BLOODY A * TARGETS!!!!!

[Northernlurker]

Apologies for shouting but I am so pissed off. My poor dd1 was given all A targets for all 12 of her GCSEs. She's done pretty well so far in keeping on track for that but has always felt very pressured by this. She is extremely bright and works ferociously hard. Having the A as a target has not boosted this. What it's done is made her feel like anything less than A* represents failure. Today she did her second French speaking assessment. She worked hard, I worked hard checking it with her. She got 27 out of 30 which she is told is an A. This means she has 2 As for the speaking element. She is upset by this, she feels she has failed. In what sort of screwed up world is an A grade a failure?

Overall she got As in her mocks (which I think is damn good). I am dreading results day because every A grade will be seen as a failure by her and every A* as only what she expected. How the heck to I help with this? I told the Head at target setting parents evening I thought this was a crappy thing to do and I am even more sure now.

I totally agree, NL.

And this "it's all so unhealthy for these kids to be killing themselves and feeling a failure with As"

I teach top set maths, most of them have a target of an A*. They are mainly uber-competitive boys and would be insulted at being given any lower target. It would be insulting their intelligence.

Either way you can't win.

Tricky, isn't it? My ds is very able at maths, and his teacher said at last parents' evening that he should be aiming for an A."What about an A*?" I said "Oh, let's not aim too high" he said.

Just to clear up what's happening when, unless anything changes:

From September 2014 the new national curriculum applies for all subjects except English, Maths and Science*.

From September 2015 the new GCSE syllabus will be taught (to current Y8s) in English and Maths only, and will be first examined in June 2017.

From September 2016 the new GCSE syllabus will be taught (to current Y7s) in the remaining subjects which will be first examined in June 2018.

.

• The National Curriculum for KS4 English, Maths and Science (i.e. GCSE level) is not changing in September 2014 because it is not ready.

• Pupils in Y2 and in Y6 in Summer 2015 (so current Y1s and Y5s) will take KS1 and KS2 tests respectively in English, Maths and Science according to the current (pre-September 2014) National Curriculum.

So in summary, if you are currently in:

YR - everything will change from September 2014.
Y1 - everything will change from September 2014 except Maths, English and Science which will change from September 2015.
Y2 - everything will change from September 2014.
Y3 - everything will change from September 2014.
Y4 - everything will change from September 2014.
Y5 - everything will change from September 2014 except Maths, English and Science which will change from September 2015.
Y6 - everything will change from September 2014.
Y7 - the National Curriculum will change from September 2014, Maths and English GCSEs change from September 2015 and the remaining GCSEs from September 2016.
Y8 - the National Curriculum will change from September 2014, but GCSEs will stay the same, except for Maths and English which will change from September 2015.
Y9 - the National Curriculum will change from September 2014 (except for English, Maths and Science), but there will be no changes to GCSEs.
Y10 - the National Curriculum will change from September 2014 (except for English, Maths and Science), but there will be no changes to GCSEs.

This ignores any changes to A levels, these have not yet been scheduled. It's the current Y8s that are potentially the big sufferers in this: as it stands they may end up with a mix of GCSEs graded E-A* and 1-9, or even (if OCR get their way) with marks instead of grades.

So that's really simple for children, teachers, parents and employers to follow isn't it?

www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity

I showed my DD this last night she feels so much better knowing that there is soooo much more to education that just grades.

It's the current Y8s that are potentially the big sufferers in this: as it stands they may end up with a mix of GCSEs graded E-A and 1-9, or even (if OCR get their way) with marks instead of grades.*

Why will the year 8s suffer?

I think the currant year 11s are at a disadvantage because of the hasty changes, the year 8s will be fine as far as I can see.

I have this child in Yr 11 and another in Yr 8..........I'm contemplating a trip to the moon for the next decade......

Thank you Northernlurker!

I feel for your DD . Mine is in exactly this predicament. I post about it and was told off for " stealth boasting" . It's not a boast it's bloody annoying! Set them a target that is the top grade so al they can do, at best is "do OK" ie "target achieved.Any other outcome is a "failure" . They messing wit nthe heads of these academically able kids in a way that really doesn't help at all.

Heard something interesting on the radio last night about risk taking in learning- if you don't risk failure you really don't progress as fast as you could or go as far. Giving targets like this makes these kids very risk averse.

Ok well I give fair notice - anybody on this thread wants to have a go about 'stealth boasting' and I will not be responsible for my actions. What an awful things to say! Like the bright kids aren't allowed to have any issues eh?

They certainly love to heap the pressure on. Dd has been predicted all As but at parents evening all that was said was that A wasn't really good enough, A* was the aim. Over and over and over. Dd now is thinking A is a failure and B would be abysmal

I can't even bear to think about what she will say if she gets a B.

I have a DD in Yr 10 At a Comprehensive would expect Bs and Cs and a Yr 8 DD at A Grammar School would expect Grades 8 or 9? A Or A*

When Does the new grading Start ?

