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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.

OP posts:
AuntGlegg · 13/08/2015 20:53

Has anybody got their head round this 'mark equiv' malarkey? Is that the same as 'raw marks'? DS got a C for Eng Lit - bit of a shocker, as expecting a A- and we're wondering if it's worth going for a re-mark, but if 'mark eqiv' is the same as raw marks, then he's just inched into the C grade on one paper , so maybe best to let sleeping dogs lie. Most grateful for any shared experience/ advice.

MadamArcatiAgain · 13/08/2015 20:55

They don't want the kids with the best A level score.They want to offer to students who they think have the potential to do best on the course as long as of course they meet the entry requirements.

AuntGlegg · 13/08/2015 20:58

Meant to say - for posters concerned about 'low A's' and Oxbridge. Don't know about Oxford, but Cambridge more likely to take a view and at least invite for interview. They seem quite flexible and genuinely more interested in individual potential than metrics. DD missed her A2 grades last year, but her first choice college still took her because her supervisor "really wanted to teach her" and she's had a great first year. So still all to play for!

TalkinPeace · 13/08/2015 21:03

Oxford will not consider DD because she did not get enough A* at GCSE
and she did not like Cambridge when we visited
so the other options are being chosen carefully

EllenJanethickerknickers · 13/08/2015 21:56

DS1 did well today, four As but a 'low' A for further maths which has disappointed him as he really wants to do maths at Warwick, for which he'll need an A* in further maths or a level 1 STEP. It seems mad to be disappointed with four As, but there you are. Confused He'll drop computing which he got over 90% UMS for despite not having a teacher for over half the year. He did even better in physics but still wants to do maths... 1st world problem and all. Blush

TranquilityofSolitude · 13/08/2015 22:13

Presumably one of the reasons that teachers can predict a higher A2 score is that A2s have the potential to receive an A grade and AS only goes up to A - thus if they have an A at AS that's the highest possible grade, so a similar mark on an A2 paper would be an A. Don't know if I'm just rambling now... :)

Dunlurking · 14/08/2015 10:55

Thank you for all the advice on here on remarks and resits. When ds rang last night to discuss his results we had a cheerful positive conversation. He had reflected on them and was amazingly mature about it not my little boy anymore I gather that the tutors actually recommend all Shock the Maths students repeat the C1 C2 and other (S1 in his case) in year 13 anyway! They recognise that doing C3 and C4 makes it likely everyone can improve their marks in C1 and C2 and hence their overall grade. With this being standard at the school he felt it quite likely he would be predicted an A. We will order photocopies of his papers anyway to see what his problems were.

On another note. WHY is Physics teaching so bad in schools? Ds is at a state grammar. He may not be naturally brilliant at Physics but a D! Was predicted an A (which I was doubtful about). We will get photocopies and consider a remark even though dropping it anyway. He really thought it would be a B, C at the worst after sitting the papers. My friends dcs also dispair at the Physics results at this school. It should be delivering 100s of our dcs to STEM subjects. My dd is just starting year 10 and wants to do Engineering so we will get Physics coaching organised asap! How is this country going to produce more engineers if we can't teach Physics in schools? Sorry! End of moan!

SecretSquirrels · 14/08/2015 11:05

Good news dunlurking it sounds like that Maths will be straightforward.
Interesting about the Physics. My two are at none selective sixth form college. Both DS's went in to A level with A in GCSE and loving Physics. They both found the AS year extremely dull and uninspiring. DS1 went on to do A2 Physics and said the second year curriculum was much more fun and he got A.
DS2 has also found the AS boring. He got full UMS on one Physics paper but is dropping it for A2 and won't reconsider Hmm.
So maybe it's not the teaching but the curriculum?

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 14/08/2015 12:16

DDs experience at a selective London Private school is similar. AS physics seems to be dull. Teachers have reassured her the A2 syllabus will be more interesting. It seems strange though to have a syllabus at this stage that seems to put students off. It can't be much fun teaching it.

OP posts:
MadamArcatiAgain · 14/08/2015 13:56

Really? DS2 has ound AS physics really interesting

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 14/08/2015 14:26

Some positive news - DD2 went into school today to chat to the 6th form team and was told to still carry on with her Cambridge application as all was not lost with a B Smile. Plus the school is requesting all the papers for the "bad" subject be recalled as they're not happy with the overall grades DD2 didn't suggest it was poor teaching rather than poor marking thankfully but have recommended we apply ourselves for a remark of both her papers, plus get the script for one other paper which was lowish. Not sure about a remark on that one, as she's two marks below the A, but only three marks away from a C, so a bit too close to risk unless we're sure.

