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Original poster

2014 as results generally poor?

39 replies

Londonbug1 · 03/09/2014 22:38

Just wondering if anyone else thought the as grades were very poor this year?
Perhaps it is just my son and his friends who have done badly?
Would like to hear anyone else's views/experience

OP posts:

Carriemac · 03/09/2014 22:48

Yes , worst for 5 years in our school. To do with no January modules apparently

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 03/09/2014 22:55

It's terrible I don't want to wish poor grades on anyone else but the shock of what they got is awful.
Now it seems an insurmountable mountain to climb.
So dreadful to think that this years as students will not get a second chance to try and improve

OP posts:

Carriemac · 03/09/2014 23:21

DSGit 4As to be fair, but his form had a lot of B and Cs which is unusual for his school

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 04/09/2014 06:53

That's great for your son.
Mine did very badly he goes to a state comprehensive and we had no inkling that there was any concerns. He worked hard and was getting a's in mocks
He did well in gcse all a* and a grades. If it were just him I would think he was struggling with the change to tougher work but very few of his friends have got any a's even though that is what they were expecting.
I just wondered whether this was the school he is in( I don't think the sixth form is great), or whether it was a national trend as this wil affect their uni applications

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CatherineofMumbles · 04/09/2014 07:13

We had a letter yesterday from DC school to say this year's results were the best ever (detailed breakdown and comparison). They have never done January exams, and so it has always been the June results for all pupils.
Our local comp, which has only just got 'good' (was struggling before being made into an academy three years ago)had their best ever English results, with many DC exceeding their predicted grades and well above the national average.
So, not all schools.
By the way, the children can resit and get better grades, just that the schools cannot include them in their stats. So it clearly shows which schools are focussing, on the DC achievement, and which are focussed on league tables. if the former, they can and will offer re-sits. If the latter, they won't.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 04/09/2014 07:39

Ok so far looks like my son and his cohort have just badly. I was truly hoping it was a general trend but seems not.
As far as I know he cannot resist any until next May/June which will clearly add to the pressure next time.
We will have to speak to the school - no one has been available to speak to yet.
Tutor time I suppose .

OP posts:

antimatter · 04/09/2014 09:10

What are his results?
Not sure how you can re-sit gcse's and study for AS at the same time (there would be different subjects) or are you thinking he should repeat year?

frogsinapond · 04/09/2014 10:03

AS results nationally were very stable this year compared to last year. The proportion getting A is up 0.1 percentage points to 19.9 per cent and the proportion getting A-E is up 0.5 percentage points to 88.8 per cent.

But, at a school level, some schools coped much better with the removal of Jan modules than others, so variation on results from last year at a school level is much more variable.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 04/09/2014 11:19

He took as levels
Maths b
Philosophy c
Biology d
Physics e
He has dropped physics but we are worried that even with traits he will struggle to do any better
He has always been regarded as very able academically by the school so always assumed he would be good university material but now not so sure he is devastated
If the as results were better than usual then it's really grim for him

OP posts:

Mominatrix · 04/09/2014 11:30

Letter from the Head of the Senior school yesterday reporting results up from last year. Does not mean much to me as it will be a long time before DS takes exams, and who knows what iteration will exist then!

springrain · 05/09/2014 21:25

Have you looked at individual results for the papers for the AS and considered getting any weaker papers remarked, particularly if he is close to a grade boundary? Deadline for this at our 6th form is 15 Sept, and cost is approx 40 a paper, 50 if you want a copy of the paper back as well. Even if grade doesn't improve, it is worth considering as he may well learn from what went wrong and so avoid making same mistakes again. But don't do it if he is very close to a lower grade boundary.

Also you could ask him to talk to teachers about amount of additional work it is to retake selected weaker AS papers at same time as A2 next year. DD will be retaking a Spanish paper, and teachers have said it won't be a lot of extra work for her given the nature of languages. The A2 teaching will mean she is far better at the AS work, it is not like it will be covering a different area. You might find this is similar in Maths and possibly in Philosophy, less sure about Biology though.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 05/09/2014 21:34

Oh well never mind looks like he will just have to leave and get a job !

