GCSE 2022 Results - the moment of reckoning!

Yes, KS2 SATs are used to predict grades for GCSEs aren't they? DD's results were within a grade of all of hers, although not spot on. She was predicted the highest grade in RE for which she got an 8.

Yes, I guess not everyone can pass maths and English first time but very frustrating, particularly if young people are condemned to be doing resits until they do pass, should they need it for uni or their chosen career pathway.

Our DS has got within one grade in every subject with what he was predicted when he started senior school. So he’s stayed the same and not progressed it seems. But if we take out Eng Lit he’s passed the rest even if a couple were 4s

i always said our school should concentrate on those getting grades 3-5 over the years to help them get them to 4-6 but they were Only interested in pushing those predicted grade 7 to get them to 8/9…..

their loss - they pride themselves on being able to say 100% got grade 5 or more in English and maths - not this year thanks to my DS and 5 others! (96% got 5 or above …..!)

One of our termly reports had DS as predicted 9s in all 3 sciences. DS has never been that good at science and was regularly getting 6/7!
I was furious at the pressure but he chose to ignore it as he knew he’d never get that, he ended up with a 6 in each science which we were all thrilled with

I rarely predict 9s (private school). I think even with the strongest of students it is easy to miss with a small lapse in concerntration or that one question you just can't remember the answer to.

Our (private) school doesn't predict 9s. I wish schools admitting for 6 form entry would understand this when looking at applicants (my dd achieved some 9s but her predictions were 8s due to school policy).

I think schools should be banned from predicting 9s. They really seem to cause unnecessary stress and lead kids with 8s to be disappointed. If they were never predicted but were just a bonus everyone would be happier.

My DD's school (comp in the Midlands) deliberately doesn't predict 9s, even if students get 9s in their PPEs. I suspect that it's more likely for private schools or grammars to do it so that parents put the pressure on their kids to get the 9s!

Pass her course I mean, it is that she has done well in.

@clary yes she failed functional math three times. If it's a requirement for her course I wonder if she will pass it - she has done well on it, it's just this wretched math requirement (which has nothing to do with her course, it's just a box that needs ticking).
My son was just saying today (he got a 3 in maths despite getting a 4 on mocks snd predicted a 5), that he should have taken functional maths, which was offered to those at the bottom of the class. He was expected to do better as I said and has subsequently passed it at college, but he resents that he wasn't offered it and would have saved him from having to redo it.

My eldest DS has failed Maths about 6 times. Once he was within 2% of passing, which slayed me. He’s at uni anyway though. He did say a couple of days ago that he might beat the record of the man in the papers who’s just passed at the age of 92 .. .

There is something wrong with an education system whereby one third of young people don't pass these subjects. Where does it all go wrong?

It doesn't "go wrong" per se. Grades are awarded on a bell curve. No matter what, some students have to be awarded grades U to 4.

I had said to DD that if she failed maths / English - she'd have to retake but also I would advise doing the functional skills equivalent - at least that would cover mist jobs asking for maths and English
I failed my maths GCSE 3 times and redid it this year so I could do teacher training

I think that they should do functional skills in Years 9/10 - it would take the pressure off in Year 11

It puts into perspective angsting about slaying top grades when some young people are faced with such challenges to getting passes in maths and English. Exams do not come easy to everyone.

There is something wrong with an education system whereby one third of young people don't pass these subjects. Where does it all go wrong?

@mondaytosunday can she take Functional Skills? My ds2 was never going to pass English (got 3x E) but he did pass FS level 2 which is at an equivalent level to C/4 in GCSE (not equal to as the breadth is less) and that really opened doors for him for jobs that wanted GCSE C.

MondaytoSunday I agree, I had spoken to my friend and said she needed to have a backup even if she changed her mind at least she's have a place lined up but she suffers from bad anxiety and struggles with practical stuff, no support from any family at all either sadly.

That's great (and good of the school to recognise her as an individual )
Good Luck

My dd had low grades as predicted, she struggles. We had several back up plans but her new 6th form took her anyway as she's attended all the induction days and done all transition work so the 4 that she did pass they know she worked hard to achieve. She's taking btecs now and I think will do very well as her btec at gcse was a distinction. She manages course work very well just not the big test at the end

@mondaytosunday i believe my friends DD took Maths 5 times and got a D every single time (a few years ago, before the numbers were introduced) they kept making her redo it until she left the college

Having a plan B is essential- a friend's daughter was unlikely to pass anything despite working hard. She got her English but has now failed math three times (hers were last year). But her parents knew this and started looking at vocational courses ages ago. She has done well and got her level 2 and despite lack of maths she is starting level 3. At what point do they just stop with the math? It is not needed for her career and it just a series of discouraging results to keep trying and failing.

Festivals for 16-18 year older terrify me as its often after exams/results. Mine have always got from the age of about 7 or 8 with us, we have a big festival 10 mins from us but now they are older I worry so much. They are off with their friends and I hate it as teenagers do such daft things. I hope they are sensible but you never know. I was at home yesterday and they were at the festival and all I saw on FB were reports of crushes and overcrowding with security not controlling anything. I knew they would have been at that stage also.

DS1 was at the front apparently (probably safer to be fair as it was the moving between stages where there was an issue) and DS2 had moved to the rave tent, someone had been spiked apparently as had taken a drink off someone. Luckily both boys said how they can't believe someone would accept a drink off a stranger so hopefully they understand the risks.

I agree TeenDivided. Several of DSs friends was in bits before results, they knew 5 x passes was going to be a struggle and their much wanted college place was at risk, what they went through is so vastly different than someone worrying about getting 9s rather than 8s. DS was predicted a range from 6-9 and knew whatever happened he would pass them all and get on the course so he knew he may not get all as predicted but there was never that stress.

His friend just scraped 5 passes, it would have been awful for him not to have as the vocational course they are both doing is something his friend already does and gets paid for so will be the most experienced person on that course but would have potentially had to do the L2 first which he is years passed in experience.

My friends DD still doesn't have a college place, she was always going to struggle to pass any but ridiculously they had no back up plan, thankfully she passed Maths and English but no others but left without a course to start and obviously with bank holiday weekend there's a bit of a wait. Her DD could not have worked harder to pass, probably way harder than those achieving higher results, she wasn't predicted to pass any and got 5,4,4 in Eng Lang, Maths and Eng Lit which is amazing.

Awful about the boy dying at Leeds. We aren't too far away and lots of people from DD's school will have been there. She wasn't and neither were any of her close friends but there will be people she knows there.

I hadn't heard about the boy. Tragic.

Really awful about the teenage boy dying at the festival

Agree, it's unthinkable.

It's not the same. Many high achievers put great pressure on themselves to get the best marks, being predicted 9s means there is no way to over achieve, only get the grade or under achieve.

Furthermore, 9s aren't needed for anything.

Whereas the borderlines between other grades can make all the difference. Some places require 5s to do A levels at all. Some need 6s to do specific subjects. 7s are often required to do maths / science, even an 8 can be relatively frequent to do FM even away from selective 6th forms.

Also kids getting 4s and 5s are used to disappointment, sad, but true.