Exam results

PS. If two pupils deserved A*, only one of them will receive it - the one at the top of the list.

Just as a matter of interest, and not being facetious, did anyone’s grades get upgraded or was it all the opposite?

trisher - earlier in this discussion I wondered whether there could be some kind of class action by students. Evidently this is being considered.
Also Andy Burnham, Mayor of Gtr Manchester is holding a meeting with FE colleges to discuss the possibility of legal action.
A legal forum is discussing the possibility of Judicial Review. I suspect that could only happen once any appeal process had been tried.
I wish the government would follow Scotland's lead and go with the teacher assessment.
One young woman was predicted 4A* and was downgraded, so lost her place as medical school.
There are endless similar stories. I know exam results don't always follow predictions but this year has been unusual. It warrants an unusual response

Would it really devalue the whole system if one year group had better results than usual? Once these poor kids reach the next level, these results won't matter a jot. We all know that you get one cohort that really work well, achieve great things and just gel whereas the following year, it goes to pot.

A friend of ours son was predicted 2 A’s and a B but has been downgraded to 2 B’s and a C and is so disappointed he will not get in his chosen university. I have advised that he contacts the university directly they may still accept him and he has nothing to lose by asking. A lot of universities have seen the numbers of foreign students decline and my neighbour who works for,the Chancellor of a large university told me that universities are looking at making staff redundant.

I recall a teacher telling me when I was at school that if large numbers were getting high grades the pass mark was raised to reduce numbers so possible figures have always been massaged?

I would not, this year, recommend anyone takes a gap year with the idea of re-taking exams in October and upping their grades.
2021 intake into Universities is likely to be pretty high. And, even the decrease in numbers of overseas students is not going to help, particularly as some Uni's may be forced into downsizing due to economic issues.
If someone has a definite place at their chosen Uni, deferred for a year, then - Yes - gap year could be good.
Okay will not be usual type of fresher experiences, but those at Uni can, at least get on with the next stage of their lives.
Think there may well several legal challenges in the next few weeks to this governments total mishandling of all of this.
Interesting that not a single predictive grade for Eton students was downgraded.

Exactly icanhandthemback.
This year's kids have had a lot to put up with and this must be so demoralising.
How about the unis, colleges and employers take a chance on them being as good as their teachers' assessments, instead of clobbering the young people.

That's the approach taken in Scotland, after realising the unfairness of the situation.

Exactly icanthandthemback. I can see that numbers can be a problem in some subjects, and accommodation too- but there are ways around that. And if some are not up to scratch, then they will fail in the first year and have to re-think.

However - adversity and injustice can be a huge incentive and motivator- and I so hope many will, one way or another- find a way to study what they wish. Of course- kids with affluent parents, will just re-take the year - but this is not available for all, especially not those in the poorest sections of the population.

How to make a difficult few months even worse:

1. Cancel exams which students have worked towards since they were 5 years old (questionable whether that was necessary, but still ...);

2. Decide exam results will depend on teacher assessments and mocks results (not ideal, but still ...);

3. Decide to involve something called an algorithm to make sure results reflect earlier results in that school (even less ideal, but still ...)

4. On the day those results are issued, still not have an appeals process in place, bearing in mind that Universities had the results last week so they could make arrangements for a FEW WEEKS TIME, (descending into farce now, but still ...)

5. The day after that, announce the appeals process, but make it awkward (getting beyond parody now, but still ...)

6. Later that day, announce that students can rely on their mock results, with checks that those mocks have been carried out in exam conditions, OR teacher assessments, OR retake exams - a so-called triple lock, (confusing, slightly reassuring maybe, but still ... )

7. On a Saturday (see point below regarding access to advice) say that students may rely on their mock results only (confusing ... hadn't they said that before?) Still ... onwards and upwards to ...

8. Hours after the last announcement, on a day when students have little or no access to advice from their schools, remove the right to rely on mock results, (... ... ... ... ... )

Before anyone asks what I would have done differently - I'd have let the exams go ahead, with increased social distancing, hand cleansing on entry to exam rooms - not ideal and logistically difficult, but still ... If not that, then rely on teacher assessment, with moderation by examiners who would normally mark papers, anonomised as they always are, (not a flippin' algorithm), again not ideal, but still ...

