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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Thread 27 Covid Cohort Snow or Like Spring? Let's Do This Thing!

999 replies

OrangeCinnamonCocktail · 21/01/2022 14:21

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

previous thread found here

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crazycrofter · 26/01/2022 22:17

6 Cambridge offers at DD’s school and 9 Oxford but I’ve no idea how many applied or whether that’s more or less than usual. One of her best friends from her old school was rejected though and she’s an impressive candidate- 12 grade 9s at GCSE and a very good actress. It’s very random really isn’t it. Well done to your ds on his Economics result @Piggywaspushed!

Dd is finally making progress with her history coursework. Ds is also slowly working his way through the GCSE science syllabus on Seneca on his bus journeys, which is pretty amazing! He claims he hasn’t really listened in a single Physics lesson since the start of year 9 so lots to learn 😬

crazycrofter · 26/01/2022 22:18

Great to hear of positive interviews @kiwiandcherries and @AnneOfCleavage, it must be such a relief to be nearly there with them!

22Newnames · 26/01/2022 22:32

@NCTDN we are still waiting for Durham, and Bath, and Warwick and now Nottingham but that was a last minute addition at the weekend so we can’t blame them!

It’s frustrating having applied to so many who are late offerers. He meets the grade requirements for all but there is just no telling whether he will get offers or not as they are so competitive. I just wish they would decide quicker!

ChristopherTracy · 26/01/2022 22:48

DS school (Comp) got at least 1 Oxford and 1 Cambridge as they are in his class, the Cambridge was a Computer Science girl and the Oxford an engineering boy he thinks.

Wheresthebeach · 27/01/2022 08:45

Glad the interviews went well Anne and Kiwi. One more thing crossed off the list!

A friend is waiting to hear from Durham and they are finding it hard. I seem recall someone saying they don't offer til March - which seems a very long time past the closing date.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 27/01/2022 09:08

DS said yesterday that no-one that he knew who applied to Cambridge was offered this year but several Oxford offers.

Mocks are coming in, Eng Lit got a B but knows where he messed up and teacher has given excellent feedback. Biology literally scraped an A based on the boundaries given on Monday, yesterday they said they have decided to move the boundaries - not in their favour of course - so probably a B now. Just waiting for History which he should get today. Hopefully he's done OK in that.

Wheresthebeach · 27/01/2022 09:42

Just sounds a good set of mocks. Bizarre they are moving the boundaries to make them harder! I'd have thought using the 2021 Nov grade boundaries would be about right.

sofakingcool · 27/01/2022 10:13

Just checking in, can't believe how quickly these threads move on!

Alsoplayspiccolo · 27/01/2022 10:58

No Oxford offers at DCs' school, and only 2 Cambridge offers, I believe. It's a small school, but they usually get a few more than that.

Well done to mini Piggy for a fantastic economics result. Just goes to show...Wink

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 27/01/2022 11:10

@Wheresthebeach the grade boundaries they were given on Monday were very similar to the actual A level ones from 2019 but because they averages were higher (based on cohort only) they now want to move them. It’s a selective school so you would perhaps expect/hope the grades to be on the higher side?

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 27/01/2022 11:11

This school always does this with moving boundaries, it drives me nuts.

Wheresthebeach · 27/01/2022 11:50

Still think it sounds bizarre to change the grade boundaries based on the cohort. The DoE has said this years A levels won't return to pre pandemic levels so even using 2019 will give lower results than we should get this year. Maybe they've decided to do the 'hard' approach to mock grading.

icanbewhatiwant · 27/01/2022 12:18

I said on here a few days ago that ds2 didn't think anyone had applied for oxbridge. But apparently there were a few, but not friends of his and they'd kept quiet until offers were in.

sazzy5 · 27/01/2022 12:26

Our school also sets tougher grade boundaries, not sure why other than makes the student think they need to work harder. My DS
2 has mostly 9’s based on all his GCSE mocks but still being forecast 7/8.
DS1 is struggling to sleep and really not motivating himself for his mocks, he isn’t gaming or anything, but he’s definitely not a happy person at the moment. I struggle to say anything as I’ve never had a problem motivating myself, I try to leave him as he’s got to push himself now. Any others with DC starting to fade and struggling with pressure?

Volterra · 27/01/2022 12:35

DS seems to be the same Sazzy and just had the same conversation with a friend this morning.

Monkey2001 · 27/01/2022 13:01

@sazzy5 that sounds hard, do you think it is because the medical applications are going badly? Everything can feel so magnified to them. It doesn't help that most teenage boys won't really talk to parents about what is going on. Hope you can help him get some perspective. I think it helps us that DS1's experience normalised rejections for us!

Alsoplayspiccolo · 27/01/2022 13:08

I think our school is doing the same with grade boundaries set by the cohort, wheresthebeach. I think it’s got at least something to do with not using one specific past paper, but creating mock papers from questions taken from a range of past papers.

I’d really hope they don’t deliberately mark too severely, because the grades DD gets in her mocks may well inform her firm and insurance choices (ie if she gets lower results than hoped for in the mocks, she will choose the unis that require lower grades for safety).

crazycrofter · 27/01/2022 13:19

@sazzy5 I think it’s a stressful and uncertain time for them. My memory is terrible but I do have a very clear memory of being in upper sixth and my mum having a go at me about the state of my room. I had a bit of a meltdown and told her I was really stressed about A Levels and grade 8 piano and couldn’t focus on tidying my room too!

Wheresthebeach · 27/01/2022 13:41

I agree Also it does impact Uni choices, hence the need for a realistic approach. If DD's Chemistry mocks impact her decision making I may contact the school and ask their opinion, I'd hate for her to choose Uni's based on harsh mocks. Confidence is so important.

Wheresthebeach · 27/01/2022 13:44

@sazzy5 That sounds tough.

The only thing that gets DD going is to get out and do sports - running, the gym, swimming - anything that gets her moving to lift her mood when she's feeling down. Or a good long cry...but that's a girl thing!

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 27/01/2022 14:20

@wheresthebeach do you want to hear something worse? DS has just told me that not only have the moved the boundaries, it's by a whole grade! So say 60% was an A and 75% is an A*, now 60% is a B and 75% is an A. Wth?! I do think they believe this to be a motivating thing but it really isn't for a lot of pupils, sometimes it's the complete opposite.

Wheresthebeach · 27/01/2022 14:27

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn - That's shocking. I hate it when schools put us in the position of having to say 'well...just ignore that!'. Honestly if 2019 aren't high enough that's madness.

I think its incredibly demotivating. They've worked hard and aren't seeing the benefit, plus they will know the school is messing with them so that impacts the relationship and destroys trust (imo).

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 27/01/2022 14:45

Isn't it?! I'm lucky in that he seems to be acknowledging that the school are being hard but also realising that he still needs to up his game and learn from his mistakes in these mocks. It could very easily have gone the other way. I have pretty much said they're done and over, lets just move on with what you need to do.

EwwSprouts · 27/01/2022 15:05

I think it’s got at least something to do with not using one specific past paper, but creating mock papers from questions taken from a range of past papers.

Agree this is part of the issue. DS's teachers are telling them they are using the difficult past questions, and then are setting grade boundaries much higher than 2019. I agree it's likely to be unintentional but DS does feel it's shifting sands.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 27/01/2022 19:39

Fab news here, after a long wait - DD has an offer from RHUL for liberal arts, for ABB (down from AAB). She's chuffed, after feeling really despondent this week.