SPECIAL HMC WEEKLY NEWS: SUMMER 2014 EXAMINATION RESULTS AND MEMBERS’ CONCERNS – SECOND UPDATE(1.9.14)

A comprehensive description of this summer’s exam results in England was provided in the ‘First update’ issued on 22.8.14.

This bulletin narrows the focus to members’ current concerns about the fall-out from results:

  • a complete report to date of specific examinations where marking appears to have been suspect
  • a résumé of AS results by subject
  • a summary of difficulties encountered with universities when dealing with ‘near-miss’ and priority re-mark applicants

To complete the results picture for 2014, this bulletin also includes:

  • trends across ISC/HMC schools in IGCSE and GCSE results (further significant gains compared to other types of school)

To help HMC build an accurate picture, please distribute this bulletin to your relevant subject staff for comment and feedback (instructions included below).

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MEMBERS’ CONCERNS ABOUT RELIABILITY OF MARKING(up to and including 31 August)

One or more HMC schools have registered concerns about reliability of marking in the following examinations.Further reports from schools are strongly encouraged (see instructions at the end of these lists).

Patterns: at this stage concerns are spread thinly across a wide range of subjects. Over the coming weeks we will reduce these lists to that of subjects where two or more centres report concerns. AcPol procedure is that HMC takes up concerns with the chief executive of a board where three or more schools express reservations about the same examination.

A2

OCR: History

OCR: Biology

  • OCR: Chemistry
  • OCR: Music
  • OCR: Religious Studies
  • AQA: Art & Design
  • AQA: Geography
  • AQA: Philosophy
  • AQA: History
  • AQA: Spanish
  • AQA: Business Studies
  • AQA: Drama / Theatre Studies
  • AQA: PE
  • Edexel: Music
  • Edexel: French
  • Edexel: D&T
  • Edexel: English Literature

AS

  • AQA: English Literature
  • AQA: Art & Design
  • AQA: Philosophy
  • AQA: Geography
  • AQA: History
  • AQA: PE
  • OCR: History
  • OCR: Art & Design
  • OCR: Music
  • Edexel: Economics
  • Edexel: English Literature
  • Edexel: Music
  • WJEC: English Language
  • WJEC: English Literature

EPQ

  • AQA (concerns about consistency in moderation)

PRE-U

  • None to date.

IGCSE

  • CEI: English Language
  • CEI: English Literature
  • AQA: English Language
  • AQA: English Literature

GCSE

  • AQA: English Literature
  • AQA: English Language
  • AQA: Geography
  • AQA: German
  • AQA: Religious Studies
  • AQA: Drama
  • AQA: Classical Civilisation
  • AQA: History
  • AQA: Spanish
  • AQA: Chemistry
  • OCR: English Language
  • OCR: English Literature
  • OCR: Economics
  • OCR: Religious Studies
  • OCR: Art & Design
  • Edexel: English Language
  • Edexel: History
  • WJEC: English Language

To assist HMC schools by adding to this list, please send comment and feedback on the form 2014 Survey of Members' Problems and Concernsas soon as possible:

  • either via the word document attached, by email to
  • or via this link to the online ‘click-through and submit’ version of the form.

FOCUS ON AS LEVEL: NATIONAL TRENDS IN RESULTS(all UK candidates)

Several members have asked for comment on national results in AS level due to unexpected dips in school performance when compared to a strong showing in other types of examination.

The detail is set out in the right hand columns in the Appendix, below.

  • Headline

-Results overall at A, A/B and B are almost level with 2013 and more stable, year-on-year, than A level and GCSE

  • Grades across all subjects

-A: up 0.1%

-A/B: up 0.4%

-B: up 0.3%

-C: up 0.2%

-Boys catching up at A and A/B

  • Subject-by-subject results.

-Most results in 2014 vary by less than 1.0% compared to 2013. The largest movements in results this year are as follows.

-Dip in results (-1.0% or more):

Grade A Grades A/B Grade B

Classical subjects: -2.6% Further Maths -2.3% Fther Maths: -1.0%

Law: -1.7% Law: -2.1%

Further Maths: -1.3% Perf. Arts: -1.8%

History: -1.2% History: -1.3%

Computing: -1.0% Political Studies: -1.0%

-Surge in results (+1.0% or more):

Grade A Grades A/B Grade B

Business Studies: +2.3% Classical: +2.4%

Spanish: +2.3% Spanish: +2.0%

General Studies: +1.0% Business: +1.6%

English: +1.1%

Biology: +1.0%

UNIVERSITY DEALINGS WITH ‘NEAR-MISS’ AND PRIORITY RE-MARK APPLICANTS

HMC is working with ASCL this year on this question. The information below is a summary of intelligence from both associations.

  • Universities hanging on to ‘near-miss’ students.

Small problems, seemingly swiftly resolved, have been reported at Bath, Bristol and Edinburgh.

As in 2013, Durham is the main institution causing concern.

-One pupil told a decision would be made 8 days after results (Wed 20/8). He rang at 5:00pm on 20/8 and was told to check his UCAS track page at 8:00pm: rejected.

-Another still not decided upon on 21/8: all accommodation at insurance choice already allocated.

