How would you deal with school

covlass

I agree the whole marking and grades thing is strange, and the taking GCSE's early I do not think is great for all students. At my daughters school you have to take a language, she took french and sat her exams last year, those that passed this year will be taking a AS level in French, those that didn't pass or got low grades will be resiting the exams. The local all boys school they have to take their GCSE's a year early if they fail they resit the following year if they pass they take a selection of short courses, then go on to do A levels in year 12

gregg1

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Junior has just had the results of his A level module that he sat in January - needless to say he will have to resit it in May / June.

Apparently it's going to cost £13 to resit.

But I agree its a totally mad situation where students can resit exams until they get the grade they need

Not really - it means they have a chance to go away and work harder in order to know the stuff better - why is encouraging them to work harder wrong? In some cases, kids just fall apart when it comes to sitting an exam. That is unfair if they know the work so I think it is only right they get another shot at it. If they don't know the stuff, they still wont pass.

What about a driving test. You fail, you go away, work harder at improving, then take the test again till you get the result you want. wouldn't be fair to make that a one-shot exam would it?

vwelsh13

..worked in high school for years..often the work left for the "cover" was little more than word searches or copying out (babysitting!! and the pupils knew it) as for the resits..one thing to say "league tables"...don't even start me on GNVQs, NVQs, and Btecs!!!

Bennifred

I would be concerned about students not being aware of which or how many exams they are entered for.
In addition to all the preparation which their subject teachers should be giving them, in our school all students who are entered for any exam are given firstly a "Statement of Entry" which lists every component of any exam they are entered for, with dates and times on. They (or their parents:p) are expected to check these details and let their tutor or the Exams Office know if their are any mistakes or queries. For example: incorrect spelling of name to be put on certificate, entered for exam they are not studying for, not entered for exam they ARE studying for, etc, etc.
When all amendments have been made the students are then given an "Individual Examination Timetable" which lists every exam they are entered for, the date, time, length of exam,venue and even seat number in the venue.

POPPYOSCAR

vwelsh13 wrote: »

..worked in high school for years..often the work left for the "cover" was little more than word searches or copying out (babysitting!! and the pupils knew it) as for the resits..one thing to say "league tables"...don't even start me on GNVQs, NVQs, and Btecs!!!

Yes, this is so true.

At the beginning of the school year my daughter loved her drama classes, however the teacher went sick and has now been off for some time.My daughter has been complaining how bad it is now and what little work they have been doing and if it carries on much longer I am going to have to complain to the school.

pollypenny

Whilst I have great sympathy with OP's daughter, I have to say that it is very difficult to set work for a class which will not be covered by a specialist in that subject. English, in both language and literature, is not a copying from books subject.

If the teacher is likely to be away for sometime, I'm sure the school will have tried to find an English specialist supply teacher. However, there is still a shortage.

I would keep on to the school; it might mean some rejigging of timetable, so that a teacher moves from a lower school class to pick up this GCSE class.

gregg1

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Yes, this is so true.

At the beginning of the school year my daughter loved her drama classes, however the teacher went sick and has now been off for some time.My daughter has been complaining how bad it is now and what little work they have been doing and if it carries on much longer I am going to have to complain to the school.

You should complain to the school, they should have better measures than this in place if a teacher is off on long-term sick. I am sure you won't be the only parent complaining.

melancholly

gregg1 wrote: »

Not really - it means they have a chance to go away and work harder in order to know the stuff better - why is encouraging them to work harder wrong? In some cases, kids just fall apart when it comes to sitting an exam. That is unfair if they know the work so I think it is only right they get another shot at it. If they don't know the stuff, they still wont pass.

What about a driving test. You fail, you go away, work harder at improving, then take the test again till you get the result you want. wouldn't be fair to make that a one-shot exam would it?

i guess the advantage of a modular system is that students don't have to take all their exams at the end - endless retaking can be counter productive as some poor kids end up taking almost all the exams at the end when you add in the resits, which is loads more than other students.... then they don't do as well as they 'could' because they have two exams every day! the odd retake to do better is sensible; some schools seem to allow it excessively, in a way that doesn't benefit the child. i do think it prepares students badly for university though - there you do just get one shot and get negative marking....and in some students, the difference shows.

i don't think a one-shot approach at school is fair, but allowing lots of retakes has consequences. i don't think it's a good thing to over-test children, but at least if they have exams through school, they don't get to GCSEs without having learnt how to cope. i guess i don't see any perfect (or least worst?!) solution!

gregg1

melancholly wrote: »

i guess the advantage of a modular system is that students don't have to take all their exams at the end - endless retaking can be counter productive as some poor kids end up taking almost all the exams at the end when you add in the resits, which is loads more than other students.... then they don't do as well as they 'could' because they have two exams every day! the odd retake to do better is sensible; some schools seem to allow it excessively, in a way that doesn't benefit the child. i do think it prepares students badly for university though - there you do just get one shot and get negative marking....and in some students, the difference shows.

i don't think a one-shot approach at school is fair, but allowing lots of retakes has consequences. i don't think it's a good thing to over-test children, but at least if they have exams through school, they don't get to GCSEs without having learnt how to cope. i guess i don't see any perfect (or least worst?!) solution!

I agree with you. You make some good points about too many re-sits. I suppose it depends as well on whether the student needs that particular exam pass at a grade which will enable them to get on a specific course at university. However, on the reverse side of the coin one student I know is about to make her 3rd attempt at chemistry 'A' level in order to get on a particular course.

Even I am thinking, if you can't do it after 2 attemps is it really something you should be pursuing? !!

POPPYOSCAR

gregg1 wrote: »

I agree with you. You make some good points about too many re-sits. I suppose it depends as well on whether the student needs that particular exam pass at a grade which will enable them to get on a specific course at university. However, on the reverse side of the coin one student I know is about to make her 3rd attempt at chemistry 'A' level in order to get on a particular course.

Even I am thinking, if you can't do it after 2 attemps is it really something you should be pursuing? !!

What about try, try, try again and if you don't succeed then try again!!!

If someone is prepared to keep working at something to get a pass/better grade I think that can only be for the good, personally.