GCSE modules in year 9

[seeker]

My friend's dd did 4 GCSE modules in year 9, and got 2 Cs, a D and an F. She has told her mum that it isn't possible to get more than a C - so she did really well (!) Friend and I find this a bit hard to believe - are we right to be sceptical? We are both of the O level generation, so this is all new to us, and friend would like to be armed with a bit more information before she approaches the school next week!

GCSEs are split in some subjects into 'higher' and 'foundation' (I think that's what they're called). The latter is for lower ability students, and so it's possible that C is the highest grade.

Seems silly to do them so early if they're not achieving so well - why not give them a couple of extra years to improve their performance and give them a better chance in their exam?

But this girl is in the "grammar" stream of a high school - and chisidered very bright.

Sounds like foundation level if 'C' is the max. What subjects were they? If it is science (which a lot of schools seem to start early), then some bright but non-sciency children do struggle with it a bit, so that might explain the grammar stream thing though it does seem odd.

I do agree that it's daft to do them early and 'set' expectations so low - far better to only do them early if you're going to do really well. She'll probably end up retaking them, maybe several times, and getting the idea that low grades and retakes are the norm (which sadly they seem to be).

My DS is at an ordinary grammar school (ie with catchment area- not a mega competitive one)but they don't start their modules til 4th yr and nearly all get A or A*.
It sounds like they have failed her by putting her in too soon.

dd did modules in 4th year and got As and A* as did almost everyone but it is a grammar school (state) I DO believe it's too early ..

agree with poster who says maybe it's the lower level paper but that is just me guessing

I suspect that your friends dd is trying to pull the wool is that possible - do you know the girl?

Hmmm. I think so too - about the woll over mum's eyes, I mean.I do think it's bonkers to do them so esrly. At dd's very old fashioned school, they do them all in Year 11 - unless they are super bright in something, or unless, like my dd, they are in the lower sets for maths and so do it in manageble chunks.

Seeker,
I am sckeptical about what your friend's DD is telling her.

It is true that for foundation modules, you can only get a C max. However, a school is not going to put foundation candidates in for modules a year early. You would not expect any foundation candidates in a grammar school.

If she did Edexcel Science modules, students can select in the exam room whether they do the foundation or higher questions, but this would not explain a D and an F.

The Cs were science and maths, the D Spanish and the F history.

She is quite capable of ....er....manipulating... the facts if she sees the need!

It is very unusual to do history in Year 9. It takes them up to Year 11 to develop the analytical skills required to answer the questions in the detail required. It's not surprising she didn't do well.

We give GCSE questions (on the topics covered) in our Year 10 school exams in history and they always do really badly, even if they have learnt the material well. By the time they do the real thing in Year 11, the do really well because their thinking skills have moved on in that year.

Is the Spanish exam a GCSE? That sounds strange too do to it in Year 9, considering they have only picked up the subject in Year 7. Could it have been an ASSET exam that she did not take seriously. At my school, we have all of our Year 9s do ASSET exams in French/Spanish/German. Most pupils will drop one of their languages before moving onto GCSE, so the ASSET gives them official recongnition of having done the subject at all.