A levels 2023 - Results day and beyond

[HereWeGo2023]

Hi all. I thought I’d make a new thread as the countdown one is filling up.
Results day is here and I’m sure we will all value each others support, today and for the next stage of their journeys.

I was really impressed with school, they said if you knew, or suspected, you might need clearing you could come during the priority slot of 8-9. Otherwise come after 9. We were there waiting at 7.57am as knew it was likely to be borderline! It turned out the head of 6th form had a list of pupils they knew had missed. The library was set up with the good teachers, computers, tea, coffee and tlc, (and tissues!)

DS opened his results, got on the phone while walking to the library and the head of 6th form told us to keep checking UCAS/ email as we weren’t on his list! Firm came through. School was open until every child had a plan.

DS and a couple of others were literally on the phone at 8am. When others turned up and 9 who maybe weren’t expecting to miss, or earlier if they saw that via UCAS the staff just let them open the envelopes and process before offering help. (I was standing in the car park a while watching all this as Ds did his thing and then spoke to friends!)

This is a state comp so not a private school or anything. It was so supportive and I was so grateful even though we didn’t need their support in the end.

@Dery yes! Off to London for a few days but you could PM me? Can't seem to access it in my phone but will be back on laptop when I get back.

@WombatChocolate - meant to tag you in my (long) reply.

Hi all,

I joined the the last thread late in the waiting game. My daughter did IB so we knew the results few weeks ago. Her results was mix bag but overall, it was a near miss of the her offer condition. Her University wanted to wait till A level results came to make a decision. They have confirmed her place now and we are happy. We were also anxiously waiting for her friends get their results, some who had a rotten few years and could well do with one piece of good news. We are happy that she can celebrate with her friends.

Congratulations to all who got the results they wanted or the university places they wanted. Special congratulations to @KittyMcKitty and her DC for doing so well. Thanks for taking the time and trying to calm my nerves.

Thumbs up to all DCs that had to pick up themselves and make the best out of a bad situation and hugs to those that need more time to recuperate. I am sure that all the parents here will support their DCs.

I have read through all your stories and breaks my heart to see so many being disappointed, it all seems very unfair. Nevertheless I find the thread very inspiring, the love and support of the parents here and the resilience and ingenuity of DCs will go a long way to help them having a great life.

I myself was a very academic child and loved learning was hoping to sail through all the barriers and excel in my chosen career. Life had different plans for me. I stumbled, even though I generally did well with exams but lacked many other skills needed for success. Looking back, I love all my failures. They were like a new branch life gifted me. I wanted to grow tall but instead grew wide.

It is easier to be philosophical in retrospect, when plans don’t work out no amount of philosophical musing will lessen the pain.

@stilldumdedumming good luck to your son today. He sounds so mature and resourceful.

Rooting for everyone who needs it.

A positive story. About 10 years ago, my DB had a truly awful results day. Missed his grades for his first choice, after being predicted top grades throughout. It felt like the end of the world for him, like if he didn't go to that university then his life would be forever derailed, I remember him sobbing in his room and my parents struggling to reason with him . . . . Anyway, he took a year off. He got a job for the first 6 months and worked as many shifts as possible and then used that money to fund a bloody amazing round the world trip (working a bit in various countries too, which meant he came back with near fluent Spanish). He reapplied to unis and ended up going to Sheffield. He got a great degree, loved it there, met some amazing friends. Emerged from the other side and tougher person, with so much experience of the world.

He looks back now and shrugs. He still says it was one of the worst days of his life, but that actually it all turned out great.

Much support to all!

@Itisadifficulttime I'm so sorry. We are in a very similar position. DD predicted A*AA and got CCD. Absolutely no inkling that she hadn't done well compared to mocks (AAB) - almost the opposite, really positive. It's awful. Somehow things will be ok though. This is a moment in time and it will pass.

@Thefatbutteredpig Thank you for asking. One step forward, two steps backward. So after a couple of offers doing courses that she didn't really want to do, she decided to shake off the RG snobbery and move forward with a verbal offer from MMU to do the exact course she wanted - in the city she wanted. They followed up the verbal with an email of the provisional offer so she put it on the tracker and had made peace with it. This morning an email saying they are 'considering' her offer. She called and has been told that it might take a few days for the provisional offer to be a full offer and they have a lot of candidates?? We had thought that the tracker was just a formality and sh now can't put another one on there till they have decided. Added to which she'd really got her head around MMU being where she was going. So she feels like the ground has shifted again. I'm not sure how much more she can take before she falls apart. It's crap.

@curaçao definitely disinterest rather than modesty. I’ve known them a very long time. If it had been the younger sister they would have been all over it. Older brother not so much, and he feels it hard. Breaks my heart to see it. Other older brother has gone to local Uni and barely comes home even though it’s only half an hour away and the majority of local students go home at weekends. I think DD’s friend will be the same. By the time it gets to younger sister’s turn it will be an entirely different scenario.

