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.

Hmmm DD got an email this morning offering her accommodation that was over £8,000 a year and catered!

We specifically chose accommodation ( 4 or 5 places can't remember) that were the cheapest ie half that price and self catered.

She immediately got on the phone and spoke with someone who said they would attempt to change and to keep checking her inbox.

Unfortunately, I think economics is the sort of subject where there is a risk of dropping a whole grade- due to the essays etc. That said, if her teachers can take a look at the paper, they may be able to offer an opinion about the risk- and doing it one paper at a time (if the uni will hold the place) does offset the risk a little bit.

If she's not currently holding an offer she's happy with, then she's got nothing to lose, as well?

On over predictions, I felt my twins were over predicted (a few years ago) by the schoo. They did have 4 A grades each in AS so I suppose the school was not wrong to predict 3 A stars at A level but I never thought that likely and thought it might mean they got too high an offer to meet from the universities. (They got AAA and AAB which is about what I would have expected).

I was very under predicted by my tiny school years ago and thus rejected by Durham and Bristol and ended up instead with best A levels in the school, went to Manchester and did very well.

Back to this year Durham2023, like what you said about failures. I was asked to write about my legal career recently and I wrote,for once, about all the failures as I think people go on about successes far too much when in fact we are often as much defined by how we handle failures as successes.

@mizu - have PM’d you (worked out how to do it after posting on the main thread). Thanks!

@SlightlyJaded I am beyond comprehension for how amazingly your DD has coped and in the face of such battering - she and you are amazing - I would be beyond jaded - hold in there - so many people of this thread are supporting you.

Does anyone know if schools can look at the papers of students who have wildly missed their predicted grades if the student hasn't requested it? My son doesn't want to bother as he has now found a place in clearing (thank you Nottingham) but he received a B in his A star subject and it was a good way off an A too so no point in a remark. I'm just curious to know if the school would have a look for obvious clerical errors if students results were particularly out or if they would only look if asked?

this would be a bit like turkeys voting for christmas and would not really be advantageous for the school albeit very helpful when choosing which senior school to send your children too. if too many students have been over predicted then that does imo reflect badly on the school. I can understand all the reasons why - making sure they get offers in the first place, looking at the best them on the best day etc etc but really this whole system is the thing that is at fault and tweeking around the edges is just that - tweeking. it might be inconvenient for unis but really need to have grades in before offers. yes it would delay the start of unis but by how much? most arent starting for another month anyway so that time could be used to sort out who goes where. whilst I feel really sorry for those that missed their grades I do feel equally sad about those young people who exceeded their grade predictions considerably and could have taken a place at a top uni but instead pitched expectations lower based on this. the system is broken and the fact that we now pay over £9,000 a year for this "service" boils my p&&s. If any other business was run like this people just wouldnt use them.

@Fourcandlesx I think that the student has to request it. My ds has requested to see one paper as he is one mark off the next grade up and he had to go into school and sign a form to enable the school to do it. Might just be the policy at his school though?

@Dery 👍🏼 I'll check on Sunday.

I think I agree with you that the whole system needs overhauling.
I come from Ireland and still can't get my head around the complexity and unfairness of the UK system.

In Ireland there is no such thing as predicted grades, all offers are based on actual results.
Their A level equivalent exam, the Leaving Certificate won't publish the results for another week and there seems to be enough time to get everything sorted.

Which city is she? My dd ended up finding private halls cheaper.

@Dontworryrelax thank you. I thought that might be the case.
@mizu if it makes you feel better we are probably looking at £8,000 non catered! The accommodation that's left is really expensive and as he is a clearing student I think they are bottom of the pile for allocation so we won't get an offer until next week. I've started looking at private halls but some of those are over £11,000 as they are 51 week contracts.

Yes you can. Best to start with a joint honours. So say you wanted law do politics and law and then if you do well first year they'd let you switch as there's usually drop outs

I think, to be fair, most schools offer advice on the day, and will advise about the process. Most heads of sixth form or HoDs will work out who isn't holding any offers and will try and speak to them on the day (it's one reason they like students to go into schools to get their results, even though people moaned about that upthread).

There's not really much advocacy that schools can do- most unis won't speak to a teacher on a student's behalf unless there are specific circumstances e.g. disability.

Most teachers who teach Y13 will go in for results day, but it's worth bearing in mind it's not a paid day and schools can't force people who aren't on the leadership pay scale to come in. It's also the case that they need staff in for Y11 results day next week, as well, and some staff can't/ won't do both. To be honest, I think perhaps results days should become paid days for secondary staff at least.

The vast majority of teachers and schools will help and advise students though, especially those who they know won't have much family support.

That's great news Durham - you must be over the moon!!!
You might remember my DD was in a similar position - needed 666 and got 655 and Bristol told her to wait until the 17th. She didn't get the place 😑 even with a 31 in the LNAT.
(I do know that Law at Bristol is incredibly competitive etc etc, I'm just feeling sore anyway!!)

