GCSE grading

[enterthedragon]

Hi can anyone tell me what GCSE grades D and E would be equivalent to on the new grading system.

Thanks.

[LadyPenelope68]

Grades are 1-9, with 1 being the equivalent of an A*. D/E is about a 2/3, but it's only really a "pass" equivalent from grade 5 as far as I understand.

[enterthedragon]

Thanks Penelope.

I seem to recall hearing that if a child doesn't get a C grade maths and english then they will have to resit until they do, is that right?

[kaitlinktm]

I thought the 9 was the A*
www.aqa.org.uk/about-us/supporting-education/policy/gcse-and-a-level-changes/structure-of-new-gcses/9-1

[SweepTheHalls]

9 is above the A* grade as it's for the top 5% of scores. I would assume that the resit in post 16 will now apply to grade 4 and below, but the changes have been so poorly thought through that I doubt that this has been decided.

[MsMermaid]

A d/e will be approx 2/3 in the new system. 4 eqates to a low c but will not be considered a pass, a pass is a 5 which is equivalent to a high c/low b.

Currently anyone without a c in English and maths needs to resit until either they get a C, or they finish the 2 year post-16 education they need to do, whether that is school sixth form, college or apprenticeship.

[noblegiraffe]

You only need a grade 4 or above to not have to resit maths and English for the first couple of years of the changes but then this will become a 5.

League table headline measures will be based on the 5.

[enterthedragon]

Thanks everyone, just thought of something else though.

It seems like children with SEN are going to be further disadvantaged by these changes then. What are your thoughts?

[MsMermaid]

I don't think a further 2 years of English and maths is a disadvantage. They don't have to actually resit the exams 4 times, just continue to study English and maths (or just whichever one they don't have a C in) and resit at the end of one or two years to hopefully get a better result.

Surely improving the standard of their English and maths will be an advantage when it comes to finding jobs in the future, rather than a disadvantage.

[noblegiraffe]

The pass rate for GCSE maths and English resits post-16 is 16%.

[enterthedragon]

Noble what is the percentage of pupils doing resits, 16% is low.

Mermaid, will they be able to take As/A levels concurrently ie 1or 2 GCSE courses and 3 or 4 AS courses (that in itself would be even more of a disadvantage) or will it be a case of get the GCSE's first) surely it would be more of an advantage if pupils were given more targeted support at secondary level and be allowed to drop subjects that are not essential. Waiting until post 16 will disadvantage some pupils as the delay in obtaining GCSEs will have a knock on effect especially if there is no EHCP in place. What happens when a child without an EHCP reaches 19 but has not been able to complete A levels by then.

[noblegiraffe]

Pass rate for maths last year was 63.3%, English was 65.4%. I'm not sure whether a pass in English lit counted though, the pass rate for that was 75%. So a over third of kids have to resit at least one subject.

[enterthedragon]

Any stats on what % of those doing resits are children with SEN?

[LadyPenelope68]

Sorry my mistake/typo!!! 9 is the highest!!!

[LadyPenelope68]

Most sixth form schools/colleges round here will make them drop an A level choice if they have to resit either Maths and/or English.

[MsMermaid]

At my school, one option block is taken up by GCSE resits if they are required, 2 lessons a week for English and the same for Maths. In reality, if a pupil needs to resit both, then they will be advised that our school sixth form is not the appropriate place for them as we only offer 2 ALevels which do not require a C in either subject. All essay based subjects require at least grade C English, and the science ones require at least a C in Maths. we only offer Art and Textiles that don't require either.

we do offer a lot of support further down the school though, many, many targeted interventions at pupils who are not thought to be likely to get D/E grades at GCSE. I imagine that is the case in a lot of schools; I'm very sorry for dcs at schools where these interventions are not the norm.

The type of SEN makes a difference to the level of disadvantage a pupil experiences as well. Some of that disadvantage can be helped through exam concessions at GCSE, will your dc get extra time/ a reader/scribe/be able to use a laptop? Those can all go some way to leveling the playing field towards achieving a grade C at GCSE.

[Curioushorse]

Yeah, currently loads of the kids who don't get a C grade have SEN....but it's also a social problem too. In our school (my old one....my current one has only one resit student this year) I think that most students who resat had actually failed because of their family backgrounds: really horrible living conditions; very difficult family circumstances; emotional issues etc. The requirement to resit their GCSEs didn't change any of that or make it a positive school environment for them. I think our resit pass rate was probably lower than 16%.

I feel that the new GCSE in English is quite socially divisive and it'll actually be much harder for students from socially deprived backgrounds to attain high grades.

[enterthedragon]

Mermaid, yes DS will get one of those but extra time will be no good in my opinion (cannot think and write fast enough, the faster he writes the harder it is to decipher and makes less sense.), reads well but not good at inference etc, typing speed well below par so laptop out of the question, so that leaves a scribe and a little over a year to get inference etc.

[MsMermaid]

What do you believe would help? Genuine question. School does have to follow the rules set by the exam board, who in turn need to follow government rules, but if there is something they can do to help that fits within time and budget restrictions then they should be doing that.

What does your DS want to do? Does he have a particular career in mind? Does he need to do a levels or would something like an apprenticeship suit his needs better and lead to the same place?

[enterthedragon]

I honestly don't know what would help DS the most, but security of school placement would be a start.

DS has a few ideas as to what he would like to do after his GCSE's,his current favourite would require A levels at the very least, but by next week he might change his mind again and an apprenticeship might be the way to go.