Page 8 | GCSE English Lit and Language review of marking

scrumdiddly123 · 27/08/2025 21:08

NorthenAdventure · 27/08/2025 20:49

Ah, you say that... but you give it a go for real... and wait until you're asked to review more than 100 or even 200 of them. Every single year. As an extra, out of goodwill. Do this for five years on the trot. Then see what you'd REALLY do, or how you'd feel about this👌 I know it's easy to say you'd do it, but walk the walk first.

Thankfully my school now has a blanket policy that we don't do this at GCSE anymore - we want to protect our staff... and we want to keep our staff in the teaching profession! We know that the best thing for our students is having excellent staff and subject specialists, so we look after them. Other schools are still offering this service, but are choosing to charge for it. I can't say I blame them.

(You must surely be aware that secondary teachers are leaving in their droves and there is a huge recruitment and retention crisis right now. This is exactly the sort of thing that has contributed towards that, and still is contributing towards that... ).

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What proportion of students ask for papers to be reviewed? Obviously I wasn’t thinking of 200 reviews when I said that 😳😂
So at your school if a parent wants a paper reviewing it goes in blind? How do you find that affects the % that gain marks?

DS is at a fairly small grammar school and as I’ve said on previous posts- school have paid for the reviews automatically and his teacher asked for his scripts before I’d approached her. I feel very lucky now I’ve read this post!
I totally understand your point about the strain that puts on teachers, but do still think it’s sad for those students from low income families that wouldn’t be in a position to go through this process

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:09

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:07

Oh no that’s terrible! 2 marks?! I’m sorry they didn’t take her issues seriously. Yeah they wouldn’t let me put it in for her. I explained over and over she can’t speak to adults (they know this) .. but now I’ve got it written on an autism assessment I’m wondering if I could take it further somehow. Even if they just bumped her science grade up 😭

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You can request for them to apply for a special considerations now. It's not too late, they just need to explain why. But it's really not a lot, the most is 4% and my DD didn't get that despite being in hospital for most of her exams.

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:10

That’s why I’ve not filled it out yet. Her maths teacher approached me on results day and said kids who are a couple of marks away from the next grade they automatically get their papers back. I’m wondering if English does this too.. but no one will answer me. Do I still have some time left to sort it?

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:11

@scrumdiddly123 a lot of schools have the policy of paying for mark reviews when a student is 1-2 marks off and is on FSM. The vast majority will be submitted next week when school is back and HODs meet. That's why reviews submitted after this week tend to take a lot longer.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:12

@Molko1503 deadline is 17th or 27th sept I think, not 100% sure but it's not for a while. Most mark reviews don't get submitted till next week or week after

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:13

Wow that’s tough I’m sorry they had such a hard time. You must be very proud of whatever they achieved. How can I do this? I asked numerous teachers, head of year and the head of sixth form and everyone said no! The 4% would get her 8’s in English and maths. I’m not sure about science as she was quite a few marks away from the 7.. but I don’t really understand the marking for double science. Not sure if it could bump her to the 7-7 or not. She wanted biology and English lit .. her autism gets her quite obsessed with things. But unfortunately physics let her down as she had no interest revising for it.

scrumdiddly123 · 27/08/2025 21:15

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:11

@scrumdiddly123 a lot of schools have the policy of paying for mark reviews when a student is 1-2 marks off and is on FSM. The vast majority will be submitted next week when school is back and HODs meet. That's why reviews submitted after this week tend to take a lot longer.

Ah ok. We aren’t low income so I had assumed it was because he needs the 1 extra make to get his 6th form place? But who knows! Hopefully we won’t be waiting too much longer then 🤞🏻

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:15

Ah phew I started to panic. We just got back from holiday and going on a short break tomorrow. She wasn’t intending on going to this sixth form, but when she saw her grades she changed her mind. But now I’ve got to get her uniform and I’m so unprepared and stressed 😅 I have autism and adhd too and I’m in a constant state of fear I’m forgetting something

Slimtoddy · 27/08/2025 21:16

countdowntonap · 27/08/2025 20:07

AQA - ensure teacher (with marking experience) checks the script before paying for a review of marking. If they believe the level awarded to the question/s to be incorrect, be prepared to escalate the ‘remark’ to the next level if the initial review of marking is rejected.
Every year we have several students whose first review of marking is stated to be accurate, but our English department KNOW it isn’t. At this stage, the script is then escalated with a detailed explanation/annotations of where we disagree with the marking. We’ve also had this back as ‘correct’ a couple of times, and had to raise the the most senior level (at a cost of £400 ish) before the child finally got awarded the correct mark.

