DS1 (yr 11) - teacher told him his English assessment is degree level?

[FreakinScaryCaaw]

I'm just curious to know how they can say this about a GCSE assessment?

It was spoken of in other classes too. DS1 is ok about it but some dcs would be mortified surely? Or would that just have been me at that age?

I'm very proud of him of course but am baffled that they can tell it's degree level standard.

He's a clever bugger but not big headed. I wish I'd had half his brains at that age. I say I have plenty of EQ rather than IQ .

Omg I've seen some amazing pieces of work at gcse and A Level, and I've said the same to a child. I've said this because it's true, but true in the context of being taught, not lectured, and the subject matter along with the question being challenging, but not degree level challenging.
I have a girl who entered my class from Nigeria at 16 yrs old, never been in England before and her first piece of work was, History GCSE coursework on.....Dover Castle.... She said that they didn't have many castles in Nigeria. Another girl in my class had never heard of Dover.
Anyhow, she got the highest grade in the class and is amazing.
If I could bottle it

Obviously they can't! It is just jokey flattery! I would take it as a bit of banter and I would assume that was the intention of the teacher. Perhaps show him some degree level English Literature questions and see what he thinks. GCSE questions are no comparison in length or complexity, are they?

I was told that about a piece of work I did in sixth form. I was both proud and mortified - not sure why - hormones I guess! I think they were expecting great things from me but I decided to try and change the world when I went to university instead of working for my degree!

A nice compliment but tell him to be careful. At GCSE you get marks for answering the question. You could give the most amazing answer ever but if you don't hit the tick-box mark scheme then you don't get the points. Clever kids are notorious for missing the basic, obvious, easy marks. It doesn't pay to go too much off piste.

What did he mean by degree level? A third from East London Polytechnic or whatever it is called these days or a first from Oxford? Not sure it is a very meaningful comment for an arts subject and wouldn't take it too seriously.

No he hasn't taken it too seriously.

It was a piece on Shakespeare. I hope i get to see it?

I was surprised they told other classes about it? They did the same when he did amazingly well at history.

Oh well as long as he stays level headed, which he will, then I'm not going to worry.

I would take the teacher's comment to mean that your DS has a very sophisticated writing style and that he uses vocabulary and concepts significantly beyond the level you'd expect to see in GCSE work.

Nothing wrong with (the former) East London Poly herts

OP, very well done to your DS - he probably has a sophisticated writing style and thinking skills beyond his years. Bodes well for later studies.

Thanks, yes he does write very well, always has. Reads a lot which helps.