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Original poster

Grade 9 in GCSEs: How common are they?

35 replies

ChumpyWumpy · 13/09/2018 13:38

I have 3 friends whose children have all received what seems like an abundance of them! Friend 1’s child received 9 x Grade 9 and 1 x Grade 8. Friend 2’s child received 8 x Grade 9 and 2 x Grade 8 and friend 3’s child received 7 x Grade 9, 2 x Grade 8 and 1 x Grade 7. Absolutely amazing results and I’m really chuffed for them. My DD (in year 9) is now extremely worried because she thinks this is the norm! (I have, of course, put her straight.)

OP posts:
clary · 13/09/2018 23:23

"received" is an odd word btw op, I would make the point to your dd that these friends' children worked hard and learned a lot and put in a lot of effort to achieve these great grades.

She can work hard and do her best too; we need to remember that a 7, for example, is a good grade, an A in old money.

Original poster
ChumpyWumpy · 13/09/2018 21:35

Thanks for the replies and info. Interesting to know the stats relating to the grades.

OP posts:
Sunflower321 · 13/09/2018 21:26

I too expect a grade 10 to be introduced at some point!

lozengeoflove · 13/09/2018 19:12

In my class of 25 (top set), only three students achieved grade 9.
V bright and hard working class. 64% of them got grade 7-9.
I teach English.

PattiStanger · 13/09/2018 19:07

The grade boundaries can move so that shouldn't be necessary

HPFA · 13/09/2018 19:05

No doubt in a few years time politicians will decide we need a Grade 10 to identify the really bright.

clary · 13/09/2018 18:28

You have to work very hard to get a grade 9. Friend of DD's, lovely bright girl, got 7x9 and 3x8 this summer, best performance in the school (large suburban comp in Nice area).

Last Yr dd was in yr 11 and there were about 7 x 9s in the year (obcv only three subjects), similar in the less nice comp I taught in, so about 1%.

Remember that 700 students got all 9s, out of, what, 500,000?? They are hard to get especially a swathe of them. Schools that set them as targets (DD's mate was targeted 10 x 9s!) are making a mistake imo, 8/9 would be better.

Sunflower321 · 13/09/2018 17:40

For some schools, these grades are the norm, for others they're not. It really depends.

PattiStanger · 13/09/2018 17:37

You can look up all the detailed breakdowns on the exam board websites

It varies from subject to subject

Sunflower321 · 13/09/2018 17:29

About 4% of entries received the top grade 9 - and 732 pupils scored a clean sweep of grade 9s in all subjects

Why is your dd 'extremely worried ' that some of your friends' kids did really well in their GCSEs?

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