Congratulations to all the DCs who made their offers or have gotten in via Clearing and well done to all the parents cheering on and providing support.

DS got AstarAstarB and we are thankful as those are great results however, he is still awaiting a decision from his firm choice as his offer was for AstarAA. He's been on the phone with firm uni since yesterday been told decisions will be sent out asap anytime before August 23rd. He has been accepted by Insurance though but would just really like to know!

Anyone else in this situation? Or any other suggestions of what we can do apart from wait?

I definitely think the only 20% of predicted grades are correct isn’t known, I didn’t. I know dc’s school said the ucas predicted are something like evidenced based and achievable.
I can see how not getting a mark below an A, all mocks A or A star and then all predictions A star or A leaves dc’s absolutely blindsided when they get B and C (still very good grades)
Mine’s only going into yr 13. We have been to see several universities but she is looking at courses with high entry as she is predicted 3 A star.
Suggestions from me to look at lower had been resisted - don’t you have faith, I’m not going to drop 2 grades etc. I’ve found it hard to navigate as a mum.
Whilst feeling desperately sorry for dc blindsided yesterday it did enable me to have a sensible conversation yesterday with her and she was far more receptive. She’s booked on a September open day for one with a ABB offer for course she wants.

Was the A his UCAS prediction? Have you got a more recent report, and was he still on track for an A?

Is it possible they think there's too much risk of him moving down to a C?

I'm sorry it's a disappointing grade, but if the school think he won't improve, then a remark is likely to be an expensive risk.

@Dixiechickonhols honestly I think this is something positive that can come out of all the heartbreaking stories on here. show your DC this thread where some have missed grades by several steps. The insurance offer is just that - an insurance and if its too close to the first one then really its a bit pointless. I encouraged all of my DCs to go for a lower end offer. only one didnt get their first choice and still went to an RG. Who knows what kind of curve balls in which subject are going to be flung next year and its just so important to have not only a plan a and b but also a c and d too. good luck to your DD and hope she enjoys all the open days.

But the system basically punishes students who go to schools who don't overpredict.

Schools also normally send home reports etc. Reports sent home in April etc are surely a better reflection of how students are doing than predicted grades which were probably decided in September or October.

Ideally you don't want to be 2/3 grades above, but the system is such that if you're making realistic predictions, you are actually hurting your students. And sometimes there's a lot of parental pressure to overpredict.

Also, unis are arguably part of the problem. A lot of them (outside of covid) will routinely advertise entry requirements in the AAA-ABB range, but drop below this when accepting students. If they made more realistic offers, predicted grades could likely be a bit more realistic too.

Edinburgh. Fingers crossed as if it is £8000 she will not be going!

Yes he was on track for an A, a very high A. His school predicted very carefully so definitely no grade inflations here. Consistently got A or A star in all mocks and assessments.

Its not so much the Grade that’s weird, I’d be less bothered if the spread of marks he lost were across all papers. It’s the fact that he only got around 50% on paper 3 whereas he was usually getting 80/90% on that paper.

Im not looking for a remark, I just want the script of the papers looked at. There is no risk to moving grades from that. It’s the subject he is doing at Uni and he is now doubting his ability to even do it. But school won’t do it and we can’t independently.

@mummymeister and@VacMann

Post qualification applications could be made to work in the UK. I have sat in workshops discussing this. But the necessary reforms would annoy almost everyone except admissions tutors, who informally tend to favour it.

The academic year would need to be revised for Y 13 and Uni Y1. Interviews would need to be conducted out of term time, requiring the presence of academics typically on holiday or away on research. Subject areas with licensing requirements would need approval for the new Y1 academic year. Families with rising Y13 pupils would find their summer plans need to accommodate an intensive application process. All is possible. Few want the impact on their own lives.

I agree that Ireland and other countries show it can be done and it is much, much fairer.

90% is very high to get on an A-level paper- I wonder if the teacher(s) were marking too generously, and perhaps from looking at other papers or the grades across the cohort, they may have now realised this?

The other thing I'd add is that if it was one of the last papers he sad, mental stamina/tiredness may have had an impact?

If the school won't do it, I would imagine there is a reason for it, and unfortunately you can't force them. Perhaps worth contacting the head of sixth form or similar, if you haven't already and explaining the psychological impact on DS to see if he can arrange anything. That said, a B is still a really good achievement, and at uni the style of assessment may be similar- maybe time to start building his confidence up in this way.

In your previous post you did talk about remarks as the reason the school was refusing, so that's why I mentioned them.

I understand it's a really difficult time, but also they may have other students who need reviews of marking etc for uni, and may need to prioritise them? Bearing in mind for subject teachers it is their holidays and any work they do between now and the start of term is essentially overtime for no extra pay...

@stilldumdedumming admin complete and offer reinstated. Tough 28 hours. All the best for you and your dc