Hi all,

What are your schools doing about predicted grades this year? I’ve heard that a few schools are assessing their students in September. My son is convinced they will continue to be assessed until January, but as those who apply to Oxbridge will have to apply by October, I’m a bit puzzled.

Thanks,

Salsa

DS2 'did' AS levels, so I presume UCAS grades will be based on those. If the school has mentioned further assessment in September, DS2 has omitted to mention it.

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Wouldn’t people taking exams in September have an advantage? They would have had more time to revise. Mind you, if their lockdown provision was any good. They also forget stuff during the summer.
DGS gave them tons of homework with very few online lessons. Now, they’ve given them “summer packs”. So, more of the same.

Salsa

DS2 had exams in summer (they brought them in to do them) - their traditional A level mocks (which they do again after Christmas). School gave said the summer exams will contribute to the predicted grades but, as they are continuously assessed and tracked throughout, they have a good record for predictions. Most good schools seem to try and get all UCAS forms in this side of Christmas anyway - ours requires first draft of PS after the summer, so predicted grades are done early here.

That’s very organised. I thought DGS would bring them in for testing, but didn’t. They all went for one week. They had 4 groups of 75 over 4 weeks.
Salsa

School gave predicted grades in the report on the final day of the year - I assume just based on seeing how the students had been doing. I think they sent an email at the same time saying that students might get a chance to improve their predictions in September; they're pretty strict with their predictions though. Formal mock exams at the school are now in October and February (instead of June and January) but anyone applying to Oxford/Cambridge/medicine will have already applied before the first mocks. I suppose I was assuming that anyone in those positions would only be applying if they had good predictions.

Will be interesting to see what happens - DS had no exams at the end of Year 12 and only two pieces of assessed work up until March 20th across 3 subjects. School have no plans to do exams in September (at least they haven't said). No work produced between March and July was graded although it had comments about what could be improved. He has asked how grades will be decided for UCAS and he was asked in return "what did he need?" - presume if he came up with something spurious then it would be knocked back but if it sounds vaguely doable then I guess that is what he will get. Also difficult in that he is new to the school. We live in strange times.

Are they saying that they will use pre-lockdown assessments for their predicted? If so, wouldn't that put them at a disadvantage as others will have had more time to learn?

Salsa

Salsa - i really don't know what they will give them - it sounds as if it will probably be based on GCSE results - maybe they will enlighten us in Sept but they certainly haven't assessed enough work to have any idea of future performance. The fact nothing was graded post March has bugged me because if they knew they were only handing in work at grade C they could rectify it - especially if A levels are cancelled again. I feel they are very disadvantaged.

Salsa - i really don't know what they will give them - it sounds as if it will probably be based on GCSE results - maybe they will enlighten us in Sept but they certainly haven't assessed enough work to have any idea of future performance. The fact nothing was graded post March has bugged me because if they knew they were only handing in work at grade C they could rectify it - especially if A levels are cancelled again. I feel they are very disadvantaged.