A Levels

Keyser Soze

Striker
Anyone work in education or the government, who can give a bit more info about how and when the predicted grades are going to be sorted out please?

My daughter was due to sit hers this summer and her school are not being very helpful about what is going on and when etc? (bit like our f***ing Prime Minister to be honest!!). She doesn't know if that's her school year done, or do they need to keep revising for assesments?

Has anyone had any clear information from schools/gov depts as yet?

Cheers
 


Very difficult to answer this without mentioning that there's far more important things going on right now & that whatever was planned to start after the summer break (i.e. Uni) might not even be possible anyway.

Its hardly the School's fault. They don't even control the exams & qualification awards process anyway.

Also:
"From Friday 20 March, all educational settings are closed to everyone except the children of critical workers and vulnerable children.
The coronavirus outbreak is expected to continue having a significant impact on the education system, and the country, for months to come. Therefore exams have been cancelled now to give pupils, parents, and teachers certainty, and enable schools and colleges to focus on supporting vulnerable children and the children of key workers."
 
Anyone work in education or the government, who can give a bit more info about how and when the predicted grades are going to be sorted out please?

My daughter was due to sit hers this summer and her school are not being very helpful about what is going on and when etc? (bit like our f***ing Prime Minister to be honest!!). She doesn't know if that's her school year done, or do they need to keep revising for assesments?

Has anyone had any clear information from schools/gov depts as yet?

Cheers
Work in the planning department of a major Uni in London and we are none the wiser to what is happening.

Hoping for some clarity next week
 
Work in the planning department of a major Uni in London and we are none the wiser to what is happening.

Hoping for some clarity next week

Ok thanks - i know it's not a 'priority' with everything else going on, but it is a consequence of the situation

Next week it is
Very difficult to answer this without mentioning that there's far more important things going on right now & that whatever was planned to start after the summer break (i.e. Uni) might not even be possible anyway.

Its hardly the School's fault. They don't even control the exams & qualification awards process anyway.

Also:
"From Friday 20 March, all educational settings are closed to everyone except the children of critical workers and vulnerable children.
The coronavirus outbreak is expected to continue having a significant impact on the education system, and the country, for months to come. Therefore exams have been cancelled now to give pupils, parents, and teachers certainty, and enable schools and colleges to focus on supporting vulnerable children and the children of key workers."

Yes read that earlier today, but it's not really clear on timescales as yet - but assume more info will keep coming out over the coming days/weeks? Cheers
 
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Ok thanks - i know it's not a 'priority' with everything else going on, but it is a consequence of the situation

Next week it is


Yes read that earlier today, but it's not really clear on timescales as yet - but assume more info will keep coming out over the coming days/weeks? Cheers

It seems a number expect everything to be sorted out ASAP, although it’s not a surprise.

I get the feeling it’s going to be a record year for high grades anyway.
 
It seems a number expect everything to be sorted out ASAP, although it’s not a surprise.

I get the feeling it’s going to be a record year for high grades anyway.

Not really mate - just asking if anyone had any updates? I assume you don't have anyone involved in A levels this year ?
 
I teach GCSE and A-Level Maths...

To re-iterate, we as teachers only know the information that has been publicly released by the Government on the link previously posted above (of which you have already seen). We are not privy to any secret guidance / document by the government sent to teachers to put any rumours or thoughts of that like to bed.

At this stage (and this may well change depending on any new information the Government provides) the grades will be deduced by the following:

Step 1) The class teacher of that student will put forward a predicted grade based on a number of evidence based pieces of works, this is likely to include mock tests, class assignments, homework etc. carried out this year prior to the Covid lockdown (no work completed post the situation will be considered for obvious reasons)

Step 2) The Head/Director of Maths will then look at the Data and see if the right level of consistency has been applied across the department, this will be achieved by many forms, which may or may not include a Skype type chat between teachers to see what material they have used for their predictions, any exceptional cases (if a student has missed a large chunk of term due to illness for example) and any adjustments which they feel need to be made. Grades will then be made consistent in order to fall in line with what a school may expect for that year in terms of number of Grade A/B/C's for A-Levels or 9/8/7's for GCSE's..etc.

