Covid-19 Information for university and college admissions teams

Information for University and College Admissions Teams

Bangkok International Preparatory and Secondary School closed to students around March 18th and did not reopen until the beginning of June, for the last 2 weeks of the school year.  During this time students were provided with work via a three tier system which was set through Firefly (our Virtual Learning Platform).

• Tier 1 – Teachers left instructions and students had to complete and submit their work for feedback.
• Tier 2 – Teachers produced short videos (using the SNAG software) demonstrating to students what they had to do.  This typically involved teachers showing a Presentation and explaining tasks, with support given as required.  Sometimes teachers would ask students to “pause” the video to complete a task, and then to “re-start” the video when they were due to continue to the next stage of their learning.  Once again students had to complete and submit their work for feedback.
• Tier 3 – This was Zoom Lessons where teachers could interact remotely with students, talking through the tasks, fielding questions and helping to resolve any misconceptions.  A significant number of lessons used Zoom rather than Tier 1 or Tier 2 approaches.  Most staff would explain the lesson content in the first 20-30 minutes, and then end the Zoom so students could complete tasks and submit work for feedback.  Some staff would Zoom for whole lessons, use break out rooms etc. to promote differentiated learning and tasks as required.

Impact on learning at Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)

It is hard to say how much learning time was lost. Attendance rates were very high, and staff were able to use the usual reporting mechanisms for students who failed to complete tasks – but this number was very small. The school ensured good contact with parents throughout the school closure period and the vast majority of students were able to continue their learning remotely.  

There is a widespread view that the learning and teaching was certainly not the same as when students are in the physical school buildings, but it is hard to quantify the impact.  

Year 11 (who were Year 10 during the school closure) have had a set of mocks, and most students have performed as we would expect. Others have been identified by staff and appropriate intervention is being provided to fill any gaps identified.  Students morale is generally high, with a good work ethic to improve their performance. 

Year 11 students were, in some subjects, able to undertake online assessments with Zoom break out rooms being used to help prevent any malpractice (which we ask you to note is a very rare thing at our school in the first instance). The end of year examinations were rescheduled for the start of Year 11, with a second set of mocks being planned for January 2021 also. The first lot of examinations have allowed staff to identify any underachieving students and gaps in learning so appropriate intervention can be planned. This has also informed the setting in some subjects (eg Science). The grades we collect for Year 11 at this stage are largely for internal use only, so any impact on the information used to determine predicted grades has been limited due to the steps we have taken to ensure we have an accurate idea of where students are with their learning, attainment and achievement.

Sixth Form

Year 12 (who were Year 11 during the school closure )are likely to be ill prepared for the challenges associated with external examinations. This set of students have never had to revise the entire two year specification and not sit formal examinations.They worked hard once the lock down began and attendance was high. In addition we have some students who are following courses due to inflated grades given by examination boards 

Year 13 (who were Year 12 during the school closure) had good attendance at lessons throughout the lock down period, but less so during the last two weeks when school was open. In terms of course coverage, students benefited from not having examinations and continuing with the specification more slowly – in some cases moving on to Year 13 work. As with Year 12, they lacked the opportunity to learn independent study skills that come with a formal examination period.  Those students who are completing ‘retakes’ are having to learn a lot more than they would if it was a usual retake. In addition the UMS midpoints being used are much lower than many students would have achieved and will have a detrimental impact on final grades and the opportunity to push through to the next grade boundary.

Year 14 (was Y13) – students were in the main part, very conscientious in attending online lessons. Teachers continued with course and examination preparation until the date when they would have gone on study leave. The majority of teachers kept the momentum up even when the announcements were made to cancel examinations. Assessments were carried out and followed up for non attendance. The success of many students was a result of their continued motivation during extremely difficult times.

Impact to normal university application processes

• The university guidance counsellor normally meets with Year 12 students during Term 1 and 2. Only 50% of students managed to speak to the UGC face-to-face before school closures. One-on-one meetings were arranged for students on Zoom, but attendance varied. 
• Year 12 normally begin their university application preparation materials after their AS examinations. Although university application workshops were run via Zoom there was varied engagement.
• There has been an impact on the work experience and internships that students have been able to organise in non-virtual settings.
• Last minute changes to the awarding of UK examinations had a significant impact on the timely production of school transcripts issued to universities globally. 
• Many of our students have been severely affected by SAT cancellations, and due to limited seats many have been unable to schedule in time for university applications.