GCSE Mock results. What to do now!

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Hello

I'm just here for a bit of a ramble/any ideas. My son just received his mock gcse results. I'm not sure what to think. It would have been too much to hope for A and B grades but I'm still disappointed though not surprised. He does the bare minimum when it comes to school work/revision.

Grades are ranging from the odd high C to middle D grades plus an F and a G though he insists the F must be wrong and will ask about it on Monday. School states that they want 5 A to C grades to enter Sixth form and pref B grades for the subjects you want to study in sixth form. I'm not sure how flexible schools are when it comes to letting people in if they don't quite make the grades. I think I am just feeling unsure as to what happens next. Closing ate for applying to sixth form is the end of January so very little time to think about what to do. All the schools seem to be asking for A to C grades. The colleges worry me as they are so huge and I am not sure if they are the best environment for my son. I did a course in a local one a few years ago and it just didn't seem like a nice learning environment for young people.

Is there much hope of him pulling his grades up to B and C grades between now and the real exams? At the end of year 10 he was on an F for Maths and now managed to get a D grade, only 4% away from a C. He is on a middle C for English and Science. I am very upset that he chooses to do the absolute bare minimum when I have offered so many times to help him with work/revision. I am trying hard not to shout and get cross, he says he is quite happy with his grades as he has improved in all of them but of course they were low to begin with ( spent a lot of time messing around in year 9 and most of year 10).

I'm not sure what I'm asking and I am aware this probably doesn't make total sense! Can I still apply to his school for sixth form even though he doesn't have high grades or is it a waste of a choice? I don't feel the school have given us any information at all regarding next steps. there seemed to be a lot more help going from primary to secondary, now it seems like you're on your own.

Many thanks for reading.

What grades do you think he'll get in the summer?

My DS got a U in one exam (which I knew he could have done better in) and a B in the real thing.

I think if your DS turns up for school every day and does the minimum, he should get a load of Cs.

I suggests applying everywhere, and just going where he wants to/can next September.

Does he want to do A'levles? Or is there something he would really like to do, such as IT?

Most students will make a grade higher between mocks and the exams. However this is only generally true if they realise what is at stake and pull their fingers out. The most important thing to concentrate on now is ensuring any controlled assessment work is completed. Then get the revision underway.

Don't be disheartened! Mocks count for nothing, and I think schools often mark them stupidly harshly in order to shock the more lazy students into pulling their fingers out. Mine certainly did! I failed all my mocks, school called my parents in- it terrified me that I could potentially mess up that badly and so I went a bit nuts and I've never worked so hard in my life as I did between mocks and the real exams! I ended up with all A*'s, A's and B's in the end

Would bribery work?

My DS said it would make no difference...but he did better in the exams he thought he wouldn't do so well in...so I'm guessing reading through his notes the night before might actually have helped.

Thanks for replying. I haven't spoken to anyone in real life about it! he needs to get his finger out, sometimes he shows a glimpse of it then shoves it firmly back in again! As for the exam he got a G in I asked him how on earth he managed it, his answer was that it was on the last day of the exams and he was tired and he really couldn't be bothered (!!!). I don't know how he was tired, he barely did any revision. He says he wants to do A levels in geography, English and maybe politics (not sure where the last idea came from). He keeps saying he wants to work in estate agency, had big dreams of having loads of property and so on (yeah right). The school careers advisor suggested becoming a chartered surveyor based on his interests. I'm not sure he has the grades for it!

Lynette how did your son go from a U to a B do you think?

I really have no idea how he will do in the real thing. It could go either way depending on how much revision he chooses to do.

Have you asked him what his back-up plan is if he doesn't get into the sixth form? Maybe a proper discussion, a trip to the college and filling out an application for stuff that he can access with the grades he currently is headed for might focus his mind a bit further.

If he is close to a C in maths, the school will probably put some intervention in place to make sure he gets over the line. If he doesn't get his C, he will have to resit in sixth form/college. How does he feel about that?

It's time to start looking at his real options.

And if that fails, try bribery.

You are giving me some hope now! I really hope they marked them harshly! It worries me that the school can give him an f and a g and yet not contact me with concerns. Maybe its normal?

He has just come to me to say he is going to speak to the head of sixth form on Monday to see what he can do to improve himself and what his options are with regards to staying on! He said he is worried but happy that his grades have mostly improved from last year. he also claims that loads of his friends seemed to get c and d grades but I guess he would say that!

bribery is something I use quite often! I have even offered £100 if he can get a b grade but even that doesn't seem to motivate him.

I have asked him numerous times what his back up plan is but he doesn't have one and hasn't really taken it all seriously, I guess its hard to know what life is all about when you are 15 despite me going on and on about it all.

Be very careful with bribery. My Mum did this for me for O'levels - something like £1 for a C, £5 for a B and £10 for an A. I tried similar with DS1. I didn't realise how many modules etc there were for Science. I was very out of pocket. I know it has changed now but where bribery is concerned budget for the best case scenario.

Is he doing double or triple science?

I would never recommend doing an A level with anything less than a B in the subject.

TBH for some subjects (eg maths) I would say an A would be better. It's simply about being able to cope with the massive jump from GCSE to A level and the level of work/expectation on the course.

If I were you I would still apply for A levels but would also look closely at what is on offer locally at colleges that he could access with Cs. What does he want to do Post-16?

