Summer exams...

[Tweety1]

So I know these will go ahead this year.
I’m just having a little whinge that these kids have had such a raw deal! (I know every cohort are) but they are expected to just get on with it and take exams and is there any account that teachers and students are offended still learning is lost? There’s no level playing field either as where one school may have lots of disruption another won’t. I just feel for them.
I’m still with the opinion they should have been pushed back a year - whilst some will have coped lots will be struggling

[Shani]

I have one child in year 11 and one in year 13, and I'm so sad for them that these key years at school have been totally messed up for them.

My daughter, in year 13 is currently off with covid. She will miss her Law mock exam next Tuesday as she will have to isolate until Thursday at the earliest. However, her law teacher has actually been absent for 1/3 of the lessons so far in Y13 (and about the same in Y12) with no cover or catch up work supplied. It's shocking, to be honest.

My daughter actually wrote to our local MP and Assembly Member (we're in Wales) a couple of weeks ago to raise her concerns. She's an amazing student (A* and A always) and very eloquent. She's only got a reply from our MP so far, basically brushing her off, regurgitating all that the conservatives have done and basically marketing herself...

It's so not fair for them. So much work has been missed and so much extra pressure and uncertainty for them.

[lisa12000___]

What is the alternative? Another year without exams? Believe me taking exams with mitigations is the best for them. They will get info prior to the exam which will help tailor revision, special consideration for students who have had major disruption can be used, and grade Boundaries will not go back to normal they will be a step back towards normal but they will be a lot lower. The alternative is them doing three times as many mock exams as teachers panic about evidence.

We are already in the thick of January vocational exams - these students have had four months, and have absolutely no considerations given at all - we have virtually a full entry coming in to mark abd most students actually feeling relieved that
They have had an experience of an exam.

Take from someone on the other side of exams - another year of no exams would be unthinkable

[Evil queen]

My daughter is in year 13, I feel so sorry for her and her peers who are all really struggling with many having dropped out recently and many more feeling that they might as well not bother. I think it’s been particularly hard for this cohort, they finished year 11 without ceremony and were left with no focus academically for 6 months. They didn’t have to do exams which has left them with no previous preparation for the much harder a-levels. Year 12 consisted of predominantly online learning due to lockdowns and staff and student illness and whilst they have managed a full term in year 13 that too has been disrupted whilst covid has worked its way through. The more practically based A-levels such as drama are not so easy to teach online particularly when they have to prepare practical acted group work. There is no way my daughter will achieve what we all know she could and it’s heartbreaking. She is so miserable and I think this whole experience has entirely switched her off to education.

[Hooray4Disney]

For AQA Exam Board, they are releasing in February special considerations to help the students this year cope with their exams.

In Computer Science, they are going to be given the topics that will be appearing in Paper 2 - this is quite a lovely advantage when they have quite a lot of content to learn.

In Maths for Edexcel - the students are being given the formulas needed to calculate the answers.

Not sure about other subjects, but I think the exam boards are thinking about special considerations.

[Goldia]

I'm both parent and teacher.

My son is in year 13 and is really struggling. As others said the lockdown which prevented them from finishing year 11 was a real blow. The lockdowns and multiple online lessons in year 12 has meant he is way behind on his product design coursework. He hasn't felt able to apply for Uni as he can't see a place for himself in the world. It is heart breaking. He couldn't face sitting one of his mock exams and ended up doing something really stupid which resulted in us having to go to school for a meeting...

Anyway, at the moment we are taking things one day at a time. I'm just praying he will make it to the exams in May/June. I'm not even really that fussed about the grades he ends up with. One of his teachers suggested he could repeat year 13, but that is not something he wants to do, he wants to be able to get on with life. And to be honest I just want him to not be miserable anymore.

As a teacher I know that for many subjects, both GCSE and A Level, there will be mitigation put in place such as formula sheets for maths and physics, reduced content/topics to be taught. On 7th February advance information of what will be tested in summer exams will be released by all exam boards. This will mean students can focus their revision and hopefully the information released will be specific enough for them to feel confident going into exams this summer.

It is going to be a tough few months, I hope all your kids come through it without too much anxiety.

[MaryMendes]

My DD is in Y13 & I feel something will have to give as the universities still want the same grades as in previous years even given all the disruption they have faced.

I still haven’t got over how they were just shoved out of school in Y11. No leaving, no proms etc.

[JessBlu]

I have a GCSE child, the exams have been made easier in each subject, they are being given lots of details and the exam and the curriculum has been reduced and the marking bands brought down.

They will be fine, life has to get back to normal.

My daughter is worried but what else can they do ?

[Tweety1]

Originally Posted by lisa12000___

What is the alternative? Another year without exams? Believe me taking exams with mitigations is the best for them. They will get info prior to the exam which will help tailor revision, special consideration for students who have had major disruption can be used, and grade Boundaries will not go back to normal they will be a step back towards normal but they will be a lot lower. The alternative is them doing three times as many mock exams as teachers panic about evidence.

We are already in the thick of January vocational exams - these students have had four months, and have absolutely no considerations given at all - we have virtually a full entry coming in to mark abd most students actually feeling relieved that
They have had an experience of an exam.

Take from someone on the other side of exams - another year of no exams would be unthinkable

See more...

I really don’t know what the answer is tbh. My DD is Y12 and we are in Wales so still do AS levels therefore meaning exams in the summer (do England do these?). She’s just sat her mocks and these were the first ‘real’ exams she has done. She’s a hard worker so hopefully has done okay but I just feel sorry for these children when you are off with COVID, then your teachers are isolating. What are the mitigation’s as I haven’t been told of any? What are the downsides to not doing exams - I am really interested as I suppose people like me don’t see the other side of things

[Tweety1]

Originally Posted by Goldia

I'm both parent and teacher.

My son is in year 13 and is really struggling. As others said the lockdown which prevented them from finishing year 11 was a real blow. The lockdowns and multiple online lessons in year 12 has meant he is way behind on his product design coursework. He hasn't felt able to apply for Uni as he can't see a place for himself in the world. It is heart breaking. He couldn't face sitting one of his mock exams and ended up doing something really stupid which resulted in us having to go to school for a meeting...

Anyway, at the moment we are taking things one day at a time. I'm just praying he will make it to the exams in May/June. I'm not even really that fussed about the grades he ends up with. One of his teachers suggested he could repeat year 13, but that is not something he wants to do, he wants to be able to get on with life. And to be honest I just want him to not be miserable anymore.

As a teacher I know that for many subjects, both GCSE and A Level, there will be mitigation put in place such as formula sheets for maths and physics, reduced content/topics to be taught. On 7th February advance information of what will be tested in summer exams will be released by all exam boards. This will mean students can focus their revision and hopefully the information released will be specific enough for them to feel confident going into exams this summer.

It is going to be a tough few months, I hope all your kids come through it without too much anxiety.

See more...

What your son is going through is heartbreaking .
This is the thing not 1 child is the same - some will cope alright but others don’t and when you hear about children like your son who is capable of so much it’s devastating.
Anxiety will be through the roof
I really hope he finds his place and starts to flourish