University 2020 :7: Results tombola, roll up, roll up, pick a prize!

[MillicentMartha]

Well, it’s been a crazy few days.

Old thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3962422-University-2020-6-The-one-with-the-results-at-the-end?watched=1&msgid=99082625#99082625

Just heard on another thread that if you did a Pre U (normally done at private schools) you cannot appeal and use mock grades as they arent part of Ofqual!

We dont need to appeal but I told son that if the grades came out as less than A*, A,A we would appeal. Luckily we dont need to but its definitely the devil in the detail isnt it

We are appealing. Maths down from A to C even though A/A* in all P data. Chemistry down from B to C and Welsh Bacc B even though she had distinction in every module. The school is handling the appeal and it will make no difference to her firm choice but she is happy to go through the process.

We are in an economically deprived area. The school is at the bottom of the table locally so I don't know if that has affected the moderation but we will see.

Nor from Manchester- needed AAB and got ABB (CAGs AAA!)- but no place. We are hitting the phones

Grammar school top grades have risen less than comprehensives

twitter.com/CullinaneCarl/status/1293828109809192962/photo/1

Independent schools doing well probably due to having a greater percentage with small cohorts - which weren't subject to moderation.

Interesting..... unlike Scotland it seems many high performing schools are unhappy with results. DD school are appealing a number of subjects. They would usually have all A*, A's, but it seems some subjects have been downgraded, perhaps due the "ranking" algorithm. So, some students have got B's, but this is not historically, or actually accurate. The headmistress is appealing for several subjects.

DD got AAC and her predicted grades were AAD. She needed BCC. She wasn't interested in high ranked universities and chose based on how she liked the course, university, lecturers, and location so she is sticking with her first choice and is very happy. She got an A in the subject she studying at uni.

Baaaahhhhh in Scotland many high performing schools were very unhappy - but that narrative didn’t make as good press.

DD got ABB and got Manchester despite slipping one but has been dithering as really liked insurance UEA so has got til this afternoon to opt for there. Partly thinking that fewer restrictions and when she spoke to prof at department was told the library is now open again - kind of thing that made her leap with joy. Otherwise but if mixed bag at her mixed college in SE

Would have been more fair just to directly convert GCSE results to A Level results than all this modeling nonsense which is basically no more than statitistical probability guesswork. At least GCSE results are factual, and when schools stopped were only a year and a half out of date. Those who were dissatisfied who, for whatever reason, felt their GCSE results didn’t reflect their overall academic performance could have sat their A Levels proper in the autumn/next year.

Gosh reading this makes me v thankful the uni still accepted despite the drop in grades. I suspect the ranking won’t have helped him given his very high performing cohort. Oh well - appeal process is going to be overwhelmed.

AAA here, downgraded from AAA. First choice offer was AAA but he got a confirmed place anyway. DS is both relieved and disappointed.

He also had a message that school are appealing all their maths results as so many of their students have been downgraded. If you appeal, does the triple lock system mean that grades can't get lowered? I wouldn't want him to appeal if there was any chance grades might go down. But if they can only go up, there is nothing to lose.

@HPFA

Saw that too - seems that 6th form colleges / FE colleges have been the most disadvantaged by the standardisation algorithm?

Not sure the table attached:

I think the real unfairness is going to be about the advantages of schools with small cohorts.

School near me (won't name as would be unfair) has announced that 24% of grades are at A-A star (up from 0% last year). It's rated Inadequate by Ofsted, and only had 19 students doing A-Levels last year gaining an average Grade E.

So sorry to hear the sad news, and wishing you all a successful day battling through clearing.

Very thankful that DS’s results matched his mocks, exceeded his predicted and he is off to Leeds. Normal London state school - seems to be a mixed bag of ups and downs but with most securing their firm or insurance anyway.

@HPFA
Whhaaaatt? That sounds corrupt AF!

So it’s supposedly gone from one of the poorest A-Level schools in the country to very decent independent school level in the space of a year!

School near me (won't name as would be unfair) has announced that 24% of grades are at A-A star (up from 0% last year). It's rated Inadequate by Ofsted, and only had 19 students doing A-Levels last year gaining an average Grade E

Well that's just effing ridiculous..... further to my post above, we have noted that all the subjects being appealed by head are the biggest cohorts. Again, and I acknowledge we are in a priviledged position, but if our school traditionally gets 85% A*/A, (100% in things like Maths) how on earth have they allowed downgrades to B's and C's, when the school traditionally only had one or two students with those grades.

37% of grades in NI have been adjusted down.

My DS needed ABB for Sussex but still got in with ACC (so 120 points compared with 128). However, the A was in his degree subject Mathematics so that might have helped.

Very sorry to here about all the downgrades, shocks and universities that are full. Good luck folks.

@Cam77

@Baaaahhhhh

And their A-C rate has gone from 16% to 73%.

Someone really, really needs to look at the advantage given to very small cohorts. I don't like hitting on this school which has a very deprived intake. But it's clearly massively unfair on those who go to similarly deprived schools which have bigger cohorts.

I honestly think some schools have seen it as an opportunity to big themselves up, potentially give their students a leg up and perhaps go to a university they wouldnt normally consider. That has spolit it for the rest of the schools that are trying to do the best they can.

The fantasy grading has resulted in all of this. If they really have some A* student in an Inadequate school (and I think there are very few students with these circumstances) then prove it, bring out the mocks, the reports, and evidence and then you have a much stronger case. However if you have no evidence and excuses for everything you are asked for surely you cannot blame the boards for letting the grade lie.

However if you really really think its not fair, do a gap year and then take the exams either next year or in Oct.

I know a school similar to what @HPFA is talking about.

It's grades have gone up astronimically, but it's largely due to the extra resources that have been pumped into the school over the last year and due to very hard work from the students. Things like it was matched with a private school, teachers from the state school were mentored by private school teachers, many people provided extra tuition for the exam year group etc.

I can totally see how they have turned their grades around.

Just watched Gavin Williamson on ‘Good morning’ and there just seems no getting through to him that :

1. Teachers are best placed to predict how well their students might perform backed up with evidence.
2. The results already have been devalued because exams were cancelled
3. If students are going to be affected by these calculated results ‘for the rest of their lives’, then the logical thing to do is to use a mechanism that will be in each students best interests and not massively downgrade everyone across the cohort.

Drumple. I just saw that. Surely they will have to do something here too like in England, Scotland and Wales. I have heard some awful stories this morning.
Nolan has Peter weir on tomorrow. Will be interesting to hear.