Marking GCSE and not fulfilling allocation number

[Fieldday]

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?

Depends which paper. We went on for ten last year. Some papers went on past us.

10 days? Lit paper 1 specifically :)

PM me :)

Your contract specifically forbids you to discuss this on social media. I recommend you get this removed. Happy to respond by pm

I know this is an old thread but I wondered if the team leaders on this thread could direct me how to enquire about a team leader position. I've been marking for the last couple of years and I also marked the first year of the new spec. I also got asked to mark the resits this year. I've hit my quota and I've only been stopped once in summer and once in November. Is that kind of thing taken into consideration?

For my exam board we fill in a marker performance document and we have to make a recommendation of one of the the following:

We also comment on things like communication

Do not reappoint
Reappoint with re training
Reappoint at lower level
Reappoint at same level
Reappoint at higher level

They will take this and other factors into consideration such as performance stats.

I had one marker with an awful attitude but a good marker.

I have been marking 20 years on and off

I mark two papers for one I am a team leader since 2019

In my experience you need to have been recommended by your current team leader. You could contact them and express your interest.

The recommendations for my board are done when the examiner performance records are done, which was in August.

Yes, but OP says she marked in the November series so there may be a more recent window of opportunity.

November marking is finishing round about now so it might be worth putting your hand up

I was asked to be a team leader for the first time this summer and the first indication was that I was asked to mark the resits last November. It was after that that I received the email inviting me to become a team leader. My understanding is that it's only Team Leaders and their superiors who mark the resits, though I'm not 100% sure about that. So you never know, you might get the calling in the New Year!

I've marked English Literature a few times.

The first time I did it, I underestimated how long it would take and didn't manage to fulfil the quota because I became ill and was out for a week. It was fine, no penalties. I communicated to my team leader that I didn't think I would be able to do it and could we reduce my quota but she kept pushing me to just do my best. I think I managed about 80% in the end.

This year I asked for a slightly reduced quota whilst on mat leave, thinking I would easily meet my targets because I wasn't teaching all day.

I ended up with a super clingy, colicky baby that didn't sleep in the cot for hours on end (like my older kids had) and ended up not fulfilling the quota but again, it was fine. I just got paid late for the stuff I did mark.

It is excellent CPD, but you definitely need to mark more than 50 scripts to really get the benefits.