Teachers are also under pressure to perform at the highest level.

motown3000
I have a DD in Yr 10 At a Comprehensive would expect Bs and Cs and a Yr 8 DD at A Grammar School would expect Grades 8 or 9? A Or A*

what does the type of school have to do with the expected grades?

I just had a RANT at DS for deliberately only getting a B in a subject he is dropping.

She has my sympathies, my DD got 36/40 in English which is an A (not sure why 27/30 is not an A in French) and feels bad that she didn't get 40/40. Your DD doesn't deserve this pressure.

Teachers have to account for every grade they get. Because that is what is expected from the school by OFSTED. Teachers can lose their jobs for it.

It's very stressful all round. I found a student in tears in the corridor yesterday because of the stress of the stupidly large number of exams she has to takeand the pressure to meet those high grades. It's heartbreaking to watch and gets worse every year.

I am really confused by what Reddidi has said, my Yr 10 Daughter will be graded the traditional way A*- C E.T.C ? . Will my younger Daughter be graded with a mix of different grades meaning the same thing .

If that happens I hope they put a key next to the marks explaining what they mean. A Employer who took CSEs for instance could mistake a grade 8/9 for a CSE grade 4 for instance . This has potential for a real "Mess" I am not even sure what year the Number grading starts and if some Exam boards are going to use different grading systems this is going to be terribly confusing !

It is a horrible scenario, OP.

The only thing you can do is tell her you are proud of her, however she does, and ESPECIALLY if she does as well as her targets.

I got straights As at GCSE and A level and a first class degree. Not ONE person ever said 'Well done' to me. Nobody. Parents, friends, teachers, siblings. All everyone ever said to me was, 'it's what we expected; you find this stuff so easy'.

Gee, thanks

I wondered if you might ask her which subjects she thinks she's most likely to get an A or B in - picking up ideas from cognitive therapy regarding challenging black and white or success/failure thinking. Oh, and also point out she can still do any of them for A level with a B grade or higher, or whatever the rules are at her school. So she only needs B's really in any given subject.

Maybe take this forwards by discussing with the school and asking, for emotional well-being, for one or two of her targets to be dropped to an A (doesn't stop her getting an A*in it, it's only a target)

I think I'd do this if things are as you say - the across the board A* targets, whilst lovely to see in some ways and you should both be proud, aren't really helping her are they?

I think target setting has gone too far anyway.

It would be worth your while catching the talk on iPlayer that someone mentioned above, but I can't find it. It was within another programme, and was talk given by the head of Wimbledon High School. It was a discussion about that school trying to conquer this awful 'perfection' that girls feel they have to achieve and the approach is also summarised here:

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/10277505/Helicopter-parents-creating-a-generation-incapable-of-accepting-failure.html

I don't think its fair to blame helicopter parents. I think most women recognise that the is huge pressure from the media for us to be 'perfect' and girls cotton on to that. The girls about to take GCSEs at my son's school are having a bit of a meltdown at the moment I gather.

Bloody hell Oxford Comma - not one person said "well done" at any stage?

It might be a bit late but WELL DONE anyway

Thank you Juggling

I couldn't swear that my stepdad didn't say Well Done to me when he opened my degree results for me over the phone; he probably did. But I distinctly remember my mum saying each time, 'no less than I expected' and my deputy head saying (when I was dithering over opening my A level envelope): 'For god's sake, stop being falsely modest, just open it: you know you've got four As'...

I think my mum thought that what she was saying translated as 'well done' but it really didn't.

Talkin. The type of school has no relation to the type of grades, its just the 15 year old is Middle Ability ( High when not being Lazy) Her expected grades are Maybe an A in English and Mostly Bs in the other 9 subjects ( but with a fair wind ,an A in history) .

The reason I said Bs and Cs though , is because that is what is expected ( The Schools Average for Middle ability kids) Actually its C on the DOE Site.
The average grade for the Grammar School is A Grades , I hope younger Daughter gets mostly As or whatever the equivalent grading is.

Would a B be a Grade 7 on the new system?

motown, my DC go to a comp. That is where DD got her A/A targets from. There is a large cohort at her school that will have similar targets. However, if your DC are in a grammar school area, then it could be that the grammar has "creamed off" all the A/A students. How do you know they are expecting them to get B's or C's?

Juggling "point out she can still do any of them for A level with a B grade or higher, or whatever the rules are at her school. So she only needs B's really in any given subject." - I am going to keep reminding her of this.

redidi "Y8 - the National Curriculum will change from September 2014, but GCSEs will stay the same, except for Maths and English which will change from September 2015" Damn! DS was hoping to avoid all the CA's DD has had to do!

Hmmanoxfordcomma - it isn't just you. I got a 'I never expected less' too. I HAD A BABY TWO WEEKS BEFORE MY FINALS. In those circumstances my 2:1 was a bloody miracle as well as being what I deserved. I think she meant it as praise but like you say it doesn't come out like that. I parent differently in that respect.