Brainy pandemic children

[Amarillo]

With this year’s cohort of children brainier than ever before, is it time that all schools closed and lessons moved on-line for all?

Chart proving that on-line learning is about twice as effective as classroom learning.

 

[testpilottimmy]

These will be remembered as the years that A Level Grades didn’t mean a thing.

 

[soulstyledevon]

With this year’s cohort of children brainier than ever before, is it time that all schools closed and lessons moved on-line for all?

Chart proving that on-line learning is about twice as effective as classroom learning.

Thats doesn’t prove on-line learning is more effective, just that teachers have marked & graded their own work…

 

[OGII]

It's certainly an interesting year. Our son completed A levels this year. He's fortunate enough to attend a well respected grammar school where top grades are normal but not guaranteed.

His whole year has been one long series of exams and checks on the assessments for coursework. The school obviously wanted to have robust evidence for the grades they gave. If anything I'd argue they went over the top. Final result AAAB, marginally down on original predictions, mostly due to some coursework elements being less effective due to being done at home rather than in school with specialist facilities.

One thing is for sure the stress levels of all the assessments were higher than a normal year, the communication with some teachers was good but not always straightforward/expectations clear.

The general grade inflation is worrying though, I'm sure not all schools will have put so much effort into justifying high grades.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Just saw on the BBC, top grades given in private schools were 70% compared to 39% in state schools.

There’s a financial element for private schools to mark their own work favourably.

 

[testpilottimmy]

Just saw on the BBC, top grades given in private schools were 70% compared to 39% in state schools.

There’s a financial element for private schools to mark their own work favourably.

What was the difference.in “normal” years? Many private schools around here won’t allow pupils to sit down dams unless they expect to receive high grades so the seats would be heavily skewed in any year.

 

[soulstyledevon]

What was the difference.in “normal” years? Many private schools around here won’t allow pupils to sit down dams unless they expect to receive high grades so the seats would be heavily skewed in any year.

From one article I read.
It’s up around 9%

 

[Louis II]

Seems to me kids have mostly been given their predicted grades.
Having my son in state school and my niece in private school both doing GCSE’s my 1st hand experience has been that testing has been much more rigerous in the private school and I would expect my sons grade from the state school to be more generous. Would be interesting to see that graph with private & state shown separately.

Most notable difference for me has been the continuity of education is in the private school has been far superior fuelled by resourcefulness and quality of teaching staff compared to widespread mediocrity in the state school.
The private school just seemed to get on with it whilst all we heard from the state school was how hard it all was.

 

[GrahamB]

Seems to me kids have mostly been given their predicted grades.
Having my son in state school and my niece in private school both doing GCSE’s my 1st hand experience has been that testing has been much more rigerous in the private school and I would expect my sons grade from the state school to be more generous. Would be interesting to see that graph with private & state shown separately.

Most notable difference for me has been the continuity of education is in the private school has been far superior fuelled by resourcefulness and quality of teaching staff compared to widespread mediocrity in the state school.
The private school just seemed to get on with it whilst all we heard from the state school was how hard it all was.

It was hard in state schools and still is. There is a fix for that - Gavin could ask Rishi to double the state schools’ per pupil funding level to match that of private schools, as part of the levelling up’ agenda.

 

[Loz]

Private schools did not have to close during the pandemic but state schools did.

 

[Amarillo]

Thats doesn’t prove on-line learning is more effective, just that teachers have marked & graded their own work…

I suppose we will know once schools are back to normal and we have the exam results based solely on face-to-face learning.

The idea that teachers might cheat in their pupils’ exams is unconscionable.

 

[Amarillo]

Private schools did not have to close during the pandemic but state schools did.

My boys could have attended their state primary school throughout. We chose to keep them off for the first few weeks of the first lockdown, but our friend who is a GP had her twin sons and teenage daughter at state school throughout.

Another family who had recently adopted their son (same age as Ben) had him at school throughout, despite being at home themselves.

I thought the same rules applied to all schools, and they all had to remain open for face-to-face teaching for vulnerable children and children where one or both parents work in an ‘essential’ sector.

 

[OGII]

Private schools did not have to close during the pandemic but state schools did.

By closed do you mean physically?

Private school pupils were definitely at home like everyone else. The difference was the online learning kicked in from day one of lockdown one at good private schools, with most kids having access via their own or parents devices. Even then access wasn't universal, older siblings getting the best kit etc.

Some private schools were slow/poor at online learning, in the same way as some state schools were. The real losers were the poorer state school kids without connections/ devices. Some real horror stories out there.

As mentioned previously a lot came down to creativity and perseverance, as in all walks of life the great teachers and students showed their worth.

