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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:
NapoleonsNose · 15/08/2014 18:08

DD getting nervous now. Predicted mainly A and B grades but struggled with Science and Maths and thinks she will be lucky to get Cs. She needs Bs in her chosen A-level subjects which, fingers crossed, she should get, although she did say the some of the papers were much harder than she expected. We have no plan B. I'm far more nervous for her than I ever was for my own results. Fingers and toes crossed for everyone!

Leeds2 · 15/08/2014 18:20

Have the IGCSE results already come out for some boards? DD did IGCSE maths and science, but none mentioned collecting those results now!

CatherineofMumbles · 15/08/2014 18:24

DS did igce French and Italian with CIE (?) board, and got them Tues I think.

Phaedra11 · 15/08/2014 19:07

CIE IGCSE results have been officially released but DS1 doesn't know the result of his one IGCSE, as all his other exams were GCSEs and the school is releasing them all together next Thursday.

I read on the Student Room website that the CIE IGCSE grade boundaries would be public today but have not found anything, despite extensive googling!

Leeds2 · 15/08/2014 19:24

Thanks. I don't know what boards DD did, but it was nothing like CIE! I think she did mainly Edexcel and AQA.

Original poster
fatowl · 15/08/2014 23:27

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

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

This ^

DD1 did GCSE in 2011, AS in 2012, A-level in 2013.
Now I have DD2 doing GCSe in 2014, will (hopefully) do AS in 2015, and A-level in 2016.
2017 I have a year off
start process again in 2018 with DD3

They never tell you this when TTC.

OP posts:
ElephantsNeverForgive · 15/08/2014 23:47

AS level's didn't exist back then and in any case DD1 took 18months TTC and DD2 three months, so it was difficult to plan.

I'm just not looking forward to the nicest bit of each year being dominated by exams, for so long. DD2 is going to be horrible without DD's calming influence.

LIZS · 16/08/2014 19:41

ds will get his igcse results on Thursday with the rest. Starting to panic a bit over possible misnumbering of answers on first RS paper worth 25%.

HamEggChipsandBeans · 17/08/2014 00:35

Just worked out I have at least 8 years of the kids doing exams and revision. Trying to work out exactly how many fishfingers I will be buying over that time to make the never-ending fish finger sandwiches. In algebra form it could possibly be a maths GCSE question (six marks of course).

eatyourveg · 17/08/2014 07:59

This is my seventh August waiting for exam results - only 2 more years to go Wink

HamEggChipsandBeans I second what you say about BTEC Ds3 is due to start one and has been ordering prospectuses already which I initially thought was way too early. He hasn't found anywhere yet that doesn't take BTEC but has come across a fair few that don't take the particular pathway he has chosen. The college he is going to don't do A levels so he can't timetable an extra one in- its an agricultural college where all the courses are outdoor vocational ones so he'd have to move to another college (would be the one I work at so not a good idea) or stay on at school (his worst nightmare) or move to another school.

Makes me wonder if it is better to do a related course that you like but are not overly enthused about but at a tier 1 uni or a fantastic course right up your street but at a tier 3 place.

Got to get through Thursday first though. Ds convinced he has failed 2 but hoping for a decent mix of grades for the other 8

BestIsWest · 17/08/2014 08:38

I am in two minds about BTEC too. DS will be taking a BTEC too (pending Thursday's results, fingers crossed). His college do A levels but have stopped allowing the students to do an A level alongside a BTEC.

The subjects he would want to take at A level would be mostly essay based and he is much better at hands on stuff. He already has a particular Uni course in mind - plenty of time to change his mind though.

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 17/08/2014 19:58

Our y11s will be the last to do AS and A levels in the current format, I think they still aren't sure about AS levels as standard after that.

Years and years of results here anyway. Second year of GCSE as DS1 took 2 early last year, so 2 more years with him. DD started her 4 years next year (assuming AS for now)then DS2. That's nine years of August results!

CatherineofMumbles · 17/08/2014 20:45

I have a Year 9 DC as well, doing GCSEs in 2016 so am completely confused about what he will be doing AS/A2-wise Confused

Molio · 18/08/2014 00:47

I will have had fifteen consecutive years of summer results (often multiple, as this year with six sets of results), by 2020.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 18/08/2014 01:03

Molio Shock that really is being a glutton for punishment. Heaven knows how many exam systems they'll have cooked up by 2020.

No one evenseems quite sure what DD2 (Y9 in Sept.) is going to get.

NapoleonsNose · 18/08/2014 08:19

Goodness molio, August is going to be fun for you for the next few years! By reading this thread, I've realised that we have 5 more years of exam results - 2016 will be the worst one when DD1 will have A2 and DS1 will have GCSEs. Will need plenty of Wine for those two weeks Grin.

Molio · 18/08/2014 09:39

Elephants in case the DfE takes out ASs to spoil my fun, I've added in university exams too. Hence 'summer'. I find the DCs' university exams at least as nerve wracking as than the school exams, possibly more.

And yes, Wine certainly helps :)

ElephantsNeverForgive · 18/08/2014 10:13

I refuse to add university exams to the mix.

I was married by the time I took my finals, having failed my first year, resat failed again, taken a year back home and finally spending three years doing the course I would have choosen post A level results.

So if like me, DD2 was to take 5 years getting her degree that would be 2024. Since she'll probably do PGCE it will be 2023.

Molio · 18/08/2014 10:54

My programme for vicarious but suppressed stress is based on the DC all going through university with no blips - that may well be a tall order. But I find Finals so nail biting from a distance that the GCSE/ AS/ A2 malarkey seems a breeze by comparison, so I can't leave them out. Well done for changing to what you really wanted to do, and completing the course - must have been a very difficult initial three years. Did you change uni too, out of interest? It's funny how things so often work out.

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 18/08/2014 11:02

Oooh can I join? Results day is the same day as my DS's 16th birthday so I've got everything crossed. Good luck to all you guys.

AmpersandRea · 18/08/2014 11:12

I need my hand holding or a large glass of wine
Twin DSs here. They both did well in their mocks but struggled with the time allowance for the proper exams.
Both have places at different colleges next year. I just want their hard work to pay off.

Toughasoldboots · 18/08/2014 11:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dumbledoresgirl · 18/08/2014 11:17

Yes, signing in.

I had a horrid time last week when ds1 got his A level results - CEE but what I didn't tell anyone here was that the C was achieved at the end of Yr 12 so in one year, all my son achieved was 2 Es (and a fail) in his A levels. Yes, I know that is a great achievement for some, but not for a boy capable of getting a C in one year.

Anyway, another week, another set of results. I am in the same situation as Unexpected. All As and A*s expected, not sure how we will feel about a B in anything. Somehow, although that must sound like a cushy position to be in if you are worrying about your child getting 5 passes, ime, it is actually more stressful.

And yes, I am with some of you in having years and years of public exams every year, made worse by taking some GCSEs in Yr 10. For me, it started in 2011 and, not counting degrees, it will go on until 2021 at least!

Unexpected · 18/08/2014 11:43

I agree Dumbledoresgirl, I don't think it matters whether the expectations are to get % A-C grades and "pass" or to get all A. The pressure on that child and family is the same. Teachers/family/student all know what they are supposed to get so everyone worries. Students also plan ahead to A level subjects based on what they think they will achieve at GCSE so dropping grades can de a disaster - especially is like my DS you have chosen your four A levels and have absolutely no back-up plan and are refusing to think about the possibility of having to change a subject.

Just wish this week would hurry up, DS now off camping and probably uncontactable on the day anyway!

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 18/08/2014 11:45

But can't they still do their A level choices with the odd grade B?