Would it not be better to take his results to show the firm offer?

Very sad @AfingeroffudgeisNOTenough . Hopefully uni will be the start of him building a 'family of choice' away from his parents.

@HairyMaclary that is a really uplifting post to read. That’s exactly how schools should be! My DD didn’t need clearing, but I can imagine that her school was very similar yesterday. They’re very good at pastoral care and are very on the ball with things.

Just wondered if anyone could help with a query about marks on specific papers? DS a B rather than the A he was predicted in one subject (OCR PE). He’s been sent the marks he achieved for each paper and paper 3 is really low, it’s 34/60. School are really confused but are refusing to ask for the scripts as he needs 6 marks to move to an A which they say won’t happen.

He has done countless mocks and never ever got anywhere near that on paper 3. We’ve looked at the grade boundaries for Paper 3 and they seem much higher than last year. I’m probably explaining it wrong but does that mean the paper 3 was easier or harder? If it was easier then it doesn’t explain why he lost so many marks.

@curaçao that sounds hopeful then, thanks. Will just have to wait and see if he gets the extra marks and go from there as nothing else he can do at the moment.

@Netcam WOW, that’s genuinely incredible! You must be utterly thrilled. Congratulations to your ds (and you!).

Is it better to retake, or, if an offer given from RG Uni, despite a shocker re: results, for less well regarded course, take it with both hands? Can you ever switch course?

@SlightlyJaded I’ve no particular skin in the game anymore but I have been following your posts and am keeping everything crossed and more for you and your DD. 💐It really shouldn’t be this bloody hard - the whole system is a shit-show. Hopefully today will bring better news.

@batterypark , we were in a very similar position last year with dd1 (also autistic and wouldn't have coped with uni). She's had a year to recover from what was looking like autistic burnout and has applied to do a foundation year course with the OU starting in October. Perhaps something like that would be an option for your ds?

@SlightlyJaded FGS, MMU! It's all so cruel. I hope she gets the answer she wants today.

DD came in at 4.15am sopping wet and barged into my bedroom for towels (airing cupboard is in there). We're going to watch a theatrical production of Sense & Sensibility tonight - I did wonder if she could bear it since it was a set text for her English Lit exam, but luckily her result was good so she's still up for it.

@stilldumdedumming admin gods needed here as well! ds's EPQ grade has finally been updated on UCAS (after exam board sent it yesterday lunchtime) and Bath Uni can now see the grade, but cannot guarantee when his original offer (whose conditions he has met) will be reinstated on UCAS........

@TJsAunt honestly it's unbelievable isn't it? Good luck for good news. Do you have a plan B ( sorry if you already mentioned this!)

Thanks all. It really is a shit sandwich. She already felt embarrassed and ashamed (overriding emotion - even though not warranted) by her results and her rejections from two top RGs that everyone (including teachers) expected her to breeze, to where she is now, and now this.

We have GCSE's in this house too - and selfishly I want this resolved for DD for her but also her sibling so that they can have my full attention.

I have always said that I hate our system - two hours in a hall is not a reflection of anyone's ability or worth or a fair culmination of 12 years of education, and I feel that more strongly than ever. I will keep smiling for DD and supporting her through this, but i am even. more than 'SlightlyJaded' now. I am Fully Jaded and might even change my user name to reflect this!

@stilldumdedumming he has also met his insurance offer - but if the admin doesn't get sorted today then am worried he'll be too late for accommodation at either??? How's our day going so far? Everyone on the phone lines is very reasonable and helpful but a total lack of urgency is frustrating?

@mrsconradfisher We’ve looked at the grade boundaries for Paper 3 and they seem much higher than last year. I’m probably explaining it wrong but does that mean the paper 3 was easier or harder?

It means either that the paper was easier and/or that they applied their bell curve to bring the results in line with 2019 and that is where the boundaries fell. Lots of people are upset about higher grade boundaries this year. DS can’t get over that he would have had a grade higher in maths any other year with the raw mark he got which is probably because the papers were quite straight forward as he said at the time.

If his raw mark is really out of character for your DS then try to persuade the school to have a look. The examiner or your DS could have missed a page of answers or marks. It does happen.

Same here. I cannot fault the school which has been really excellent. State comp

They did a newsletter and results seemed good too

@TJsAunt the lack of urgency compared to the time pressure of accepting offers and getting accommodation is utterly baffling!

How does this part work do you know? We’re so wiped out relieved that thinking of accommodation has disappeared from view

Do schools ever publish predicted grades Vs actual achieved grades for each subject?

If they did that students may be better prepared for what actually happens.

If a school is routinely 2/3 grades out between predicted and achieved surely there should be some consequence?