Step 3) These predicted grades will then be sent to the exam bodies (AQA, OCR, Edexcel..) who will then look at the Nationwide results to see if they match roughly in line with previous years. This is to stop schools giving artificially higher grades then would normally be achieved. This will be calculated using various algorithms as they would normally apply to every other year after seeing the Nationwide results, to which they then calculate the grade boundaries. This is ultimately to make sure, as much as possible, that no year gets it easier or harder then years before or after it.

To repeat, all of the above is subjective until we receive more guidance, but in summary, everyone (teachers, students, and exam boards) are in a very difficult situation, with no one privy to more information than that what is available to the public domain. Perhaps somewhat crucially, students will have the right to 'appeal' their grades by sitting an actual physical test (as they would have done in May/June) next academic year, whenever that may start. My advice therefore to your daughter is to keep on revising as normal, ticking over her studies, so that when the time comes, she can appeal her grade (if needed) by sitting the actual test.

I hope the above helps.
 
I get the feeling it’s going to be a record year for high grades anyway.
Only if you re-check the results AFTER the appeals processes are complete.
I teach GCSE and A-Level Maths...

To re-iterate, we as teachers only know the information that has been publicly released by the Government on the link previously posted above (of which you have already seen). We are not privy to any secret guidance / document by the government sent to teachers to put any rumours or thoughts of that like to bed.

At this stage (and this may well change depending on any new information the Government provides) the grades will be deduced by the following:

Step 1) The class teacher of that student will put forward a predicted grade based on a number of evidence based pieces of works, this is likely to include mock tests, class assignments, homework etc. carried out this year prior to the Covid lockdown (no work completed post the situation will be considered for obvious reasons)

Step 2) The Head/Director of Maths will then look at the Data and see if the right level of consistency has been applied across the department, this will be achieved by many forms, which may or may not include a Skype type chat between teachers to see what material they have used for their predictions, any exceptional cases (if a student has missed a large chunk of term due to illness for example) and any adjustments which they feel need to be made. Grades will then be made consistent in order to fall in line with what a school may expect for that year in terms of number of Grade A/B/C's for A-Levels or 9/8/7's for GCSE's..etc.

Step 3) These predicted grades will then be sent to the exam bodies (AQA, OCR, Edexcel..) who will then look at the Nationwide results to see if they match roughly in line with previous years. This is to stop schools giving artificially higher grades then would normally be achieved. This will be calculated using various algorithms as they would normally apply to every other year after seeing the Nationwide results, to which they then calculate the grade boundaries. This is ultimately to make sure, as much as possible, that no year gets it easier or harder then years before or after it.

To repeat, all of the above is subjective until we receive more guidance, but in summary, everyone (teachers, students, and exam boards) are in a very difficult situation, with no one privy to more information than that what is available to the public domain. Perhaps somewhat crucially, students will have the right to 'appeal' their grades by sitting an actual physical test (as they would have done in May/June) next academic year, whenever that may start. My advice therefore to your daughter is to keep on revising as normal, ticking over her studies, so that when the time comes, she can appeal her grade (if needed) by sitting the actual test.

I hope the above helps.
Really really screws over kids who coast along, then nail the exams following a period of very hard work. Which is exactly how I approached every qualification I've ever done.
I'd have been devastated with this approach. Not that I can see a better way.
 
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No but I’ve got a daughter who works for the NHS in a hospital if that makes up for it.

Oh right - so you win then mate in the ‘top trumps’ of life :rolleyes:

Why even come on a thread about something you have no interest in to make snarky comments?? Pathetic
I teach GCSE and A-Level Maths...

To re-iterate, we as teachers only know the information that has been publicly released by the Government on the link previously posted above (of which you have already seen). We are not privy to any secret guidance / document by the government sent to teachers to put any rumours or thoughts of that like to bed.

At this stage (and this may well change depending on any new information the Government provides) the grades will be deduced by the following:

Step 1) The class teacher of that student will put forward a predicted grade based on a number of evidence based pieces of works, this is likely to include mock tests, class assignments, homework etc. carried out this year prior to the Covid lockdown (no work completed post the situation will be considered for obvious reasons)

Step 2) The Head/Director of Maths will then look at the Data and see if the right level of consistency has been applied across the department, this will be achieved by many forms, which may or may not include a Skype type chat between teachers to see what material they have used for their predictions, any exceptional cases (if a student has missed a large chunk of term due to illness for example) and any adjustments which they feel need to be made. Grades will then be made consistent in order to fall in line with what a school may expect for that year in terms of number of Grade A/B/C's for A-Levels or 9/8/7's for GCSE's..etc.