I teach in a school with a lot of international students who all went home. One lesson I realised spanned 17 time zones (Japan to LA) and overall I had pupils in 14 countries.

 

[WelshGas]

I suppose we will know once schools are back to normal and we have the exam results based solely on face-to-face learning.

The idea that teachers might cheat in their pupils’ exams is unconscionable.

True, but external exams are not just an assessment of pupils performance but teachers ability to teach. Relying on teachers assessments only removes the latter from the equation.
I don't recollect Private school teachers grandstanding for the media. The Teachers Unions stock answers seem to be "No", now what is the question?
Some public schools were very good. Within a week our local comprehensive had a full curriculum on line with classroom registers for each class etc . OK, not an inner city school but they managed it without outside help.

 

[SusiBus]

When l was at school you had to be a bright child to get an "A", and A* hadn't been invented. Now it seems to me that you get A's with a Happy Meal. Or is it that the kids of today are that much brighter, or the education system much better, OR some big promotional exercise taking place ?

 

[NessL]

When l was at school you had to be a bright child to get an "A", and A* hadn't been invented. Now it seems to me that you get A's with a Happy Meal. Or is it that the kids of today are that much brighter, or the education system much better, OR some big promotional exercise taking place ?

I think it’s partially due to teaching to pass an exam, rather than teaching a rounded subject which an exam is taken for.

 

[SusiBus]

On reflection, we did what l suppose would now be considered wasting curriculum time, doing such things as how to use wood and metal working tools, and technical drawing. Naively perhaps, I consider these life skills which have proved much more use to me than algebra.

 

[soulstyledevon]

On reflection, we did what l suppose would now be considered wasting curriculum time, doing such things as how to use wood and metal working tools, and technical drawing. Naively perhaps, I consider these life skills which have proved much more use to me than algebra.

I wouldn’t discount Algebra.
I’m in the electrical field and couldn’t survive without a half decent maths education and good algebra.

 

[andyinluton]

Before covid I gave work experience to a couple of 6th form students.

The maths teacher came round to see what they were doing & commented that I was the first person he had seen that was actually letting the students do something meaningful & applying things that they had learnt.

They were measuring with a scale rule off drawings, a set of parabolic vaulted arches & trying to work out the surface are, & then subsequently trying to calculate quantities of the constituent parts needed for mixing up & applying lime plaster.

Most of their classmates were sitting in various estate agents playing on their phones.

 

[Louis II]

It was hard in state schools and still is. There is a fix for that - Gavin could ask Rishi to double the state schools’ per pupil funding level to match that of private schools, as part of the levelling up’ agenda.

More money may well help but culture & mindset play a big part too.
As an example my son finished school about 1 month early and despite not having exams to organise the school did nothing with that time.
My nieces private school used the time to run introduction to A Level courses.
Both sets of teachers were already being paid they just chose to do different things with the time available. More cash from the state won’t change that.
Personally I think the difference is that private schools have greater accountability towards parents and are subject to market forces where state schools are not.

 

[OGII]

On reflection, we did what l suppose would now be considered wasting curriculum time, doing such things as how to use wood and metal working tools, and technical drawing. Naively perhaps, I consider these life skills which have proved much more use to me than algebra.

Not wasting time, just the curriculum of the day, not that it would have been called that. Still done in current schools, though tech drawing is now CAD and hands on skills much reduced unless opting for design tech etc. Smaller workshops mean no more lathes and heavy toys, replaced by a few handtools, scrollsaws, 3d printers and laser cutters.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Most of their classmates were sitting in various estate agents playing on their phones.

Sadly, they will probably end up earning more…

 

[soulstyledevon]

Not wasting time, just the curriculum of the day, not that it would have been called that. Still done in current schools, though tech drawing is now CAD and hands on skills much reduced unless opting for design tech etc. Smaller workshops mean no more lathes and heavy toys, replaced by a few handtools, scrollsaws, 3d printers and laser cutters.

Some of the young lads we’ve had come through. Totally useless.
They have no comprehension on how things fit together or work.
Basic stuff like drilling a wall or using a hand saw, they haven’t the foggiest.

 

[andyinluton]

Sadly, they will probably end up earning more…

Not sure about that, a decent Quantity Surveyor for a Contractor round here would be a over £100k a year, graduates straight from Uni are on Mid £30s
I don't think you would get that working in an estate agents.

 

[blondebier]

These will be remembered as the years that A Level Grades didn’t mean a thing.

And the year that the state system was split in to two.

The children of key workers (critical workers or whatever they are now) who could get an education and the unfortunates who did not because their parents did things that weren't seen as critical.