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Original poster

Anyone managing their childs expectations on GCSE/A grades given this news?

33 replies

deepest · 12/08/2014 16:43

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-28606076

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Original poster
deepest · 16/08/2014 15:49

...and more today...but I suppose we are all in the same boat - ultimately a level playing field? - but if dc was predicted all X grades and achieved X grades in mocks but gets Y grades next week - might be tricky ??

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11037723/GCSE-exam-overhaul-risks-leading-to-results-day-chaos.html

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Original poster
deepest · 14/08/2014 09:45

Bugger...just emailed the school ALL results will be communcated together next Thurs

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RaspberryLemonPavlova · 13/08/2014 22:37

Coolas although they are still doing CAs the exams are linear now. As I said my DS1 is among this cohort.

Original poster
deepest · 13/08/2014 22:29

Good point Kitty in my case if we get Physics early and it is not great we will have a painful week waiting until next Thurs...as the rest will be worse....maybe I should get back in my box...!!

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KittiesInsane · 13/08/2014 22:11

DS, bizarrely, might be relieved if his results are worse than expected.

He's going in circles trying to decide between a pushy, highly academic 6th form and a vocational course. Missing that all-important A in English would mean the choice was made for him and he can go off and do a BTEC with a clear conscience.

Original poster
deepest · 13/08/2014 22:04

Phaedra -- same here - thats the one exam that I worked hardest with ds for...and am the most confident will be his best grade what ever that is......so really could do with knowing - but it is the only CIE iGCSE subject they are doing all the rest are AQA.....so I expect that I will get short shrift when I call in the morning!!...tho dont think anyone at our school was aware this came out early (well I wasnt)...dont think I can stand waiting a week...!!

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Phaedra11 · 13/08/2014 21:49

DS's school was clear that they would not release the CIE IGCSE grade before the others. In a way it's frustrating but it's the exam DS is most confident about so it will probably be better for him to find out the result alongside all the others.

Phaedra11 · 13/08/2014 21:45

Ah, is it only the cie IGCSEs then? Apologies.

Original poster
deepest · 13/08/2014 21:45

Thanks Marni....he did CIE IGCSE Physics....all the rest were AQA....not sure if school will let him know this one early -- will be on the blower in the morning!! I am sure I will not be very popular if they are fielding A and AS results...

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Phaedra11 · 13/08/2014 21:43

The IGCSE results were technically available from yesterday but DS1 who took one IGCSE plus a load of GCSEs won't know his result until the school gives him the full set of results next week.

Lots of kids at The Student Room website already have their IGCSE results.

Marni23 · 13/08/2014 21:41

Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE results are the only ones out already (DD got 2 x English results today). All the other IGCSE results come out next Thursday.

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 13/08/2014 21:19

No she's in England. My DB told me she got her results in triple science, but I didn't ask why so early, I just said well done.

Original poster
deepest · 13/08/2014 20:32

My son has done all IGCSEs (at state school) -- will they not be affected by this then? Tansie dont understand what you mean re state/private etc?

Chicken are IGCSE results out then? Or is your dn in Scotland?

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Tansie · 13/08/2014 19:23

It might be fair to say the the gap between private pupils and state will widen again as IGCSEs have been unaffected by the government meddling.

The issue will be that a higher percentage of private, IGCSE taking pupils, will get past the goalposts of certain academic institutions ahead of the state school DC as, on paper, they'll look 'better'.

There might be some in government smiling happily at this...

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 13/08/2014 19:00

Thankyou, I felt too jel to ask.

Phaedra11 · 13/08/2014 18:53

Chicken, your niece will have taken iGCSEs rather than GCSEs.

Doormouse, me too!

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 13/08/2014 17:06

My DN just heard she got A* for her 3 science exams. She is at a private school but I'm not entirely sure why she heard so early.

mummymeister · 13/08/2014 17:02

my dd wont care about anything else if she doesn't get an A in Maths and her sciences. have tried to manage her expectations but it is really difficult when there are so many contradictory messages. teachers say yes it will be an A/A* but now this and you start to wonder. definitely don't blame the teachers. blame years and years of grade inflation. there had to be a rationalisation at some time just wish it had been years ago or years in the future not this one but that is being selfish.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 13/08/2014 14:42

I know DDs sixth form is desperate for numbers and will be even more so in the next few years.

There was a drop in the local birth rate and house price hikes drove families away from the rural feeder primaries. Poorer families were forced into local towns and wealthy commuters sent their DCs private or tutored for the Grammars.

So short term, if DDs missed the odd grade she's almost certainly ok. It's for university she's worried.

A lot of places don't like C for English.

Coolas · 13/08/2014 13:04

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ajandjjmum · 13/08/2014 10:02

Really tough on those who've sat these exams. However, if there is an obvious reduction in grades, they will see their peer equally affected, which might make them realise it's a government tweak, rather than a reflection of their own work/effort.

Original poster
deepest · 13/08/2014 09:59

doormouse - kids will not be aware unless they are reading specialist sections of the education press....but worried that my ds will be disappointed, having worked his bits off not to achieve the grades he was predicted.....one of the reports says that you cant compare this years results with last years.....wonder if the grades for 6th form and college entry will be lowered accordingly?

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doormouse04 · 13/08/2014 09:01

My dd hasn't let on if she is aware of the issue and i am not saying anything either. I have told her to go out and enjoy the summer. To spend time worrying and thus take the shine off what should be a golden time would be a shame, especially as there is nothing we can do. If her results are not what we expect/hope for then i will use the recent articles to help with the disappointment.

I private i keep looking for something in the press saying "dont worry your child has done just fine". How mad am I?

ElephantsNeverForgive · 13/08/2014 08:39

Recorded separately just rubs salt in the wound and reminds them that last year they might well have got a better grade.

And no there not really linear, DD has had English CAs for language and lit. There are bits of music, art and Drama all over the place. Double science has one gcse exam in Y10 and one in Y11 and CAs for both. It's a mess.

A mess made worse by the fact that they have clearly just picked up the modular papers and stuck them in May/June, the number of separate stupid short little papers some students got and the time they were spread over was ridiculous.

I'm old, I did one 3hr paper per O level. It was much simpler and I think better.

Coolas · 13/08/2014 08:15

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