Also what are his predicted grades - are they very different from the mock grades?

I could have written your post myself, OP! I also have a DS who really isn't working to his potential and has come home with a very average batch of mocks results (mainly Cs and Ds).

He assures me that he will pull it out of the bag come the summer. He has form for this; was predicted a C in Core Science, which he took in Y10, a but got a B, but I'm struggling to get him to grasp that it's not a given that he can exceed his predictions in everything else, simply because he's done it once!

Anyway, he has applied to both school sixth form, and to a local 6th form college. The school will only let him stay if he gets 5 A-C; the college have offered an unconditional place, but will "downgrade" him to BTECs if he doesn't get the grades. He knows it's all to play for.

Good point elephant! I think I only offered £100 for a B as I thought there wasn't a chance of him getting one and was hoping for C grades! He is not in a high science group. He does all 3 sciences but is just given one overall grade so I guess its combined.

My son has similar results, and also wants to go into sixth form. He's worrying the hell out of me. He did his maths GCSE last year and got a D so was put in for the resit in November and got an F! On a positive note though he got Cs for both English subjects in his mocks.
We have parents evening next week so we'll see what's said then.

We've already resorted to bribery - £60 per C and above. An odd amount but we had to do some haggling.

its good to hear from others who are/have been in similar situations. I cant remember his predicted grades exactly, I think they are middle to low c grades, certainly no B grades. We are still waiting for a grade to come through next week for an IGCSE, I am really hoping for no lower than a C.

I wish we had a parents evening coming up now, it would seem a sensible time to do one to think about options but sadly there is none.

If he is not predicted any B grades at all OP then I would take a serious look at colleges and what they can offer.

Mocks I agree are not always a guide but PGs are. My year 11 group had a bit of a flunk at mocks in my subject, but I am actually expecting and predicting some of them to get Cs.

No Bs = No A levels in my book. Two friends have DC who failed the first year of their A level courses and both have struggled since to find their way. College from the outset with maybe a more practical focus may be much better. Good luck to your DS!

You don't have to wait for a parent's evening. Just contact the school or the individual teachers by e-mail.

He must be doing single science if he is getting one gcse. Double is when you get 2 gcse's. My ds will be doibg that instesd separate sciences.

They will most likely get one grade higher than what they got at mocks teachers say.

My ds brought his results today as well. Quite disappointed at RS being b3. He wants to take it for a levels.
His English lit is solid a, art b2 and he has to pull his socks up again.
His 6th form requires 4x a and at least 4x b + c in mfl and b's in maths and english.
He has to have a's to be allowed doing his chosen subjects for a levels.

Yes, contact the teachers if you feel the need to discuss anything! We have this parent's evening next week and then a 'final push' one in April.

Just want to point out to the OP that her DS can apply to any number of 6th forms. There is no limit like there is for secondary places. So applying to his existing school won't 'waste a place'. I would apply for a few so he has some choice bases on the grades he achieves. However you need to move quickly as I think some will have closed their enrolments

Thanks everyone. I don't remember that there were such high entry requirements when I was going to sixth form but I guess things have changed!

His predicted grades are pretty much all c grades with the exception of 1 D grade in maths but I really think he can get a C in it if he sorts himself out. It seems like such a shame that achieving a C at GCSE suggests it is unlikely that a person will achieve an A level.

Clary, thanks for giving me some insight, I assume you are a secondary school teacher. Colleges seem so huge and impersonal, especially round here (very big city). I have looked on the website of the closest college to us and there doesn't seem to me that much on offer if you don't want to do practical subjects like hairdressing, childcare, etc.

Thank you Jeanne, I am pretty clueless about the sixth form process. I haven't seen any school around here that has closed their enrolment process yet, they all seem to be the end of Jan but that is a worry. Its so close after receiving results!

You need a plan B, what if he doesn't go to 6th form. Plans C & D aren't bad either, if you can.
There are lots of successful ways thru life.
Exploring the other options and what they would look like might be exactly what he needs to be more motivated to work hard enough to get the grades for 6th form.
Else you'll be more prepared for if he can't get into 6th form.

Oh I'm so confused, reading other posts. Around here College IS the academic option, we don't even have 6th forms. You can't get into College without minimum BBCCC. The other options are apprenticeships, work, military, and vocational BTECs at far away colleges.

If he's only going to get Cs then he really does need to start thinking about practical options because the academic route is not for him.

If you do find somewhere that will accept him onto A-levels with a C (and I know some do because they need bums on seats), the most likely outcome is a fail.

About accepting kids into courses if they miss the grade requirement: at my school you might be accepted if you just missed the grade by UMS points and your teacher recommended you. A lazy kid who was predicted a C all along wouldn't get in.

Your DS needs to face facts and start looking at other options today. Not A-levels.

DS1 hasn't received his mock results yet (still has three exams to do) but we are expecting a variety of grades (that's putting it politely).

He sat one exam in Y10 and managed to pull it up from a U in the mock to an A (two marks off an A*) in the actual exam, so he does have the capability to put in some work at the 11th hour.

He is applying for both the local college (needs 5 C grades) and the sixth form at his current school (needs 6 B grades).

I have never known of a child whose predicted results are so uncertain. Anything from an A to a D would not be a surprise, in every single subject.