GCSE remarks - anyone hold my hand here?

[Theas18]

Quite willing to be told this is the educational equivalent of a " first world problem" as DS isn't one of the poor poor kids who have had their future ambitions stomped on by "Gove ism" because they didn't get the C they needed for english etc.

Still can't help been twitchy for DS though!

They've sent his English lit back for a remark (1 UMS off the coveted A*) and his history (was a couple of marks off). School must be confident as these are going - at no charge to us, as part of a test batch prior to requesting a full year re mark.

It actually does matter to DS for uni applications in a very very competitive field too, but he'd still e able to apply with his As in these subjects.

Wonder how long it'll take?

[Miltonia]

DD's biology remark was back in a week. She got the A* so was very pleased. I am wondering whether to get the Eng lit remarked but I don't know how many marks off she was. I will enquire.

[Theas18]

Well done mini miltonia!

Look into the eng lit, as I say DS school are looking for a probable whole year group re mark.

[glaurung]

Dd had both Englishes remarked (teacher thought it was worth doing) - Lit came bacK +3 marks which moved it up a grade, Lang came back unchanged. Took a while, can't quite remember how long exactly, but over a week.

If they only marked the things right first time it wouldn't be necessary, but the fact the marks are often a bit out means it probably is worth doing. You want your dc to have the grade they deserve after all, but there is always that feeling you are buying a better grade too.

[SecretSquirrels]

DS1 waiting for French and English lit remark. He was 2 marks off A in the English and we are not sure about the French. He got A in the French exam and in all the controlled assessments, but one of the CAs seems to have been marked (moderated?) downwards so he got overall A. The school have asked for several remarks in French and English Lit.

[hellsbells99]

We got DDs biology remark back today and she has gone down a mark :(

[circular]

DD1 also has Eng lang going back for remark, school paying as only 1 UMS off an overall B.
Keeping everything crossed as wil make a difference for her sixth form applications. Of course, would have been better still if not been forced to take a year ealry!

[Miltonia]

That's unlucky hellsbells, but presumably her grade is unchanged?

circular why oh why do schools make the students sit papers early unless they are a sure fire A*? What is the point? The extra year will make such a difference to the student's maturity which must especially help a subject like English. I feel for you.

[luckylavender]

My DS got 8 As and a B which overall he was disappointed with. However he was within 3 UMS of the next grade in 5 of them, including the B (which was 1 UMS or 1/2 a mark). The school sent them all back (we have to pay) and they all came back with exactly the same mark, which he is even more gutted about.

[clam]

DS was 1 mark off an A in English literature (got an A for one paper, A for his Controlled Assessment but a middling B for the second paper which oulled the overall grade down).
We were going to pay for a re-mark but it turns out the school are sending it back, along with others, as they feel that the whole cohort did noticeably badly on that particular paper, compared to the other.

We shall see.

[TalkShowsOnMute]

This is an interesting thread as my DD (just completed Y10) was a bit unlucky in several GCSEs.

Firstly, she was one UMS off an A* in Core Science. Her school have said we will have to pay for remarks at a cost of £45 for each paper. We would need both Physics and Chemistry done, so as I haven't got a spare £90 lying around, we're not taking the chance!

Of the others, the most annoying is Citizenship, where she was one UMS off an A. It was her Controlled Assessment that appears to have let her down; so we've asked the school to see her CA to ascertain here she lost marks (she thinks she should have got at least an A). My DD says the Head of Humanities looked very nervy when she mentioned appealing - again, not sure if we'll bother as it's only half a GCSE - but really annoying all the same!

[FozzieMK]

We are waiting for an Engllish Language re-mark, my DD being one of the pupils who would've got a C if the paper had been sat in January but got a D in June. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I did hear yesterday about a re-mark which added another 14 marks to the paper! This is very worrying, why are they not marked properly in the first place?

[hellsbells99]

We are waiting for an english language remark too. But we are in england and the board is wjec (welsh board that is regraded for the welsh only) so somehow I don't think DD's marks will go up at all!

[balia]

My school asked for remarks for as number of students who were close (and would have passed in Jan) but they came back quicker than we've ever known before not a single one changed.

[BeingFluffy]

Spent £38 x 3 on Friday, sending 3 of DD's papers for remarking. She was 2 ums off the next grade in all three. In Chemisty she expected A but got a B in one of the papers, so A overall. French was A in everything apart from the written which was a C, so A overall. Her D in the History controlled assessment brought her score down to B although she got an A in each written paper - one of those has gone back for a remark, as the controlled assessment can't be remarked. I was seriously tempted to try physics as well but that was about 8 ums off the A*.

Hope it doesn't prove to be a complete waste of money, but there is so much hype over A*s, we felt we had to take the chance.

[Rafaella]

We got DD's History remarked as she was 2 marks off A - she got the result back today with 10 more marks! So moved up to an A - it mattered to her as getting a B knocked her confidence in whether she was good enough to take the A level - now very happy! Bit worrying though that they can lose 10 marks - others who asked for a remark didn't go up though.

[BeingFluffy]

First remark back - gone from an A to A* in Chemistry (AQA)- DD is deliriously happy!

[sue52]

Well done to your DD BeingFluffy, I hope her French and History turn out as well. Great news too Rafaella. We are still waiting for DD's history (OCR) remark, it was just one off an A* so I'm hopefull.

[BeingFluffy]

Thanks Sue52. DDs's history is OCR too. Fingers crossed! Great news for Rafaella's DD!

[orangeandlemons]

I am a teacher. I've requested a remark for 45 students. So I'm with you all

[notnowImreading]

I've sent back 30 of my students' papers for re-marking across English Lang and Lit. There has been a lot of mark movement, both up and down, on both exams. So far we have only had grades changed on Lit. Suspiciously, on English Lang, most of the marks have gone up to 1 UMS mark below a C grade. Anyone would think they had been told to stick to their guns on the C/D borderline...

[sue52]

notnowImreading surely no one is cynical enough to think that.

[notnowImreading]

No, you're right. Wash my mouth out.

[hellsbells99]

We are still waiting for the English Language remark - WJEC board. Not holding out much help after DDs Biology (AQA) went down 1 mark!

[sue52]

hellsbells99 Your poor DD. I hope it didn't bring down her grade. Still waiting for DD's history remark.