11 Plus Exams Forum

And another one about changes to what may be taught and examined over the course of next year. Parent/carer and students views sought.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... ls-in-2021" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MrsChubbs wrote:And another one about changes to what may be taught and examined over the course of next year. Parent/carer and students views sought.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... ls-in-2021" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I had a quick look and they alll seem very reaasonable, oral grades for languages, allowing for changes of curriculum due to covid, etc. I was less sure about changes of requirements for field work - would this mean that in case schools decide to not provide it, the students would just study the theory. If so, I hope that this would not spread to science labs.

Most teachers think the lack of changes, particularly to A levels, is poor. Effectively the entire curriculum has to be covered in the time that is left, for full exams, which makes no allowances for the differing experiences through lockdown of online learning, and the ongoing disruptions due to local lockdowns/isolations.

Everyone agrees that special consideration is not an appropriate mechanism for Covid disturbances. The proposed delays to exams favour those who had full online teaching during lockdown (mainly private schools). Most teachers believe more optional questions would allow them to cover as much work as possible but allow students to pick questions depending on what they had covered.

kenyancowgirl wrote:Most teachers think the lack of changes, particularly to A levels, is poor. Effectively the entire curriculum has to be covered in the time that is left, for full exams, which makes no allowances for the differing experiences through lockdown of online learning, and the ongoing disruptions due to local lockdowns/isolations.

Everyone agrees that special consideration is not an appropriate mechanism for Covid disturbances. The proposed delays to exams favour those who had full online teaching during lockdown (mainly private schools). Most teachers believe more optional questions would allow them to cover as much work as possible but allow students to pick questions depending on what they had covered.

If it goes that way, perhaps private schools will soon be focusing on a smaller number of topics. I understand the argument of social fairness but should exams not be consistent year on year? In the end, they are not meant
to test potential, but ability at the time of the exam? if there is a correction due to factoring in 'opportunity', why would it be mixed with ability (why not have it separate)? Just a thought...

This year, my DD2 lost out because of grade inflation (that I can see had to do with attempting to consider opportunity in the grades) - she is still not enrolled in her attempt to retake year 12. And we all also lost out since the meaning of the grades this year is different from previous'. And if we have the same political players next year, what you suggest may well happen, with another year of uturns. But my instinct tells me that will not happen until the 11th hour...

John Dunford, General Sec of ASCL, has written a ten point plan for exams/assessment which actually tallies with what a lot of teachers I know think. Personally I think our over reliance on exams as assessment was the biggest downfall this year and we should move away from it. As in, if we didn’t solely rely on exams or at all, there would have been less of an issue.

John’s plan can be found on Twitter.