Just a quickie … I’m working through my emails/to do list and so I’m going to apologise in advance because you may find some posts published over the next few days/weeks that seem quite random as I tick things of that bloomin’ list!
Anyway … if you use Pearson/Edexcel and your subject is one of the ones that is giving you free access to students scripts through what they’ve called “online self-service portal” you may or may not be aware that in order to take advantage of this you need to have the students permission. I know many exams officers now use a standard letter that the students sign giving their permission for any appeals to be made on their behalf so this will be updated for next year but you will need to have something in place in order to review their papers this year … add it to your “to do” list for results day! Interestingly according to JCQ regulations you are supposed to only gain permission after results day … how on earth they will check a) that you have their permission and b) it was obtained after results day I haven’t a clue how that will work! (Thanks to Kerry Dunton for pointing that out!)
You can find more information about this new service on the teacher letter they sent out along with links about how the service can be accessed etc -> Access-to-scripts-letter to teachers . As to how they sent it and to whom, I haven’t a clue! I came across it on their website … but was aware of the service as I’ve been raving about the idea of it!
I am genuinely excited about this – the idea to look at “actual” mistakes made by students in an exam situation are always enlightening. BUT … on the other hand, I also have some concerns that this new initiative will mean HODs will spend at least a day reviewing the scripts of their students, (along with the markschemes) that are close to any grade boundary before requesting a review of marking. This is a task that was not there last year and needs to be taken into account – as teachers we can’t just keep giving more and more time to new stuff without some payback or something else dropping by the wayside or being deferred. Make sure you are given some time to carry out this job!
Another thing to bear in mind when making requests for marking reviews (or enquiries about results … or whatever they’re called now!) consider whether you want to request reviews for all the “units” (in the case of Maths this is specific papers) that the students sat or just one or two of them …. grade boundaries are available for each specific unit!
As always … may or may not be useful.
Post Script: In a recent consultation outcome – Ofqual have made the decision that all boards will have to make their scripts available by 2020!
