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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

October A levels anyone?

356 replies

Skerryberry · 13/08/2020 20:44

With so many getting results they were disappointed with, are any DS/DD's choosing to take the October A levels ?

Are they taking all their A levels or just one or two?

How are they planning to motivate themselves with exams only 50 days away? DC has not opened a book since March... eek!

I may need some hand holding!!

OP posts:
kitnkaboodle · 16/12/2020 20:37

Good luck everyone. I've told DS to sleep in tomorrow morning, as our post arrived at 2pm today and will likely be the same tomorrow!

AKissAndASmile · 16/12/2020 20:46

Can you believe the exams officer still hasn't replied to DS' email? 🤔

AKissAndASmile · 16/12/2020 20:47

I feel so stressed tonight! There's a thread on TSR and the poor kids are really stressing too. DS seems oblivious Confused

noblecause · 16/12/2020 20:51

I've just been on that thread. They really are stressing out. School has confirmed that we will get an email tomorrow morning. It all feels so surreal. DD has uni offers dependent on these results. Has anybody heard that unis won't get the results till February and that if you don't want to wait till then you will need to send these to the uni. I saw something like this on tsr but can't find anything official.

AKissAndASmile · 16/12/2020 20:54

It's true. DS' first choice has asked that he email them ASAP

AKissAndASmile · 16/12/2020 20:57

@noblecause that thread is stressing me out but I can't stop reading it. Somebody was talking about organising a protest. I'm thinking let's see the grades first Grin

It is worrying though. This government have promised marking in line with CAGs but they have not kept to their word on anything they've done. I hope I sleep tonight.

noblecause · 16/12/2020 21:01

Exactly that @AKissAndASmile it's the Govt I don't trust and so I will believe the grade boundaries only when I see them. I am nervous that something randomly will go wrong. Am going to ask DD to check emails from uni to see if they have asked for the grades to be sent.

kitnkaboodle · 16/12/2020 22:17

@noblecause your DC definitely needs to email their grades to unis. I checked with UCAS. Nothing will get sent automatically and they won't get added to any current UCAS forms either

rbsk12 · 16/12/2020 23:18

Good Luck to everyone's DC for tomorrow. This has been a really supportive thread. DS school have said they will email him around 8.30am.

Not sure if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight Grin

noblecause · 17/12/2020 07:57

Best of luck everybody. Hope you got some sleep tonight. DD still sleeping so may need to just check the grade boundaries first.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 17/12/2020 08:03

Good luck everyone!!!!

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AKissAndASmile · 17/12/2020 09:00

Grade boundary been moved 16 marks for an A* in further maths 😬

Not much movement in physics

AKissAndASmile · 17/12/2020 10:38

Turns out the school HAVE forgotten about him. He phoned just now and there is nobody in the exams office until after the New Year Angry

Original poster
Skerryberry · 17/12/2020 10:58

DS got the grades he needed for his university course. Thank you for all the support given on this thread since August.

I hope others got the results they needed too.

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noblecause · 17/12/2020 11:17

Great news @Skerryberry. Well done. DD has also met her conditional offer for uni.

@AKissAndASmile can't they log in remotely. You don't need to physically be in the office. Was DC the only student at his school sitting exams?

kitnkaboodle · 17/12/2020 11:51

@Skerryberry @noblecause brilliant news - well done! What a relief.

Skerryberry - I forget. Does he have to apply again now, or is he definitely in for next autumn?

@AKissAndASmile bloody hell .. get onto the head of 6th form or the head and get them to sort it out by tomorrow. Disgraceful.

Well, DS is still in bed and we are probably the only mugs in the country sitting waiting for the village postie to arrive! I'm not even sure that he'll have the results letter tbh! Will get DS up at 12 ... We are both pretty chilled, I think. Que sera sera and we have contingency plans ...

mushroom3 · 17/12/2020 14:10

DD has gone up a grade in the subject she sat, we are all delighted as she has now met the grades of her firm choice!

kitnkaboodle · 17/12/2020 14:57

Well, who'd have thought it? Turns out that 'Royal Mail first class' can actually take longer than a day to arrive during a global disaster, and at Christmas .... our post arrived but no results letter, surprise surprise.

DS rang the exams lady and she will meet us at school in the morning with an envelope in hand. Sounded a bit sheepish. DS and I both think it's quite funny at this point! Thank goodness he's laid back about it. I'm now trying to recover from the biggest anti-climax ever ...

Well done to @mushroom3 's DD!

rbsk12 · 17/12/2020 15:12

Well done to all those who got their results and hope it's good news for those still waiting. My DS got the grade he needed for his guaranteed offer so very happy and relieved. xx

mushroom3 · 17/12/2020 16:01

Thanks @kitnkaboodle and good luck to your DS. Well done to @rbsk12, @Skerryberry and @AKissAndASmile 's DC abd good luck to all those DC still waiting. The stats are a bit under 1/2 went up, about 1/3 stayed the same and 1/5 went down, but those who went down can keep their CAG grades.

mushroom3 · 18/12/2020 11:31

sorry missed your DD out @noblecause!

kitnkaboodle · 18/12/2020 12:23

Finally got the results - went to school at 10 and and DS let the unopened envelope sit on the kitchen table in true Billy Elliot fashion until half an hour ago.

I understand other people not wanting to post actual grades on here, but I'm so relieved that I don't care!

CAGS = Maths C, Physics C, Chemistry D
Today = Maths A, Physics A, Chemistry C

and those October A levels done in circumstances of really poor mental health ...
I'm not sure where he's going at this point. Got four places left on his UCAS to fill. Just savouring the moment right now.

rbsk12 · 18/12/2020 12:39

That's brilliant @kitnkaboodle.

Well Done to him, a great set of results.

Original poster
Skerryberry · 18/12/2020 13:41

@kitnkaboodle That is brilliant news. Well done to your DS. 5 grades improvement on CAGs!

Any news @AKissAndASmile, have you managed to get your DC's results?

The way these young people have been treated is truly shocking. Our exam's officer told an Autumn taker that they would not get a replacement exam certificate with their new grade on!!! They only took one subject with this exam board. So they are trying to say that they have achieved this grade but they will never receive proof! Utter rubbish. All exams receive certification.

My understanding is that if you want one CAG and one Autumn exam on the same certificate, you have to pay. Otherwise you have one certificate with two CAGs (one that is now invalid) and one with the new Autumn grade on. Not ideal, so you pay for a new certificate. Any teachers out there, is this done through school or privately?

Why results day was 17th December is absolutely bonkers. It should have been early December so students and communicate with school. A lot of schools round my way finished on Wednesday.

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