A level results day 2021 support thread

[Mrs08]

Hi 👋
I thought it might be nice to have a support thread for us parents? (Can't see one in further Ed yet??)
It's been such a difficult time for our kids - and for us! - but the end is in sight!
Ds will get an e mail at 8.30am (apparently) and can go into college in person if he needs help/advice.
Good luck everyone!
X

@NellietheNumpty Brilliant result. Hope you've had a lovely celebration.

Ha ha I don't think I've ever had so many posts deleted before [proud]

Worth it to stick up for our amazing teens all working so hard through this fucking awful 18 months. Here's to them raises coffee mug

@Bryonyshcmyony

My son got a mix of 7s and 8s in his GCSEs and had AAA as his target grades based on that. He got A*AB so equivalent (though some universities don't accept dropped grades - he was lucky his offer was AAB not AAA).

So I think he got what he should have done. He is a bit of a "coaster" but continual assessment put paid to that and he actually had to work harder than he would have done if he could have crammed for exams. I am not sure I would have done so well in this system, I am better at exams.

I also know someone who did miss his grades (from a private school so they didn't just get given everything they needed) - and is now going to his insurance. The grades were not just handed out.

All the best to you with offspring receiving GCSE results tomorrow

@igelkott2021

All the best to you with offspring receiving GCSE results tomorrow

Oh goodness yes

🤞

Yes. Doing it all again tomorrow!

@cptartapp

that was me, two years ago

good luck to your DC

Morning all,how are we all feeling today? thankyou to the posters who have defended our yr 13's! Yes there have been more top marks given out this year however maybe this is a positive way of working going forward? Assessment over the 2 years rather than it all resting on 2 exams at the end? I just want to say a massive thankyou to each and every teacher who has been involved with the utter shit show of the past couple of years also.

I am feeling fine but a bit stressed as dd has a friend staying, Dd1 has her boyfriend staying and dh left the dogs at home instead of taking them to work like he normally does and the house feels very busy and full!

My ds achieved AAB. He has his first choice place at York.

Whilst we are happy with the results he was expecting AAA.

The college advised that Students would not receive a lower result than the result of their final controlled assessment. He received an A in this subject in his last 2 controlled assessments. So he is going to submit an appeal.

I'm not sure that it was in the remit of the college to promise as external moderation could always affect the results.

After the stress of results yesterday, this afternoon we have the scramble for accommodation. Fingers crossed!

Another exciting day in our household as we're all out of isolation today after DS came down with Covid - luckily no one else caught it. Was very lovely being able to go for a dog walk this morning and pop to the shop for milk!

Lancaster sent out accommodation offers last night and we paid the deposit so have confirmation of his moving in date now. All starting to feel very real.

Agree with the thank yous to those of you who defended our year 13s. We have plenty of examples in our circle of people not getting what they were predicted, not getting into first choice uni's and even facing having to repeat year 13 to know that grades were definitely not just handed out in our school. DS didn't get what he thought he would and was a bit disappointed with one grade initially but is really just feeling very grateful to be able to move on and put the last 2 years behind him.

hope everyone who was still waiting for confirmations or going through clearing is ok and gets things sorted quickly.

I have a feeling that whereas the last 7 weeks felt interminably long, the next 7 are going to fly and then they'll be off!

Thanks for asking, feeling a bit wrung out. DS sorted accom last night. It's a bit off campus (30min bus away) and a bit quieter than he would have liked but it's all that's available. That's a bit of shame, but after yesterday's scramble I'm just delighted that he's actually got a decent place, despite some pretty rubbish results.

I am now starting to feel all 'empty nest' and realising that we have only 3 weeks of him, once we get back from our hols. End of an era. I will miss his lovely face so much. My family are smashing, good company, fun and generally wonderful (if a bit bloody messy). Seems so sad that the closeness we have will have to morph into a different model now, and forever.

I think the year 13s deserved to do well. Some of the grades that were rejected by unis yesterday according to the WIWIKAU Facebook group were shocking.

Like A*AA rejected from Manchester.

DS1 is off to uni today for preseason sports training! He could have gone down before results day but it would have been awful if he didn’t get in. Our feet haven’t hit the ground.

Ds2 cane home early from work yesterday feeling sick

I think it was the heat

He was upset because he felt he was letting his colleagues down but it was nice to have him home last night

Came

Not cane 😡

Congrats to all the DCs - whatever the outcome was yesterday - given the level of disruption they have endured over the their Y12 and Y13 studies. I hope you all appreciate my gift for understatement

Whilst my DS3 got a good ultimate outcome yesterday, place at insurance uni which in truth was his favourite course structure all along, the results were short of predicted. His predictions were I think very fair, and certainly not inflated. The school provided for every subject a breakdown of what work / mocks would be used within each subject; and given the results of those were all also known, there is a bit of a disconnect in two subjects. External moderation maybe came into play of course.

As I said good enough to get the job done yesterday. His firm was a bit of a surprise offer as the standard offer was higher than his predicted grades, so not achieving that particularly as his enthusiasm for the course there has been waning for several months is probably a blessing in disguise.

However having some grades that could in a few years as memories fade about just what these DC had to go through look less than impressive does I think prompt whether the question should be asked.

I think one of the interesting things that no news outlet has really picked up on, is that girls have outperformed boys in all subjects this year. This is not surprising. Girls traditionally work more consistently throughout the year, boys generally put in their effort for exams. Some of the raise, I don't doubt, comes from this metric alone. When you are able to look at the "basket" of work, girls probably have an advantage.

Anyway, it's a theory, probably a crap one, but I do wonder....

^ fair point. Boys do usually do better at A level.

Ironically, bearing in mind the right wing frothing, I think the TAGs are a far fairer way to judge a child's ability (and commitment!!) In their subjects. There are ALWAYS a minority (usually boys) who cram and get lucky. (Same at gcse too) without ever having written a grade A essay or done much homework.

My only concern is the moderation. But ofqual and the DfE left the building on that one.

I think all dc have had much more time (due to lockkdowns, Isolating etc) to do the work even if - as in my ds case - remote provision was patchy.

So, for those moaning about kids doing "too well" 🙄 I'd say that TAGs are a fairer way to assess than traditional A levels and the results simply bear that out.

DS had his birthday party last night and it was a good celebration - only one of his friends was disappointed with his results so hopefully they had a good time in the main. Provided tuk tuk rides around our town and it seemed to cheer him up a bit.

Got his accommodation sorted for Loughborough - most expensive - catered ensuite. Wish I was going.

Loughborough is local to me and has an excellent reputation.

I spent many a happy night out with sports science undergrads in Loughborough Town in my misspent youth 😅

Ds only had 2 friends who are a bit disappointed in their grades, even though the grades weren't that much of a surprise really.

They both got into their insurance choice and are excited.