Son's school GCSE results

[SalaciousCrumb]

My ds's school has a drop in achievement this year for GCSE results; it was expected they say as the system changed to being more examination based, and the government sprung this on them halfway through the year.

As he's only just finished year 7 and I am really pleased that after being unhappy in year 6 he enjoys secondary school I didn't take a lot of notice of the changes as it still seemed a long way off.

I am interested in knowing more about how GCSEs have changed and just off to google. Does anybody have a link to websites that discuss pros and cons etc?

Thanks!

[TalkinPeace]

what percentage drop?
what multiple of the national figure?
what was their drop last year (there will have been one)?

Gove has royally buggered about with the marking moderation for the last three years : I feel very sorry for kids at the moment (including my Own DD )

[smokepole]

Talkinpeace. I know you 'loathe' the departed Gove but 'good' schools have actually improved their results from last year or even before the changes.

What has happened ( a good thing to) a lot of schools that were doing just enough to get their percentage passes have been found out. The better quality schools have adjusted for the changes and are achieving improvements year on year to grades and percentages of 5 A* - C Maths/English.

[TalkinPeace]

smokepole
Do you have a child who has just done GCSEs?

Do you have a child whose results sheet includes an exam that was discounted AFTER they took it?

"Good schools" 'kof frankly.
Some of DD's exam marks are so out of kilter with her mocks and assessments and each other its laughable.
Lots of "good" schools are going for full cohort re-marks which says it all frankly.

I'm lucky. She still got her college place, even before we get the re-grades back. Others have been nadgered by the meddling.

Do, please, name some of these "good" schools - comps of course, like the real world lives in - that have held their ground results wise since the fragrant Gove stuck his oar in.

[summerends]

I genuinely don't understand Talkin Are the top sets of comprehensives not getting the same proportion of A / A* as grammar schools? Are the grammar schools all doing different exam boards which are n't affected by Gove's changes?
Different question. Did the lower sets of your school get their better pass rate by doing English IGCSE?

[Hakluyt]

The most depressing thing for me is that high schools, like the one my ds goes to, are judged by the same criteria as grammar schools, like the one my dd went to. So it doesn't really matter what they do, or how much the teachers bust a gut for their kids, they can never get to be outstanding. Because, officially, a kid getting 5 Cs and 4 Ds is a failure. However much of an achievement that is for the child concerned.

[TalkinPeace]

summerends
the IGCSE group were as expected - the C/D worked a treat
the BIG problem this year in in the A/B boundary (AQA and OCR)
which of course affects A level choices

Its not top sets : several of the schools - five round here that I've heard - are going for full cohort re-mark
you know its gone pear shaped when a sciency bod gets 100% in an English paper ....

hakluyt
My views on taxpayer funded segregated schooling are well known
BUT
round here the gripe is sector irrelevant - the moderation seems to have been pushed downwards in random ways and the UM / % / grade levels are utterly haywire

DDs re-mark is vanity I fully admit (and I CBA to pay for the other one)
but for some kids the irrgularities have been career killers.
How effing dare they.

[TalkinPeace]

I must add, for those who did NOT have kids doing GCSE this summer

DD's results sheet lists each of the papers / modules and the overall grades for each.

In English Language her overall grade was a B
In her controlled assessment (technically 30%) she got A*
In her main essay paper she (technically 50%) got a B (one mark off the A)
Also on the results sheet was the "speaking and Listening test" which was technically worth the missing 20% and in which she got a clear A*

BUT
speaking and listening was abolished by Gove last December
so why was it on the results sheets?

and why is the moderation of that remaining 80% up to 100% so utterly random

comparing Actual marks with UM with percentages pushes the limits of my stats (and I did it at degree FFS)
employers will accept the distorted headlines

English was marked out of 300 we think
the A grade limit was 240
she got 239
I feel quite justified in coughing up for a re-mark
I also support the school in kicking off about the overall moderation

[summerends]

But Talkin surely this confusing disparity must apply to all schools doing those exam boards? The grammars also will have a percentage at A /B borderline so I would have thought the changes would equally affect them.
What percent of pupils nationally are getting A*/A in those GCSE English?
Did your school also get lower results in the other subjects?

