Spanish GCSE anyone else get poor grades

[gillian3985]

Hi..my youngest has just completed her first GCSE in year 9.She was predicted A/A and in her controlled assessments which account for 60% of the marks she was assessed by her class teacher at A and A.In the mocks and past papers for the remaining 2 exams which carry 20% each (reading and listening)she was achieving and receiving A/B,s
Upon receiving her result she was in tears to receive an overall D !!
Inspection of her results paper reveal she received a C in her controlled assessments (even though they have been assessed by CT at A*/A) and a U in her listening and a C in her reading (even though she had been predicted A,s/ b,s in both.
I have the HT ringing me tomorrow and I was wondering
1)Has anyone elses offspring suffered similar disappointing results especially when officially predicted much higher
2)Any tips on what to ask HT
3)How could this have happened

Many thanks

[mumsneedwine]

Why on earth is she taking it in year 9 ?! She's 14 and the exams are meant for 16 year olds - huge difference in maturity and understanding. Unless you are native Spanish speakers I'd be asking the Head whose stupid idea it was. Just demoralises kids.

[gillian3985]

It's the policy of the skool....take 1 in year 9 then 3 in year 10.

[mumsneedwine]

I'd be having words with school as to why. It is better to get less exams but with better grades - Oxford look at %of A*s out of total taken for some subjects. Year 9 is far too early to sit GCSEs unless students are years ahead. Ask Head the purpose of this policy and how it benefits the students. Sounds like a vanity project for the school. Hope your little un is ok - it's tough when they work hard and it doesn't go to plan.

[jeanne16]

This is the last year of the controlled assessment in MFL GCSE. So much cheating has been going on over the years that the exam boards now mark them quite ridiculously severely.

As for the school doing a GCSE in Y9 and 3 more in Y10, it is quite ridiculous. I can assure you the top private schools, like St Pauls etc, do not do this. Schools are meant to be educating kids, not operating as exam factories.

[user1470171746]

Usually those students who already know a language sit their GCSE in that language early... then it might make sense for your daughter to do it in Spanish. Otherwise it looks as though it is not correct to get a cild to do a subject early without a valid reason...

[HereIAm20]

It does seem as though the school has made an error if they are assessing her as an A*/A and when its been checked by outside moderators as at a different level. I assume the entire class had similar issues in that case in which case the school should be ensuring that their teaching/guidelines for assessment are reviewed as a matter of urgency.

On the plus side your daughter still has 2 years to take her Spanish!

[Longlost10]

It doesn't matter anyway, an exam taken in year 9 can't be counted for anything. Why bother? But yes, it does happen that results can be well below predictions. If predictions were perfect, there would be no need to do the actual exam, would there. My DD got a C in an exam she was confident of an A minimum in

[Greenleave]

Learning another language is always neccesary, why not taking it early if we could, we dont have to mention about the result if we dont want to and retake if we want/need better result. Retaking is a way of revising it, learning it better. I personally think is any "less serious" subject like: foreign languages, music, sport, arts etc if you could do more and early it is better as they truly enrich the child's life, its nothing to loose and should be encouraged

[mumsneedwine]

You do have to mention every exam taken I'm afraid on UCAS forms. If you don't, and the Unis do check, then you can validate your place.

[mumsneedwine]

Sorry, invalidate ! Hate spell check

[Longlost10]

You do have to mention every exam taken I'm afraid on UCAS forms, yes exactly, so if it goes wrong you have hampered yourself in all future applictions, and if it goes well, it can't count towards anything, so why on earth would you let your child do it?

[Balletgirlmum]

A language unless you are a native speaker is possibly the stupidest exsm to take in year 9 becsuse most students start at a much lower level in year 7 than they do in other subjects.

Absolute madness.