Parents of GCSE 2025

I think English is a hard GCSE in the sense that one can't "learn" it in the same way as the sciences for example. If all he needs is a 4 to move onto the next level, could not he do a foundation paper in English Language which would be much easier in terms of the texts they need to analyse and not so stringent when it comes to the mark scheme?

I have found my people! I also felt really deflated reading the high achieving threads on here. Thank you for starting this thread.

DS has just got his results. He got 5 grade 4s and a 5 in Spanish foundation level. This would all be great but he got 3s in both English papers. His college have asked for 4 grade 4s including maths (which he passed) and/or English.

So we are hoping he can push up to the 4. I asked his English teacher for feedback but she is a very 'wordy' person! It's good though as it gives us something to work on.

He has coasted through school doing the bare minimum but is now stressed about the real thing. He worked hard to revise for these mocks but it hasn't reflected in his grades. Which has knocked his confidence

I believe some sixth form colleges will allow students to resit maths/English whilst doing A levels, if their other grades are acceptable

It might be worth a phone call to check ...

I’ve just checked and it says 5 GCSEs at 4 and above including maths and/or English language. So that suggests to me that a 3 in English wouldn’t be a definite no. His written English is actually very good, so I’m not worried about him writing assignments. He more struggles with the questions on language features and structure etc. He has a tutor and has gone from a 3 in the first set of mocks to a solid 4 in the second set and his tutor feels he’s capable of a 5, so hopefully he’ll get through. English is really badly taught in his school though. A few months ago he had absolutely no idea how to even approach these questions.

Super helpful. Thank you!!

OK some speaking exam thoughts as promised – in case they are any use to anyone. Essay incoming!

I am talking here solely about AQA GCSE btw. Edexcel GCSE is very similar and IGCSEs (CAIE and Pearson Edexcel) are very different. But AQA is the most commonly sat board in England.

Three themes:
Theme 1: Family, hobbies, technology, customs
Theme 2: Holidays, town and area, environment, social issues
Theme 3: School, higher education, jobs, future plans

Structure is a) a role play, b) a photo card and c) general discussion on two themes. The photocard is on the third theme so all themes are examined. The role play is not really on a theme – usually going to the movies with a friend or booking a hotel or the like.

Candidate chooses one theme for their first section of general speaking (section c). The photocard (section b) comes from a randomisation grid and then the second element of c) is the third theme.

It’s pretty usual IME for teachers to discuss with the student what they would like to talk about for the first theme of c). Some even draft out questions and answers! So this is where most people pick theme 1, but I suggest picking theme 2. Tell your teacher you want to talk about holidays and maybe your town. If you pick theme 1, hobbies and my family – fine, but you may get a photocard on theme 2 and the teacher cannot change the questions. I had a student do this a couple of years ago and the photocard was on social issues, I had to ask them “what charities do you and your friends support and why?” Hard to answer in English tbh!

A few other points:

Roleplay section a) – no need to develop your answers, just keep them brief and relevant

Photocard – you have time to prep three answers and there are two you don’t know – develop all these answers as much as you can. By develop I mean use a range of verbs. To score in the top band at least three answers must be developed with at least three verbs each(ideally different ones tho the mark scheme doesn’t specify this), plus obviously the other two questions must feature at least one verb – so (in case a stat helps you), top band answers for the photocard will feature at least 11 verbs! Tenses, opinions and reasons should also feature. Obv this development is easier to do with the prepped answers.

Same with general convo – develop and narrate as much as you can. So “Where do you go on holiday?” don’t just say “I go to France.” Say “I go to France every year with my family and we have a great time. Last year I went to the beach and the weather was really sunny. It was lots of fun because I love the hot weather. Next year we are going to go to Spain because we like paella.” You need to ask the teacher a question in this section btw but if you don't they will prompt you.

Useful to use:

• Opinions = I like x, I hate y, It’s OK; reasons – bc it’s x y z
• Have lots of different adjectives – move on from interesting and fun – and ways of saying “I think”.
• Use qualifiers (very, quite, fairly, often, always).
• Use past, present and future tenses.
• Reference other people to show you know a range of verb declensions – my brother, we (my friends and I), they (my parents).

Most of that applies for the writing exam as well tbh so it’s all useful.

What is not so easy is drafting out lots of model answers. You don’t know what you will need (apart from the first part of section c) or the speaking exam) so IMHO it’s less useful than learning phrases and vocab that you can always use. It’s always going to be possible to insert the phrase “J’adore faire ça, parce que c’est toujours amusant” into your speaking exam at some point haha.

Apols again for the essay but it is useful to know this, and every year it surprises me how poorly prepped some DC are, sadly; seeming not to know what they need to say and how to answer.

Sorry I didn’t mean you were using your 90s spec! But I sometimes fear that posters forget change in spec. Often see ppl saying “when I did A level it was xyz” which won’t be the same :)

Just to reassure - we are following her current MLF teacher's advice - not relying on 90s exam advice - not least because of time and changes but it's a different board and two complety different languages.

I was just musing on the similarity of the advice - and sorry if I caused confusion doing so.

i’ll post some MFL speaking advice later but pls remember that the exam specs have changed a lot since any of us did our exams!

The mark scheme is very specific and there are some easy wins to maximise your mark. Will post again this evening in case it helps anyone.

This is probably a very good thread for me.

Our last one is doing GCSE - but she not stressed or really bothered but should do really well in three subjects - which she wants to do at A-level not a usual combination - and okay in the rest.

Last year she was struggling with staying in some lessons struggling with anxiety and nosie levels but this has improved. She no longer leaving any lessons.

Last year's two problems subjects are going much better - one with teacher leaving due to dire results - and one a change in attitude towards our child as she massively out peformed their predictions so there's been less telling her the subjects too hard also she at front so can hear and see better and now has glasses.