I think though the school may be looking at their publicity for next year (x number of students applying to/gained places at Oxbridge) plus expecting a lot from the extenuating circumstances form, but she'd happy to give it a go. Another course she wants to do also interview, so any interview prep she does won't be wasted on a speculative application.

General feeling around here is that the marking has been harsher than everyone was expecting, and people haven't been getting the grades that might have been expected. Could be a school thing though, as we've had a lot of change and disruption over the past couple of years, and quite a bit turnover of staff bloody academies programme.

LIZS · 14/08/2015 14:39

Some of ds' scripts are already back! Whilst his teacher believes he might have been a bit more generous in marking, the risk of losing marks and dropping below the grade boundary means he wouldn't advise a remark. Waiting on history now which was rather more problematic.

Leeds2 · 14/08/2015 15:09

That is quick, LIZS!

UhtredOfBebbanburg · 14/08/2015 15:26

DD1's history has been upgraded to an A without us having to do anything (or even thinking of doing anything). It turns out that one of her scripts was lost and she was given an estimated mark on her 'good' paper based on the mark she got for her 'less good' paper. But then the paper was found and marked and she got full UMS on it. So she has been upgraded, it was pending yesterday so we were a bit in limbo but confirmed today. Which is nice. But sobering - I wonder how many other people this has happened to without the happy ending...

UhtredOfBebbanburg · 14/08/2015 15:29

Secret - DD1 is also dropping a subject for which she got full UMS on one paper (geography). She is utter pants (comparatively) on the other paper though so it's not as mad a course of action as it may seem. SpLds can work in mysterious ways. She's happy to take the scraped A she got for that overall and move forward without any regrets - she actually thinks it has been a bit of a lucky escape.

Marni23 · 14/08/2015 15:40

Uhtred great news re History, but as you say, rather worrying. How can they lose a paper anyway, even temporarily?

Bernadette I didn't spot your post re your DD's results till just now. So pleased she did well after all. Just goes to show, they really can't always tell how they've done!

No news here yet on the subject that DD's whole class got much lower marks than expected in. Hope the return of scripts won't take too long.

LIZS · 14/08/2015 15:45

Utred great result, doesn't give much confidence in the system though. Which board was it?

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 14/08/2015 15:48

My DS also enjoyed Physics AS and got a good A, I wonder if the boards make any difference?

FuzzyWizard · 14/08/2015 16:10

I know a fair bit about Oxbridge admissions for humanities-type subjects. High AS UMS are relied on more by Cambridge although they look at the average UMS of the best-3 ASs. For most humanities courses an average UMS in the 90% range for the best three will usually be enough to get an interview. A student with "flags" in their application (FSM, extenuating circumstances, first in family to attend Uni) will probably be interviewed with less.

If a student has lower UMS (say mid 80s average) but really good GCSE grades we would advise them to apply to Oxford instead. They tend to give more weight to GCSEs and in my subject their own aptitude test.

To be honest with Oxbridge the main thing is getting them through the door for interview. Once you've done that they are far more interested in their own judgements of aptitude and potential than they are in exam data.

Last year one of my students was devastated on AS results day... she really had her heart set on History at Cambridge and after getting 11 A at GCSE came out with AAAB and her history UMS was only about 83%. I calmed her down, told her we'd try Oxford instead and she's off to Keble in the autumn with AAA and and A EPQ.

FuzzyWizard · 14/08/2015 16:11

*and an

intheenddotcom · 14/08/2015 16:28

UhtredOfBebbanburg - Has your DD spoken to her teacher?

AQA AS geography it is quite common to have a high grade on one paper and a low grade on the other. Usually works itself out in the A2 overall.

Lancelottie · 14/08/2015 16:33

Hmm.

DS got an unexpected A in one subject. However, apparently everyone else's marks were so poor that the school have asked for a complete cohort re-mark.

He'd rather hang on to the possibly deluded mark he has! Can he refuse to have his paper resubmitted?

FuzzyWizard · 14/08/2015 16:40

I believe you can refuse permission for the remark. Just say no and see what happens.

UhtredOfBebbanburg · 14/08/2015 18:14

intheend for geography? No point, she got an A overall and she did better on the terrible paper than she ever has before. She's dyspraxic and her particular challenges (which may be particular to her not necessarily applicable to all people with dyspraxia) make that paper incredibly hard. If it wasn't for the fact that she is so good at the other paper (which carries more weight) one might say she'd made a mistake doing geography at AS but, she's walked away with an A, unbowed and unbroken, so we are all really happy with that.

I'd rather not say which board it was in case it identifies her...I understand though both from the school and from that article in the Guardian earlier this week that lost papers are NOT as rare as you'd like to hope...

Lancelottie · 14/08/2015 23:06

Thanks, Fuzzy, we'll see what they say.
I probably need to avoid giving DS the impression I think he only got an A by some astonishing fluke!

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