talk to me (clueless) about predicted grades for A Level and contextual offers....

[multiholk]

so DS has just joined Year11. Math / Econ / Comp Sci.

His college has an agreement with Russell group Unis so they give students contexual offers apparently.

Reading these threads it seems that ensuring the predicted grades are as high as can be as important as the Actual grades.

SO how does DS get a high predicted grade, is there a set way it's worked out or I need to ask the college?

Re contextual offer - how does this work, does any have any experience?

Thanks !

He needs to do his very best throughout Y12, in class and in tests. At least that’s how it should work…..

There are a lot of different interpretations of contextual offers and how they will be awarded. Each university has their own criteria.

For example, Oxford and Cambridge consider widening participation (WP) criteria attached to the applicant rather than attending a specific school. Oxford considers the context of results and PGs alongside interviews, but makes the standard offer regardless of WP status.

Other universities such as Bristol have a huge list of schools, whilst others may consider where you live & your background. This may lead to reduced offers, but there's no guarantee.

OK, thanks all. Thank god for mums net and seeing the other thread on predicted grades, I had no idea I Needed to be on the case already.

Predicted grades are usually based on exams through Y12, so as previous poster has said, he needs to make sure he's working really hard through Y12 and does well in his exams and assessments, and if he is working at A level, say, then they'll predict him As. If he isn't doing the work and consistently gets awful results he'll get the predicted grades that go with that. Most colleges have an evening about university applications at some point in Y12. I think at my child's school it was after Christmas exam results were in.

Universities like Bristol have very useful information about their contextual offers and list every school and college they offer them too so worth having a look there and at other universities too. Here's the link for Bristol which will give you some idea:

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/

That should have said A star level. Usual thing of forgetting the MN * quirk of going bold.

Contextual offers vary uni to uni so it won’t be the case that they have an agreement with all Russell groups.

The only exception would be if they participate in the realising opportunities programme, where students who complete it get a reduced offer at the participating universities. There are eligibility criteria so if he’s Y11 he can see what that is and work towards it. If he’s Y12 he will have either met it or not as this point.

It’s so important to know it isn’t like Y10 being predicted for Y11.

Because content continues to be taught into Y13, it’s whatever grades they are actually achieving in Y12, rather than a prediction of future. Predicted grades are “on a good day” but in reality that usually means if they are on the boundary they’ll be predicted the higher grade.

Unless as per the other thread they attend a school where parents put undue pressure on teachers to inflate the grade and the teachers for whatever reason cave.

Unis publish their typical offers and typical contextual offers. Look at theUniguide.co.uk which often gives a spread - the lower one is the contextual offer. So it might say AAB-ABB.
Your child should aim to get the highest grade he's capable of. There's no point getting in on a lower offer if they will struggle to keep up on the course. Doing an EPQ if that's offered may also result in a lower offer if he gets an A or above.

OK this is great - thanks all. I will check out the links and check that DS is aware of this