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Secondary education

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Original poster

2015 Yr 12 support thread

837 replies

Needmoresleep · 08/01/2015 11:48

Mocks this week, and the reality of AS exams in a few months is starting to hit home. I don't think it will be an easy journey, so would welcome some company.

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Toughasoldboots · 13/08/2015 15:01

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zazas · 13/08/2015 15:14

Congrats to all those with the results they were 'hoping' and commiserations to those who didn't... Mixed bag here - DD got results she hoped for in her two favourite subjects (History/Maths), what she expected in her 'to drop' subject and an unexpected terrible mark in her Economics paper. One paper was a high B and the other a very low D - a complete anomaly and the school have asked for her paper to look at to see if it warrants a remark. She did Economics at GCSE (A*) and has did really well with her her exams this year. The B paper was the one that she thought she had messed up a question so was pleased with that but the D was one that she thought went really well and she came out buzzing how it was exactly as she hoped. Completely mystified to what went wrong...

At least tears have dried up and the wails of 'no university will ever accept me' have stopped - her Headteacher was particularly lovely and gave her some perspective on it all which help!

TOUGHASOLDBOOTS - a resit helps with your A2 grade as your AS grade goes towards you final A level and therefore a better result give you a better chance of the grade you are aiming for.

JellyBean31 · 13/08/2015 15:14

Thanks, he is going to resit AS modules alongside A2s so we're feeling more positive. The one grade above is (I now know) the predicted grades his tutor is allowed to put on ucas form which means he's unlikely to even get an offer from his first choice uni. But I've checked their website and they are in clearing so if he does better than predicted there's still a chance.

Toughasoldboots · 13/08/2015 15:20

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LIZS · 13/08/2015 15:37

Bit of a mixed bag here. Zazas Ds has similar with History - good A in one paper, borderline D in another , for which all mocks have been A , equating to C overall. He types his answers , school wondering if some sheets went astray so requesting copies. Even I if he has to resit that paper next summer he thinks it preferable to continuing the subject he wants to drop!

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 13/08/2015 15:44

Elevader - DD was aiming for 90% average in her top 3 subjects, but I think it's course/college/uni specific, so depends what your DC want to do.

Vanillachocolate · 13/08/2015 15:44

AAB here, very well done to DD!

So, if DD gor a B in French, composed of an A in unit 1 and and a b in the oral exam, could she resit just the oral?

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 13/08/2015 16:49

Don't know about oral but you can resit individual written papers. Two years ago DS got a D in one history paper. School looked at it thought it was worth a B, but remark came out as a C. It was a bit of an anomaly so he applied to UCAS saying he planned to resit. He then did an Easter revision course so revision for that was kept separate from work he was doing for other AS exams.

That said am I right in thinking ours are the last to be taking AS in this way so though they can resit they won't have the same access to support at school or availability of commercial revision courses.

Maths works well as a resit subject, or rather the C1 and C2 papers do as next year they do harder courses so the ones this year become easier in comparison.

Solid A's here. However only one clearly in A territory and that is the one she was planning to drop. (She took five.) Medical schools often offer AAA so she has some decision making. It is as well she was not interested in Oxbridge.

So another boxed ticked on what seems like a long road. She is now suggesting looking at the Student Room grid of what different medical schools want and has confirmed she plans to start on her PS. It's all got to be in by early October!

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Mitzi50 · 13/08/2015 16:49

B, C, D here - not a surprise as he struggled at the beginning of the year and did not step up his effort until it was too late. Still massively disappointing and the reality of not having the chance of getting into a decent uni is hitting home. I'm not sure where we go from here - he will have to completely re-think his options. Hmm

Dunlurking · 13/08/2015 17:05

I'm trying to get my head round a strategy to discuss with ds when he finally has a chance to ring instead of texting. So if I've understood it needsmoresleep/others in the know, ds could get a remark of some Maths papers and/or resit some next summer?

What is this about tutors being able to predict a grade 1 higher than acheived jellybean? Is that generally accepted in schools, especially if planning resits? You are all being very helpful because I can see that ds could possibly inch his way up to the needed A/prediction of an A in Maths doing it this way. Is there a limit on the number of papers he can have remarked/resit?

TalkinPeace · 13/08/2015 17:05

DD is still debating whether to retake two modules to bring two of her B's up to A's
but I'm tempted to suggest that she concentrates on the subjects she's definitely taking to A2

one of her friends got E U U : stress city in that house - predictions had been B's and C's

SecretSquirrels · 13/08/2015 17:15

Dunlurking A remark is worthwhile on borderline papers. Sometimes even on others. One of DS1's Physics A2 papers was a low A and it went up to a high A* after remark.
Resits of any module used be allowed subject to the school agreeing (and the student paying the fee). Unsure what happens next year in view of the new A level system.
It does also mean studying AS alongside A2 and the extra exam loading, bearing in mind that A2 is already a step up from AS.

