GCSE results day 2021 support thread

DS has worked incredibly hard through both lockdowns in comparison to his friends (most spent all day/night gaming) so I’m quietly optimistic that his grades will be good. However I’m also aware that in some ways the way the exams (and no matter what the press etc report there were exams) were actually much better for him as I think he would have crumbled under the pressure of “real” exams.

Will be interesting to see what Tuesday brings as it might give some indication of what we will expect on Thursday.

tbh Grade inflation is an issue for A levels. I read that instead of 25% A /A* in 2019 it is 45% this year. That causes a massive headache for universities as some places will have far too many students accepting and no room to accommodate / teach them all.

To me it's not about grades not being believed, it is understanding that maybe grades this year are fair, but a reflection of all pupils having a good day rather than in an exam season when some pupils are lucky and some pupils have bad days with exams. So if a pupils gets say all 7s this year, well maybe previously some of those 7s might have been 6s but the 7s still show they are capable of that when it all comes together.

I also think it is perfectly possible to praise the resilience of our children whilst simultaneously accepting there has been grade inflation across the whole cohort. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

Yes the grade inflation means even if they get good results they won’t be believed. It is so dispiriting but something I am choosing to ignore as otherwise it is too depressing and unhelpful. Yes let’s hope employers and universities recognise the value of the change management skills & resilience our DCs have.

I have the day off work but I won’t be able to concentrate but it is DD’s day and not mine (mantra - repeat!), so to take my mind of it this is the day I have booked a skip to clear out my late mother’s house. I will have my hair in a scarf (imagine Angel from escape to the Chateau).

Friday I have off too and we are having a mother daughter day together and we are going shopping to get DD a new bag for sixth form. Lunch out and lots of hugs. We don’t usually spend much on ‘things’ but Friday will be an exception.

Have been so so proud of DD coping this last year with lockdown, father with cancer, me trying to juggle two jobs, grandmother dying. She has single handedly washed down the nicotine walls in her grandmother’s old home. She has done some tutoring. She has cooked me dinner some nights and bought me tea. Truly blessed and just now hope she gets the grades she so thoroughly deserves.

Waiting to hear how it works from DS school.

Last year they had to collect but then leave the site. All that seemed to mean was they congregated outside the gates instead...

I do have one 'parent friend' but she has a highly organised DD and as a parent is very hands off, so asking her for info is somewhat pointless as she won't know!

@TeenMinusTests - that would drive me mad as I like to know everything ahead!

We had to book a slot, and I chose an early, but not too early as I appreciate some parents who need to get to work might need the earlier times. DD has no intention of staying for sixth form, but they're desperate to fill it up and are offering places with much lower grades than usual (apparently maths GCSE isn't required) I think DD might get the grades they're asking for, but would struggle with Alevels. I want her to pretend she's interested just to see how far they'll take it with a student they know would struggle. She says she can't be bothered though. Can you tell I'm bored?

Lynette School definitely didn't email the pupils as I've been in charge of DD's email all year. I'm guessing we will get an email soon just on track record (a) they keep parents in the loop (esp as many will need to be driven in) and (b) with all the CV stuff they have generally waited to make announcements until situation is clear so they wouldn't have wanting to publicise things in June for mid August.
Though of course they could have told them verbally or given them something on paper which we would have missed.

[quote ihearttc]@clary

Yes it is him that couldn’t decide what to do…he is still really undecided. PE and Geography are definite but still dithering about the final one.[/quote]
Maybe something will stand out for him next Thursday - fingers crossed for an unexpected 9! DS2 almost did physics on the back of an 8 he was amazed by :)

Hello, joining in. Thanks for the thread. We have been informed that results will be emailed to students after 10.30. My DD will be at work so might not check at all.while I will slowly expire in anticipation. Can’t call her at work either.

We got a letter on the last day of term, ds will be given a time slot to go in. Otherwise results will follow by email. I've persuaded him to go in as my nerves can't take it!

I'm guessing lots of parents haven't read the info sent to students and have contacted the school.

Thanks @ChocolateRiver fingers crossed.

At Dd’s school they have been asked to turn up at school between 8.30 and 10 and all the different form groups have to collect their results from different places. are collecting their results from the same room. Then all go to the main hall and either sign up for 6th form or loon at other post 16 options. The email said parents were welcome to wait in certain places but not go into the school buildings but DD is adamant she doesn’t want us anywhere near the school.

@HazyDaisy123456 hopefully your dd will get what she needs. Do you know whether the grades will be based solely on these tests or are the school going to take other work into account too? There will also be an appeals process and if your dd didn’t have her rightful access arrangements then this could be something to keep in mind. Although I fully appreciate this probably is a route you really want to go down. You never know, the school may have taken your dd needs into account when awarding grades. The Ofqual information was a bit confusing and contradictory in parts, but it did say to take an ‘holistic’ approach. I definitely took various individual student situations into account. So you could be pleasantly surprised come results day. Try not to worry unnecessarily just yet - easier said than done I know.

If it helps any, we've been told to check emails at 8.30am as they are emailing the results to stidents. We've been asked not to go to school, but that staff will be on the phone from 10.30am for advice if needed.
Different for different schools though I think.

Life DD hasn't had any info yet, though I am assuming it will be in person as it was last year. I'm guessing we'll get sent info on Fri/Mon.
(Whether she can make it over the threshold though is another matter as she hasn't done that for a year.)

My ds is just wondering how he actually gets his results; there hasn’t been any info from school!

Dreading it just hope DD does well enough to get into 6th form. She is dyslexic and qualified for 25% extra time. But her mocks was a total fiasco. She only received extra time in 4 subjects. In most of her exams two kids close to her were coughing badly (she was worried about covid as I am on the shielded list and they turned out to have covid) why no teacher picked up on it I don’t know. They sat mocks in December north of England in just a jumper in halls with all windows flung open due to covid in one drafty old hall they had a bucket catching the rain water and DD is easily distracted. She didn’t receive any extra time in the numerous timed assessments in class and said some students were openly looking up the answers on their phones etc etc.

To all the students (and parents!) awaiting next week's results and

Wales students were told their submitted grades.
England were told not to discuss submitted grades with students or parents, though of course students would have known how they were performing from mocks if nothing else.

As long as pupils have enough to get to the next level that is 'good enough', 7s not 8/9s or 4s not 5/6s won't matter in the long term no matter how disappointing on the day.

If they tried their best that is all we can ask.

Thanks for starting the thread

Usually we'd have been away on holiday, but this year we've been at home SI so the wait is really painful.

We have very little idea of what the results might be. DD is boarder line 4 in several subjects so it's nail biting for us.

I had written off her GCSEs in May 2020 as we were advised that she should stop all school work for health reasons. She seemed to make a comeback though, and I couldn't be more proud of her.

I feel so sad when I think of lock down at the start of this year when she was home alone in her bedroom, with what seemed like constant zoom lesson. She didn't organise herself to open her curtains or eat (I'd leave her breakfast and pop home for lunch and see her for for 10 mins if I could) but she did work really hard in the lessons, and dealt with the many IT issues like lessons over lapping & deciding which none to be in quite brilliantly) . No 15yo should have to spend day after day alone in a room learning by themselves.