GCSE Grades

[cooney]

Not having been to school in this country and my DS1 now attending high school here, just about to choose GCSE options, I find it all a bit confusing. Can anyone enlighten me as to what make constitutes an A* A B C etc. Is a mark under a 'c' a fail? Just browsing through mumsnet, I have just come across threds mentioning higher level and foundation level GCSEs. Does doing foundation level mean that you would't be eligible for university in the UK?

Its all a learning curve. Just come through the CE v's schools own exams and which schools require which etc I didn't think it could get much more confusing, but now on to the next stage.....

Where to start. I didn't go to school in this country either, so I'm learning too. As I understand it, D and E grades aren't officially fails, but only A* to C are considered good grades. That said, apparently our local college is offering A-level places to kids with three E grades. On foundation level papers you can't get a mark higher than a C so a child with sights set on university would need to take the higher level paper - you wouldn't be allowed to take the subject on to A-level with just foundation tier.
It is a minefield and choosing GCSE options is only the start!

The higher and foundation you've heard about refer to the different tiers of GCSEs - so you can either do Higher Tier GCSE French (Grade rage A*-E) or Lower Tier (Grade range C-F). Anything above a C counts as a good grade and will count towards school league tables and entry for colleges etc.

If your child has sat CE so is at a selective private school they should really only be sitting Higher Tier papers (at least in most subjects). They need 5 GCSEs grades A* to C, for university followed by A'levels. To be allowed to study for their choosen A'level subjects they may well need at least a B in the relevant GCSE. You child may also be studying for iGCSEs rather than GCSEs if they are at a private school. I would ask the school for further advice and clarification.