust!

@katgab interested why you put in for the review with an 8 in the bag for your DC? I guess just thought it was worth seeing if there was another mark somewhere & they had clearly under marked somewhere.

Rather envious of the schools where exam officers have been working between results day and school opening. Not a lot of urgency from DCs school, we’ve now heard back from them & DC has requested their papers.

I have more than 60 individual scripts from students in my inbox now. I cannot work any faster, and I have the rest of my job to do. Today I've been out of the house for 13 hours and I have more to do tonight. It's day three..

I know it's frustrating. But most of us are doing our best.

@Examinetheexams - school were keen as was she, I wasn’t fussed. It gave her a full set of 9s and as she wants to do medicine it seemed worth a go. But I doubt it’s as crucial as all that.

Unless your onward path depends on a grade change, there really is no rush. You have till almost end of September to submit for review.

I made a point of telling school not to worry about ours until they had done the priority ones.

And thank you for the time you spend with us here too @MrsHamlet

Sorry for bring a grump. It's been a very trying day!

But there is plenty of time...

What's the deadline for sending for review please @MrsHamlet? I hope I haven't offended you - I don't want the teachers working in their break, I'm just frustrated that timelines/our school's process wasn't communicated until today so I assumed it had already been actioned.

That is a huge extra workload at the start of term. @MrsHamlet this is intriguing - how many of your pupils does that correspond to? What proportion does that represent of those being entered by the school? Is it both Lit and Lang papers?
Does this happen to the same degree in other subjects? Obviously English and maths are particularly important due to entry to other courses / compulsory resits but do maths teachers have as many people querying results?
At the end it would be really interesting to hear how many papers you suggest pupils put in for review and, of those, how many grades change (& the degree to which they change.)

Like previous posters I appreciate you giving us insight into the other side of the system. Do the examiners completing reviews have to be more experienced examiners?

@CocoPlum i agree it’s really dragging out the process. It would feel fairer if all schools had to wait until Sept to submit due to holidays but some children already have results back from review.

@CocoPlum 25th sept for AQA. Schools will likely have an earlier deadline

@Examinetheexams we have a cohort of 200. They each do 4 English papers. I examine 2 of the 4, so I get a lot sent my way.

I don't mind, because it's important that they're looked at by an expert. But I have a number of whole school roles, and I don't get any time to do this, or any time back for doing it. Today, I had one lesson and the rest of my day was spent supporting colleagues with various things - it's important that they are ready for the new year.

But that means I've had no time for anything else. I've literally just sat down with my dinner!

Reviewers are the most senior people.

@Examinetheexams except that for some children their places at 6th form depend on getting the English and Maths grades, or a specific grade to allow them to do particular A levels.

They definitely need them back as soon as possible - waiting for start of term isn't really fair (plus schools don't all start at the same time).

Those who would just like to check subjects near boundaries or because something feels off, but where there is no difference for next steps are all fine to do them before the 25th September deadline.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow I know as some of DCs friends have missed out on places at 6th forms due to not having reviews back yet as DCs school hasn't sent them and they missed meeting entry requirements (obviously the reviews may not result in changed grades anyway but the whole process has changed what these DC are studying and where.)

It just seems a lottery and some schools and pupils access the early bird tickets to the review system while others don't.

That is very unfair.

And definitely wrong that some schools are doing nothing between results and the start of term. I can't see why the EO couldn't just send those vital papers straight off.

I'm not a mum lol but Im in a similar situation too I was 3 marks off a 6 which is needed for the courses I'm doing for uni so I'm not too sure whether to remark as maybe I had a strict examiner I got 88 marks a grade 5 but a 6 is 91 marks hence 3 marks off also a 5 is 82 so I'm more closer to a 6 than 5 I really need a 6 and im going to contact my school to see what they can do

There's no such thing as a remark.

Ask the school to get your scripts back and then ask your teacher to advise you. We accept biscuits and profuse checks as payment.

I don't disagree but those who require them are not necessarily those getting reviews in first. There are a fair few on here for example @katgab's DC who have got 8's raised to 9's already whose next steps didn't hinge on the review.
I'm just whinging really as some schools have acted quicker than others and that's life!

The EO sent teachers our scripts this week. I wonder if they didn't want to send them to teaching staff in the holidays.

Completely agree with you. This system is very unfair. We expect the youngsters to put the work in and then let them down. I actually mean the initial marking should be much more robust, not sure how to achieve that, so that we can trust the grades. Meantime Mrs Hamlet has 60 scripts to review alongside her day job and has just about sat down. We are in no way pushy parents but I suspect that the head of English didn’t have 60 scripts to look
at so that will have helped.

Great to hear the English reviewers are seasoned examiners @MrsHamlet

My hod looks at none. Zero. Has never marked a real exam ever.

It’s a funny old world. I’m not blaming teachers for this, just feel for them and the youngsters caught in a system that doesn’t seem to be working. In the long term GCSEs are long forgotten but, at the time, there’s an awful lot riding on them.