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Original poster

Marking GCSE and not fulfilling allocation number

38 replies

Fieldday · 03/05/2023 12:17

My HOD would like me to mark exam scripts this summer to help improve my GCSE teaching as I have never examined before. AQA has offered me a contract for 300 English scripts. I would love the experience of marking a few but don’t feel I’ll have the capacity to get to anywhere near 300. Has anyone signed a contract and then not fulfilled their allocation? Did the exam board try to sue for breach of contract? Is that likely to happen?

OP posts:
FlemishHorse · 03/05/2023 12:55

I mostly mark Chemistry for Pearson, have marked Biology for AQA as well in the past. My contract is always for “items” rather than whole scripts, so it may not be as much as you think. Once you’ve got your head around the mark scheme it gets easy.

You'll have a team leader - just keep in touch with them. People don’t finish their allocation for many reasons, you’ll just get paid for the items you’ve done.

If your HoD is expecting you to take it on though, I’d expect them to cut you some slack with other commitments so you can use any “gained time” after exam classes have finished!

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2023 18:11

English is scripts, rather than items.
I lead a team for AQA and I just ask that my team communicate with me and are honest about where they are. I get a daily update so I always know what progress looks like.
You can ask for a reduced allocation, and a new examiner is normally given fewer anyway.

Original poster
Fieldday · 03/05/2023 21:13

Thank you both. Very helpful.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 03/05/2023 21:15

Are you doing Lang or Lit?

Original poster
Fieldday · 03/05/2023 21:21

I said I’d be happy with either and they’ve given me lang - creative writing. I’m pretty confident with lit so as professional development goes, I’m happy I ended up with this.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 03/05/2023 21:26

Just take it slowly. Keep in contact with your team leader, and keep referring to the S scripts.

JaffavsCookie · 04/05/2023 20:03

Its really annoying as a team leader though when people take on a contract and then appear to have no intention of fulfilling their quota ( probably slightly more annoying for me as a scientist as the work comes as clips and some are much easier and quicker to mark than others)
if you genuinely think you can’t fulfill your quota now it would be far more honest to withdraw at this point.

cherrypied · 04/05/2023 20:29

I've been marking for twenty years and on two occasions haven't fulfilled my quota due to illness. It just get out back in the pot and redistributed. No lawsuits here!

As a team leader this is a common fear for new examiners and it's rarely as much of an issue as people fear.

Someone withdrew before standardisation last year as they said it wasn't worth the pay. Everyone else finished on time most early.

AQA have a payment threshold of 75% of your quota. If you don't reach 75% payment is with held until results day as a penalty.

Email Englishexaminers and ask for a reduced quota if you feel you need to. You should already get a reduced quota ad a new examiner.

You will be real slow for the first 50 script then it will be implanted in your brain!

Put the mark scheme and stand scripts in one of those display booklets so you can quickly flip to the correct page.

Get a mouse and a comfy chair. Pray for no heatwave and not to be marking on the top floor of a three story house with a energy efficient of A.

I'll try and find the email I sent to new starter from Last year she finished on time and I recommended her for a team leader role.

MrsHamlet · 04/05/2023 22:27

if you genuinely think you can’t fulfill your quota now it would be far more honest to withdraw at this point.

We have 500000 + candidates. I had someone on my team mark 50 scripts last year, and someone else just under 1000. The OP doesn't need to withdraw.

JaffavsCookie · 05/05/2023 17:54

I think this might be a subject difference MrsHamlet. As we mark by clips it is super annoying to mark your allocation ( and pass all the seeds that day) only to have to go back at the end to mop up all the people who couldn’t be bothered to finish, you have to requalify on each item each day you mark it and it can end up very time inefficient, I would rather be told at the start, your allocation is now 325 rather than 300.

MrsHamlet · 05/05/2023 18:01

@JaffavsCookie definitely. English also has qualifying seeds each day but only 4 questions and team leaders don't mop up our teams. They go back into the allocation for extras.

Hayliebells · 05/05/2023 19:30

I wouldn't do it if you're not up for it, and you're only doing it because your HoD thanks you should. It is good CPD, very good CPD infact, and it's a big chunk of money at the start of the summer holidays, which is always helpful. But it takes ages, and it consumes sooo much free time. One of the main benefits does come from marking hundreds of the same questions though, you can really see where the errors are often made, and sometimes you'll get a standout brilliant answer, which is all very useful. I don't think you'd get the same benefit just marking 50.

LolaSmiles · 05/05/2023 20:48

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Newmarker · 27/06/2023 06:39

Hi as there’s team leaders here can anyone say roughly how often, if ever, people get ‘stopped’ in marking for English?
it’s my first time and I’ve been stopped twice for different questions and I feel so self conscious about it.
thanks

MrsHamlet · 27/06/2023 10:44

It means the system works - don't worry about it!

Newmarker · 27/06/2023 11:43

But doesn’t it also mean im
shit?

Hayliebells · 27/06/2023 12:01

Most people get stopped at least a few times, even experienced examiners. I really wouldn't worry about it.

MrsHamlet · 27/06/2023 12:56

Newmarker · 27/06/2023 11:43

But doesn’t it also mean im
shit?

You'll get feedback from your team leader - ask them

Breakingchains · 27/06/2023 19:57

New marker - I've marked 150 so far and have failed every single seed. This is my second year of marking. Last year it was a million times easier because I only marked one section. This year it's three sections so much more room to fail. You aren't shit - it's there to be reflective.

Newmarker · 27/06/2023 23:23

Thank you so much for that!

Thedoctorswife1 · 30/06/2023 14:39

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2023 18:11

English is scripts, rather than items.
I lead a team for AQA and I just ask that my team communicate with me and are honest about where they are. I get a daily update so I always know what progress looks like.
You can ask for a reduced allocation, and a new examiner is normally given fewer anyway.

Must be an exam board difference. I mark for edexcel English and its individual questions/ items rather than full scripts.

MrsHamlet · 01/07/2023 17:09

We mark by question but they're still whole script equivalent. Otherwise no one would want to mark some of the questions!

JaffavsCookie · 01/07/2023 20:44

I think you might have been in my hotel a few weeks ago Mrs Hamlet
i was in Manchester for science pre stand and the hotel i was staying in had a room labelled aqa English, small world.

OvertiredAndUnderwhelmed · 01/07/2023 20:51

Just wondering if anyone knows roughly how long scripts are usually available for after the marking cap is lifted? (Aqa English!)

MrsHamlet · 01/07/2023 20:54

JaffavsCookie · 01/07/2023 20:44

I think you might have been in my hotel a few weeks ago Mrs Hamlet
i was in Manchester for science pre stand and the hotel i was staying in had a room labelled aqa English, small world.

That may well be so. We were there for two days :)

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