Secondary History Discussion
GCSE History results
Barbara Hibbert
August 22nd at 7:47 am
August 22nd at 7:47 am
After yet another disappointing set of results for AQA GCSE Modern World History I am wondering what more we can do, and whether anyone else has the same experience? Some excellent and hardworking students have got at least a grade lower than they should have, and overall I would estimate our results are half a grade down. This year we have tried to revise in a really structured way - to no avail, the results are as usual. What experience do others have of the different boards? We also had a small group for the OCR pilot GCSE who had excellent results, but feel this is not suitable for all our cohort (120+ students, the largest option group in the school, so the kids like the subject!)
We need to have confidence in whatever board we start teaching in September 2009, but also to do our best by the two remaining AQA cohorts. Comments/advice please!
8 Responses to GCSE History results
8
Dear Barbara
Have you considered switching to OCR option b (modern world). We used to follow Edexcel and our results fluctuated wildly (from 81% to 59%). Like you, we have a large annual cohort ranging from 100 - 160 students, depending on the year. We switched to OCR and our A* - C results have stayed in the 80% over the last four years (a*/a percentage has ranged from 46 -57%). Two of us in the department mark for this option and this has definitely helped as we've passed on exam techniques to colleagues and students.
Hope this doesn't sound smug - I really don't mean it to!
Have you considered switching to OCR option b (modern world). We used to follow Edexcel and our results fluctuated wildly (from 81% to 59%). Like you, we have a large annual cohort ranging from 100 - 160 students, depending on the year. We switched to OCR and our A* - C results have stayed in the 80% over the last four years (a*/a percentage has ranged from 46 -57%). Two of us in the department mark for this option and this has definitely helped as we've passed on exam techniques to colleagues and students.
Hope this doesn't sound smug - I really don't mean it to!
7
Simon Harrison
October 8th at 11:24 am
October 8th at 11:24 am
I've used AQA SHP for most of my career (and this may also apply to Modern World) and found that AQA have a high expectation in terms of content covered. The only way we have been able to combat this is by ensuring a long revision period is planned into our schemes of work before yr11s leave - ideally 6-8 weeks. We had a year when we were unable to do this and the results dipped sginificantly, suggesting this tactic has helped us raise results.
This of course involves some tough decisions about where to save time earlier in the course. We were only able to do this because both myself and my HoD had worked as markers for AQA which gave us a better understanding of which part of the specifcation needed the greater focus and which bits could be handled in overview. Also allowed us to give better guidance to pupils on where the deployment of knowledge could be more selective, and examination technique in general. So whilst I wouldn't wish the 'joys' of exam script marking on anyone, and you certainly don't do it for the money, it certainly has helped us understand the application of AQA's criteria better. Of course if the support from the exam board was a bit more comprehensive none of this would be necessary...
This of course involves some tough decisions about where to save time earlier in the course. We were only able to do this because both myself and my HoD had worked as markers for AQA which gave us a better understanding of which part of the specifcation needed the greater focus and which bits could be handled in overview. Also allowed us to give better guidance to pupils on where the deployment of knowledge could be more selective, and examination technique in general. So whilst I wouldn't wish the 'joys' of exam script marking on anyone, and you certainly don't do it for the money, it certainly has helped us understand the application of AQA's criteria better. Of course if the support from the exam board was a bit more comprehensive none of this would be necessary...
6
As part of our Humanities College plan we have helped an AQA school move to OCR. Their teaching was fine, but the AQA course was impossible to plan for. After two years their results are much better.
5
Eventually we got AQA to agree to a full school remark of paper 1. Mark changes varied from 0 to 20 and 24/110 students have now been upgraded. The problem is that we are now past the deadline for students to have paper 2 remarked but one student who had it remarked himself went up 4 marks and we have a dozen or so students who are now within 4 marks of grade boundaries! Am really worried about which GCSE spec to choosee for next year. What are other people doing? Have heard good things about the Welsh board and currently quite attracted by OCR.
Our pilot results continue to be good but we don't think this course is for everyone - a lot of our kids still want to do modern world.
All we want are accurate and reliable results!
Our pilot results continue to be good but we don't think this course is for everyone - a lot of our kids still want to do modern world.
All we want are accurate and reliable results!
4
Sebastian F. J. Bees
September 17th at 4:26 pm
September 17th at 4:26 pm
Dear Barbara
We seem to ahve th same experiecne with AQA this year with a downward trend. Rumour has it that AQA deliberately made it more difficult to achieve Level 4 on the markign which would penalise the moer able and harder working students
We seem to ahve th same experiecne with AQA this year with a downward trend. Rumour has it that AQA deliberately made it more difficult to achieve Level 4 on the markign which would penalise the moer able and harder working students
3
Richard J. Harris
September 4th at 4:17 pm
September 4th at 4:17 pm
Hi Barbara
I know a lot of the schools I work with in the south have moved away from AQA at GCSE. Most have moved to the WJEC board becuase they feel the exam papers are fairer to students. I also know schools that offer both Modern World and SHP which offers students choice and I used to find that the SHP course produced very good results - it tended to be less political and many students found this easier to comprehend.
I know a lot of the schools I work with in the south have moved away from AQA at GCSE. Most have moved to the WJEC board becuase they feel the exam papers are fairer to students. I also know schools that offer both Modern World and SHP which offers students choice and I used to find that the SHP course produced very good results - it tended to be less political and many students found this easier to comprehend.
2
I had to write to say that I was disappointed with the results this year and can see no rhyme or reason for what seems to be random marking. Even our students predicted good grades have been marked down but I hsve noticed the biggest downtrend in the C/D grading. We did great revision sessions and went through old papers and questions and still the results were poor. It is comforting to know that you are not the only teacher that feels that the marking has not been satisfactory. I feel that the boards are too busy trying to justify changing the new syllabus to worry about this year's candidates.
1
Dear Barbara,
I am in agreement with you. For the 3rd yr running we have had exactly the same results at AQA GCSE Modern World and our experience mirrors yours. As we also offer short course paper 2, we saw a distinct slip in results in that paper so concentrated on that paper also. We ran intervention groups, monitored achievement, used data, read old examiners reports for clues, past papers, AFL, peer marking and mentoring and ran well attended revision sessions. Our pupils were well motivated and all to no avail as we have a set of results which are very strange. I rang the board last year to ask if there were to be any feedback meetings and was told they were concentrating on New A level orders
I am in agreement with you. For the 3rd yr running we have had exactly the same results at AQA GCSE Modern World and our experience mirrors yours. As we also offer short course paper 2, we saw a distinct slip in results in that paper so concentrated on that paper also. We ran intervention groups, monitored achievement, used data, read old examiners reports for clues, past papers, AFL, peer marking and mentoring and ran well attended revision sessions. Our pupils were well motivated and all to no avail as we have a set of results which are very strange. I rang the board last year to ask if there were to be any feedback meetings and was told they were concentrating on New A level orders
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