GCSE results day 2021 support thread

Some of our BTEC students who are on our higher and degree apprenticeships are better than those that come with A levels. Absolutely nothing wrong with doing a BTEC - they are highly valued where I work. It’s engineering and highly paid too.

Ok, this isn't my usual posting name, so I'm going to post my DCs actual results.

7, 6, 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2.

It's certainly not all 8s and 9s here... I'm guessing most posters are holding back from posting average results.

My child is absolutely thrilled they are able to move on to their Level 3 course.

Personally I think two of the 5s could have been 6s, but over all the results are fair, and certainly not inflated.

My DC isn't doing A' levels. If you read MN it seems like that is the only real option available post 16. My DC has the grades to scrape into 6th form, but realistically the A'
level results would be poor, where as I suspect their BTEC results will be pretty good.

@cookiemon666 fight hard for your child to get on that course if you think they can handle it.
I think they can do a level 3 if they have Maths OR English.
A poster below has told how their child got on the course they wanted even though they didn't get the grades required.

Of course MN is not wholly representative.

It’s the same as any social media (Twitter FB). The only parents I see posting their actual teenagers results are those who got 7, 8 and 9.

There was a real mix of results from my lads state school. Some who got all 8’s and 9’s and others who got 1’s and 2’s.

Those who got 4, 5 and 6 tend to post in general ‘Well done - passed them all’.

Those with 7, 8 and 9 tend to post ‘Amazing, worked so hard etc. and then the grades’

Those who got no where near grade 4’s post nothing.

I am so proud of my daughter, she has a specific learning difficulty and got 1x5, 4x4, 2x distinctions and a 3 in maths.
I am gutted for her tho as she cannot do a level 3 course because of the maths. Bloody government!!

My DS said he'd either be disappointed or ambivalent and it was a mixture of both. Apart from a 9 in his best subject, he got 7s and 8s. He had been expected in normal circumstances to get 8s and 9s, but he dropped out of school at Easter after 3 terms of very patchy engagement (both in person and in lockdown) and really poor mental health. So we're all just glad to draw a line under the whole hideous affair. I'm immensely grateful to the most fantastic Assistant Head at his school who oversaw the gathering of evidence in all his subjects, wrote to exam boards with details of his poor mental health, referred us to CAMHS and then chased them relentlessly, fixed up counselling, put us in touch with various other bodies for help, and guaranteed him a place in 6th form regardless of his results because she believes in him. Bloody amazing teacher. I don't know where we'd be without her.

I am disappointed with my DDs results. She got 80% or higher in her mocks and final tests but got 6 6’s and 3 5’s, I know her school wasn’t chosen for moderation as ex is a head of education. Of course haven’t told her that. Her friend got the same test results yet got an 8 on English.

The brightest girl I dds school (a good friend of hers) got a mixture of 8s and 9s. Dd1 got mainly 8s one 7 and two 6s. She’s done amazingly and we are really happy, but she almost seems below average by MN standards. It’s not at all representative and we really shouldn’t compare. Comparison really is the thief of joy. So long as the DC are happy and can go on to do what they want to next, then it’s all good.

We both feel her 7s and 8s are a fair reflection of her efforts (and of some of the challenges she faced ie moving schools). She knows she can't sit back for A levels though and is ready to put the work in.

We will see....

Yes, starting to feel my DD did not do as well as I thought. I guess MN kids are not wholly representative!

Easy for your general satisfaction to flip if you realise everyone else did better?

I remind my DCs that comparison is the thief of joy.

and on the q of whether the results are as expected... yeah pretty much.

for him having no context as to what everyone else got (he got results via email) has been a massive bonus. Easy for your general satisfaction to flip if you realise everyone else did better?

ds pretty pleased with his haul.

but mainly pretty pleased that the box has been ticked and he can drop all the subjects he doesn't like and focus on the 3 he does!!

best wishes to all - what a rubbish experience for all our dc. Here's hoping the next stage in their journeys is a little less random.

Well done to all the kids and parents for getting through this milestone. I remind mine that these results although seemingly significant now, will not define the person they become as they grow up. My daughter achieved well and is enrolled on the A Levels of her choice. She had a rocky time through high school and was diagnosed with ASD at 15 after a bad time of social anxiety, self harm and suicidal thoughts. We are so proud of her and have worked to get her support to build resilience and self belief. It's an ongoing mission but feel positive that her new sixth form will be a better environment to support her needs from the start.

Her high school was so rigid and results driven. In the whole time she was there her effort and achievement was not acknowledged ever. I believe because she went in there with exceptionally high target grades which she was unable to reach she was continually told she needed to make more effort even though just getting through the school day was a huge effort most of the time. She finished with 2 9s 4 8s 3 7s and 2 6s which we are thrilled with but sad to think in the eyes of her high school her full potential was not reached. So little do they really know about their students.

All ok here and no need to resit English (my biggest fear). DS admitted that due to his chronic fatigue his revision was very limited so on that basis he's done very well. Just got to get him organised with his options blocks now so he's with some of his friends.

to all those who need them and hoping that all your DC can continue down the path they want.

DSs results in line with expectations - his school gave % marks for the many assessments that he sat and no surprises with the grades. He is pleased with his although was hoping for a good surprise/dreading any of the grades being moderated down. (2 9s, 5 8s, 4 7s). We are very proud of him and how he kept going through the relentless rounds of revision and testing he went through for most of year 11.

And yes thank you so much to the teachers for all the setting, marking and moderation.

I do think think that the smaller topic tests he had made it easier than the schools that more closely replicated the real thing. It isn’t fair between the different schools this year which must be very hard to accept if your school’s approach to gathering evidence didn’t work so well for you as another schools system would have done.

I think it’s wrong to assume private schools inflated their grades. I looked the the results of some of our local private schools last year (at least the ones where they were deliberately opaque about their exam results) following the debate about grade inflation. I checked after the algorithm debacle, when the teacher assessment were actually awarded. Many of the selective privates continued to get rafts of 9s and 8s as they always had done. However, when the number of A*s at levels doubled across the board nationally, at our local less selective private, the ratio of top grades was virtually unchanged compared to previous years.

DS got 9s for CS, chemistry and maths (his chosen A levels) and 8s for rest. Northern state school.

@TeenMinusTests echoing others, she has done really well to get what she did, I am sure you are celebrating her achievements. Ashe can go on to college, that's great.

It's not always about strings of high grades - a student I worked with is totally delighted with her 4s and 5s (as she should be - she worked hard) and my ds1 (years ago) worked so so hard to gain CS in maths and catering and Ds in science and geography. I was delighted and so was he. Good luck to your dd, onwards and upwards.

@TeenMinusTests Im so sorry you are both disappointed as I know what a particularly difficult year it’s been for you both. Thank heavens she can continue what she wants and hopefully put the disappointment behind her. x

DD got 1x6, 2x7, 6x8 &1x D*. Really happy.
Has been accepted at her 1st choice for 6 form. All happy here. Now out celebrating with friends. Some did not do as well as hoped but they are all supporting and celebrating together. Good to see smiles and hear laughter. Something that was missing for a large part of the year.
I'm on taxi duty so I am hoping I don't have a late night!
Well done to you and all DC. Onwards- wonder what the next year will bring?

DS got 7x9's and 2x7's. State school.
Absolutely over the moon. Not all went as planned for his friends though.
Have seen a completely different side to him during Covid, his resilience and perseverance during such uncertainty and disruption make me extremely proud, grades aside.
An exceptional cohort.

@TeenMinusTests

That’s a cute cat. Like a bit like ours.

Dcat.