A pass is a pass? GCSE

[Rumplestiltz]

At GCSE, a 4 is a pass. When employers/apprenticeships/further and higher education institutes ask for a pass in maths and English, it’s a 4.

So why the fuss about “strong” passes, which is a 5? Why does the Government organise its data on the proportion who get “strong” passes in English and Maths? Bridget Phillipson saying it’s a travesty that white, working class boys aren’t getting “strong” passes in English and Maths and their life chances are affected as a result. It kind of undermines those who work very hard to get to that pass line of a 4 (teachers and students) to be told it’s not good enough.

I am sure I will be told it’s very easy to get a 4 etc etc, but for some kids in these subjects, it isn’t.

So my AIBU is - a pass is a pass.

I didn't actually. But if I had, I don't agree that that's worse than insulting the achievements and hard work of children with less advantages than you.

Those posters sneering at what to a good number of children is a huge win are showing who they are, and it's not edifying.

Is a 4 equivalent to the old C or a D?

Its the equivalent of a C so is what would have been seen as a good pass (and still is unless you are a MN perfect parent)

What a thoroughly unpleasant comment.

Thank you. Then I don't see the issue. My son got Cs in subjects he wasn't interested in then went onto get 3 As at A level (in the days before A*at A level).
Many 16 year olds don't get particularly brilliant GCSE results as long as they get what they need.
In the scheme of things GCSE grades don't mean very much

Wait…do you think it’s possible for everyone to get a 4? That it’s a measure of what you can do in the absolute? It’s not. The results are norm referenced, not criterion referenced. 30% get less than a 4 however much of the paper they get right

Oh yes, I remember now. You didn't tell them to fuck off. You suggested they check their privilege... and then go fuck themselves.

These kind of threads make me so sad. Lots of children don't do well at GCSE level and still do amazing things. My DD has just had her year 13 results and they are better than her GCSE results.
I come from a really academic family and broke the mould time and time again. I out earn both my siblings with my really not very good GCSE results compared to there As and Bs and really want to stick my finger up to people who can't get past this. There is a place for everyone in the world and people are not defined by exams.

This is a disgusting post. You should be ashamed of it.

I would be ashamed if my kids got a 4. I would fail as a parent if I let my children get a 4. It would never happen as I make sure they work hard and learn what they need to succeed. Obviously if they had learning difficulties or equivalent it would be a different story. No typical child who works hard should be getting a 4 in anything.

Exactly this. GCSEs are easy. If a typical 16 year old can't answer the majority of these questions correctly then something has gone wrong somewhere.

What a nasty person you are…

You'd fail as a parent if you brought them up with shitty attitudes too. Let's hope they're less unpleasant than you appear to be.

Have you completely failed to understand that the way they're graded is why people get grade 3 and below?

Has something "gone wrong" with your reading skills, given that it's been pointed out repeatedly?

It is just facts. I am sorry if that hurts your feelings but in the real world people aren't going to think your kid's 4s are an achievement. It is a massive failure. You might get away with the odd rogue 4 in something like RE or a MFL. But a 4 in anything else just isn't going to look good is it? No point pretending otherwise.

While that is true, it is also the case that a big chunk of that 30% will be resits from prior failures, children with additional needs and/or children with extenuating circumstances.

A child who doesn’t fall within those categories and who still gets a 3 or below would be much lower than the 30th centile when compared against all children who are sitting for the first time, don’t have additional needs and don’t have extenuating circumstances.

I'd say anything over retake threshold so a 4 is great if it means no maths and English resits. As for A-level most places expect probably a 6 minimum so quibbling between a 4 and a 5 not much difference

This is a middle if the night displacement reply.

You say 'unless they have SEN'. Let me expand that list for you:
. SEN diagnosed
. SEN undiagnosed (told not trying hard enough, not bothering to concentrate etc)
. MH issues
. Ongoing health issues meaning missed school due to medical appointments
. Family issues such as ill parents or siblings taking focus away
. Nowhere good to study, eg room sharing with younger sibling
. English as second language
. Parents don't have time, resources or academics to assist or know what might help
. Teaching has been sporadic due to stream of supply teachers or teachers covering out of their expertise
. Teaching disrupted due to 'inclusion' or lack of funds for SEN support for other children

So if you mean 'if my specific child who has all the advantages in life got a 4 I would be disappointed' then fine. But totally sweeping away the hard work of other kids the way you have is showing a disturbing lack of insight and empathy. I'll give you a grade 1 for identifying SEN, but you are far off a passing grade.

It'd not a massive failure it gets kids on to most level. Three courses I'm sorry your comprehension skills are so poor you can't understand thst
And that you have no empathy whatsoever I feel extremely sorry for any children you might have .

Idiot?
Oh the irony....

You don't understand disability or SEN do you?

I think you are quite ignorant of the real world. My son just got a 4 in English Language and a 5 in Maths. He was delighted and is now on a level 3 course. He has no SEN, he is just of average intellectual ability. He has 100% attendance at school, excellent behaviour and revised very hard. He is certainly not a waster. His results overall were as predicted by his year 7 CAT scores, which placed him marginally above average. And there are loads of kids like him out there. The “wasters” at his school got Us, 1s and 2s.

I have 2 children. One is academically average and the other is academically gifted. Unfortunately no amount of hard work or parental input will equalise their GCSE results. You just have to make the most of the skills and talents that you have.

30% of candidates dont get a 4. Not because they didn’t work(though some won’t have), not because of anything their parents did or didn’t do, but because that’s the cut off. It’s norm referenced, not criterion referenced.