Don't forget the children who didn't get the exam results they hoped for.

[Whatmonth]

Our granddaughter has failed her exams and is devastated.
In march she was on a ventilator after a bust cyst on her burst appendix.
Unconscious for 3 weeks.
Only came out of hospital 7 days before the start of the GCSE exams.

As we have said it is not the end of the world (of course it is for her)
Yes the exam board has given her leeway.
Unfortunately we can't give her a cuddle as we have covid.

Than this is something you really need to work with her on as reframing all failures will do her no good in life. These are the building blocks to good mental health. Wrapping our kids up in cotton wool and protecting them from all uncomfortable feelings, messes up their mental health in the long run. This is especially important if you have a child who has medical needs as they are bound to have more set backs than the average child.

Ok @Foxesandsquirrels you clearly feel very strongly about this 😊

I think how we frame success and failure is important and has an important bearing upon young people's self esteem. We know that the field is not even. Some children have been tutored extensively and have done very well - excellent they have been successful but a child who has not had their advantage may not have performed so well therefore how we interpret results is important. I am afraid more and more we see how unequal things are.

@twelly The system is impossible to even out though. I am baffled at this whole notion. We would have to do away with grade boundaries. Unlike most countries where there is a pass mark that's the same every year, the UK fails half the kids before they've even sat the exams. No amount of tutoring will ever even that out.

I do. I think it's very important.

Please try saying that to a pissed off 16 year old on results day. Good luck dodging the slap.

Yes I agree it is impossible to create a level playing field, not just due to tutoring but schools are different, teachers/ learning experience is variable, parental input variable etc etc. My point is we need to be aware of this in how we recognise achievement

I think you'd need to go back to funding schools a bit better so they can offer vocational qualifications. If is pretty obvious to most teachers which kids won't pass GCSEs but most schools have had to scrap vocational routes as well as functional skills. Many many kids could be leaving at 16 with Level 2 in maths and English if schools had the money.