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Original poster

Can anyone help with GCSE Science grades (AQA). Seeing college this afternoon to convince them DS nearly got a D

35 replies

AnnaForbes · 26/08/2016 10:55

DS royally screwed up his GCSEs. He hated school (lots of bullying, changed schools, dyslexia CAMHS interventions etc) and was so keen for a fresh start this year away from school. He was offered a place on a BTEC level 2 at college. He needed 4 Ds to get on the course. His results are C in Eng Lang, D in Maths plus E grades in his other subjects.

He was awarded E for Science. The breakdown of marks is:

Biology 49 (E)
Physics 51 (D)
Chemistry 51 (D)

And for Additional Science the overall grade was E. The breakdown was:

Biology 57 (D)
Physics 43 (E)
Chemistry 55 (D)

I dont understand why he got a E when two out of three marks were a D. Can anyone help explain this to me please? If his science was almost a D it would make all the difference.

TIA for any ideas

OP posts:
Original poster
AnnaForbes · 27/08/2016 16:05

Well yesterday went really well. Ds was so despondent when we arrived at the college but immediately bumped into a friend in a similar situation which helped him realise he's not the only one who didn't get the results needed.

We spoke for a long time to a tutor and an alternative course - (still btec level 2 but different subject area based on which exams he performed best in) was offered. He was so chuffed, he expected to be rejected and was really surprised that they treated him with respect and really listened to what he had to say.

He came away grinning, excited and looking forward to the start of term. And I didn't cry. Grin

OP posts:
clary · 26/08/2016 17:08

Really hope this went well OP.

FWIW I was you last year - went in to college with DS who needed D and Eng and D in maths for his place; he got C in Maths (yay) but only E in both Eng. I was all ready with "but he got D in science and geography, and he got C in catering which is what he wants to do so you have to let my boy in!!!" channelling my inner Beverley Goldberg...

I sat there about to say all this and before I could open my mouth (luckily :)) they looked at his results and said oh that's great, sign here, we're delighted to have you :)

Leeds2 · 26/08/2016 13:53

Nothing useful to add, just wanted to say hope all goes well.

noblegiraffe · 26/08/2016 12:56

Good luck, hopefully they'll look sympathetically on the issues he has had getting to where he is.

If he can go in determined to convince them that he is keen to work hard, then hopefully that will count more than a few science marks.

Original poster
AnnaForbes · 26/08/2016 11:53

Thank you. I am armed with the grade boundaries and just hope the course advisor we see has a degree of flexibility. I'll report back after our visit. His self-esteem is already in tatters and I think I might cry if they turn him down. Sad.

OP posts:
EllenJanethickerknickers · 26/08/2016 11:36

Sorry to hear that, Anna. Talk to college, there may be an alternative course he could do. He has English and maths so he should be able to access the courses well enough. Flowers

Original poster
AnnaForbes · 26/08/2016 11:22

Thanks for your reply. I've looked at the grade boundaries - thanks for that - and, assuming I am reading them corrctly DS is only a few marks from a D (E grade goes from 160 - 199, he got 194 so only a few marks from a D).

I'm clutching at straws here - ds already struggles with mh issues and his grades have been a further knock Sad.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 26/08/2016 11:09

He can get two Ds and an E and be graded an E overall if he scraped the Ds and the E was low enough.

Eg if 51 was a D on the first set, he would need 153 marks overall to get a D, but he only got 151.

But the grade boundaries are different for each paper so you need to look, they'll be on the exam board website.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 26/08/2016 11:08

Also, did he get a grade for a controlled assessment as well? Usually worth 25%. If that was an E as well...

EllenJanethickerknickers · 26/08/2016 11:05

Depends which board. If you know you can look up the UMS grade boundary tables. It might be that the 43 for physics was a very low E and the 2 Ds were low Ds which averaged at an E.