36 replies to this topic

[johnwayne]

How does everyone else manage with late coursework, and I mean LATE!!!
and yes, I have done the usual phone calls home etc, explaining the importance of coursework etc.

What I get really irritated with is those students who have manged to hand it in on time or a plausible excuse, 'my printer ran out of ink' and is therefore only a day or so late, then fine, but we are now talking a couple of months late for some students!

when signing off the coursework I have to say that it was completed over so many weeks and therefore every student has had the same amount of time !!!

Do I have any right to say the cut off date has gone? - I just feel sorry for those students who have done it on time, probably rushed to get it to me on time and maybe with a little more extra time, like the other students, could have achieved a better grade!!!

Admittedly, it will not look good on my results, as coursework raises the marks, but what if some student complains and claims, quite justifiably, they did not have as much time as those others!!!

I really would like to know how other history depts handle this - what rights do I have with an exam board and also the school?????????????

[Carole Faithorn]

How does everyone else manage with late coursework, and I mean LATE!!!
and yes, I have done the usual phone calls home etc, explaining the importance of coursework etc.

I'm not sure that what I have to say is going to help your current situation at all, but it may do for the future.

We announce in advance, loud and clear, on paper and to parents what the coursework deadlines are. We say that only in very exceptional circumstances (eg hospitalisation) will these be extended. Then we stick to them like glue.

We set short term, but flexible, deadlines for subquestions and collect these in one at a time. The overall deadline remains fixed. If anyone fails to meet the final, overall deadline - tough!

I can only think of two occasions in recent years when pupils have not handed all their work in on time; even then at least 50% was in.

It seems grossly unfair to me to the pupils who have met the deadlines to allow others to extend the deadline as far as they wish.

Other people here may be able to offer you more comforting advice

[Stephen Drew]

This is one that really irks me (language controlled for public consumption).

I go for the following policy in case of lateness extending to months.

I will not accept anything produced outside of a classrooom once two months after the deadline have elapsed. I send a letter telling parents of this fact when there is about a week to go. I then set up a detention after school for one hour for anyone in this position and they do their coursework in that hour and that is it.

I feel this overcomes the thing about it being unfair to others who have slaved to meet or just miss the deadline, whilst making sure that everyone has a coursework to enter.

It is not perfect, but was effective at my last school. I have yet to see how much it will work at Passmores.

[Nichola Boughey]

I stated that with coursework - it was due in on the 18th October and any coursework handed in after that date would not be marked.

Out of a class of 18 - I now have 16 pieces of work handed in.

1 girl lost her coursework two days before the end of term and I extended the deadline to Monday 28th October.

The last girl is my G&T who will be handing hers in on the 2nd November - due to the fact that the advice I was given by my HOD in regards to word count was acted upon by the girl whilst another colleague used a different piece of advice that was more beneficial to her students - there has to be a fair system.

I would not consider marking anything that came in months after the deadline. I agree with Carole...

We set short term, but flexible, deadlines for subquestions and collect these in one at a time. The overall deadline remains fixed. If anyone fails to meet the final, overall deadline - tough!

<_<

[Stephen Drew]

I totally agree in principle with both Carole and Nicky.

But in my school it is quite normal for less than 15 kids in a Year 9 class to produce homework on time in a normal week. This does not suddenly change at GCSE level. I do not condone it, and spend my life on the phone to parents and setting detentions.

The deadline for my courseworks for both Years 10 and 11 is Friday 1st November. They will have had just over two weeks. If I get 50% by that date I will be shocked - I am not lying or being flippant, just painfully realistic.

I will phone the parents of every kid who has not handed it in on Friday. I will take the opportunity to remind them of the letter I sent to every parent of a GCSE Historian in Years 10 and 11 in the week before half term telling them about the coursework, enclosing a copy of all the coursework sheets AND stating the deadline.

When in these circumstances you have to flexible beyond what is really right or fair to those who make the effort. Otherwise we would be entering whole groups of kids with no coursework at all.

[johnwayne]

Many thanks everyone to all your replies. I just wanted to know where I stood on this. Having taken over the dept, it would appear that some members of staff have made deadlines, always have, but they extend them for the sake of at least SOME coursework being handed in!!!

I totally agree with people stating a deadline is a deadline - my problem could be that my head of faculty would want to extend the deadline, so as not to look bad on the results etc ---- where do I stand???

Furthermore, has anyone NOT entered students, especially for non completion of coursework/ or any other factor - e.g. a student probably getting a 'G' ????

P.S. this site is brilliant for not only for advise but also for voicing our
opinions. The response time for queries is also remarkable.

[Stephen Drew]

When I picked up last Year's Year 11s at my new school, we had 49 students of whom 5 had one or more pieces of coursework missing.

