Applying for Uni 2019 Part 6: exams, leaving school/college (the end of an era), a long summer holiday and Results Day on the horizon

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Just when exam season gets fully underway our previous thread has almost filled up. Everyone welcome .

Wii that's good they haven't been dragged out since before half term. Not long now!

Well that's not as bad as having a spread across the whole exam period, but still a bit of blow when most likely most of his friends finished last week or earlier?

First of many parties tonight for Dd....she’s so excited seeing all her friends again.

What’s nice is the fact she went to the local comp, they’ll keep in touch and all meet up again in the holidays.

DD has found that her friends are quite scattered and they don't meet up as much as she thought they would.

Ooo 2 arrests over the leaked maths paper:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-48761030

Good!! I hope they are severely punished financially and lose their jobs over this.

Interesting BBC article about private school and the Oxbridge educated continuing to take the top jobs in the country

“But it might raise an eyebrow that today's pop stars are more likely to have gone to private school than university vice-chancellors - 20% compared with 16%.“

I’m pleased to see university VC’s are more likely to have gone to state school than popstars. This means more chance of equal access and ability to relate to the university population. I’m surprised but it’s good news.

This isn't news about musicians , though. It's all related to accessibility to music lessons and the axing of A Level music in lots of state schools. Sad.

including sports, cricket, rugby, tennis, playing them at a high level and having the opportunity for frequent matches.

How do they handle ensuring marking is fair across all of a subject when you have multiple boards in the same subject - eg edexcel/ocr for maths?

I am no mathmo but don't they use stastistical analysis and standardisation to ensure grades given are fair across different exam boards?

Yes, I get it and ultimately it boils down to how much disposable income the parents have to start them on their trajectories to become talented musicians, rugby/tennis/cricket players.

I too am surprised that most VC were educated in the state sector but maybe that is also suggestive of the fact that most educated in private schools don't consider academia as a natural career path? Wondering what % of them might have gone to grammar schools, given that they're likely to be late baby boomers in the main - suspect it's very high.

It's all fascinating stuff but does nothing to suggest meritocracy is really alive and kicking in the 21st Century in this country, does it?

MrKlaw here's a govt. report which might help you to understand how marking and grades are equalised across different exam boards.

Since 100% of footballers came from state schools, it’s the culture as well as opportunity. My Db was good at rugby at his public (boarding) school but they had to get on a minibus for hours as the only teams he played were other ‘distinguished’ private school spread far and few between.

Football is much more accessible at a local level. The boys at his school kicked around a football in their spare time but the school wouldn’t have a football team as it would have taken their best sportsmen away from the rugby pitches.

The music dept at my Dd’s comp is outstanding. It adds so much to the school and is the best out of the state and private schools I have been in/worked at. Very lucky it’s on our doorstep. Unless you have very dedicated parents with plenty of spare time for ferrying about, I doubt the sports opportunities are so good round here.

I haven't read the article (yet) although did post one ages back about music.

Does it say that 100% of footballers were state educated? because I can rattle off a list who weren't! Generally the sons of prominent footballers! Starting with Redknapp, Lampard ....

Lots of prominent actors are privately educated, too, of course. It's endemic as an issue. And not new. But not improving.

Ah, just read it : 5% of footballers. So, guess I can name all of them!

I've a distant cousin who is a footballer who went to private school, but mainly because he was in a big club's football academy from age 12/13 and this school was the best place for flexibility of lessons to fit in with training & I think the club had a deal with the school, maybe paid some (or all?) of the fees for some of the young players to go there. So the school didn't create the footballer...

I thought that was interesting : football discriminates against the privately educated!

I always point out, though, that's there's a statistical flaw in the reporting. 7% of the school population at any given day is in the private sector but it's 18% of 16-18 year olds still in education. Therefore, the comparison to the percentages of top judges, politicians, CEOs or whatever is much closer, and when you think that to reach the top echelons you'd be talking people in their late forties, into their fifties and beyond, then I believe it's likely to get even better.

Was it 17% of VCs privately educated? That's brilliant because it's versus 18% privately educated (or higher when they were that age) 16-18 yr olds. So you're more likely to become a VC of a University if you were state educated than private.

Ah I was reading another article that said 0% of footballers were from private school! Apologies.

Four recent-ish alumni of ds's school are pro rugby players, one a racing driver and a couple actors you'd have heard of.

Two recent alumni of my state school are pro footballers.

zanda I think you read the bit with 0% from Oxbridge, which is hardly a surprise!

We have an England footballer and a Team GB cyclist from my school, no one that I know of from DSs' and an actor (been in Spileberg film) form DH's private school.

So, actually dangling, football is more or less perfect statistically. 5% of the GBP (or just over )are privately educated, as are 5% of foootballers. Good old football!