English Language GCSE marking ‘a shitshow’

[noblegiraffe]

It not being my subject I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but this twitter thread is disturbing reading:

twitter.com/barnacle_bob1/status/1143968940483330048?s=21

Comments seem to suggest it’s AQA. Best get ready to request marking reviews...

Thanks, very interesting.

My DD was predicted a 9 in AQA Eng Lang (got the highest mark in her class in her mocks). She got a 7 - needs 6 more marks for an 8, but is only 3 marks above a 6.

We are wondering whether she should ask for a re-mark. She got a 9 in English Lit, with 100% on one of the papers, and got ten 9s in total. She also thought Eng Lang was her best exam at the time. One of her clever friends actually got a 5, which was totally unexpected.

Would anyone advise a re-mark for my DD in these circumstances? It is possible she under-performed on the day, but it doesn’t seem that likely to me.

Thanks

No, I definitely wouldn't, sorry. Too close to the next grade down.

I would always advise to take mock marking with a pinch of salt. If actual GCSE marking by examiners has a high chance of inaccuracy, I think we can assume the same of teachers.

A 7 is a really good grade! Try to remind yourself (and her) of that, despite disappointment.

RaskolnikovsGarret
It's a review of marking, not a remark so as long as the person reviewing thinks the mark scheme has been applied fairly and accurately then there's no changes. If it's out by a band then there'll be changes. Marks can go down as well as up.

I always say that because it's different to the remarks of old. I think boards got fed up of schools who were, rightly, sending for remarks on significant numbers of scripts and then having loads go updue to poor marking.

Personally I wouldn't go for a review when she's that close to the 6 boundary because I think it's a much bigger gamble than being close to the 8. However, if one paper is substantially lower than the other and it looks like that paper may have the 6marks then talk to the teacher about whether they feel it would be a good decision as it would be in some cases.

Your DD friend who got a 5 I would go for a review.

I know loads of English teachers this year who have said their more able grades are out of line this year and they don't know why, well, they do as most of us know people who've examined and it was a shit show this year.

You could recall the paper (or the teachers could) to have a look, I guess, though.

Thanks, that’s very helpful.

If actual GCSE marking by examiners has a high chance of inaccuracy, I think we can assume the same of teachers

Marking is always as good as the syllabus, mark schemes and standardisation procedures.

These are Gove's reforms aren't the?

He's in charge of Brexit crash out planning.

Yes, indeed.

I tend to call the Gove's 'reforms'. Cannot bring myself to drop the speech marks!

I think the workload situation in teaching has an awful lot to answer for in terms of the quality of marking. There are lots of teachers in my school, including me, that used to examine for the boards but now just don’t have the time or energy. The exam boards are clearly struggling to recruit markers as I was getting emails in the days after one of my exams had already been sat still trying to recruit markers for that paper. That gives you an indication of how desperate they were.

Until workload in schools is properly addressed, exam boards are going to struggle to get enough experienced markers to maintain high standards. I work in a school where workload is fairly reasonable and still only a handful of teachers examine each summer.

I’m going to bite the bullet and go back to A Level marking next summer. We have a new Head coming in who is very keen on teachers marking for the exam boards so I’m definitely going to start a conversation with her about ways that we can incentivise staff to do it. I’m hoping that she might be open to them having some flexible work-from-home time if they are examining. E.g. If you would normally have taught Y13 P1-2 and sign up as an examiner then you wouldn’t need to be in school until break, giving you a couple of hours to mark at home. Even if they only gave a couple of hours a week I think it would encourage more people to do it. That brings more knowledge of exam specs and marking for the school, and having more experienced, current teachers doing it can only be a good thing for the quality of marking nationally.

I nominate @SabineSchmetterling for Secretary of State for Education.

We have two established and senior AQA examiners in my dept : I really can't see that it has made a difference, must be honest!

I do think it is also CPD. Our budget for CPD is very restricted. One person in the dept might get to go on an AQA course. There is then very little time for them to feedback to the 12 other teachers what they may have learnt. Even on a local level, it really is only the HOF who attends consortium meetings.

The exam board training from Eduqas for my other subject is fantastic : but I am the only teacher at GCSE so the impact is immediate and direct.

thanks gwilt!

Sad that so many of us feel the same...@SabineSchmetterling yes, I suspect we do teach the same board/unit. (Although how depressing if we don't!) Also agree that workload (plus indifferent pay) is why people don't mark for exam board as much. I'm UPS3 + TLR so I don't have the time or energy at that point in the year to mark either A level or GCSE scripts, even though I'm very experienced. Exam markers are often NQTs - told it would be good practise - or (shudder) I've seen exam boards calling for History uni students to mark GCSE - you used to have to have TAUGHT that particular unit for at least 2 years to mark. Not any longer.

Anyone feeling good if a 21 year old non teacher has marked your DCs all important final exam...?

I'm waiting for a review to come back for a student of mine. I'm sure her paper 2 has been under-marked given what she told me she'd written for it after the exam. (Bright mature student doing Access to law). I hope it goes up by the 2 marks she needs as her uni place depends on it. I marked for AQA for two years in a row on the new spec - really relieved I didn't do it this year. I took a lot of time and trouble over it and didn't feel the payment was enough for the stress involved.
Usually my students' exam results are very close to how I mark them in the mock but this student's result is definitely out of kilter.