That is shocking! Fair play to you for pushing.

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2025 21:16

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:07

Oh no that’s terrible! 2 marks?! I’m sorry they didn’t take her issues seriously. Yeah they wouldn’t let me put it in for her. I explained over and over she can’t speak to adults (they know this) .. but now I’ve got it written on an autism assessment I’m wondering if I could take it further somehow. Even if they just bumped her science grade up 😭

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Special consideration gives a percentage of the mark awarded. It is only ever a tiny amount, even for something major.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:20

@Molko1503 she is incredibly unlikely to get 4%! That's reserved for the most serious incidents eg parents death within a month of exams, the Manchester bombing incident- those kids got 4% just for the exam the next day, there was uproar and they changed it to all the exams after. But 4% is not likely. You need to contact the exams office directly, as explicitly ask for special considerations to be applied for, and explain exactly why. Look up the ofqual guide, it's very helpful and makes it clear what meets the criteria. Having an lack of autism diagnosis is unlikely to, but you can have a look.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:21

scrumdiddly123 · 27/08/2025 21:15

Ah ok. We aren’t low income so I had assumed it was because he needs the 1 extra make to get his 6th form place? But who knows! Hopefully we won’t be waiting too much longer then 🤞🏻

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It's the HOD decision so it's likely because they checked the papers first. The blanket policy is usually only for FSM kids and not all of them- my DDs school don't do this. It's in the departments interest to boost grades if they can, and they get it refunded of the grade goes up.

scrumdiddly123 · 27/08/2025 21:23

countdowntonap · 27/08/2025 20:07

AQA - ensure teacher (with marking experience) checks the script before paying for a review of marking. If they believe the level awarded to the question/s to be incorrect, be prepared to escalate the ‘remark’ to the next level if the initial review of marking is rejected.
Every year we have several students whose first review of marking is stated to be accurate, but our English department KNOW it isn’t. At this stage, the script is then escalated with a detailed explanation/annotations of where we disagree with the marking. We’ve also had this back as ‘correct’ a couple of times, and had to raise the the most senior level (at a cost of £400 ish) before the child finally got awarded the correct mark.

This is good to know! DS’ English teacher who is HoD and very experienced said she thought his paper 1 was marked unfairly so she surely knows her stuff! 🤞🏻🙏

zobalina77 · 27/08/2025 21:30

We've sent my sons English language (pearson) to be reviewed as he is 2 marks off a grade 4. He did resits at college after getting low grade 2s in year 11 for English and Maths. He's got a grade 4 in maths this time and I'm incredibly proud of him as he was diagnosed with arthritis in his hands in year 11 so had to endure that as well as the exam pressure. Luckily college are paying for the review after his tutor has looked at his paper. He needs a grade 3 to carry onto his next course so he's been able to enrol on that.

TheyNotLikeUs · 27/08/2025 21:37

@SomersetBrie 9 in AQA Lit and 8 in AQA Lang here. P1 in Lang 11 marks lower than P2, and overall 4 marks away from 9. Had achieved 9s in Lang in mocks.

Will ask teacher to have a look as it seems a bit odd but actually just really pleased with the Lit grade which was really worked for. All 9s and 8s overall.

raisingthebarbell · 27/08/2025 21:39

DS has just had a wobble about moving sixth form so has asked if we can put in for a remark of his Eng Lang to see if there’s an extra 2 marks there to get the 6 he needs (predicated 7 & needed for his new A level choice)

Anyone with AQA knowledge - do we put in for both papers or just the lowest one or the one closest to the next grade boundary? He got 43 in P1 & 46 in P2 so total 89 and needs 91 for a 6.
is it worth it? School are being spectacularly unhelpful.

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:39

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2025 21:16

Special consideration gives a percentage of the mark awarded. It is only ever a tiny amount, even for something major.

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Do you know if it’s too late to apply now? Or how I do it? I can’t get a straight answer from school - I think they don’t want the hassle. But a tiny bump would get her 8’s in 3 subjects at least as she’s only 1-2 marks away….

