Countdown to GCSE results day

[duchesse]

After disastrous A level results today with DS, I'm quietly optimistic for DD1 who is altogether a different kettle of fish. Please come and virtually hold my hand as I rock and shake in the corner. Or take to the bottle.

sieglinde- DD1 is hoping for 10 A* and has stated that she will retake art if she gets anything below an A. She has v high standards, is bright and works like buggery.

Her brother on the other hand is a lazy, workshy little sod who just thinks that things will fall into his lap and that if you have to work for them they aren't work having. We have tried everything over the last 7 years- cajoling, explaining, bribing, punishing, allowing him to find his own work level for a year (HA!!). His results reflect this.

Both these children are the fruit of my loins, have been brought up in very similar ways. I've never expected anything less of Boy child than I have of the girls. He just isn't cut from the same cloth. I've had to revise downwards my inner hopes and expectations of him over the last 3-4 years whilst outwardly continuing to expect the best from him.

It doesn't matter really what I know about Oxbridge entrance- he has had the same information as DD1 and decided that it sounded too much like hard work; DD1 treats same information as a challenge and rises to it. We have expended as many resources and energy as we could trying to get DS to point in the right direction.

As a university friend (now a sec teacher) said recently, getting into Oxbridge (which incidentally both DH and I achieved) is not just about pure ability, it's also about managing to get your act together in time. DS did not manage this, DD1 might (and I hope so for her as that's what she wants.)

Incidentally, getting into Oxbridge also relies heavily on wise subject choices, so if anyone is contemplating them as an option for their DC, you must investigate extensively subject options before your child chooses GCSEs (ie year 8 or 9). Speak to the universities/colleges and ask them what the best subject combination would be for what your DC appears to be interested in. Do not let the school fob them off with crap non-subjects as both universities prefer solid traditional subjects at A level. I think that the reason my son got a university place at all despite dismal A level results is because he took three solid A levels.

duchesse, that sounds both smart and well-informed. My children are more similar, but I have twin godchildren who are utterly different.

DD just gone into town with her friends so I can stop walking on egg shells for today. Mine are similar to yours duchesse DD works really hard to get her grades whereas DS who is much more academic is so lazy and I hope his results will shock him into working hard in year 10 and 11. At least he has the chance to retake if they are as dire as I imagine, based on the amount of time he put into revision 'not much you can reivise for ........' was his constant phrase.
No Oxbridge intentions in this house :) so not the end of the world if the results aren't what we wanted.

duchesse MN is fab for creeping out parents about grammars with the no-chance-without-a-£100pw-tutor etc. Don't do the same for Oxford and Cambridge! Plenty of bright students get in despite an A Level in a non-traditional or soft subject and GCSE choices are pretty meh once the bases are covered.

sieglinde what I see at Oxford is quite a variation in GCSE grades. I understood there to be a lot of fine tuning according to a candidate's school. Even at our school it's not been the straight GCSE A* crew who've invariably got in: some do, some don't and some get in with a handful.

I have to say duchesse I'd never stress about GCSE options and only moderately with A's.

I am anxious too... unlike dd1 who wants to do well but cant be arsed to do more than bare minimum...sigh...

Yellowstone, I think variation according to school is itself variable. That is, on the ADSS database, there will be flags, but plainly some colleges ignore them, and others act on them. That's why I'd always urge anyone to try for Oxbridge if their dcs like the idea. You can't predict it. Or guarantee it. A lot depends on what you are teaching or applying for, of course.

I am pale with worry, and yet he is cool as white wine spritzer, he predicted out of 12 subjects, 9 A one is in the bag (maths he did last year and got A*),but we still have Chemistry, Physics, Statistics and History to reckoned with, he has to get A for these to get in to his preferred 6th form, we don't have a plan B, champs. will be on ice tonight to congratulate or commiserate

DS announced the grade boundaries have been published today!

His Maths board is 88% A*, 59% A, 50% B ! Seems a huge range for an A?

we have none in the bag as ds's school wouldn't let anyone in top sets to sit their exams on early entry therefore everything rests on tomorrow.........

and although he is in top sets, he is not a high flyer so it could go either way. He is starting to worry tonight, so to keep things normal I have had a good moan about the state of his bedroom

Those grade boundaries say it all really don't they? A 29% band for an A. Bonkers. No wonder Cs are treated as practically a fail. Do you know the boundaries for lower grades?

O level, it was 70%+ for an A 60-70% was a B.

Edexcel maths boundaries are

A* 81%

A 60%

B 41%

C 24%

Hope that helps. Those low Bs may really struggle with AS.

Cricketballs: I sympathise - DS sat 25 papers this Summer as his school didn't even let them sit modular exams - apart from coursework it was ALL down to these!

Umm ,does that mean if you get 41% marks in the exam then you get a B ?

( back in my day my headmistress - Elsie G. - told me that it "would be a waste of the entrance fee " for me to take O level Maths ,so numbers aren't my strong point ! )

Yes. It's crazy isn't it?

Please lets not turn this into a dumbing down debate. There is nothing more disheartening for our dc than people sneering at their achievements and devaluing their results. Lets keep that discussion for another time and support our children through tomorrow. After all they didn't design the system.

I forgot to sat, fingers crossed for my dd and everyone else's dc who are getting results tomorrow.

Totally agree with FAscinatingCreature. I did A level Maths in 1984 and struggle with DS's GCSE papers now!

Does anyone know if the schools have access to results by now? Some kids at DS's school have been asked to open their results on live radio! Some are thinking that they have chosen the ones with the best results! DS not chosen!! Really wouldn't like that anyway though!

The schools got the results today but are unable to share them until tomorrow even with staff. I popped into work today but they are top secret.
DS has gone to a friends tonight with a promise to ring me as soon as he finds out his results. Guess where his phone is? That's right sitting on the table. DD has a headache after dance not sure whether stress or exhaustion so an early night for her.
Good luck everyone.

Dd had a similar call. The woman I spoke to said that she had been chosen by the headteacher Dd wasn't here so I asked if this was good news but the Woman said that she wasn't allowed to say any more. She clearly knew dd's results.
Whilst I am feeling quite encouraged by the call I don't necessarily think that they have simply called in the best results. There may be alsorts of factors involved.
Good luck to your Ds

I'm getting nervous now. Dd2 is nervous about not getting into 6th Form. She's an A student but hasn't been applying herself this year. We're hoping for Bs. Fingers crossed it will be enough.

Good luck everyone. See you tomorrow!