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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:
BringBack1996 · 23/08/2012 16:41

He's doing really well thanks, Squirrels. I'm so glad that his arrival doesn't seem to have effected DS's results as that really was a worry of mine.

BringBack1996 · 23/08/2012 16:41

Thanks for that clam.

Yellowtip · 23/08/2012 16:43

I expect the exan boards will go pouf under the weight of appeals this cycle BringBack! There are going to be huge numbers and presumably, politically, they'll want to be tough.

Does he know which course he wants to take? And where? It tends to only be the more competitive courses at the more competitive universities which set a minimum number of A*s (slightly different from using the number I know).

Clareyst · 23/08/2012 16:45

Hi Dumbledore - re: grade boundaries: we had a 'statement of results' from the school this morning, which list each module taken and the marks for each, as well as the total marks for each subject. With this info you can look up the grade boundary tables on the examining board's website, and see how close your child was to getting the next grade up (or down).

Having said that, I can't find the grade boundary details of the FSMQ Add Maths online - has anyone found it?

SecretSquirrels · 23/08/2012 16:46

BringBack1996 is your DS planning to do English A level? I think I'd definitely ask for remark if that were the case. If Universities look at A*s then I will probably go for a remark.

BringBack1996 · 23/08/2012 16:47

He's set his sights high Yellow - either Social Policy at LSE or some similar course at Cambridge! He's going to talk to his head of sixth form when he's back at school to see if it's worth pursuing the Cambridge route without the straight As at GCSE.

clam · 23/08/2012 16:47

What is there to lose by asking for a re-mark? If the school are happy to comply, then great. If not, could you pay yourself?

BringBack1996 · 23/08/2012 16:48

No he's not, Squirrels.

Yellowtip · 23/08/2012 16:52

Very good luck to him then BringBack. Oxford is more GCSEcentric then Cambridge, which currently sets more store by AS.

What is there to lose? The very real danger that the mark could go down, not up. Then you lose your money as well as end up with a lower grade. Not good.

BackforGood · 23/08/2012 16:57

Well, my text this morning started with

..er, I got a 'U' in my English A/S..... (not really what we were hoping for, nor was he expecting - but, after several hours of thinking about it, I'm hoping it might just be the kick in the pants ds needs, to confirm what we've been trying to tell him for ages - he might be able to get away with not doing anything above minimal work for GCSEs, but he won't be able to for A levels)

After that it got better though, and he has passed all his GCSEs. He's a bit disappointed with not getting the one A* he was expecting, but over all has convinced himself it's a good set of results. He's got 2 As, and the rest are a mix of Bs and Cs.

SecretSquirrels · 23/08/2012 16:58

If they are only 1 mark off an A* I would have thought it unlikely that a remark would produce a B?

LapsedPacifist · 23/08/2012 16:58

DS managed 1 A*, 3 As and 6 Bs. I am so proud of him! He has Asperger's syndrome and has had a pretty hellish time at school for the past 4 years.

We were told he only had a 50% chance of achieving 5 GCSE passes based on his CAT scores when he was 11, so getting 10 at grade B or above is fantastic!

clam · 23/08/2012 17:00

"What is there to lose? The very real danger that the mark could go down, not up. Then you lose your money as well as end up with a lower grade."

Unlikely, though, if you're only one mark off the higher grade. You'd have to be very unlucky to drop right down to the grade below.

Yellowtip · 23/08/2012 17:03

No it should be pretty safe if you're right at the cusp clam, agreed. A friend of DS did plummet though, so not impossible either.

alazaz · 23/08/2012 17:06

My dc aren't old enough but my brother got 8 A*s and 2 As which is somewhat a lot better than what I got and I'm very proud.

GetDownNesbitt · 23/08/2012 17:21

clam English marking can go down as it is always relatively subjective. But it is worth a go. School may not pay as it won't do much for their stats and they may be paying a load out for C/D borderlines.

Forgot who said it - cardibatch? - but no, examiners don't necessarily double check scripts on the borderlines as we don't know what the borderlines are. A lot of marking is online so the same marker may not do both questions on a paper. And whoever marks the exam has no idea about scores on CAs or other units.

GetDownNesbitt · 23/08/2012 17:22

Ah no, it was you that said it clam - my brain is fried today.

Year11mum · 23/08/2012 17:42

Hi Yellowtip. How did your DS get on?

I think DD2 is feeling OK now. She got 7As and 3As. One of the As is one UMS mark off an A with a particular module to "blame" so we might go for a remark of that. The other A was for geography which was a real surprise after the 56/60 coursework mark she was given by teachers , which they assumed was an A*. Turned out it had been downgraded to a C. Seems everyone in year group similarly downgraded to no higher than a C. So school is appealing on behalf of them all.

So her results might be even better in the end. All the stress plus being persuaded to go for lunch with her friends has clearly taken its toll now and she's back in her PJs on the sofa watching Pointless, exhausted. A reminder that though she is slowly getting stronger her CFS is still there.

well done to everyone who achieved what they wanted or needed, commiserations to those who stumbled a little. As DD! says she has never talked about her GCSE results again since the day she received them, apart from entering them on her UCAS form.

Coconutty · 23/08/2012 17:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

happilyconfused · 23/08/2012 17:51

No I am not happy with DS results and neither is he. Nothing can be done about it know - roll on AS exams Grin

cardibach · 23/08/2012 17:55

Year11mum - great results! YOu must be very proud.
DD is in bed having a sleep beofre going out tonight (family meal then party on the beach with her year group) because she is exhausted and she doesn't have CFS! I think all the tension, excitement, happiness etc take their toll on them. I could do with a kip, come to think of it!

dontagreewithit · 23/08/2012 18:00

DD had some module results today (end of year 10). She got 2A and 4A - we are really thrilled. Even more thrilled that she got 100% in the 2 exams where she got an A (Physics & History - how is that even possible?!?).

So proud of her, but she does deserve it, she puts a lot of work in, and is very driven and focussed. No idea where she gets it from...

clam · 23/08/2012 18:06

DS is off to a 'burn your books' party with his year group. Lord knows how he'll survive as we only got off a plane from the other side of America this morning and he had no sleep the night before that either as he was throwing up most of the night! Hey ho...

Toughasoldboots · 23/08/2012 18:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Displaystortford · 23/08/2012 18:12

My son has just received his results and didn't do as well as he had hoped. We are unsure if his place in the sixth form will still be ok, but will find out when he returns in September. I feel it is so unfair to put the young people through this and say to them at 16, well thats it, if you don't achieve now you never will, effectively. When I was at school everyone was invited back to the sixth form regardless. I have several friends who had exactly the same experience.
Why are schools not saying we want you to expand your knowledge in our nurturing environment. I would have thought this is the reason for becoming an educator in the first place.
Unfortunately I think it is all about funding and results and not about producing a valued member of society with a thirst to learn something new and contribute to others.