A level results day 2024

[Happyface246]

How’s everyone else feeling about results day? I’ve got one at uni already and 2nd dd hoping to go to Kent in September. She seems ok about it at the moment although think that will change as it gets closer. Me I’m so keeping my fingers crossed she gets what she wants, I know there will always be other options but she loved the open day. Going to struggle with this one going though as it has been a real journey to get to where she is.

V much about the time and resources at private schools. Classes of 16 are easier to teach than classes of 32 - less marking, more time to individually help students. Not worrying about photocopying, able to provide full colour resources, able to buy in people and things, all make learning easier.

The desperation for people to prove that their state educated dcs top grades are somehow better than privately educated top grades is sad really. Maybe in the old days when there was a large coursework component there was an argument to say that private schools could game the system. Not any more.

Looool I’m not talking about over invested parents!!!! I’m talking about the A level holders themselves. It’s super naïve to assume that isn’t discussed.

Oh dear don’t be bitter at having spent all your cash please.

Private schools massively gamed TAGs. Thank god they can’t do that any more, at least.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/aug/28/private-schools-england-gaming-system-lockdown-exam-results-gcse-a-level-grades?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Yeah, my dd discussed hers for a day or so. None of her friends from state got A stars, but I'm sure if they had she wouldn't have been more impressed then with her private school friends A stars. Ridiculous argument!

Tbh she was more shocked that the girl in her class at state primary, who was really bright and academic, top of the school academically, got BBB and is going to Reading Uni.

Wow. Bitter, much?! 😂

I’m walking away as actually this is just really nasty. Look closely at what you’re saying.

That’s abit mean! The brilliant teacher literally moved to the private school as she found the demands of the state school too much (not the kids the admin poor woman was close to breakdown ). My Dd then drops a grade in that subject. So sort of a direct result of the system!

Its all fine she got into the top university she wanted despite this but a snap shot of how teachers are treated having a direct effect on outcomes. Frankly if we had known all the teachers were leaving we might well have gone private for 6th form but it was too late by then.

It may seem nasty but so is your argument that people are more impressed with state school A stars.

I don’t know why you’ve got a bee in your bonnet about this.

when it comes to Oxford admissions, for example, GCSE grades are considered/ ranked in the context of the cohort in which they are achieved.

its pretty clear to me that most people DO find 3 A*s from a comp in a deprived area more impressive than the same achieved from a child in a selective / private school.

Maybe if you’re having a debate about private versus state but not a casual conversation. I don’t think people are thinking that deep about it unless it’s their own child involved.

Oxbridge are probably the only ones. I don’t think anyone else really cares (maybe if they’re being interviewed but a lot of subjects don’t require an interview they just require the grades).

Nothing wrong with Reading. It has a great campus and a lovely vibe. I hope she’ll be very happy there.

If a child does well from a struggling school that no one has got to Oxbridge from that’s surely more of an achievement than the private school child who has been supported every step of the way? Dh was that pupil he had to open his a level results on local radio the head was so excited!

Lots of A*s from comps around here which is great to see.

State comprehensive here - quite a few A*s and As (including DD). One of her friends got 4 A stars and it wasn't a typical further maths combo

What difference does it make though if a mixed group of teenagers from state and private are chatting about their grades and saying oh mine means more because I went to a crappy state school? I mean they can discuss it but it makes sod all difference to the big picture of what Uni or job you get. I honestly can’t imagine a group of friends caring about these details.

I don’t think the kids really talk about their grades once they get to uni. My older two both started in the last couple of years and neither of them know what any of their uni friends got (in fact they don’t even know what all their school friends got - definitely different from in my day!).

What did come up was who had applied to Oxbridge.

Congratulation to your ds. Yes that’s a great achievement but each family, state or private should be proud of their kids achievements. Mine got ACC and I’m really proud of him because last year he couldn’t even get out of bed due to bad depression and so didn’t even sit his A levels. Every involved parent will feel pride in their child’s struggles and/or achievements. (My son was private).

Astar from a comp is more impressive than Astar from a private school. Most people would agree with this so it’s disingenuous to pretend otherwise.

Singling out a kid who at primary that was at the top of the class and “got BBB and is going to Reading Uni” is absolutely horrible.

What do you know about that kid? Really? What do you know about why she chose Reading?

Nasty, judgmental, the very worst of MN snobbery. You should be ashamed.

I think all the comments about which a star is perceived as worth more are unpleasant. An A star is a fabulous achievement for the student and testament to their hard work and ability. It’s pretty crass to attempt to diminish that achievement.

Astar is the top grade. How can a private school pupil show they have as much ability as a state school pupil if the state school pupil’s Astar is ‘better’? They can’t so it just becomes a way to knock the private school pupil.

Oxbridge are probably the only ones. I don’t think anyone else really cares (maybe if they’re being interviewed but a lot of subjects don’t require an interview they just require the grades).

A significant number of Unis make "contextual offers" - offers that bear in mind the school the applicant went to, where they live, and other factors, and adjust the offer accordingly. Unis that do so include Bristol, Manchester, UCL, Bath, Exeter, York and Nottingham amongst others. Bristol, for example, publish a list of schools that are eligible for such an offer.

It’s hard though isn’t it? How can we discuss privilege if we can’t acknowledge the benefits of privilege in education?

This isn’t knocking the achievements of any child who achieves top grades, it’s just an acknowledgment of the extra hurdles some children face to reach the same point.

In the context of this thread I agree it seems crass but I don’t think it’s generally something that shouldn’t be said or acknowledged.