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:48

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:20

@Molko1503 she is incredibly unlikely to get 4%! That's reserved for the most serious incidents eg parents death within a month of exams, the Manchester bombing incident- those kids got 4% just for the exam the next day, there was uproar and they changed it to all the exams after. But 4% is not likely. You need to contact the exams office directly, as explicitly ask for special considerations to be applied for, and explain exactly why. Look up the ofqual guide, it's very helpful and makes it clear what meets the criteria. Having an lack of autism diagnosis is unlikely to, but you can have a look.

That’s terrible that’s all they got. I got 10% at Uni. She actually had Eosinophilic Gastroenterocolitis (like Crohns), GERD - both of which cause a lot of issues for her. They think it’s spread to her bladder and kidneys.. so she sat the exams incredibly uncomfortable. Was vomiting prior to them, needing the toilet through them.. and because of her autism she wouldn’t tell anybody 😭 and she wouldn’t ask to go to the toilet either. I was contacting school after each exam saying look she need the extenuating circumstances form and they dismissed me each time saying she had to go tell them herself. I explained each time she can’t, she won’t. Well she doesn’t get it then! It got to the 3rd/4th exam she was hyperventilating and having panic attacks beforehand, refusing to go in, going in late.. we are waiting on her ADHD assessment, and some of the exams she sat there and wrote ‘nothing’ and ‘couldn’t think’. Even her bladder issues alone (feels like cystitis) would drive me insane and I wouldn’t be able to sit there with that going on. As soon as her last exam finished she shutdown for weeks, didn’t attend the end of school or prom. Her autism diagnosis came a couple of days after.

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:50

@Molko1503 that's awful. why on earth would you want her staying at this school?

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:53

To be honest she only needs 1 in English lit for an 8, 1 in English lang for an 8 and 2 in maths for an 8. If it saves me money I’d rather do that than a remark. Don’t think it will help much with science, but maybe with a remark as well 🤷🏼‍♀️ she’s worked so hard and had to put up with so much, I just want her to get her first choice and do biology. She studied so hard for it but I couldn’t get her to touch physics and it’s brought the overall grade down 😔 I’m really happy she’s chosen to go to the sixth form as it’s at her school, transition will be easier and the routine will be better for her than college. But they are really mean making them get 7s in whatever they want to do.

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:59

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 21:50

@Molko1503 that's awful. why on earth would you want her staying at this school?

Thankfully it’s different people to deal with and I’m hoping they’ll be better (they have been so far). I feel like she will struggle with college and the lack of routine/different hours and days.. it’s far away as well and she can’t travel alone. Even just having no uniform I think will be a nightmare as she struggles to dress herself. So I was relieved with the continuity. And the head of the sixth form was very accommodating when she found out she was autistic. The head of year 11 wouldn’t believe me she was and wouldn’t support getting her referred. We don’t look autistic 🙄 selectively mute in social situations… but we can make eye contact so… 🤣 I had the same issue with her brothers school. They didn’t believe me either. He was diagnosed shortly after too. I’m hoping having the diagnosis now people will take me seriously. And this school really cares about their image I don’t think they’d want negative press.

UnintentionalArcher · 27/08/2025 22:25

SomersetBrie · 26/08/2025 16:11

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.

As I understand it, just over 20% of grades go up following a review. (Across all subjects, not specifically English).

UnintentionalArcher · 27/08/2025 22:34

Foxesandsquirrels · 27/08/2025 14:14

Well, the kids in private schools sitting English IGCSE can and do do coursework if their schools choose to. It's worth 40% of their grade. It's grossly unfair that that option is not available to state school kids, a much higher % of especially SEN kids would be passing English if it had coursework.

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Yes, it’s appalling that this is allowed.

treesocks23 · 27/08/2025 22:38

RubyFlewToo · 26/08/2025 18:57

Ds got 1 mark away from a 5 in AQA English language, so his sixth form place is hanging on the re check and I’m praying they find the extra mark. 🤞😢

Literally in the exact same situation - DD got 6 in Literature and 1 mark from the 5 in Language - AQA as well. Her options are also hanging on it!

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2025 22:41

Molko1503 · 27/08/2025 21:39

Do you know if it’s too late to apply now? Or how I do it? I can’t get a straight answer from school - I think they don’t want the hassle. But a tiny bump would get her 8’s in 3 subjects at least as she’s only 1-2 marks away….

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According to this it had to be done by July 7th

www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Key_Dates_June2025_FINAL-1.pdf