  • Universities’ guarantees if re-marks mean an applicant has made their offer

Again, Durham let down a pupil through contradictory advice about whether her place would be confirmed either for 2014 or 2015 once an upgrade upon re-marking (within the specified deadline of 31.8.14) meant that she had met her offer.

Please report further problems of these kinds.

TRENDS ACROSS ISC / HMC SCHOOLS in IGCSE and GCSE (sample of 522 senior schools, including a large majority of HMC schools in England)

IGCSE entries

  • Up by 18% this year
  • 39% of all Year 11 entries were IGCSEs (up from 11% in 2010)

IGCSE / GCSE results (combined)

Headline:

  • Further significant gains for ISC schools compared to other types of school

Details:

  • 33% of ISC school entries award A* (up from 32% in 2013).
  • This compares with a national average (GCSE only) which fell in 2014 to 6.7% (down from 6.8% in 2013).
  • 61% of ISC school entries award A*/A (up from 60% in 2013).
  • This compares with a national average (GCSE only) which stayed level compared to 2013 at 21%
  • 91% of ISC school candidates secured 5 or more A* to C grades (compared to a national figure (GCSE only) in 2013 of 59%).
  • A typical ISC school candidate secured 2 A*s and 7A grades.

Appendix

Subject variations at A level in growth of A* attainment and decline in A and B grade attainment

Given the significance for schools and pupils of results in the A*, A, B range at A level, it is important to track some subject-based changes in 2014 compared to last year. This theme has received no press coverage and so HMC has compiled the figures below which may be of interest in your Common Rooms.

Ofqual comments that, overall, 2014 results at A level are ‘very stable’ and that these ‘very small fluctuations in result are unlikely to be meaningful and should be thought of as normal variation’. Teachers, parents and candidates might not agree.

A level: fluctuation 2013-2014
(% attainment of all UK candidates) / AS level: fluctuation, 2013-14
(% attainment of all UK candidates)
A* / A*/A / A / B / A / A/B / B
Art & Design / -0.6% / -1.0% / -0.4% / +0.1% / +0.5% / -0.2% / -0.7%
Biology / +1.4% / -0.8% / -2.2% / -1.0% / 0 / +0.1% / +1.0%
Business Studies / +0.6% / -0.3% / -0.9% / -1.1% / +0.7% / +2.3% / +1.6%
Chemistry / +0.8% / -1.0% / +0.2% / -0.7% / +0.2% / +0.2% / 0
Classical subjects / -0.2% / -0.3% / -0.1% / -0.4% / -2.6% / -0.2% / +2.4%
Computing / -0.5% / +0.1% / -0.6% / -0.1% / -1.0% / -0.5% / +0.5%
D&T / +0.8% / -0.3% / -1.1% / -0.9% / +0.1% / +0.6% / +0.5%
Drama / 0 / -0.7% / -0.7% / -0.3% / +0.4% / -0.3% / -0.7%
Economics / +1.5% / -0.6% / -2.1% / -1.1% / +0.3% / +0.3% / 0
English / 0 / -0.7% / -0.7% / 0 / -0.3% / +0.8% / +1.1%
French / +0.1% / -0.9% / -1.0% / -0.8% / -0.1% / -0.1% / 0
General Studies / -0.3% / -0.4% / +0.7% / +1.4% / +0.8% / +1.0% / +0.2%
Geography / +0.7% / -1.0% / -1.7% / -0.1% / -0.3% / -0.3% / 0
German / +0.7% / -0.8% / -1.5% / -1.9% / +0.7% / +0.2% / +0.5%
History / -0.2% / -0.7% / -0.5% / +0.7% / -1.2% / -1.3% / -0.1%
ICT / -0.7% / -1.2% / -0.5% / -0.5% / +0.5% / +0.9% / +0.4%
Law / +0.7% / -0.4% / +1.1 / -0.5% / -1.7% / -2.1% / -0.4%
Maths / +0.5% / -0.9% / -1.4% / +0.3% / -0.1% / +0.4% / +0.5%
Further Maths / -1.5% / -0.5% / +1.0% / -2.2% / -1.3% / -2.3% / -1.0%
Media studies / +0.1% / -0.2% / -0.3% / +0.2% / +0.5% / +0.7% / +0.2%
Music / -0.5% / -0.1% / +0.4% / +0.8% / -0.1% / -0.8% / +0.2%
Performing arts / -0.3% / -0.5% / -0.2% / +1.2% / -1.0% / -1.8% / -0.8%
PE / -0.5% / -1.1% / -0.6% / -0.6% / +0.5% / +0.3% / 0
Physics / +0.8% / -0.4% / -1.1% / -0.8% / -0.6% / -0.7% / 0
Political Studies / +1.0% / -1.4% / -2.4% / -0.6% / -0.9% / -1.0% / -0.1%
Psychology / +0.8% / -0.2% / -1.0% / -0.7% / +0.3% / 0 / -0.3%
RS / +1.3% / -0.7% / -2.0% / -0.4% / +0.4% / +0.4% / 0
Sociology / +0.9% / +0.2% / -0.7% / +0.7% / 0 / +0.5% / +0.6%
Spanish / +1.0% / -0.4% / -1.4% / +1.6% / +0.3% / +2.3% / +2.0%
All Subjects / +0.6% / -0.3% / -1.9% / -0.2% / +0.1% / +0.4% / +0.3%