Step 3) These predicted grades will then be sent to the exam bodies (AQA, OCR, Edexcel..) who will then look at the Nationwide results to see if they match roughly in line with previous years. This is to stop schools giving artificially higher grades then would normally be achieved. This will be calculated using various algorithms as they would normally apply to every other year after seeing the Nationwide results, to which they then calculate the grade boundaries. This is ultimately to make sure, as much as possible, that no year gets it easier or harder then years before or after it.

To repeat, all of the above is subjective until we receive more guidance, but in summary, everyone (teachers, students, and exam boards) are in a very difficult situation, with no one privy to more information than that what is available to the public domain. Perhaps somewhat crucially, students will have the right to 'appeal' their grades by sitting an actual physical test (as they would have done in May/June) next academic year, whenever that may start. My advice therefore to your daughter is to keep on revising as normal, ticking over her studies, so that when the time comes, she can appeal her grade (if needed) by sitting the actual test.

I hope the above helps.

Thank you very much - it’s about what I thought it was going to be, but with a lot more detail. I think you’re right about it still being early days and the exact ‘science’ of calculating grades hasn’t quite been agreed - but I am sure it will be ‘hopefully’ as fair as possible?

Your advice about her keep revising/working towards the exams is sound and to be fair, she is already doing this. I think it was a timeframe thing really - as to when the cut-off will be for the assessments and whether they will need to complete the whole academic year, albeit online?

Cheers
Really really screws over kids who coast along, then nail the exams following a period of very hard work. Which is exactly how I approached every qualification I've ever done.
I'd have been devastated with this approach. Not that I can see a better way.

Agree - it’s really hard to gauge how all kids would have responded?

My son did not much work leading up to his GCSE’s but nailed all his exams as they just didn’t phase him and he’s naturally bright. My daughter is a much harder worker, but get stressed with exams, so I am hoping this grading will work slightly in her favour? Swings and roundabouts ?
 
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I think the cut off has passed. There's no chance of anything else being submitted or marked, online or otherwise. My daughter had decent predicted grades but is actually improving on those. I hope her recent improvements are taken into account anarl.
 
Oh right - so you win then mate in the ‘top trumps’ of life :rolleyes:

Why even come on a thread about something you have no interest in to make snarky comments?? Pathetic


Thank you very much - it’s about what I thought it was going to be, but with a lot more detail. I think you’re right about it still being early days and the exact ‘science’ of calculating grades hasn’t quite been agreed - but I am sure it will be ‘hopefully’ as fair as possible?

Your advice about her keep revising/working towards the exams is sound and to be fair, she is already doing this. I think it was a timeframe thing really - as to when the cut-off will be for the assessments and whether they will need to complete the whole academic year, albeit online?

Cheers


Agree - it’s really hard to gauge how all kids would have responded?

My son did not much work leading up to his GCSE’s but nailed all his exams as they just didn’t phase him and he’s naturally bright. My daughter is a much harder worker, but get stressed with exams, so I am hoping this grading will work slightly in her favour? Swings and roundabouts ?
There will be winners and losers mate, my daughters revision is not great and I’m not convinced she’d have achieved the predicted grades. I could be doing her a disservice but we’ll never know, let’s just hope we live and our kids have a worthwhile future.
 
Agree - it’s really hard to gauge how all kids would have responded?

My son did not much work leading up to his GCSE’s but nailed all his exams as they just didn’t phase him and he’s naturally bright. My daughter is a much harder worker, but get stressed with exams, so I am hoping this grading will work slightly in her favour? Swings and roundabouts ?

I was talking to one of the teachers at work about this on Friday & that's apparently pretty common. Girls tend to get better marks on coursework but boys tend to do better on exams.
 
Different system up here and all that, but my Eldest was contacted by his Biology teacher yesterday saying she was going to put him forward for an A (well impressed considering he's 'crashing' his Higher and never studied it at a lower level).
She said she'd like him to do one more AB test, and would be handling it in the next day or so, via Skype I imagine, and will be including that in teh evidence pack for the SQA
 
Really really screws over kids who coast along, then nail the exams following a period of very hard work. Which is exactly how I approached every qualification I've ever done.
I'd have been devastated with this approach. Not that I can see a better way.

Same for me. I was always far, far stronger in exams than with coursework.
 

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