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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

Is there a hand holding thread for Y11 parents and GCSE results yet?

439 replies

fatowl · 13/08/2014 15:48

DD is waiting on GCSE results next Thursday.

She is bouncing around being a teen on Summer holidays (she is off in Ireland for a week with her friend's family)

I am beginning to feel a bit sick.

She is hoping to stay at school and do A-levels, but now the results are getting closer I'm a bit concerned we don't have a back up plan.

How are the rest of you doing?

OP posts:
nostress · 13/08/2014 16:21

Worried too! But DS is signed up for a BTEC and has a confirmed place- so slightly less worrying. He is still hoping to do an additional A level though (needs BB+ in science) and of course still need those Cs to continue in the human race!

mummymeister · 13/08/2014 16:58

we don't have a plan B just A levels where DD is. ok until I read stories about grades being changed etc then start to get a bit hmmm about it and concerned that she might not get what was expected or needed. goodness knows how I will be when it is a level results time.

KatyMac · 13/08/2014 17:06

Stressing, just stressing!

mygrandchildrenrock · 13/08/2014 17:17

My DS has to change schools, we're in a selective area and the local comps don't do academic sixth form.
He doesn't want to change schools but know there really isn't a choice.
I hope he gets the grades he deserves, he will be soooo stressed by next Thursday.

HamEggChipsandBeans · 14/08/2014 16:59

We currently have a main plan and at least five back-up plans. It changes daily, I am happy for her to make her own choices.

Book marking this thread, but I wish all of you who are waiting the best of luck. This is my second lot of GCSE results and I would like to say something, and that is so much emphasis is put on A stars, As and Bs, when to some children getting a C or D is an amazing achievement.

Fingers crossed for everyone!!

Needmoresleep · 14/08/2014 17:50

Dd has just discovered her Add Maths result was on the school system. No idea why it was early but means one down nine to go.

Leeds2 · 14/08/2014 19:04

How did she find it, needsmoresleep? Just wondering if something similar might be lurking on DD's school's system ........

DD is going off on the Challenge on Saturday, back Wednesday, so I hope that will take her mind of the results. I will be home alone worrying to my heart's content!

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 14/08/2014 21:12

Waiting here too. Ds1 is OK for sixth form anyway, they take everyone, it is just confirming his a levels.

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 14/08/2014 23:04

DS1 wants to change schools for sixth form. He has to get 22 points from his top 8 GCSEs to include maths and English.(4 points for A*, 3 points for A etc.) It's possible, even probable that he'll get it, but there's a little bit of doubt. If he doesn't get the 22 points he'll be able to stay at his school but they don't offer all the subjects he wants. Hand holding.

Hearing about some friends' very clever DC with her 3 A* at A level and confirmed place at Cambridge has spooked me. My DS is good at his maths and computing but nowhere near this DC. Aaargh. I hate feeling envious...

HamEggChipsandBeans · 14/08/2014 23:24

Please be careful if your child is thinking of starting a BTEC course in September. The trade related ones such as engineering, social care, beauty, forensic science etc., are totally amazing. However, if your child is thinking of taking a Level 3 extended diploma in science or banking then I strongly advise that they also try to take an A level or two as well. It is worth checking now, before results are issued, if your BTEC course provider makes allowances in their timetables for this. Some colleges do, but not all of them.

If your child has even a vague idea of what degree they are aspiring too, then I would also advise that you double-check now if they will be accepting BTEC in their entry requirements. Sounds barking I know, but my DS1 has had to come off his BTEC science at the end of year one and switch to an Access course for exactly this reason. It seems that every year the number of Unis accepting these BTECs is reducing. They are also quite strict as to which BTEC pathways they are accepting for some courses. This is our personal experience of the BTEC science course, although I am aware of exactly the same problem with the Business course.

Might be something that some MNers will find useful. Please feel free to PM if you want to ask me anything.

Just to re-iterate, I think BTECs are amazing, employers love them, but I don't think colleges are 100% transparent in the way they are sold to prospective students who may or may not be looking to apply to university.

Unexpected · 14/08/2014 23:39

Feeling very nervous! DS will be away so I have to go into school to collect his results, already feeling nauseous at the thought, heaven knows what I will be like by next Thursday! He is staying at his current school, which is excellent, and only asks for the minimum entry level so no worries there. However, his predictions are A*/A and he will disappointed if he drops in more than one or two subjects. All these links to articles about grade boundaries increasing are not helping!