She doing some revision - not as much as I'd really like but she fewer underlying memory and organisation issues than our other kids. I have to not push too much but keep an eye that something being done.

Mfl - back in 90s my teacher has us write out ideal conversation topics - I thoughly learnt them as she suggested and it raised my dire mock grade to a C iin real thing. What didn't come up in the oral section come up in writing or readingpapers. DD had the same advice - she using word text to speach button and changing the lanaguage from English to help her learn the topic passages.

Thankyou so much! Mfl is probably the one I know least about and not sure how to help.
It's such a stressful time for them all.

Those looking at different routes dc1 has dyslexia, asd, processing issues and missed lots of education due to medical issues. Scrapped through, got on to a level 2 course and after a year managed to get onto the level 3. Following that went to work in nhs and then applied for an apprenticeship. Is currently at uni one day a week, earning money, no uni debt. Leaving education was the best thing that happened to dc. Dc will have a secure (as you can get these days) job in something they enjoy. It's never going to be high paying but it's so lovely to see a happy young person and not have the stress of the education system.
I have Dt completing gcses this time, ones expected 7-9s, the other has got everything from a 4-9 unfortunately the 4 is English so fingers crossed for scraping through. Both have back up plans (which dt1 will probably need).
Dt1 is too layed back but pushing is not going to help. Dt2 has asd and states there's no need to revise because 1 teacher said "don't reinvent the wheel' so that's repeated daily as a reason not to revise.

This seems very harsh on the part of the school, when he is clearly very /extremely able.
Your poor son. This must make the whole thing ten times worse.
There are some brilliant sixth form colleges who would be delighted to have him. I think it would be worth exploring a plan B. You never know, he might actually prefer them and the absence of pressure ( ie a requirement for 6s) might ironically improve his grades!!

It depends on the college. For timetabling they may well not allow it. Or they may with 1 resit but not both maths & English.

What are the published entry requirements for the course?

Level 3 courses have a surprising amount of writing, especially to get the higher grades.

DS has a conditional offer for a L3 course next year but I think he would just be offered a L2 if he doesn’t meet the requirements. Biggest hurdle is English language but he got a solid 4 in the last mocks. Not sure what happens if he gets all 4s and 5s incl Maths but narrowly misses English. Could he still do the L3 with a resit?

I agree with @newmum1976 re plan Bs.
Even if you are quietly researching and sorting without involving them at this point ready to discuss in July.

All of those with children who may not get into their first choice school, I strongly suggest you get a plan b in place now. We know of many children who failed English last year and couldn’t back into the school they wanted. It led to a mad scramble on results day trying to find something suitable.

My DD2 is a borderline pass for English and Maths, so she has 2 vocational options as backups, in case she can’t stay at her school.

Agh. Although I don’t want everyone to feel stressed, am glad am not alone. DS came home and said Chemistry went badly. Like so many others said, he is working but struggles to know what to do. I’m feeling quite stressed now as he wants to do it for A level and is currently not getting the grade/ improving. A conversation about plan B is prob best left until post exams, unless he raises it. Has anyone had any success supporting DS to improve revision technique??? So close now!!

All of you with kids planning vocational courses next need to remember you are out there and have your own thread for college!

My 4s and 5s DS is a lot happier now he is at college.
He did nothing like the amount of work your DS is doing, but I think his retention is just not brilliant and no matter how hard he tried he would not have done a lot better. The one exam at a time style of his college course is much better for him

DS2 is more a 6 guy but more work would push him to 7s. Less work (if that is even possible!) would drop him to 4s and 5s. He is also planning a college course, at least I won't have to join any "why is DC doing no work at A Level?" threads.

My DS is in a similar boat re ‘effective revision’.

He could do quite well, based on class work over the years but seems to fall apart in exams. 😕

He is at a high achieving school and whilst his mocks weren’t awful in the grand scheme of things, and some were indeed perfectly good, we did get the official letter from the school saying if he got the same grades in the real things as in the mocks then he wouldn’t be allowed to attend sixth form, which is obviously a worry and I think stressing him out more than he’s admitting.

He needs 8s in maths and physics and a 7 in history- his a level choices. He missed out on those in the mocks, getting borderline 6/7s and a 5.

We don’t really have a good plan B.

I am really stressing about how it’s all going to go in the real things.

This is the thread I need.DD16 really bright but not bothered at all about revising or her grades.She has ADHD and still titrating a second med so up and down in mood and focus. Predicted 8/9 - getting fails and under 6s.I've backed off completely as can't force her to work.Just want them done now. She destests school so much she won't be going to 6th form which takes the pressure off .I'm hoping once she leaves she will start to work harder as she can do subjects she likes somewhere she likes.
Eldest is doing A levels at the same time, she is incredibly stressed and needs super high grades.Our house is desperate for June.

Good advice already but also - assuming it is AQA - they will have chosen a topic for their first section of the general convo so you can prep some answers to questions on this (my recc is topic 2 btw then the teacher can ask about holidays!). It's usual for the student and the teacher to discuss which elements of the topic they will answer on (as they are pretty wide).

Numbers and colours are unlikely to come up specifically but hobbies may well, if you pick topic 1.

More MFL advice freely available! just ask.

Can I join? My DS is working pretty hard and I’m helping him a lot, but he finds it hard. He’s doing about 2 hours revision per night and probably about 4 hours per day at the weekend but is only expected 4s and 5s. It’s hard when he sees others putting far less effort in and coming away with better grades. I’m trying to keep his motivation up for the next few months. He doesn’t have SEN, he just isn’t particularly academic. He’s going to do something more vocational at college next year, which I hope will be a better fit for him.

@Mum2LazyBoy thankyou. Fab advice.