Anyone managing their childs expectations on GCSE/A grades given this news?

[deepest]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-28606076

Doesn't that article talk more about how results are reported in league tables rather than individual results? What conclusions are you deriving from it?

www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education/article4164917.ece

Bit confused as this above from The Times runs with the heading:

Be Prepared for lower GCSE Grades Parents Warned and then says

"Thousands of pupils face disappointment as tougher tests and less accurate grade predictions leave fewer with the top results in core subjects"

So we need to manage expectations that their predicted grades might not materialise....

This hasn't come out of the blue though, this is the first cohort taking all linear exams, rather than modular, and it was always expected to be down. Never mind adding in the changing courses after the start.

We have told DS1 (all A/A* targets) all along to do the best he can, its the same for everyone this year.

DD1 is doing it herself, she desperately wants B for English language, but having lost her S&L mark and having done CAs very early in Y10 which weren't very good, she daren't hope.

I'd love her to get an A for maths.

If she doesn't get A for science the whole system is fucked and the government will have mass mutiny from parents and teachers.

(DD is a miss set, because she's dyslexic, double award scientist. She could have done triple easily enough).

Recorded separately just rubs salt in the wound and reminds them that last year they might well have got a better grade.

And no there not really linear, DD has had English CAs for language and lit. There are bits of music, art and Drama all over the place. Double science has one gcse exam in Y10 and one in Y11 and CAs for both. It's a mess.

A mess made worse by the fact that they have clearly just picked up the modular papers and stuck them in May/June, the number of separate stupid short little papers some students got and the time they were spread over was ridiculous.

I'm old, I did one 3hr paper per O level. It was much simpler and I think better.

My dd hasn't let on if she is aware of the issue and i am not saying anything either. I have told her to go out and enjoy the summer. To spend time worrying and thus take the shine off what should be a golden time would be a shame, especially as there is nothing we can do. If her results are not what we expect/hope for then i will use the recent articles to help with the disappointment.

I private i keep looking for something in the press saying "dont worry your child has done just fine". How mad am I?

doormouse - kids will not be aware unless they are reading specialist sections of the education press....but worried that my ds will be disappointed, having worked his bits off not to achieve the grades he was predicted.....one of the reports says that you cant compare this years results with last years.....wonder if the grades for 6th form and college entry will be lowered accordingly?

Really tough on those who've sat these exams. However, if there is an obvious reduction in grades, they will see their peer equally affected, which might make them realise it's a government tweak, rather than a reflection of their own work/effort.

I know DDs sixth form is desperate for numbers and will be even more so in the next few years.

There was a drop in the local birth rate and house price hikes drove families away from the rural feeder primaries. Poorer families were forced into local towns and wealthy commuters sent their DCs private or tutored for the Grammars.

So short term, if DDs missed the odd grade she's almost certainly ok. It's for university she's worried.

A lot of places don't like C for English.

my dd wont care about anything else if she doesn't get an A in Maths and her sciences. have tried to manage her expectations but it is really difficult when there are so many contradictory messages. teachers say yes it will be an A/A* but now this and you start to wonder. definitely don't blame the teachers. blame years and years of grade inflation. there had to be a rationalisation at some time just wish it had been years ago or years in the future not this one but that is being selfish.

My DN just heard she got A* for her 3 science exams. She is at a private school but I'm not entirely sure why she heard so early.

Chicken, your niece will have taken iGCSEs rather than GCSEs.

Doormouse, me too!

Thankyou, I felt too jel to ask.

It might be fair to say the the gap between private pupils and state will widen again as IGCSEs have been unaffected by the government meddling.

The issue will be that a higher percentage of private, IGCSE taking pupils, will get past the goalposts of certain academic institutions ahead of the state school DC as, on paper, they'll look 'better'.

There might be some in government smiling happily at this...

My son has done all IGCSEs (at state school) -- will they not be affected by this then? Tansie dont understand what you mean re state/private etc?

Chicken are IGCSE results out then? Or is your dn in Scotland?

No she's in England. My DB told me she got her results in triple science, but I didn't ask why so early, I just said well done.

Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE results are the only ones out already (DD got 2 x English results today). All the other IGCSE results come out next Thursday.

The IGCSE results were technically available from yesterday but DS1 who took one IGCSE plus a load of GCSEs won't know his result until the school gives him the full set of results next week.

Lots of kids at The Student Room website already have their IGCSE results.

Thanks Marni....he did CIE IGCSE Physics....all the rest were AQA....not sure if school will let him know this one early -- will be on the blower in the morning!! I am sure I will not be very popular if they are fielding A and AS results...