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springrain · 05/09/2014 21:35

Forgot to say DD's school had far fewer A* and As at A level this year, plus lower overall pass percentage. They have requested a lot of remarks where they have seen anomalies.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 05/09/2014 21:40

Thank you spring rain
We did get two papers remarked biology and philosophy both went down in marks though thankfully not in grades
I think that's worth noting because frantically trawling through various threads on mums net seems to imply that everyone's grade goes up when rarked so please do be carefull .

OP posts:

springrain · 05/09/2014 21:56

In which case could you have a meeting with his teachers and discuss what they think went wrong with you and DS and what can be done to help him. DD was gutted with some of her results. We have paid for copies of papers back and will be paying for remarks after she has gone through them with her teachers if they think there are any areas not marked correctly. We learnt this trick off another thread as safer than a blind remark. Plus she will retake weaker paper as per above. In art, which is a whole other story, we have gone for help outside of school, as major changes at her school in this department and it is not working for her. I think you would be surprised how many people get tutors etc to help give 1 to 1 help at A level.

FuzzyWizard · 05/09/2014 22:02

one of our students this year got B D E E last year but was pretty bright. They dropped one subject and got ABC this year and a place at their first choice uni (not RG but in the top 20) to study law. They resat a couple of units in June though. it can be done.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 05/09/2014 22:09

Thank you for these comments.
His teachers have been very supportive today and are arranging resits for next year
Also the school has put on a biology revision class every week as so many of them did so badly.
What does your daughter hope to do ? The art results at our school were dreadful

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TeaAndALemonTart · 05/09/2014 22:15

I've heard lots of people saying that their AS grades were lower than predictions.

Regarding remarks, I had two of DSs gcse s remarked and both went up a grade so they are worth it sometimes.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 05/09/2014 22:23

I'm so glad yours did but I suppose all the stories I've seen have echoed that.
In fact we got his remarked on the advice of come one who said that in her experience they always go up , she is a credible person.
I suppose I just want to sound a note of caution because my da was 2 marks off a b but is now just off a d so take care

OP posts:

springrain · 05/09/2014 22:43

Hi London. That sounds much more positive - if they are working with him and putting on extra biology then it sounds like they are being really proactive. DD wants to do art foundation as art is her passion, has spent all summer hols doing art at home and on art courses. Schools work was moderated and marks are significantly down across the board in art, apparently at both AS and A2. Am finding it really frustrating as it is taking them ages to decide what to do about it re whether to remoderate or not. Her back up plan is a languages degree, but for that she needs good grades, including in art.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 05/09/2014 23:19

What a wonderful thing for her to be so clear about what she wants to do .
I really hope it all works out for her looking at some of the comments above seems all is not lost .

OP posts:

Happy36 · 07/09/2014 00:49

Our school´s are good, not our best ever but largely in line with or just above our expectations for this cohort. We use a variety of exam. boards including EdExcel for a number of subjects.

Original poster

Londonbug1 · 07/09/2014 10:09

I was living in hope I suppose that it was a generally tough year.
Now he is about to start applying for universities but with the grades he got not sure what to advise. The school is not great for things like this.
The UCAS thing is pretty new to us.
Originally DS was keen to apply for one of the London unis but He realises that this is now out of the question, for the prestigious ones at any rate.
He is interested in economics/ philosophy . Looking around they seem to be asking for minimum AAB/ABB. really unsure how to proceed.

OP posts:

wolfe1 · 07/09/2014 11:27

A few of my friends have DC's doing AS levels and a lot of them were poorer than expected. Most of the schools they go to have told them this is because of the lack of January exams so they need to remember twice as much info and have twice as many exams in the summer than the previous years.

Advice they have been given is resist and remarks (if close to boundary).

antimatter · 07/09/2014 11:33

If this was my child and wanting to study economics I would call university admission offices and explain situation and look for unis which allow him to do economics ABC.
I would aim at him getting A in Maths - getting good tutor and him working very hard. Same for 2 other subjects. It looks like school is not preparing them well for A levels exams.
It has been said on another thread if the student works very,very hard they can improve on AS results by one mark.
It is your job to find unis which would accept ABC or ACC.
If he fails to get those I would plan for the re-sit for the following year.

With A's and A* he should have got at least BBB across this year = bur in better school AAA.

Good A-levels tutors are rare. I know one in Croydon (maths/physics) if that's of any help.

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