BramwellBrown · 15/08/2014 00:09

Not a y11 mum (mine are much younger) but a big sister, little sis has just been on facebook telling me how she's worried she won't get the grades she needs for the 6th form she wants, she has back up plans with 2 other sixth forms with lower entry requirements but it would mean doing different subjects, she is already really stressed so will probably be a mess by results day bless her.

Good luck to everyone

Gumdrop · 15/08/2014 14:09

DD1 is away with my sister at the moment, so I don't think it has registered yet how cose they are - and we are away when the results come out, so we have the grand parents on results collecting duty.

Hopefully should be OK, but tiny weeny bit worried about need to get C in Maths - her definite blind spot. (offers up hypocritical prayer to anyone listening - please, oh please - just a C in maths)

ElephantsNeverForgive · 15/08/2014 14:25

Likewise a B in English Lit even if you can't manage one in Lang.

Feeling really nervous after her clever, very expensively educated best friend only got just so AS results.

Hoping they aren't being universally mean.

AtYourCervix · 15/08/2014 14:33

Terrified.

wish there was an award for celebrating her just making it in to sit them.

CatherineofMumbles · 15/08/2014 15:11

Please can I join in?
DS1 getting gcses next week.
Didn't realise some of his were igcses, so bemused when he called us earlier this week to say he had got his results for those (French and Italian). He was miffed that we fell off our chairs in surprise that he got A*s (He is totally a science person, so we were not expecting that).
Today he mentioned casually that he logged onto his school portal and has got an A in Maths AS. We did not realise that he had even taken it - apparently quite a few do at his school at the same time as gcses.
We do ask him every day about his day, what he has done at school etc, but he usually mumbles - not much... so just wondering what other surprises are in store. We do know he will be logging on to the school portal next Thursday to get his main results.
And then staying at the same school for A levels.
Good luck everyone!!!

TantrumsAndBalloons · 15/08/2014 15:20

Dd is getting her year 11 GCSE results Thursday and ds1 is getting the results of the GCSEs he did in year 10.

Everyone is getting very nervous.

Dd has an unconditional offer to sixth form so she is hoping she gets the grades she wants it do the a levels she wants.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 15/08/2014 16:14

Hands Cervix a large Wine for each night between now and next Thursday.

Marni23 · 15/08/2014 17:02

The time seems to be passing so slowly! DD got English Language & English Lit IGCSE results on Wednesday and that seems like a lifetime ago now.

BestIsWest · 15/08/2014 17:35

Marking place. DS needs 5 Cs for the course he wants to do. He has 2 already but a combination of Dyslexia, short term memory problems and a very painful herniated disc has meant this has been very difficult for him. He is such a cheerful soul though.

AtYourCervix · 15/08/2014 17:37

Thanks. She did maths, 2 english and double science. If she passes any it will be a miracle, not because she isn't bright but because her aspergers and anxiety makes it impossible for her to prove it in an exam.

And I am jealous of everyone whose children will be flapping 10 A*s. And that's not nice or right as I am so proud of her for doing what she can.

BestIsWest · 15/08/2014 17:45

Cervix I know exactly what you mean. I will feel the same but I will still be proud of DS.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 15/08/2014 17:46

Yes, I'm ridiculously proud of my very hard working dyslexic DD whatever she gets.

I know a pile of As don't always equate to hard work. I felt rather embarrassed when people I didn't know congratulated me on mine (small very gossipy town). There was a lot of luck in the questions I got, good genes and exam technique, but not a vast amount of work.

trickynicky · 15/08/2014 17:47

Totally worried here. DD1 is getting her GCSE results next week. She's already taken 2 GCSE's a year early and got one grade DOWN than was predicted in each one so she wasn't happy. Have a horrible feeling that this may be the same next week with the remaining ones but she needs minimum "B's" in her chosen A level subjects in order to get into her sixth form of choice and whilst they were predicting "A's" we have no confidence! We also have no plan "B"!

Horrid time but we are all doing our best to ignore it and pretend we are not thinking about it! Best of luck to all your DC's.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 15/08/2014 17:49

Also I have this for the next 5 years as well.

Whoever invented AS levels? Do not have DCs three years apart.