Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

All 9s at GCSE….

295 replies

CurlewKate · 08/04/2025 10:54

Less than 1.5% of candidates get all 9s at GCSE. I wonder why so many of them seem to be Mumsnetter’s children! 🤣

OP posts:
Original poster
CurlewKate · 09/04/2025 07:47

Well, i didn’t expect the thread to go the way it’s going. Even with my 3 degrees-one from Oxbridge…..😉

OP posts:
W0tnow · 09/04/2025 07:51

MiserableMrsMopp · 08/04/2025 21:34

I have teach both GCSE & IGCSE in my subject and continue to examine both.

The syllabus has changed but IGCSE continues to be quite a lot easier than GCSE. A GCSE 7 = an IGCSE 9.

Show quote history

That didn’t answer my question. You’re saying 7=9 across all subjects? Because?? You’re very familiar with the content of all subjects across both curriculum? Or just one?

yugflalska · 09/04/2025 08:13

It’s taken me some time to get my head around the grading, after years of seeing kids with “all 9s” on MN I was quietly disappointed when DS came home with ‘secured’ across the board on his reports (which means he’s targeting 6-7 for all subjects). Not that I was expecting all 9s because whilst good in school he’s never been top of the class or anything, but 6-7 just felt so low when I first read it compared to what I was reading online.

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 08:17

weshallovercomeaswevedonebefore · 09/04/2025 07:44

Seeing as only just over 1000 kids in the country got all 9s last year, there’s an awful lot of people on here whose kids went to a school where about 30 kids got all 9s… 🤔

Well my comment was that 34 pupils got 10 or more 9’s at my DC’s school in 2024. I didn’t say ALL 9’s. My DC is doing 13 GCSEs in total which is average at his school.

365sleepstogo · 09/04/2025 08:23

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 08:17

Well my comment was that 34 pupils got 10 or more 9’s at my DC’s school in 2024. I didn’t say ALL 9’s. My DC is doing 13 GCSEs in total which is average at his school.

Show quote history

Wow that is a lot of GCSEs - are some doing more?

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 08:28

365sleepstogo · 09/04/2025 08:23

Wow that is a lot of GCSEs - are some doing more?

Show quote history

Some do 14, or possibly 15 if they take an optional after school GCSE! They do one in year 9, one or two in year 10 and the rest in year 11. It is a very academic school.

arethereanyleftatall · 09/04/2025 08:34

weshallovercomeaswevedonebefore · 09/04/2025 07:44

Seeing as only just over 1000 kids in the country got all 9s last year, there’s an awful lot of people on here whose kids went to a school where about 30 kids got all 9s… 🤔

Well, yes. Grammar schools.

RampantIvy · 09/04/2025 08:36

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 08:17

Well my comment was that 34 pupils got 10 or more 9’s at my DC’s school in 2024. I didn’t say ALL 9’s. My DC is doing 13 GCSEs in total which is average at his school.

Show quote history

How do they fit so many subjects into the curriculum?

Universities don't care about so many. They just want grades for the best 8. Most state schools do 9 or 10.

Cross posted. Universities don't like GCSEs taken over three years either.

Original poster
CurlewKate · 09/04/2025 08:37

While we’re side stepping into more serious matters, there’s absolutely no advantage to a child in doing more than 10 GCSEs. At the most academic school down my way, you have to make a case for doing more than 9.

OP posts:
Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 08:43

RampantIvy · 09/04/2025 08:36

How do they fit so many subjects into the curriculum?

Universities don't care about so many. They just want grades for the best 8. Most state schools do 9 or 10.

Cross posted. Universities don't like GCSEs taken over three years either.

Edited
Show quote history

Well Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE, Durham, Warwick….I could go on… don’t seem to have a problem with the students from DC’s school.

Their school day is a bit longer than the other state schools in the area but, above all, the pupils are just exceptionally bright. It has been great for my DC because he has been able to do both art and PE GCSE and still fit in all the other academic subjects that he wanted to do.

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 08:47

CurlewKate · 09/04/2025 08:37

While we’re side stepping into more serious matters, there’s absolutely no advantage to a child in doing more than 10 GCSEs. At the most academic school down my way, you have to make a case for doing more than 9.

