GCSE summer 2020 thread 6 - Carry on Corona Cohort, Further adventures aboard the Corona Charabanc.

Or more meaningless than they already were.

I am also not convinced by the Scottish model and agree that it will devalue these results. Looking at the stats posted earlier, some of those grades were massively inflated from the year before and it becomes meaningless.

Aw thanks so much, really appreciate it as I don't want to talk about IRL.

It's so important to stress to them beforehand that these are not their grades but actually a computer-says-so version of their school's 2019 grades. He absolutely knows that we share his frustration and love him to bits. And it's GSCEs - so irrelevant in comparison to A levels. He's already less downhearted because some of his friends have got even less deserved downgrades.

All that said, I'm not convinced by the Scottish model. I fear that would devalue an already devalued set of results. It would be so dependent on the approach the individual school took and doesn't seem fair.

@PatienceVirtue That sounds so frustrating and unfair - good job he's got you to support him - I will need your fair and non dramatic approach next week - remind me !

The National Union of Students has called on the government to follow Scotland’s lead.

@PatienceVirtue I am sorry to hear that. I have a feeling my DD will be in the same position on 20th. She's ready for some re-takes.

My boy got 3 iGSCE results and two were fine, more or less in line with expectations. But one was absolute shocker. As it was for some of his friends. They'd had a really poor cohort last year and way more students then taking it (so this batch was smaller and stronger). Boys who had got 20% over the grade boundary for a 9 in a mock based on last year's paper getting 7s. Made worse by the fact that the other group in the year (taught by head of dpt) seem to have bagged all the better grades despite not having done as well in the mocks.

On a scale of things, not terrible and he'll get over wailing that it's ruined his life (wanted to do it for A level!). But it just feels so disconnected from his reality.

He says he'd get at least an 8 if he took it tomorrow. He could retake I suppose and I'm sure the school will put on a bootcamp to make up for it. Hey ho.

@Cherryonthetop2019 especially for the a level students, these results can dictate the rest of their lives - years out, resits and the like. I do not think this generation will forget and forgive IF it doesn't go the way they needed it to. I take your point though.

@aibuquestions yes but it’s still 4 years away and that is a long time on the electoral campaign. If it was next year then yes definitely!

I was feeling fine about results day until this last week with all the talk of exam board downgrading students and the shambles of the Scottish results. It looks like the 19th is going to be a long night.

@aibuquestions good point !

Politically for BoJo also- if 2 whole year groups of kids and their parents ( who will be of voting age by the next election) are angry about how he handles results by not doing the same as Scotland surely that would incentivize him to follow suit?

DS2 does not want CAGs to be awarded as grades as he says he could not be proud of his grades if they are given too lightly and it devalues the top grades. It will be a real problem for universities which over-offer on the basis that not everybody will get the grades.

I don't think English and Scottish students are competing for the same university places in general, Scottish students tend to stay in Scotland because it is free and the Scottish universities have separate numbers for Scottish/EU and rest of UK because the funding is different. I think it is very unlikely that England will follow suit, but if not too late for GCSEs, maybe they might allow more of the higher grades than they had proposed.

If I was OFQUAL I would not want to start from here!

Would just like to confirm that dd's friends who got English, History and Drama results were all happy with their results.
The ones expected to do well did, and they were really what they got in their mocks/ plus teacher assessment.
Not had any reports of complaints, but of course, just one school.

@Ewwsprouts good point re: Int students - there will be more spaces but the drop in income means there are some saying they are close to hitting the wall

If **

Scotland have just given a Masterclass to those waiting for exam results in what to do when you F up, which as an adult you are guaranteed to do with alarming regular occurrence: own up, apologise, propose and implement a solution. It now seems that those in most need of a lesson is BoJo and Co. Of they don't follow suit it will be nothing short of an omnishambles

He literally can't, can he Cherry?

@0DimSumMum0 thanks !

Wow! I hope this also results in positive news for our DC - a fantastic result for the Scottish students though!

I think England A levels need to do the same otherwise those students are disadvantaged in the university scramble for places. Unless drop off of international students has created enough spaces for all?

@LillyM50 well it certainly won’t do anything to strengthen the union if not!

@Cherryonthetop2019 If he doesn't I think it would be hugely unfair.

Do we honestly think a Boris will follow suit?

Fab result for Scotland. Well done Nicola. Should have been this from the very start, let’s hope English politicians follow her lead.