I entered the whole lot of them, including those without the required pieces. They simply score 0. At the end of the day it is their grade not mine.

I stick to a small number of rules about entering candidates:

1) Everyone who starts the course will be entered however little work they have done or coursework they have done.

2) Anyone who misses one of the two exam options (remember these are six month blocks) completely can only be entered if they were ill and made up the work.

3) I never omit a student from entry because I think they will get a low grade (or none at all).

As a result of this, of the 300 or so students I have taught in 4 years, I have entered 297.

[Andrew Field]

Furthermore, has anyone NOT entered students, especially for non completion of coursework/ or any other factor - e.g. a student probably getting a 'G' ????

P.S. this site is brilliant for not only for advise but also for voicing our
opinions. The response time for queries is also remarkable.

I removed two students from my GCSE course to the Entry level course last year. They had totally failed to hand in any coursework despite warnings, letters, detentions and threats.

There were other circumstances as well - but I do find it useful to remind my year 10s about the fate of these two.

The decision was entirely merited though - they would have failed the exam. They both got distinction in the entry level.

Glad you are pleased with the forum.

[Carole Faithorn]

Many thanks everyone to all your replies. I just wanted to know where I stood on this. Having taken over the dept, it would appear that some members of staff have made deadlines, always have, but they extend them for the sake of at least SOME coursework being handed in!!!

I totally agree with people stating a deadline is a deadline - my problem could be that my head of faculty would want to extend the deadline, so as not to look bad on the results etc ---- where do I stand???

Furthermore, has anyone NOT entered students, especially for non completion of coursework/ or any other factor - e.g. a student probably getting a 'G' ????

P.S. this site is brilliant for not only for advise but also for voicing our
opinions. The response time for queries is also remarkable.

I regret to say that I don't know where you stand since we don't have a Faculty system and thus each Dept. is autonomous. What seems clear is that you have no chance of success at getting coursework in on time (and of dealing with the subsequent problems) whilst everyone sings from a different hymn sheet.

You probably can only do as Stephen has suggested this year, Subsequently a Faculty policy needs to be hammered out.

[johnwayne]

once again to everyone, many thanks!
and as carol says - we all know need to sing from the same hymn sheet!!

[Nichola Boughey]

I have just sat and marked the first of the two coursework assignments from Yr. 11.

Talk about a mixed bag.

Some of my girls obviously do not understand the concept of YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE

All I can say is that I hope they listen more closely for the Jack the Ripper coursework.

I have also just learnt that 2 of my 18 pupils will be missing one History lessons each week as they are going on "Protocol" training.

These are G grade girls (struggling) and yes I will still be expected to get them the grades. Fun hey!

[Stephen Drew]

'Protocol'?

Sounds very 1984

[Nichola Boughey]

Pupils who find subjects challenging across the board go on a day release and experience 'real life'.

Just a shame that they miss one day a week and still have to write coursework, complete classwork and sit exams. I have to provide notes for the lessons that they miss and make sure that I find the time to explain coursework at lunchtime.

[Stuart]

I took over a 'sink' set of Y11 pupils this year at my new school. None of them are expected to pass and there are some extremely disaffected pupils. Normally I would get classes like this to do all their coursework in lesson time, and would not even let it out of the room. However, in this case the class were so behind on coursework from last year (due to having had supply teachers for half of last year after their regular teacher died) that this has not been an option. I have had to let them take it home and finish it. The result? Out of a class of 20 (about 12 of whom are regular attenders) I got only one piece of coursework in by the deadline. In fact 3 pupils have not even taken their coursework folders home with them. They keep finding interesting ways of leaving it behind in the classroom - and when I make them walk out of the room with it in their bags I have later found their folders lying in the corridor.

Things are slightly better now - 2 weeks after the deadline I now have 4 pieces of coursework in.

At present, I am trying to do deals with some of the most disaffected kids to get them to come and do their coursework with me at lunchtimes. There's no point in trying to force them - they will not be forced to do anything. However, I have made it my mission to get at least some coursework out of them and will do so even if I have to bribe them.

[Carole Faithorn]

At present, I am trying to do deals with some of the most disaffected kids to get them to come and do their coursework with me at lunchtimes. There's no point in trying to force them - they will not be forced to do anything. However, I have made it my mission to get at least some coursework out of them and will do so even if I have to bribe them.

Sounds like uphill work

'Bribery' reminds me - did you ever see the thread way back about what Nicky did to entice her girls to attend her lunchtime 'Coursework Club' ?

I'll go see if I can dig it out, but perhaps Nicky can say what success she had with the strategies she tried.

Here's the thread:
http://www.schoolhis...8b0747f37513197

but I think there may have been more in another one.