I am wary of persuading teachers to inflate a prediction. DC can often take this as a given and accept offers beyond reach, only to blame the school for making a wrong prediction. This happened to a friend of DS last year and he missed firm and insurance.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 13/08/2015 17:35

The first step before a remark is to get the school to ask to see the marked paper. Teachers will be able to tell if marking looks dodgy and whether it is worth trying for a remark. Otherwise they can go through the paper with your son and advise whether it is worth him resitting next summer. Ie that they think he could do better. If they think he can and he is prepared to put in the work the school might feel comfortable in predicting a higher grade and in their UCAS reference, explain why.

If they don't and he does not get the offer he wants. Then, perhaps with the help of a resit, gets good grades at A2, he can turn down whoever he firmed, take a gap year and reapply.

Poor DC. It's a quick, and often not very comfortable, introduction to adulthood.

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ISingSoprano · 13/08/2015 17:41

DD and I have formed a strategy today. We have requested copies of two papers and she will review them with her teachers when they go back in September. She will almost certainly rest those two next year alongside her A2s.

LIZS · 13/08/2015 17:42

Any idea how long the scripts take ? Are admin errors ( i.e. when the scores are entered or omitting a questions' marks) possible in the process? Ds' mark on one paper was so unexpectedly low we are wondering if only one of the two questions was marked and entered.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 13/08/2015 17:53

LIZS some really bizarre things happen. DS has had three remarks 2xgcse and 1xAS. 2 resulted in improved grades. The last was that historically awful gcse English four years back.

My understanding is that scripts are scanned so can be with the school in a matter of days. However priority will be given to those completing Yr 13 who have University places waiting on the result of any remark. Your DS will then have a bit of time to decide with teachers whether a remark should be done.

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JellyBean31 · 13/08/2015 17:55

dunlurking I have no idea whether the practice of only predicting 1 grade higher is a national directive to all schools, but I suppose you can understand that teachers do have to he realistic otherwise they could predict As for everyone so they get offers from better universities.

Dunlurking · 13/08/2015 18:04

Thank you SecretSquirrels, Needmoresleep and Jellybean. All really helpful and I'm making notes for the conversation with ds later. It sounds like I need to contact the school tomorrow for photocopies of his Maths papers and we go from there.

Fingers crossed for everyone else coping with fallout.

Marni23 · 13/08/2015 18:07

Well done to all DC who got what they wanted and commiserations to those who didn't. At least there's a chance to put things right next year.

Bit of an odd day here. DD got 3 A's (4th subject-the one she is applying to Uni for-is a Pre U so no AS Level) but one of the 3 was a low A and way below what she was expecting in terms of UMS. Apparently the whole class got much lower than expected in it, think she was the only one to get an A.

None of this would matter except she was really hoping to apply to Cambridge and this has brought her UMS average down quite drastically. School have already requested all their scripts back so they are obviously concerned about all the marks. It's put a bit of a dampener on things really.

Dunlurking · 13/08/2015 18:12

Marni I can understand that disappointment. Does she have some Cambridge exams to do for her desired subject that would make up for the lower UMS mark? Perhaps a remark will do the trick?

LIZS · 13/08/2015 18:14

A couple of Ds peers were asking for a remark to improve ums for Oxbridge.

Marni23 · 13/08/2015 18:25

Thanks Dunlurking and LIZS. Yes there would be an exam at interview so that may help. It's frustrating that her strongest subject can't be counted in the average-usually they use best 3 results but she only has 3 so no chance of the low UMS subject being jettisoned.

I guess they'll know whether it's worth a re-mark when they see the script. My worry is, as they all seriously under-performed, it's less likely to be marking error. Really don't know-it seems very odd.

MadamArcatiAgain · 13/08/2015 19:10

Marni, I don't think they will care much about her 'low A'. Any offer-even if based on 4 subjects would require A at most in her weakest subject.They will be much more interested on her aptitude test and how she comes over at interview.
I think a UMS remark is very rsiky.They may come up with a lower revised score!!

Marni23 · 13/08/2015 19:37

I know Madam! If it went down any more that would put the bloody tin hat on it! She did come in the top 3 of a Cambridge essay competition in her subject-am hoping that might help. It's just awful to see her so disappointed today.

Apologies for harping on about the AS results equivalent of a first world problem.

Northernlurker · 13/08/2015 19:56

No need to apologise. I know exactly what you mean. It's not unreasonable of her to be concerned.