Has my GCSE science student "broken" the system?

[educatingarti]

I'm wondering if some experienced science teachers could give me a bit of advice. I am tutor and one of my students has done OCR Science A this year. He did the Foundation papers so, as I understand it, the top grade he can get would be a C.

He got 69 marks in a 3 of his exam papers (top marks) plus 73 in his controlled assessments (They don't differentiate between Foundation and Higher for this so he could get higher than 69 marks) which adds up to 280 marks, which is the lowest mark for a grade B. It says grade B next to the 280 marks on his exam report on the line that says OCR Science A - but he can only get a grade C can't he?

I think modular exams are different, and if you get a high mark on CA, then it is possible to get above a C over all. Thats why many sixth form requirements say grade B, taking higher paper.

Thanks circular - so will he officially be awarded a grade B overall or will it say grade C?

Sorry,just reread your post. I AM NOT A SCIENCE TEACHER, but have come across the above with DD being given the choice between higher or foundation paper.
In this case it was French, and she chose to take higher as is doing A level, and the requirements were for a B from higher. If it was not possible to achieve an overall B from foundation, then the 6th form requirements would not stipulate that.
I have also heard of some DCs taking a mixture of foundation and higher for the combined science awards.

Thanks for this. I've never heard of a Foundation tier student ever being able to get more than a C!
It does seem confusing to me as the OCR website states very clearly that grade C is the highest that can be obtained with foundation tier ( he did not do any higher papers - the controlled assessment is not tiered at all - just one for both foundation and higher) but then if this is so why did it have a B grade next to OCR science on his results paper?

Hopefully someone can help me a bit more with this?

He has a B. He cannot get more than a C on any of the individual papers, but you can take a mix of h and f papers. It is the total UMS that is counted for grades.

Yep, what everyone else has said. Congratulations to your student!

That is fantastic TFM - thank you for the advice!

And unconsciousness too!
As he spent most of last year telling me he couldn't do science and he didn't get any of it and it just all went over his head in class, I am particularly delighted! I spent most of last year telling him - yes he could do it!

I'm glad I was right!!!!!

You can get a B in English if you take Foundation Unit 1 exam - quite a lot of my students did!

Well done you!
I had one get a C today after telling me at the last parents evening she just couldn't do chemistry, and her parents saying she just didn't like it and wasn't going to do it (thanks parents) and me sitting there saying 'but she can, she just needs to try a little bit!'

It was touch & go for a while, but she came around, revised her socks off, and got her Cs in science!

It is so good when you can get them to believe in themselves isn't it!

it so is!