A level results day 2024

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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.

@PumpkinKnitter ah you have one going to Edinburgh?

DD1 started there last year and we had a 6-7 hour drive so booked an Airbnb and drove home the next day.

DD2 is going to Liverpool this year - a mere 3 hours so going to do it in one day.

Top tip. Put the duvet cover and pillow cases onto the bedding before you pack the car. You can immediately throw them onto the bed and the room looks like home (especially when every door in the flat is open & full of identical Ikea bags).

The moving in tips are so helpful - thank you. We haven't got a slot yet, but it's too far a journey to do in one day, so will be booking a hotel/air bnb.

I had visions of spending the whole weekend settling him in, but it's clear now that we need to help him unpack, do a food shop and bugger off.

He's my eldest and I'm (pathetically) already lump in the throat/teary at the thought of leaving him. He's wonderfully excited, though, so that's lovely to see.

I'd swear it was only a few months ago that I brought him home? Where did the time go?

@mizu Yes, DD3 is off to Edinburgh. DD2 went to Leeds which was 3 hours and that was quite manageable to do in a day. Hope your DD enjoys Liverpool.

Re the private school choice - musing over last week Dd and her state school mates are happy polite thriving in a lovely group all heading off to the universities of their choice or second choice. My friends teens at the local states are same.

Other friends with their dc at the local private schools are in exactly the same position - certainly no better and going to the same universities. They could have easily gone to the state schools too so it’s not as if the state option was horrendous. I genuinely don’t get what it is they’ve spent all that money for. I really don’t.

I genuinely don’t get what it is they’ve spent all that money for. I really don’t

Why give it any thought?! It’s great that your daughter and her friends are happy and did so well. Why dwell on the friends who chose private school? They may also be delighted with their choice and outcomes.

Congrats to everyone here. It’s ok to feel sad for your kid. It’s also ok to feel flat and deflated if things don’t go their way. There is such a stupid build-up to the day that when things pan out differently, it can feel a huge disappointment for many. It’s ridiculous how much the media builds up these exam results days too.

Of course parents should not let kids know they are disappointed if they have worked hard. But they should find the right balance. Reassuring and comforting but also not dismissing their feelings. Empathy and understanding is important, esp on the first day. You then start planning and looking at the positives.

Well done to the young people here. This is the first year for a while we have had no public exam results day. But the pressure and stress on the kids is awful and we have to somehow get them through it.

@TheaBrandt perhaps their child was bullied at a previous school, perhaps the child needs additional support, perhaps they wanted a single sex school, perhaps the school offered better sporting facilities, A levels not offered in other schools…a myriad of possible reasons.
why does this bother you so much?
People make different choices. Let’s celebrate the achievements of the students rather than questioning choices.

Thinking of friends and family who went private (across country/different schools), reasoning included: Only offered a failing local school; being held back in class/not having their maths ability recognised; generally very gifted and state school not able to be flexible enough (taking exams three years early); wanting to go down a year group for emotional development reasons; several were autistic and unable to cope with environment of larger school; quite a few bullied at state school; needed the wraparound care/longer day offered at younger stages; needing the flexiboarding for work; family tradition; state school failure (eg long term poor supply teacher cover); access to a sport at a higher level; subject choice.

My kids go to a state school and I teach in both state & private.

Imagine if all the private schools closed. The state system cannot cope as it is - where are all those children going to go?

They'll go into state - and classes will go up to 33. How is that going to benefit anyone? Be grateful that there are choices!

@KielderWater its the journey and not the destination......
Private schools offer a different journey and can shape the character of your DC.

From a personal perspective, the main benefit is the confidence and self belief that they can do anything they set their minds to (even if the reality is different).

Are the ranges of universities similar between your state school DC and those who were at a private school? Mind, there is also a range of private schools and not all are academic

@TheaBrandt this is a thread about a level results, but you seem determined to make it a private/state school debate. Firstly you are convinced your child would have got an a star if the teacher hadn’t moved to a private school and now you claim not to understand why a parent would pay for a private school. There is, of course, value in a private/state school debate but perhaps start your own thread instead of trying to derail this one.

Teachers leave any school not sure that can be avoided. It’s an issue at the private too though not as acute
maybe. Choice of school and a level results are pretty much interlinked !

Destinations wise the groups aren’t comparable and most in both sectors are still at school. You also cannot compare those who experienced failure of state provision with those that had good state provision - they might look similar outcomes but that doesn’t mean they would have been similar had they remained where they were experiencing poor provision. Most private schools are selective so you would expect ‘better’ outcomes in terms of university - the children I know at state school go to a much broader range of destinations. Having said that, all the Oxbridge students I know were private. And yes, confidence is a thing.

We can all say, my kid would definitely have got a higher grade if only… but none of us really know of course what could happen on the day. We have to celebrate the grades our kids have been given and try and support them through the process.

If you get bored on the drive to drop your DCs off at uni you could always play "Spot the other cars with returning uni students in". Extra points if you can make a convincing case for whether they're a fresher or not. If the car is absolutely rammed, it's probably a fresher.

I've played that for years. 😂

I took far more in year 2 when I was in a house needing everything for self-catering than the first year

Me too! We even got bedding provided in first year.

Hi everyone I posted on result day that my daughter missed her Trinity college cambridge offer for BSC Economics by 3 marks, The school got her further maths papers and she saw that in paper 4 ,there appears to be missed 3 marks and she sent it to her further maths teacher who confirmed this. She sent it for review of marking and she got the 3 marks and grade went from an A to A star. It took only one day. So Trinity college cambridge confirmed her offer. Though she has already applied for accommodation at UCL, she will now be going to Cambridge next month. I want to encourage anyone that is considering whether to go for a remark or not , and who has fear of grade going down, just get the paper first for free and check if there is mistake in the marking ,there is no risk in that. Go for remark if there is, the child might just get the grade they need.

Great news

Could you tell me what the scripts should show when you request them as we have requested my daughters Business scripts which we have had but all they are showing are her marks.
Thank you.

Sorry totally ignore my last post, I have just checked over the scripts again and I have realised I hadn’t looked beyond the marks.

Thanks anyway.

Sorry, I have just seen your message, I'm glad you have sorted it out. With the script, she can see her answers and marks awarded for each, because your daughter's paper is business which is essay subject, it's best if she gives it to her teacher to check. The teacher will be able to know if marks have been missed.

Thank you! Great news indeed!