Well that’s your area. My DC’s school is different and being able to undertake a very varied curriculum until 16 is an advantage for my DC. Above all, he enjoys it. That’s the most important thing as far as I am concerned. The only negative that I have about the university destinations is that they don’t have a program encouraging entrance to the top US universities. My DC would love to go to MIT if he had the opportunity.

RedSkyDelights · 09/04/2025 08:51

The published statistic is "16 year olds with all grade 9s in GCSE subjects taken" (where the student has taken 7 or more GCSEs).

So, no, if you take iGCSEs, or any other type of qualification, they don't appear in this measure. Same if you take Btec or Ctec - those aren't counted either. You literally haven't got all 9s at GCSE. You may have achieved top grades in all the qualifications you took. Although you would appear in the "all 9s" statistic if you got all 9s in 7 GCSEs and lower grades in 3 iGCSEs, so the statistics can work both ways.

My DC's comprehensive has 480 children in a year group. There has only ever been one instance of a child getting all 9s (and a Dist* at Btec), and that was in a teacher assessed year. People with children in highly selective schools seem to forget that this is the norm, and not everyone getting reams of top results.

theressomanytinafeysicouldbe · 09/04/2025 08:51

What happened to A, B & C's. Bring it back 🤔

I still can't get my head around the 1-9 grading they use now, I'm like so thats like a predicted C? My sons is like well a 4 is a pass, whats a 4 a C? D? Im so confused

Frowningprovidence · 09/04/2025 08:56

A 4 is like a low C and a 5 is like a high c.

A 6 is a B
A 7 plus is various levels of A.
Then 1 to 3 covers D to G

It doesn't match up very well

Original poster
CurlewKate · 09/04/2025 09:01

@Boohoo76However much it suits your child the fact remains that there is absolutely no practical advantage to a child in doing more than 10. At the school I mention, the children are expected to do a wide range of extra curriculars, including various forms of self development, volunteering, sport and performance alongside their 9/10 GCSEs. It doesn’t appear to hold them back!

OP posts:
WhoisRebecca · 09/04/2025 09:04

MiserableMrsMopp · 08/04/2025 19:35

I base my view on teaching both of them. And examining them.

Show quote history

I’ve taught both and I’m also an examiner and I completely agree - IGCSE English and English Literature was much easier.

RampantIvy · 09/04/2025 09:08

CurlewKate · 09/04/2025 09:01

@Boohoo76However much it suits your child the fact remains that there is absolutely no practical advantage to a child in doing more than 10. At the school I mention, the children are expected to do a wide range of extra curriculars, including various forms of self development, volunteering, sport and performance alongside their 9/10 GCSEs. It doesn’t appear to hold them back!

Wouldn't a young person be more rounded if they did other activities instead of studying all the time - working, volunteering, a sport, playing music etc?

MiserableMrsMopp · 09/04/2025 09:08

CurlewKate · 09/04/2025 09:01

@Boohoo76However much it suits your child the fact remains that there is absolutely no practical advantage to a child in doing more than 10. At the school I mention, the children are expected to do a wide range of extra curriculars, including various forms of self development, volunteering, sport and performance alongside their 9/10 GCSEs. It doesn’t appear to hold them back!

I agree with this. I'd say a solid 6 GCSEs is better than lower grades in 12 or 13 GCSEs. Particularly if the 6 included maths and English at a 6 or above.

MiserableMrsMopp · 09/04/2025 09:10

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 08:43

Well Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE, Durham, Warwick….I could go on… don’t seem to have a problem with the students from DC’s school.

Their school day is a bit longer than the other state schools in the area but, above all, the pupils are just exceptionally bright. It has been great for my DC because he has been able to do both art and PE GCSE and still fit in all the other academic subjects that he wanted to do.

Show quote history

Of course not. Perpetuating the system of privilege. And when Oxbridge et al are forced to take contextual information on students into account, there is uproar from the privileged saying it's unfair.

