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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

English GCSE results today

23 replies

Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 07/03/2013 14:21

Son is up in Y11 and had grade from GCSE English today. . He's done foundation and got a D but says that doesn't include his controlled assessment grades. What does that mean? I know he's been re entered anyway to do resit in June. Is it just me or why does this happen and what does it mean? I cannot get my head around all of this....waiting for teacher to get in touch with me, but,would be grateful for any info

OP posts:

webwiz · 07/03/2013 17:21

English language GCSE is 40% exam and 60% controlled assessment so your DS has a D on the exam bit and he will have a grade for the controlled assessment when they are submitted at the end of the course. The combination of the two gives his final grade.

He has to be re entered to resit in June but his school should tell him if they are doing that.

Original poster

Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 07/03/2013 17:38

Great thanks for explaining that to me!

OP posts:

SauvignonBlanche · 07/03/2013 17:44

I was confused when DS said he had his mark for his English (though he didn't know what it was!) but not his grade.
That must be what he was on about.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 07/03/2013 17:45

We got a number, but DD told they don't know what the grade boundaries actually are yet, so she just has the raw mark. And we don't know if it's out of 100 or 80!

Maria33 · 07/03/2013 17:54

If it was language he didn't get a grade because the exam board weren't giving them out. He would have been given a number and the school would have done a 'best guess' at a grade based on last year's exam grade boundaries. It also seems that last year the exam was weighted slightly more than 60% because at our school some kids got d's but should have got c's if you added all the marks up. They are screwing around with the foundation paper c/d borderline, so it's anybody's guess what will happen this year. In the current climate, it would be mad not to retake in June. It would be wise to not make the assumption that your son's C-grade is in the bag this year, even if it might have been previously. It is colossally unfair on the kids and your son has my full sympathy. Be encouraging but do not let him be complacent.

The reason this is happening around the c/d borderline for language (imo) is because Gove is an elitist taunt. This whole grade furore has not affected the higher tier paper, even though the charge of grade inflation and too many a*s is often cited as the justification for the change in marking. Why he wants to stop kids getting on to their plumbing courses is beyond me.. Keep the plebs in their place. Wanker.

Sorry for the rant but I have a gorgeous class of high-need kids who worked incredibly hard for this exam. They would have all got C's last Jan, 2 would have them at last June's rate but they sat an exam in January and they didn't get given a grade today. It's colossally unfair. They have grades for every single other subject but for many of them, this is the one they need to go and do their vocational training courses.

Maria33 · 07/03/2013 17:56

twunt autocorrect! I guess taunt kind of works

creamteas · 07/03/2013 18:28

The marks given out are raw marks, we had a list from school about what they are out of for AQA, so for unit 1 the mark is out of 80.

DD got a mark of 59 on the Foundation Paper. In previous years this would be a C according to her teacher, but who knows what will happen in the summer.

I really hope it is enough DD had ASD and really struggles at English. She is on the dreaded C/D borderline, and whilst we are pretty certain she will get a C in the end, we know that this might involve retaking next year.

Maria33 · 07/03/2013 18:34

Fwiw 59 is brilliant.. Well done dd I'd put money on her getting a c in the end.

creamteas · 07/03/2013 18:36

Thanks Maria

Ihatemytoes · 07/03/2013 19:06

My DS got a B for the english exam he took in January. He's really upset and thinks that there's no way he can improve on that come the final exam in the summer. He got an A for the controlled assessment he did in Year 10. Can any teachers offer any words of encouragement? I don't understand this GSCE malarkey at all, and DS knows it(!), so when I say that he's done really well, he says "you would say that, you're my mum!"

webwiz · 07/03/2013 19:14

DS resat his English and managed to improve quite a bit. He did this by working through a revision guide for his exam board. I helped him with it over the Christmas holidays and it was really good for improving exam technique and making clear exactly what was needed.

mummytime · 07/03/2013 19:15

Its worse for those in year 12! Those who were borderline last summer, didn't pass, didn't pass the free re-sit, and re-sat again in January, as you have to get a C in English . Have been given a Q grade, so they don't know if they have to re-sit again, and don't know what grade they got.

My DS is now possibly doing iGCSE this summer.

Startail · 07/03/2013 19:34

English is the absolute devil all you get is stupid numbers with no clue as to what they are out of or what they mean.

I know after last years debacle no one wants to guess grade boundaries, but some vague idea would be great.

DD could do with a B for sixth form, but she's dyslexic and English is the one thing she can't escape getting marked down in.

IAmLouisWalsh · 07/03/2013 20:17

The exam boards have been instructed by Ofqual not to set boundaries or hold awarding meetings where boundaries are discussed. Many schools are claiming they 'know' what the boundaries will be. They are talking bollocks. Any grade is a guess - and depending on which previous series it is based on, it could be well out.

Literature grades have been given, but nothing for English or English Language.

Controlled assessments are the same - no grade boundaries until August.

IAmLouisWalsh · 07/03/2013 20:21

As a guide
Edexcel English - exam is out of 96. CAs are out of 40 and 96.
Edexcel English Lang - exam is out of 64. CAs are out of 40 and 96.

Exams count for 40% and CAs for 20% and 40%.

But boundaries differ on higher and foundation tier - so for English, a C might be 74 on Foundation but 45 on Higher.

Maria33 · 07/03/2013 22:12

Ihatemytoes. I am always amazed by how much some really determined kids achieve come June. A B-grade now does not mean he will not get an A in the summer. It happens all the time. Buy revision guides, work hard, keep handing in essays and asking for targets to move writing forward. Exams are trixie and unpredictable. There are always surprises? Good luck

ravenAK · 07/03/2013 22:17

We're estimating 55/80 as a cautious C grade on the AQA paper.

My feckless lowish-ability lot did pretty well on the exam - now needing to improve loads of controlled assessment grades from last year.

Spent last 24 hours poring over spreadsheets & am now bog-eyed from it & applying ...

Ihatemytoes · 07/03/2013 22:56

Maria33 thank you! I will pass your comments on to DS, and will definitely file up re revision guides.

Ihatemytoes · 07/03/2013 23:01

I've just had a look at the result sheet. EDECEL board, and he got 84. That's not too far off an A, is it?

Ihatemytoes · 07/03/2013 23:02

EDEXCEL

Ihatemytoes · 07/03/2013 23:08

follow up re revision guides. Typing on my phone without my specs!

Original poster

Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 08/03/2013 14:47

God it's all so bloody complicated. I feel so sorry for these kids. My son is dyslexic and to get even a D could be considered a major achievement. He will resit in June and see what happens. I could weep for him. Getting a C in English is so vital for all post-16 choices.

OP posts:

IAmLouisWalsh · 08/03/2013 20:35

84/96 - presumably Higher Tier English? Should be OK

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