Y11 2023/24 thread 5 - results!

Yes, because there are 3 bits of data - the grade, the mark and the speaking endorsement. We have to report the grade and the speaking, but SIMS doesn't work with 3 bits of data, so that gets missed.

School will have it, plus a lot more. I spent a lot of this morning telling kids their marks.

Sorry yes, I meant a mark, the only one we have no mark for is English language, just has a ‘D’ after it

Grade boundaries are irrelevant to marking and to reviewing though. I have no idea what grades the candidates I'm working on are getting. It's just about applying the mark scheme.

It was specifically brought in to try to level the playing field.

You do. The school just can't easily make it fit in the results slip because there are too many pieces of data.

I think that’s unfair at a grade boundary but who am I to say

I wonder if they meant mark. You don’t get an actual mark for Eng lang, well not with our exam board any way. They had a grade, it was 6.

@mightyducks you don't have a grade???

We were seeing students who were getting nines across-the-board get 4s in English?!

No. It's because of the OFQUAL rules about reviewing.

Seems from the messages I’ve read English language grades have been lower than expected for many? My DS was predicted an 8, came out with a 6, he was picking it for A-level but based on his results he has picked Geography instead, 7. I’m wondering if he’s been too hasty based on the many messages I’ve seen about English language.Doesn’t help it’s the only one we don’t have an actual grade for!

Is this because of the subjective nature of the subject?

Is this AQA by any chance? We have heard nothing from our school but the grades were lower than expected for several kids. Thanks

DS had 5 7s in triple science Maths and Geography 6 Electronics 5s English and Computer science just missed grade boundary by 1 or 2 marks on 3 papers on flip side he was bang on grade boundary 1 abs just over by 2 marks on another. Not asking for scripts as I don't want him to feel his marks weren't good enough. Plus would have traded a couple of grades to get that English.
For those who did not get the marks they wanted you will get there for some the path is just a little longer. My DB left with not a single GCSE now he has a degree and a professional on £70k.

@Decoart
Well done to your ds. Sounds like a tough year for all. Hope DD is improving. I'd imagine it's a long road.

Surprise 6 in maths the highlight of the day here! DD got higher in a couple of other subjects but can't stop smiling and talking about the maths, incredibly proud of her.

Very well said @EdithBond. Thank you.

So proud of my DS, his sisters all 9s was a hard act to follow but her metastatic bone cancer diagnosis last year meant a grade dive in his mocks.

I spent the run up and start of GCSEs living away from home for 2 months while DD had proton therapy which was hard as DS and I are close.

We'd have been proud of him whatever as we couldn't have asked more of him as he really knuckled down. But he smashed it, five 9s three 8s and a 7 in German - and he never made it to Germany!

Well done to all the kids today and give them a big hug. Spending the last year on a teen cancer ward makes you really appreciate what is important.

I’m sorry to hear that. She must be so upset. But A levels certainly aren’t off the table if those were her mock and predicted grades. She could retake enough at college and then start A levels the following year. Or go through the BTEC system, which might suit her better as a mix of coursework and exams. I’d also suggest getting advice on allowances for anxiety, as they can provide reasonable adjustments in exams.

Three separate pieces of data for Lang and school systems can only cope with 2. We have to report the two grades, so the mark gets lost. School will have it though.

Thanks!! I couldn't work out why DS didn't have a numerical mark for Eng Lang (he did get a 9!) but had a D, in a column marked End 1. Sorry for the stealth-brag, but that D makes sense now.

Fingers crossed for both of them, I feel for DD, maths not being her subject, she tried so hard and the thought of having to retake because of 1 mark is frustrating.

Yes, definitely go in to speak to them. My DS got 3 in English Language (and in fact 3s in most subjects, with 4s in Maths, Eng Lit and Science). But he’s enrolled today on Criminology, Law and Psychology BTEC Level 2, plus a retake of English Language. If he does well at end of next year, he’ll then move onto Level 3, which is 3 A level equivalent or he could then move onto A levels next year.

For everyone whose kids are disappointed today, there’s always a way back. I had to retake 3 O levels (including Maths) but I now have a Masters in a high level job where I manage people with PhDs. I’ve recruited young people for over 25 years and it’s the ones who’ve overcome adversity, setbacks and failure who are always the strongest candidates and go on to have the most influential careers.

And for those who passed, huge congrats to them, their mums and their teachers! Almost their entire lives have been plagued by ‘austerity’ (resulting in huge teacher recruitment/retention problems), a pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis. But they’ve survived it all. Hats off to them all!

Yes, only the difference is 4-9 is a Level 2 pass and 1-3 is a Level 1 pass.

There was a photographer at our school, the school chose the children to be photographed, it was the highest achieving girl and boy plus the child that had made the most progress, he had on average a 3 grade uplift on his predicted grades which is very impressive.

In reality they are all passes. If a school is reporting 100% pass, it could be 4+ or it could be 1+.

If colleges etc want 4, that's different.