GCSE Remark Fees

SpeedFreak · 26 Sep 2023 at 20:26

Apparently 20% of remarked papers move up a boundary. I see reasonably well off families taking a free punt on this, but less financially well off families having to suck it up. Does the process of having to pay for this seem skewed to anyone else or us it just me?

Hyburnate · 26 Sep 2023 at 20:34

I don't know the source of your statistics or if things have changed, but when I went to school if you were close to a boundary, the school would pay the bill.

sad099 · 26 Sep 2023 at 21:05

If its close to the boundary you pay initially, when they remark if the grade goes up they refund the fee.
Also you can only go for a remark if its within a tolerance , and generally teachers would advise if you should or not

Chuk_Chuk · 26 Sep 2023 at 22:24

There is a 1 in 5 chance of a grade increase. Or a 4 in 5 chance that it stays the same or decreases.

Not the best odds.

I think well off families (that could consider taking such an unfavourable bet) have far more reliable options for getting their child’s grades up, such as private tutors.

Hades · 26 Sep 2023 at 22:31

Don't forget grades can go down as well as up. It isn't something you should simply take a punt on. It needs to be a considered opinion after discussion with the school

Hotwired · 26 Sep 2023 at 22:36

SpeedFreak said:
Apparently 20% of remarked papers move up a boundary. I see reasonably well off families taking a free punt on this, but less financially well off families having to suck it up. Does the process of having to pay for this seem skewed to anyone else or us it just me?

Why is a 20% success rate a desirable punt?

The other 80% wasted money or paid to get downgraded!

Diagro · 27 Sep 2023 at 00:12

Depends on where they fall in the grade boundaries.

Yes, parents should be charged. It's NOT free to have a qualified person remark the paper.
It's definitely, not the cost they ask for... but it's still an admin task involving multiple people to get done.

If the grade is borderline and the teacher thinks there is a high chance of a grade uplift, then the school may pay.
Otherwise, parents are to pay.

The above is what I experienced as part of my 5 years as a Computer Science Teacher for GCSE & ALevel.

FoxEye · 27 Sep 2023 at 01:02

Chuk_Chuk said:
There is a 1 in 5 chance of a grade increase. Or a 4 in 5 chance that it stays the same or decreases.

Not the best odds.

I think well off families (that could consider taking such an unfavourable bet) have far more reliable options for getting their child’s grades up, such as private tutors.

I wouldn't have thought that the children of well-off parents would be struggling at GCSE level.