Hakluyt one would hope that value added would be used as a measure rather than absolute results.

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

If he's in year seven what you actually need to know about are the next lot of new specifications, not the changes this year.

From Sept 2015 there will be new specs in maths and English. From the following year, new specs in all subjects (I think!) No controlled assessment, no modular exams, no resits.

If you contact school they should he able to tell you what arrangements are in place to introduce the new courses.

[TalkinPeace]

summer
nope, all was as expected except Eng Lang (not even lit)

It may be that grammars/selectives are complacent with their mix of * and A and B because they never cross the boundaries
comps - because they see the full range - are more aware of the anomalies

nationally its down 3% which is on a normal distribution INCREDIBLY unlikely
so more likely to follow the pattern of the last few years

re VA point to HAK Gove tried to get VA ruled out as it "accepted failure"

then people wonder why I despise him

[crazynanna]

DD got ok grades but did get 3 Ds, one being a subject she chose to do at A level. Now in the mock she got a high B in this subject, and the A level only required a B in English Lang as a requirement but because she got a D they said she can't take it at A level. Her GCSE subject teacher is furious

[crazynanna]

Forgot to add she got the required Eng Lang grade for the A level )she got an A and only needed a B)

[smokepole]

Talkinpeace. DD2 is going in to year 11 now !. I will quote you three schools which are designated as 'modern schools' you can check them out on Dept Of Education performance tables. Wellington Altrincham 74% A - C Maths/English their best ever after a dip to 63% last year Blessed Thomas Holford also Altrincham 84% A-C Maths/English 82% Last year and I will even give you a 'Modern School' from Kent , Hillview Tonbridge 74% up from 49% in 2012 2013= 69% A*-C Maths/English . Granted these are 'very good schools' whatever you classify them as but shows that you don't have to be a grammar or 'selective' comprehensive to show improvements even after the changes. I have left out Coombe Girls(80%) because has been said on here they are not really a 'modern' has Tiffin girls does not have many local girls.

[smokepole]

As Tiffin girls does not have many local girls.

[smokepole]

The figures quoted are for the 2014 GCSE results and include Maths/English.
I have got these statistics of the various schools websites.

[crazymum53]

If the dip in results is for English Language and is a one-off for this year then I wouldn't be too concerned about my child's school OP.
As other posters have said, the requirements for this GCSE have been changed when the students were part-way through the course which is particularly unfair on this year groups pupils (and their teachers).
Also at this stage any figures released for pass rates etc. will be provisional as schools will be awaiting the results of remarks.
The recent changes to GCSEs are small compared to the new GCSEs which will be sat by pupils who will be starting their 2 year courses in September 2015 so would suggest you concentrate on these changes.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged
"From Sept 2015 there will be new specs in maths and English. From the following year, new specs in all subjects (I think!) No controlled assessment, no modular exams, no resits."

Also worth noting that from sept 2015 quite a lot of non core subjects (and some linked to core subjects) will no longer exist.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

smokepole

I can safely say that I wouldn't trust the stats form a school website.

They won't be wrong but there are lies, damn lies and statistics.

[tintingirl]

I too have heard of schools doing whole cohort remarks for Lang. Both with WJEC.

Removal of S&L was appalling. As was announcing "resits don't count" just before the November maths/eng entry. Many schools pulled their kids out of that leaving them upset and demotivated. My school went ahead but we'll take the hit in the performance tables on those who re-took.

[pointythings]

No resits at all? Not even for serious illness, bereavement or family crisis situations? How can anyone think that is reasonable?

[titchy]

Resits count for the child, but the school has to use the original result in their performance tables.

[pointythings]

titchy but that is still utterly stupid. As long as the problem is documented and schools can provide documentation, the resit result should stand. I'm all in favour of not allowing 'frivolous' resits, but shit happens and schools should not have to suffer for it.

[titchy]

Oh I agree!!

[TalkinPeace]

Resits do not count in the league tables

• even when the child has done as well as could be expected in the circumstances
  

and the circumstances made it into the national press
www.romseyadvertiser.co.uk/news/11120462.Sam_s_back_at_school_after_heart_drama/