GCSE results - what do they really mean?

[sleepypjs]

The son of a friend of mine has got much worse results than anticipated - mainly C results.

I am not from the UK - can you please tell me if this really matters long term?

Does it impact say getting into University?

Can he redeem himself?

some uni courses require certain levels of gcse to go on to study subject ie french /math
usually above c or b
have a look at uni websites for exact courses

for eg dd doing economics and french at uni and she had to have atleast a b at french at gcse level

all courses different

some 6th form colleges require minimum b at gcse to study the subject at A level

Oh ok thank you - so it is very important then. I have never really got to grips with the amount of pressure on students, but now I can see that it may actually impact University places.

Why would the 6th form colleges require minimum grades for study at A level?

At this stage, exams are usually a stepping stone to get to the next level. So GCSE are stepping stones to A Levels, A Levels are stepping stones to bachelors degree, bachelors is stepping stone to masters etc.
Has he done enough to get to sixth form? Most sixthforms like 5 GCSE, with grade B or above in the subject they are going to study at A Level. If he has achieved this then stop worrying - don't waste effort trying to 'redeem' GCSE but concentrate on the job in hand (AS Levels).
The GCSE might count against at Uni entry level but no use crying over spilt milk.

So that they have a prerequisite amount of knowledge, and a proven potential to handle the work.

6th form colleges require minimum grades so they know the student is capable of the work required for the A level subject.
egno use doing A level french if you were only mediocre at it

And I have just found out he is year 10 - so does this mean he will have another chance at gcse level next year?

Is it a 2 year process?

He seems a very bright kid to me, but does not get much support from his very busy parents.

For example, I know he wants to go to Uni but his parents are not keen on him going?

Thank you for your responses.

It still seems a bit confusing to me.

So from what age to kids start studying to try get a place in a good university?

The sixth forms I know of will let you study a levels if you get grade c or above at gcse

Ah, if he is Y10 then that is different. He will still be doing the GCSE syllabus next year so he can fit in retakes with no problem (January and/or June).
Does he want to retake? Some schools are a bit, ahem, focussed on league tables which rank them on how many A*-C grades the kids get. If he has already got a C grade then the school may not push for a retake and the busy parents may overlook the opportunity too.
If he is a bright lad then it is time for him to take ownership of his education. He needs to find out:
-what he needs for sixthform entry
-the timetable for entering for retakes

Thank you Senua, he is I believe a very bright lad, he wants to go to University, however his parents, lovely as they are in many ways, actively discourage him from striving towards this.

He has told me this, and his Dad has mocked university education openly.

I do not think the parents want to consider fees as they have no savings and really show very little interest in education.

So are you saying that the school may discourage him retaking some gcse subjects, even though that may be better for him?

I will have a chat to him next time and suggest he do some web research and speak to his school.

I think it must be really hard when you do not have any adults who know the system, or who care about education, enough to help him.

I just wish I understood the ins and outs more.

"So are you saying that the school may discourage him retaking some gcse subjects, even though that may be better for him?"

But it won't be better for them. I doubt that they would discourage but they may not actively encourage.
What results are we talking about here? Are we talking full-blown GCSE? because kids are usually only entered early for these if the school thinks that they will do well. Or are we talking a few odd modules? eg Science is usually some modules in Y10 with the balance in Y11

Well I know from talking to him, his school were expecting better marks, I will check with him.

Previously he has done pretty well.

OK. Check with him the detail of his results. There are plenty on here who can advise you on what to advise him!

I may be being harsh on his school. It tends to be the 'system' that can be uncaring. I'll bet that there is an individual teacher who will take him under his/her wing. Does he have an especially good rapport with any of them?

A friend of mine's DD has not done as well as predicted...but she did get As in the subjects she wants to pursue at A level, so sixth form will accept her. Phew.

Thanks Senua I will check with him, carefully, regarding school and teachers.

I think the worry is, that if he does go to University, his parents will not support him, he is an only child without close family around.

I am sure the school identified his potential, as I am aware they have tried to speak to the parents about him previously.

It just seems awful, he is in shock.

The school won't necessarily discourage resits, they just might not pay. Resits cost money.

I would suggest that he talks to his tutor and the careers advisor when he gets back to school. Tells them that he wants to go to University and is worried about his GCSE results.

His school will probably do their best to help him. His ambitions maybe unrealistic. Or he may need to work harder, but the school may be able to give him a mentor for this.

University is funded by loans to the student. One advantage over the olden days is that there is no longer a "parental contribution" which parents can not pay; just loans which you pay off after graduation.

Grades at GCSE indicate both how much the student knows and how hard they have worked. There is a huge jump to A'level and if you don't know the GCSE staff well you will struggle with A'level.

Good luck.