Predicted grades query for UCAS

[Syrupent]

DS 1 wants to study physics at uni, most unis require at least BB in maths & phys. his AS results were B maths, B phys, E chem and E biol. he has dropped chem. Don't have his phys predicted grade yet, but school have predicted C for biology and C for maths. This means he may not even get any offers due the maths prediction! The teacher justified it by saying this years course is harder and he was surprised how well DS1 had done in the AS exam. He was a mid- range B as well (A, B, C for the 3 modules) . He's going to resit the module he had C for. I thought the predicted grades were normally the same as the AS results or one grade higher, can I get the school to re- think this, it seems a bit unusual. TBH I would have predicted him a D for biol, it all seems a bit random, DS 1 v upset.

It does seem strange unless the staff feel that your DS has 'taken his foot off the pedal'. Even so, this is not really the way to motivate him. Can he not speak to the Physics and Maths teachers and say he needs to get B's and will be doing everything in his power to do so, so could they please support him.

If not, maybe you need to get involved and see why exactly they are down-grading him.

Yes ajandjjmum, looks like I will have to try to get them to have a re think. He has been working hard this term, they have had no tests or work marked yet this term (!) so I can only assume they are basing it on a poor AS mock result last jan. He really pulled his socks up after that. Would be interested to hear if anone else has experience of apparent anomalies like this.

Just to warn you the 2 core modules of the A2 maths are HARD. C4 causes all sorts to fall by the way side and pulls their mark down. This could be the reason why they have predicted a C.

was his maths C in one of the core modules? If it wasn't (and students usually do worse in the others) then this is harsh and he/you should ask them to rethink. I'd also ask when they would have a test/ some work marked.

His predicted grades sound about right based on his AS modules. He has BBEE at AS so CCC at A-level is a fair estimate. You have to remember that the school won't want to put their head on the block by predicting higher than he's likely to achieve, this could potentially damage future applicants as the school's predictions wouldn't be believed. It's up to you whether you want to put pressure on the school to change the predictions. He may want to wait a little longer to put his UCAS in so that he can show through topic tests etc that he is performing at a higher level, this would be better than just asking for them to be changed without any evidence.

In my form last year there was a boy who was predicted BBC but wanted predictions of AAB. His dad bounced down to school and demanded that the grades be changed so he could get an offer for his first choice of Leeds. The school changed them to ABB. He got the offer of AAB for Leeds but achieved ABC and ended up at his insurance which he was quite upset about. I can't help thinking that if he'd been more realistic initially then he would have been heading to uni with a slightly more positive air.