GCSE 1-9 Advice Please

[Actually25]

Hello All,

KS4 year 10 pupil. I Would really welcome some advice. Progress grades 5a 5b 5c .... 7a 7b 7c under old system.

How do these convert to new grading system, say if my child is 6a English what would expected GCSE be under new grading system.

Much appreciated

No one knows, the GCSEs are too new and schools grade things differently to each other.

The school giving a,b,c to grades gives an impression of accuracy that isn’t there at all.

Does she have predicted grades?

But it does look like those grades are under the new grading system, not the old one.

My understanding is 6a 6b 6c are the National Curriculum Levels so don't directly correlate with GCSE. No we've not got predicted levels as in 1 to 9.

Just trying to keep daughter's anxiety at bay given all changes. Schools anxiety through the roof and unhelpfully teachers are openly talking about the demands of the changes . I appreciate it's an issue but don't feel it's appropriate for our children to have the extra burden of worry .

National curriculum levels only ever applied to KS3, so a Y10 in KS4 should be getting GCSE grades. Double-check with the school, but I can’t imagine they are NC levels.

There's no "expected progress" with the new GCSEs.

Is 6a the grade she's being given now, or what she had for her KS2 SATS?

There is no direct correlation between nc levels (which ha e been obsolete for a few years now anyway so may not have been used correctly anyway) and new GCSEs. Having said that, the school should by now have some sort of handle on the new grades by now. Y11 exams start in a few weeks and Maths and English have already had a cohort through. They may be a bit hazy over exact boundaries-we all are- but it is not acceptable for them not to give you any kind of progress information, we know how they align to old GCSE gradings and there has been a lot of discussion around the issues which all Heads of Departments should have engaged in. I would speak to her tutor in the first instance and ask for clear information regarding her current and target grades.

This is from my daughters school but it’s too soon to establish how accurate it is. I also think they have their own score system so it might be of no use?

it’s too soon to establish how accurate it is

No, it isn’t. It’s a pile of crap, sorry! There is no way a teacher can assess a kid at a 7.5 versus 7.6 or whatever.

Ginorchoc - am I reading that right, a child getting a 5a in their KS2 tests getting a 4/C at GCSE? That sounds really wide of the mark to me, in terms of progress 8 and common sense. Or is it that they go up a step each year so would be a 6/B+?

Either way, I agree with noblegiraffe.

this is all slightly bothering me because (First World problems, i know) ds did very well in his GCSEs, and dd, who will probably do just as well, might have a less stellar set of GCSEs.

I know 9 is supposed to be for the superstars, but the first cohorts will no doubt be disappointed with 7s and 8s, even if they are equivalent to As and A*s in old money.

Also I read that to get 8/9 in modern languages you would need to be almost native speaker level . Ds and his mates got A*s by just learning a bunch of stuff off by heart. Ds's French is absolute crap. Whilst I agree that modern languages needed overhauling (very badly) it will be a shame if those taking the new exam are all going to get 4s now unless they are Macron.

Oddboots they ‘predict’ going up a step each year.

My daughter's progress report May 17 as a year 9 student stated she's achieving level 7a and 8c in core subjects. - my understanding is that the a..b..c.. is NCL? Please enlighten me if I've got this wrong as I'm so confused by it all.

In terms of current GCSE then given progress grades in year 9.....her GCSEs is likely A to A*.

Forgive me....my girl works hard, she's bright but I'm very doubtful of her ability to get A to A* in all subjects please don't think me an evil mother to say such a thing. While I have ambition for her my main priority is raising a happy and healthy child.

My worry is that given lack of clarity from school she might think she's on for all A* /A when actually the progress grades may be a completely grading system.

Sorry should have read....a completely different grading system .

A kid getting old National Curriculum levels of 7a and 8c in Y9 would absolutely be expected to get A*/A at GCSE in old money, grade 7+ in new.

My school gives often completely unrealistic gcse targets based on CATs scores and ks3 attainment. Sadly these do then often make the hard working children they are given to feel they are not meeting their potential, despite the fact that they are doing their very best. I think this is an issue that schools need to address and hopefully, once the first full set of new GCSE results is through, they will look at the discrepancies between the target grades and achieved grades and think about what is communicated to the pupils. I have children expected to get 9s in every subject, they are bright but very few are that bright.

Thanks guys. @ Noblegiraffe - we've been told all the way through secondary school that she's capable of A*/A ....took her mock maths ....got a U !!!! Currently 3= (equal to a D and a low one at that) . Got 8 in Geography. 7 in English.

My daughter wasn't told she was taking mock exams. We also had not been informed. Having called the school yesterday for clarity on my initial questions I've learnt she has mocks on 14 May.

So appalled by school lack of communication and such dramatic difference between progress grades assessed in May 17.

So frantically sorted tutors for Maths and Science ( she's taking triple Science ).

Can I put a clause here to all parents who have children not able to achieve a level 1 or 3 on new grades (U-D) because sometimes reading these threads on mumsnet may make you feel like everyone else has a child genius! GCSE is snap shot of nothing and does not reflect uniqueness, attributes and talents of your child.

If my daughter makes her best effort and leaves school with all grade 1's then so be it, still just as proud.

Had we been told throughout her career that she's a student capable of a D grade of be less worried. It's the dramatic change in result in mift about xx

I have a real issue with predicted grades - they don’t take into account puberty, peer pressure or life in general. My DS was predicted in year 9 all As and A*s for GCSE in year 11. Three years later as he goes into exams in two weeks time we are just grateful he’s happy and healthy and content (boarder at public school) and continually pressed on him to do his best in everything but get some enjoyment out of life. Pleased to see younger DS just finishing year 9 was not given his predictions so he can just get on with getting on to the best of his ability and not look at what he should achieve in a perfect world!