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Secondary education

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Original poster

Here we go! It's GCSE results week!

399 replies

MaureenMLove · 20/08/2012 20:47

Are you ready? What's everyone got planned for Thursday? I'm going to my school to check on results, then wait for DD to call me from her school, with her news.

It's going to be an emotional day! Possibly not personally with DD, not expecting any top results, but she does already has Maths and English in the bag. She had what she needs to move forward and that's all that matters.

I have another 120 kids at my school and one or two who I care very much about. Can't wait to be there for them.

OP posts:
petal2008 · 23/08/2012 16:07

DS got 6 As, 4 Bs, 1 C and two distinctions. Not sure what grades for what subjects yet as he is not home and texted me the results. He was predicted A* for some subjects so may be disapppointed but I think they are great results.

Dumbledoresgirl - Ds did Futher Maths - is that the same thing? They only started studying for it in January and it was "stand alone - linear type of exam, like the old o'level. There were two papers and he said they were very difficult. He got a grade C pass which he was thrilled about

clam · 23/08/2012 16:08

I don't mind paying at all, but am not particularly fussed about it on my own account. We're really proud of ds as it is, but he is a right 'bean counter' and it's bugging him to have that B on his list when all his course work comprised As and a few A*s.

Does it depend on the school's own targets, as to whether they need to push up some grades? Would him receiving an A instead of a B benefit them at all?

SecretSquirrels · 23/08/2012 16:08

DS got 6A* and 5As, very proud Grin. He was puzzled that his French CAs seem to have gone down in marks from what he thought? Will check out that other thread.

petal2008 · 23/08/2012 16:10

Out of interest do you get to see how far they are away from the grade above and below the one achieved then? Not seen the actual paperwork yet.

clam · 23/08/2012 16:12

ds looked up the grade boundaries on line. His results sheet showed he had 159 for Eng Lit and an A was 160.

BringBack1996 · 23/08/2012 16:14

You do petal, as well as breaking down the results to what they achieved in each module.

cardibach · 23/08/2012 16:15

We're having a bit of an Olympic style response here. I think DDs results are excellent, but she 'only' got one A. Never mind the 5 As, it's not a gold so doesn't seem to count! I think it's just tiredness and the fact that her best mate got 8As and 4As. SHe's just a bit deflated I think. I keep saying they are excellent. I hope she feels better about it when she gets some perspective.

LittleFrieda · 23/08/2012 16:15

Dumbledore - was it additional maths of FSMQ?

petal2008 · 23/08/2012 16:17

Right ok. Not sure whether that's good or bad. I would be gutted to be one mark off the higher grade.

TalkShowsOnMute · 23/08/2012 16:20

Another Y10 set of module results for my DD who did not do quite as well as she hoped, and was a bit unlucky as well, but got:

A - Core Science (one mark off an A*, so I might request these papers be remarked as this is a final grade)
A - RE
B - Citizenship (one mark off an A, but she was expecting an A*, so that was a shock)
A&B - two English Lit papers (again, the B result was one mark off an A)
B - History (again, just missed an A)
A*- Business Studies

I know these results are good but DD's benchmarks are mainly A*, so the slightly disappointing results (by her standards) are possibly due to too many social networking distractions whilst revising - I'm planning on disabling FB/twitter/BBM etc for Y11 revision purposes.

SecretSquirrels · 23/08/2012 16:21

Petal - Yes DS was 1 mark off an A* for Eng Lit. Best not to know really!
They get the grade, plus the total marks (bearing in mind some papers are out of 200 or 300 etc.) they also get "points" which apparently turn into UCAS points. Need an A* in Maths to understand it.

clam · 23/08/2012 16:22

Do the exam markers not take an extra look at those borderline scripts anyway, in order to pre-empt appeals? We always did for KS2 SATs...

petal2008 · 23/08/2012 16:22

cardibach Think that's what my DS will feel - his teachers pretty much bet their houses on A*s and he felt he did well in the exams - no howlers. Will see how far off the star grades he was when he gets home. I agree some perspective is needed. A's are brilliant results and as long as they get what is needed for the next stage that is fine.

May be it seems DCs may have been the pawn in a bit of game with making sure results weren't continually getting higher. It was a bit naughty if boundaries were moved mid course.

Anyway I am pleased with what he has achieved as I know he worked hard.

petal2008 · 23/08/2012 16:24

Sounds complicated. Think will leave it to the teachers to decide if any remarking/appealing is needed.

Dumbledoresgirl · 23/08/2012 16:25

Thanks to those who answered me re Add Maths. The more I think about it, the more wound up I am becoming. We really had no indication from the teacher that our son was in any way struggling with the course. His handwriting is appalling, and he is as likely as any other kid to have a bad day, but he has always been a "natural" at maths (quoting teachers) and had a good understanding of what he was doing. Any other subject, I would have accepted the grade, but not maths.

He and his friend said they had not been taught everything on the course, so I am wondering if this is the reason, though with only 2 boys' grades, I don't have a very clear picture. I can see a phone call to the school coming on.

I am fascinated by people saying their child was only one mark off a grade. I am not sure how you tell, except in the sciences for which we have received a break down of marks. I need to look through them all as ds got 3 As but was predicted an A* in Physics. It would be interesting to know how far off he was.

BringBack1996 · 23/08/2012 16:30

Is your DS getting his Eng Lit re-marked, SecretSquirrels? My DS is in the same position as yours and we're currently debating whether it's worth the cost of the re-mark.

Does anyone know if universities count the number of A*s as means of offering places?

BlueStringPudding · 23/08/2012 16:33

We had better than expected results - DD1 in Y11 got 5 A and 5As, DD2 in Y10 got A in RS, and A*/A in her modules, including full UMS for Maths and Geography which she's really pleased with.

Still hasn't really sunk in, we will be celebrating this evening.

SecretSquirrels · 23/08/2012 16:33

We have a breakdown of marks in every subject.
Reading this thread I am more than ever convinced that early entry to GCSE is wrong for most children. That extra year learning and maturing makes a huge difference in the grade. Schools however are only concerned with banking C grades, never mind that the child could have got an A a year later and the stress or resits.

Yellowtip · 23/08/2012 16:33

Yes BringBack, some departments in some universities most definitely do. They have different methods of totting up A*s, but the short answer is that some do.

Horsemad · 23/08/2012 16:34

DS1 is in Yr10, he did modules and got 3 A* (2 in English) and Physics and 3As Biology, Chemistry and Maths.

We are all very pleased here and hope he stays on track! Grin

Dumbledoresgirl · 23/08/2012 16:35

Little Frieda yes I think so. DS is not forthcoming, but the result sheet says OCR board, FSMQ/A level.

BringBack1996 · 23/08/2012 16:35

Thanks for that Yellow. It seems like it will be worth investing in the re-marks in that case.

SecretSquirrels · 23/08/2012 16:37

BringBack1996 Hello again. How's the baby?
I don't want to discuss it with him today in case he thinks I am in any way disappointed which I am not. I think the school have asked for a number of D grades to be remarked.
He got As in all his sciences and Maths which he is doing for A level. We didn't think he would get close to A in English. Will ponder it later.

clam · 23/08/2012 16:39

bringback DH is a university admissions tutor and his department doesn't. They're much more interesting in the student's broader, holistic experience. But it depends upon the institution and the course, because I've also heard that some do.

clam · 23/08/2012 16:40

interested