GCSE 2019 support thread 6

I emailed last week about England language and have had no response so assume nobody is there until the beginning of term. I agree it's a bit poor - I realise people are entitled to their holidays but exams officers should be working at least a couple of days I think. Priority reviews had to be in by Friday 3pm so we missed that anyway but as it doesn't affect ds' A level choices/6th form enrolemnt we can wait for the non-priority.

Other schools seem to have contacted parents/kids proactively to say they think a remark is needed in whatever subject, but not ds' school.

And I've emailed quite a few of the staff in an attempt to get a response, but nothing.

Then the acting principle will wonder why he has so many angry parents to deal with.

Should the examinations officer be working now? I'd have thought they'd be on hand to deal with Alevel and GCSEs questions at the end of the holidays. At least an email to say they will be dealing with it.

I'm probably just panicking, and there's loads of time for this to be dealt with.

Maybe if the 6th form emailed on your behalf, that might help? @Rugbylife

No idea where Vancouver came from

@Rugbylife We're having them same problem.

There are quite a few Mums I know who went Vancouver to school early afternoon after enrolling in 6th form and no one was there...and no response to emails.

Another parent has told me someone will be in the office tomorrow, so I will phone and email again. It's the same exam everyone has concerns about, from the people I've spoken to.

It's so, so frustrating not being able to speak to anyone at school.

Back to school today has anyone else gone back yet??

Rugbylife can you go to the school and ask? I filled out forms at reception, took ds with me to sign them.

The email address may be the exam officer's name so First initial.surname@schoolwebsiteaddress. This usually works for me

*GCSE PE

@Hoooo re your son GCSE did you do all the filming for the 3 sports for analysis? If so did you do a trial run for the teacher to check and then re film at extra matches.

Or anyone else who’s child did GCSE. Worried I’m not going to capture all the elements 😳

I’m getting really frustrated now, have been trying to get in touch with DS school since Friday to request review of 2 of his paper’s but no one is in, I’ve rang, emailed, tweeted but still no access to exams officer. We had a letter in with results saying inform us ASAP if wanted reviews. I know they’re interviewing for 6th form today and tomorrow morning so school is open. Ds going to another 6th form and has already enrolled but one of his choices depends on a grade increase and he’s 2 Mark’s off at present.

We had problems with the 16-17 link too, the web page was confusing.

ArthurtheCatsHumanSlave
Thanks for the rail card link.
DS enrolled today and took the train which is cheaper and quicker then the bus. So I was just saying to him we'll look at getting him a student rail card.

I've sent him link so he can sort it out.

Thanks!

It doesn't always work obviously for the 16-17 railcard. When my DD tried earlier it kept redirecting her to the 16-25 one - until we found the hidden link.

Here you go sososour

www.16-17saver.co.uk/?utm_source=NRE&utm_medium=carousel&utm_campaign=1617saver

Errrr- I can’t click on the 16-17 railcard? It just says ‘coming soon’ on the railcard website.
Am I looking in the wrong place?
Can someone post a link please.?

Yes same here with the 16-17 card, very efficient indeed. Unlike the DVLA which has asked me to provide the same passport details on a piece of paper as I have already provided online for ds' provisional licence application. Sigh...

Anyway at least DS has finally sorted out his college and A level choices - enrolled today and is doing history, politics and Spanish.

@ArthurtheCatsHumanSlave thank God it’s worked ok for one of us😂😂😂

Love the user name btw!

Apologies to Foslady but I was just going to share how easy it was to get the 16/17 train pass.

Went on website, put in passport details, uploaded photo, paid £30, card arrived in the post the next day! So nice when things go smoothly.

Bloody 6th form transport!

Rang the local bus company to be told a pass for the year is £1200. Queried this with my friends to be told to go via the council and it’s £570. Got the email through to pay online and because of the amount I need to verify it only I have no mobile reception to get the verification code and as my phone is open via email I don’t get the emailed verification through without shutting down the payment screen......aarrghhh!!!!

And breathe........

Feels to me like a 4:3 should be a 4 and a 3 otherwise why don’t they just say it’s s 3.5 for both. My kids did double science, I think it’s a nonsense - let the kids choose a science - they don’t need to do all three, not like this, 4:3 is such a tease - it’s likely the science they didn’t enjoy pulled them down for no reason. Better to take triple and ignore the least favourite science?

It's OK lynette. I have been saying D is not a fail / 3 is not a fail for my whole teaching career, to no avail

But apparently a 4-3 counts as the required 4/C grade for teacher training courses. To add to the confusion (not in science I presume!)

LynetteScavo a 3 is below the grades 4-9 required to get onto many sixth form / college courses but for many other courses a 3 is still a mark so hasn’t been a waste of time.

I agree Lynette - it does seem unfair. On the first link I linked to, the is more information in the question and answer/ comments sections which suggests that for post 16 requirements a 4-3 should be ok

Regarding the science grading my DS got 4-3. I checked with his school examinations officer and she confirmed he has one science GCSE pass (the 4). The other is below a pass. So for the purpose of counting entry requirements to further education it is one GCSE science pass. She said a 4-4 and above is two GCSE science passes.