Those with a DC in Year 9 they face tougher GCSEs and now A levels as well.

[SecretSquirrels]

I have a DS in year 11 who is just doing his GCSEs and has a place at 6th form to do A levels.

Most of DS1s GCSEs have some form of controlled assessment together with a terminal exam. Many schools do modular exams which will no longer be allowed from 2013.

It just occurs to me that his younger brother faces the new terminal exam GCSEs and judging by this week's news he may well have to do new style A levels as well.
I've nothing against exams being rigorous but who will know in a few years time that high grades were harder to get if you were born after 1998?

Depends how the cards fall I think. DS is going into the U6 - doing the IB but wants to do classics and is good at them and will hopefully get into and go to Oxford. Has his father's brilliant brain but is not a natural grafter.

DD is our top average child. 35 years ago she would not have been in the running for a top university. 5 years ago she wouldn't have been in the running. Going into Year 10. She might just be favoured by a fall off in demand due to fees and the fact that she has been nurtured. She is a grafter - she will be fine once she is there - with fingers crossed and a warm wind. She is at a nurturing school and because she puts the work in, I think she would be find if she were a year younger too.

couthy, you were badly served by your school. Teachers/exam boards knew about the switch to linear before feb

They didn't tell us, in fact were actively advising us to choose traditional GCSE's. Then in April, long after option choices had been made, we were told about the change.

Maybe for most, it wouldn't have made much difference, but for a DC, with dyslexia, discalculia, dyspraxia and other health issues, who is borderline 'C/D' grade doing modular, it was a serious consideration to do traditional GCSE's in the first place, rather than vocational qualifications. The ONLY reasons we eventually opted for the route we did is because the school were unable to offer DD day release in anything except hairdressing, childcare or mechanics. DD wants to do Catering. She is good at it, and it is what she has wanted to do since she was 8yo. So we chose traditional GCSE's so that she could do Catering GCSE, which she was predicted a 'B' for (only her written work would pull her grade down to a 'B' under modular).

Now though, I am regretting this choice to a certain extent.

It's all just so frustrating.

That sounds awful Couthy but couldn't you have asked to switch to the more vocational subjects in April. Is it too late to look at switching schools if you have to? Would it be possible for your dd to move back a year and catch the vocational courses from the beginning either at her present school or a new one? Is there any flexibility at all as a reasonable adjustment for her?

I don't know about DCs who aren't going to stay on.

I think the modular style of exams would have suited my less academic, but very hard working DSIS very well. Having a good mark banked early on would have been a huge confidence boost. Especially if she could have done it in maths.

Some other DCs may have the poor opposite attitude and think "oh well I can always resist it."