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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to make universities accept an A level at grade E from a normal state school is as hard to get as B/A at selective schools!! ??

185 replies

oddjobgirl · 16/08/2007 22:28

Not my DS - but I've had a crowd of A2 students in my home. One who got what he was expecting and the others massively under. I've just watched the news - what a difference. Some of the young peoples here worked hard, competed with dis-interested class mates who dropped out, teachers over worked, exhausted, off sick for months on end... it's not a level playing field.

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bookwormtailmum · 17/08/2007 21:23

Not sure if I posted this already but I had some howls of dismay when the girls in my first student flat found out that I could have potentially waltzed into my degree course with no A-levels as a Mature Student with Life Experience (blah). I can see their point tbh which was why I put myself through the marginal pain of my Access course - that and having someone to hold my hand through the UCAS process.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 17/08/2007 21:26

Just one thought to add.

There are lots of people here who did well academically themselves in spite of having crap teachers.

Well, I was in the first year of GCSE and one thing that immediately became clear about the switch to continuous assessment was that there was much more opportunity for help from teachers or parents to improve your grades, where exams had been basically down to you in the end.

Since then things have gone much further in that direction, with A levels often having large continuous assessment and modular (and hence repeatable) elements.

You also often see the comment from academics that general signs of brilliance or talent at a subject are unrewarded these days, compared with writing the exact thing that the examiner wants you to write.

So isn't it likely that it is now much harder for people with crap teaching to get decent grades than it was in our day? Just a thought.

harpsichordcarrier · 17/08/2007 21:31

Kathy - I think that is absolutely correct. I copped pretty good A level results and O levels come to that. from a crappy school with erm variable teaching, because I could manage exams and perform under pressure. if i had to produce course work this would have been very much more challenging, as my home circumstances made homework very frowned upon.

HorseyWoman · 17/08/2007 21:39

Kathy, I did my A levels this century! I am only 23!

beautifulgirls · 18/08/2007 21:20

Plenty of people do get the high grades at state schools. Ultimately it comes down to the effort put in. Yes some schools are better than others but you would hardly be pleased with a doctor seeing you who was academically poor because they went to a poor school and so was allowed in on their lower grades to study to be a doctor.

pointydog · 18/08/2007 21:30

I think I would like to contribute to this thread but have no idea what the op means.

Isababel · 18/08/2007 21:32

Actually, until I saw this thread I didn't even know that it was possible to get an E

pointydog · 18/08/2007 21:52

the thread title certainly sounds preposterous

irishbird · 18/08/2007 21:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pointydog · 18/08/2007 21:56

I really don't think any university with any shred of credibility would ever do this. Really.

gess · 18/08/2007 22:07

It's just not true anyway an E at state school doesn't equal an A.

When I was working in the retake college the kids all had fantastic teaching, of course (seriously though they did, and they could demand our attention; that was our job) but the biggest variable in performance were a) natural abillity (I can;'t think of anyone who went from an E to an A, I can think of a handful who went from a D to an A, but usually it was one, 2 grades up at most- very few stayed the same) and b) the amount of work put in. Some of the kids worked really hard- and did well. Some didn't (and didn't do well).

Yes teaching plays a role, but not enough of a role to drop from an A to an E.

pointydog · 18/08/2007 22:09

of course it doesn't. That's why universities wouldn't do it.

HorseyWoman · 18/08/2007 22:14

The whole point of A level as far as I saw it, was to begin that progression from leaning on grown-ups to working off your own back. My English teacher didn't carry me through my exams - the lowest grade in our class was a U, and funnily enough he wasn't too keen on coming to class!

Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 22:39

IsabelWatchingItRainInMacondo - :such an interesting comment. do go to teenagers - you can always find me there. MN is great and I'd like to know more - no descriptions of course. ... oddobgirl

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Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 23:02

To Loryan, been WOOTH - just "let the mums' know: are there lots of uni students posting on IMO...... MN, or are you uniique?

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gess · 18/08/2007 23:11

Tamum- just seen your post- wish you'd come to our college you would have really helped our stats (grade improvement). Rare though, and you must have worked harder and been more motivated second time round......

Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 23:15

Serious risk of exposure here; reallytired, verytired, andmoehere,

I would like to say JUST GROW UP, or alernatiely face 16 year olds who say F .... OFF AND GET A LIFE - but they are our children. They need help

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gess · 18/08/2007 23:18

oddjobgirl I have no idea what you're talking about, your last few posts make no sense....

Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 23:22

LIZS - What year did you get you degree?

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Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 23:25

ges - that because I cave been WOOTH - and hve started out twelth post and have worked forward

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Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 23:32

Posting after-long-time away..... Horseygirl... good for you... I know English grauduates are v. intel. .... just in a rush off to WOOTH and ddn't think about the post.

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McEdam · 18/08/2007 23:42

Irishbird, I've already explained 'finishing schools for the wealthy'. It was my summary of the attitude of the Mail and the Telegraph when they get all outraged at the idea that perhaps top universities should admit a significant proportion of people from state schools. It's the 'how dare the oiks try to sully our cloisters, we paid good money to ensure little Arabella never had to mix with the under class' thing.

Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 23:45

So here is the dilemma ... one of the young men in my home.. very worried... D Physics, D other science ... U chem, u Maths but good grades at GCSE and As C, but also sister about to have baby. C.H. S.P = serious risk of expososure for me/him? . UK wide or just Surrey?

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Original poster
oddjobgirl · 18/08/2007 23:48

MCadam ... can tell you are also one of the underclasses... like odd job girl and seriously down 17/18 yr olds in my home

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Tamum · 19/08/2007 14:54

gess, sorry to destroy your theory but nothing could be further from the truth. I did much less revision the second time (I did the same in maths, but only 2 grades up for that). I don't think I was any more motivated, just way, way more confident because I had understood everything during the year and (shock horror) been given regular prep. This was emphatically not the case at the private school.

Poinydog, I have been wondering about the thread title too... (how was the Travelodge btw? I can heartily recommend Travel Inns for next year, they make the children's beds up woohoo )