WhoisRebecca · 09/04/2025 09:12

I do think my DD’s 7 9s and 3 8s from a bog standard state school is more impressive than 10 9s from a top grammar or independent though.

MiserableMrsMopp · 09/04/2025 09:13

Sashya · 08/04/2025 23:55

I presume GSCEs or (I)GCSEs are not scored based on athletic ability - as it is an subject that studies both the practical and theoretical aspects of physical education... So - faster swimming does not get you a higher grade? As it should not.
So - no - the swimming speeds are not the stats that support the position that state schools are disadvantaged by taking GSCEs.

In more traditional academic subjects - maths, sciences, history, geography - iGCSEs go into wider selection of topics and at a greater depth. They also don't only focus on Great Britain for the books, geographies, or history periods to cover. I think teaching them at state schools is probably harder and that is the real reason most state schools don't teach them.

Private schools tend to do a mix. And they certainly don't pick iGCSEs because they are easier. In the end of the day - private schools are businesses, and their outcome is judged at A-levels and uni admissions. And if it were true that grade 9s at iGCSE's were actually 7s - we'd see a huge drop of grades at A-levels at those schools.
And yet - the top private schools that have 95%+ grades 8-9s at GSCEs go on to produce 80-90% Grades A-A*s.

So - @MiserableMrsMopp conjecture does not work. Or - maybe she is teaching some niche subject that is an outlier.

Show quote history

Not conjecture. Experience. Training. I marked over 800 GCSE/IGCSEs last summer. Undergo examiner training 3 times a year. Not hard to have a lot of knowledge when it's rammed in repeatedly. I'd be negligent if I wasn't able to assess the data.

RedToothBrush · 09/04/2025 09:14

strawberrybubblegum · 09/04/2025 06:55

Just to add: private schools are obviously not unique in giving their students an amazing education during their school years. Some state schools are truly outstanding.

Some state schools are better than some private schools. Others fail their students. Sometimes through poor practice, and sometimes simply due to having such challenging cohorts that they can't deliver an adequate education.

Going private gives you more choice about which school your DC go to (obviously not completely free choice, since selective schools restrict admissions). Most private schools have more funding per-student (paid entirely by the parents) and may choose to restrict their intake to children who are less disruptive to education, which means the funding they have goes further. That's still about good education, not cheating.

Can we all just agree that if you get all 9 at a state school 'that needs improvement' then you are clever and more exceptional than all the kids at a private school, a grammar school and a decent comp.

Why?

Because you survived until the end of Year 11 alive.

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 09:19

CurlewKate · 09/04/2025 09:01

@Boohoo76However much it suits your child the fact remains that there is absolutely no practical advantage to a child in doing more than 10. At the school I mention, the children are expected to do a wide range of extra curriculars, including various forms of self development, volunteering, sport and performance alongside their 9/10 GCSEs. It doesn’t appear to hold them back!

Same at my DC’s school. My DC does a huge amount of sport because that’s what he enjoys. He has plenty of time for extra curriculars and study and still manages to find time for gaming!

RedToothBrush · 09/04/2025 09:20

RampantIvy · 09/04/2025 09:08

Wouldn't a young person be more rounded if they did other activities instead of studying all the time - working, volunteering, a sport, playing music etc?

Show quote history

I know one kid who did all the well rounded stuff and got seven 9s and two 7s.

She worked her arse off at A levels and got 3 As.

I wouldn't call her particularly bright despite that. Exceptionally hard working and diligent yes and she will go far with that.

But there are cleverer kids than her who aren't as motivated and clued up. They didn't have a goal in the same way she did. Partly because they lack maturity.

The well rounded bit outside school actually was the thing that helped her maturity levels tbh.

I don't think exam results really truly show ability and promise for that reason.

Boohoo76 · 09/04/2025 09:21

MiserableMrsMopp · 09/04/2025 09:10

Of course not. Perpetuating the system of privilege. And when Oxbridge et al are forced to take contextual information on students into account, there is uproar from the privileged saying it's unfair.

Show quote history

Well there are some students at my DC’s school that get contextual offers. By way of example, one of his closest friends lives in a Council house and his parents are first generation immigrants who speak very little English.