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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think Bs at GCSE are ok?

808 replies

catwalker · 28/08/2011 21:31

Some issues with DS and GCSEs/6th form. He didn't get the grades he was predicted (As and As) but then I didn't expect him to as he doesn't put much effort into anything apart from his x box. He got mainly Bs, a couple of As, a couple of Cs and a couple of Ds. I was quite happy until I started reading the secondary education forum where people are tearing their hair out because their dc's didn't get straight As and may have blown their oxbridge chances. I get the impression that anything less than an A just isn't worth the paper it's written on. He could have done loads better but Bs are OK aren't they?

OP posts:
Tchootnika · 30/08/2011 22:12

I'm certainly not offended by your comments, Xenia - I just wondered what was their purpose.
If you can't remember what you said, I think you'll find it above in this thread. HTH

exoticfruits · 30/08/2011 22:13

b's are fine but not for russell group universities
Untrue-depends on the subject.

MrsFlittersnoop · 30/08/2011 22:23

Xenia is a contemporary of mine. We are certainly amongst the oldest MN demographic, and therefore probably have a rather different perspective on life to many of the posters here. I would just like to state that my opinions are completely different to hers.

But Xenia fulfils a very important function on this forum She is firstly a role model for other single parents (she is a divorcee with 5 children), and she is an extremely successsful professional woman who runs her own business.

But most importantly, as well as reminding us what women are capable of, she reminds of what price you have to pay for that success. We might not agree with her opinions about the desirability of outsourcing the care of your young children and other domestic responsibilites, but she sure as hell reminds us that this is what it takes if you want to compete in a man's world. Or, to be accurate, what it TOOK for women of our generation 15-20 years ago.

I really don't understand why she gets so much stick here. American women wouldn't find her lifestyle and attitudes (apart from the silly snob academic stuff) particularly weird. And even then, a lot of what she says about recruitment policies in the top City echelons are entirely spot-on.

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 30/08/2011 22:32

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exoticfruits · 30/08/2011 22:38

I can't remember what my DS got for GCSEs, but they were not all A's (and he hasn''t been asked for them since his degree). He didn't get all A's for A'level. He was doing a science subject-less popular. Had he wanted to be a doctor, dentist, vet etc he would have had to have had A's.

exoticfruits · 30/08/2011 22:39

He had a strong personal statement which helps-lots of extra curricular stuff.

MrsFlittersnoop · 30/08/2011 22:42

It is entirely possible to get into a Russell Group University with B grades at A level if you choose unpopular subjects.

Struggling departments at risk of closure may be particularly keen to take enthusiastic potential students with lower grades.

Just do your research. Make some phonecalls.

scottishmummy · 30/08/2011 22:44

my friend did english degree glasgow uni bbbb scottish highers

QuickLookBusy · 30/08/2011 22:44

Paula my DD has just finished her first year at Bristol. Although she did have all As at GCSE she knows many people who got Bs.

joannita · 30/08/2011 22:45

I wouldn't worry. I got straight As and lots of schoolfriends who got worse grades than me are earning far more money. I think there's a lot more to getting on in life than getting top grades, and in any case Bs are very respectable. You should be proud of what he's achieved. If you're too academic you can risk only being destined for academia and the pay's not that great.

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 30/08/2011 22:56

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QuickLookBusy · 30/08/2011 22:56

MRS I think Xenia gets "so much stick" because although as you say, she could be held up as a role model for women, she spoils it by posting, as you said yourself "silly" comments.

I cant believe that an intelligent, successful woman would say what she did about "bin men" or SAHMs or "an ex poly" without expecting to be asked for further explanation.

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 30/08/2011 22:56

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QuickLookBusy · 30/08/2011 22:59

Yes Paula, my DD knows many people with a smattering of Bs at GCSE.

MrsFlittersnoop · 30/08/2011 23:03

I have a lovely young friend who has a 2:1 in History from our local (ex technical college) uni. She has worked in shops and restaurants since she graduated 3 years ago. I have just employed her for a few hours a week to tutor my DS through 4 of his GCSEs.

I am a mature student at the same Uni. If all goes well, I will graduate from the same course in 2 years time. I will be 52. It will cost me £9,000 in my final year (2013) to get an honours degree though Hmm Same price as Oxbridge.

My friend has no career ambitions whatsoever - she lives with her her DP of 5 years, loves her job, and wants to start a family in the next couple of years. She is a lovely domestic goddess, and is also a total history geek and literature nerd Grin. She does great crafts and baking!