I'd also have prevented newspapers printing headlines such as "Now Choose Your Own Exam Results" as happened on Friday (Daily Mail), but that's a whole other issue.

They've had 5 months to sort this.

Ourkid1 - great post - thank you, sums up the fiasco so well.

Franbern

Ourkid1 - great post - thank you, sums up the fiasco so well.

Germany is their usual efficient no nonsense way, arranged for every student to sit their exams in socially distanced and fully aired rooms.

Clearly beyond the wit of this government.

I watched some of the students on the news last night and was so impressed. This generation that might have totally gone off the rails and taken to drink, drugs or the party life in the face of such real life disruptions seem to be instead becoming politicaly outspoken, calling for Ofqual to go and demanding answers from politicians. They are impressive.

Thank you for appreciating my post.

I worked as a TA in a secondary school and was latterly an exam invigilator, as well as, like many others on here, having been through it (not this year, thank goodness) with my two sons, so I am very, very angry indeed. I feel so sorry for everyone: teaching staff, exams officers, parents and most of all the students etc.. involved in this debacle. An exams officer friend of mine summed it up with her comment that it's always a stressful day (exams results day), but this year they felt helpless to do anything practical to help, given that the goalposts keep being moved. There were many tears on that day in her school, some from students and, I'm guessing, many from staff when out of sight of those students.

trisher Yes, that thought occurred to me too, but sadly, I feel that there may be some who will succumb to drugs, alcohol etc...

Whoo......People pressure triumphs. Just hope with this compete U-turn (another one from this so-called government) the Uni's will re-instate their offers.

Calendargirl

Just as a matter of interest, and not being facetious, did anyone’s grades get upgraded or was it all the opposite?

Yes, they did. Over 4% of entries from small private schools were upgraded, despite the fact that candidates had not sat an exam, so there was no evidence. About 2% of entries from comprehensives were upgraded. About 1% from grammar schools were upgraded and fewer than 1% from sixth form and FE colleges.

The algorithm favoured schools which had historic high achievement. There was also an issue with "matched students", where schools had no record of a pupil's prior achievement. In those cases, the teacher assessment was awarded from the start.

AFAIK those results are being honoured, so there are some candidates who might not have been awarded the grades they were given, if they had sat an exam.

I recall a teacher telling me when I was at school that if large numbers were getting high grades the pass mark was raised to reduce numbers so possible figures have always been massaged?

It happens every year and is quite normal. The grade boundaries change every year, so that approximately the same percentage are awarded each grade. Even if there were an exceptionally clever year with amazingly brilliant teachers, the same percentages would be awarded the grades.

Franbern

Whoo......People pressure triumphs. Just hope with this compete U-turn (another one from this so-called government) the Uni's will re-instate their offers.

Some of them can't, unless the government removes the cap it has imposed on recruiting extra students. Some colleges are already saying that they don't have the physical capacity to take any more students.

If they had given the students the marks they achieved in their mocks, at least it would have been their own work. I don't approve of governments and companies backing down and apologising for everything; it shows weakness.

What are you saying Quizqueen???

Their own work?! Are you saying someone else has done some pork for them ? You do understand that none of the exam result decisions were made by schools don’t you ?

The next problem is that universities have overbooked, as it were ie made more offers than there are places with the anticipation that some students won’t get the grades. There are now going to be more students than places so it will be another minefield sorting that one out. At least if foreign student numbers are down there will be more capacity for UK students to claim the places they have been offered.

quizqueen

If they had given the students the marks they achieved in their mocks, at least it would have been their own work. I don't approve of governments and companies backing down and apologising for everything; it shows weakness.

Am I imagining that you were once a teacher?

You don't seem to know much about how mocks work.

quizqueen

If they had given the students the marks they achieved in their mocks, at least it would have been their own work. I don't approve of governments and companies backing down and apologising for everything; it shows weakness.

I don’t ‘approve’ of governmental incompetence. They knew this was coming and, as usual, did nothing to mitigate the problem. A bit like Boris taking his holidays while a deadly virus sneaked into the UK. A bunch of bloody incompetents.

And look who 's back on holiday !