I DO wish that girls of my generation realised that it wasn't all black and white - career v. domestic-cow. I wish it hadn't taken me 30 years to realise I loved academic work and was capable of a 1st class honours degree.

Xiaoxiong · 30/08/2011 23:27

Oh my goodness.

A cursory google has informed me that I referred to a book that Xenia wrote just this afternoon when trying to draft a clause for a contract.

Small world!! (And thanks Xenia, twas helpful! Grin)

Tchoot not only does a criminal record bar you from practicing law, but declaring bankruptcy does too. I think you can try and argue for permission to be admitted if there are extenuating circumstances but in general anything which you'd done which would "diminish public confidence" in the profession would bar you from practicing. More info here.

What I took away from the OP at the very very top of this mega long thread that I apologise for slightly hijacking was the fact that catwalker felt that her son was capable of doing much better than he did, but that he didn't work very hard. In these circumstances, I would think his results were most emphatically not ok, because he hadn't done his best. I'm not a parent (yet!) but whether a child of mine got an A* or an E, I would care far more about whether that represented their best effort or not. In the OP's case it doesn't sound like she thinks her son has and so I wouldn't be congratulating him and trying to excuse his lack of effort by talking about people earning megabucks who left school at 16 with no GCSEs.

Xiaoxiong · 30/08/2011 23:30

Oh and also, I agree with everything MrsF says as well - everything she and Xenia have said here certainly chimes with my own experience so far, even though I am merely a lowly 1 year PQE.

MrsFlittersnoop · 31/08/2011 01:00

Well, feel vindicated then.

Actually, am too pissed to have a sensible convo.

Xenia · 31/08/2011 08:04

(The bottom line is the boy could have done better, didn't work much (very very common with lots of teenage boys) and should not have praise heaped upon him, but nor should he be given the impression that he might as well give up. He needs to work to his abilities, get As in his AS next year and redeem himself).

As for my bin men I didn't say there was anything wrong with tatoos. If you prefer to call them refuse collectors that's fine too. Was that the objection? I expect I was saying it's horses for courses. As for ex cons I was talking to a bin man and he was saying they don't ask too many questions and one was off because he was inside. There's nothing wrong with that as they just empty the bins. If they were handling large sums of money it might matter. As for tatoos as indicators of social class that would need to be another thread.

I have always liked people to know you can have a large famiyl, full time work, earn a lot as a woman and have a very happy life. Given how much misery is in the press about working women it's a point women who have good lives need to keep going on about. In today's Times is some study by Aviva saying women (never men of course because they assume women earn a pittance pin money and only those with a penis earn real money) should not bother working as childcare costs too much.

Yellowstone · 31/08/2011 09:00

'one was ..inside'.

However bright you claim to be 'Xenia', your habit of generalising from the particular is not the attribute of a clever person and leads to you being patronizing and downright insulting, even if that's not your intention.

Tchootnika · 31/08/2011 09:13

A cursory google has informed me that I referred to a book that Xenia wrote just this afternoon when trying to draft a clause for a contract.

Written, published and on line all in one afternoon? At the same time as trying to draft a contract!
Also while MNing, bringing up 5 kids and staying ahead in fast lane legal profession? That's some multi-tasking!
Hope the contract's OK...

(Reminds me, I must get some of those nice wee sockpuppets knitted before the nights draw in any more...) Grin

Xenia · 31/08/2011 11:13

It would be provable statistically. More working class have tattoos than middle class. More working class are fatter than the middle class. These things are true. I am not saying it is bad to have tatoos.

CrosswordAddict · 31/08/2011 11:22

Hi Xenia Glad to see you are still active on MN.
A question for you and anyone else who might know the answer.
Sorry, it's only vaguely linked to the OP.
Is it correct that the grades at GCSE are worked out as follows: 10%A's
20%B's 40%/C's 20%D's10%E's
If so, where do the A*s fit in and where do the F/Gs fit in?
Probably a very stupid question I know but this topic seems to be shrouded in mystery.
My point is (I think) that in a "poor" year academically speaking the top 10% might not be as bright as the previous year. Not being controversial here, just interested to know the mechanics of it all Smile

adamschic · 31/08/2011 11:29

This thread is about B's at GCSE not B's at A level.

B's at A level will get you into a Russell Group uni.

wordfactory · 31/08/2011 11:38

Tchoo I'm afraid to tell you that Xenia has written tons of stuff...all used very regularly in the profession. She's known for it.

Whatever you may think of her, she is at the top of her game in her work life and has been a single Mum to five kids. And although I don't agree with everything she says, I do think it's good to have women saying in public that it can be done, rather than endless head hanging about how horribly hard it is...