Are year 10 children going to lose out more because of new spec GCSEs?

[Sostenueto]

Year 10 children have to sit all their exams with the new system of 9-1. Will they lose out as officially guinea-pigs for all subjects?

No because the marking will be done on a bell curve with the top percentage getting 9s, the next group getting 8s and so on with the highest proportion getting 6s-4s. So going forward the mark scheme will be the same.

It may mean that fewer people get the very top mark because actually an 8 is an A* anyway. So to get a 9 you would have to score within the top 3% (although the percentages are different depending on the subjects). It has be designed to split the groupings so that you can differentiate between the grades as too many were achieving the highest grades.

Not all subjects. Dd is in year 11 and it's the new system for maths and English this year.

I don't think Dd will do as well as she would have done last year. The teachers are unsure of what's needed, no previous papers, no grade boundaries, curriculum from a level now in gcse.

I keep telling Dd that at least everyone in her year is in the same boat.

I think that the only way that they may lose out is with inaccurate predictions for grades.

There's a y11 GCSE maths thread where everyone is comparing notes on how schools are marking new spec GCSE mocks.

Dd feels she is losing out because the syllabus is so rushed

My Ds is Y10 ATM and he will only sit maths and English under the new grading. The rest, due to the options he has picked ( and possibly some being iGSCEs) will still be the old letter system.

My gdds exams will all be the new system. Has anyone's else's dcs the same?

Apparently there was a meeting g for year 7 parents at gdds school saying that due to new specs in exams that they should view a GCSE as a 5 year course rather than a 2 year course. Are other schools thinking like this?

3 of my children have been in guinea pig years. Specifications change every few years to keep them relevant. It's life.

Our school does ks3 over 2 years then teaches GCSE over 3 years. The kids taking the new GCSEs will leave with a fewer GCSEs than the kids who took old style. (Each GCSE will have more time spent on it)

Ds (year 11) will end up with 13 GCSEs, dd (year 9) will end up with 10 GCSEs.

Yes crazedzombie I see that happening now...less options and extra lessons on timetables for core subjects. The GCSE music students have to stay on after school to do their lessons. Most year 10 doing 10 GCSEs but a few doing 12 which include pe and music. My gdd doing 10.

Not all A levels and degrees require a subject to be studied at GCSE level so 10 is ample in my opinion.

I'd like to see the legal requirement to study RE in KS4 dropped. That would free up some time for starters.

My kids, spread over 10 years, have a done 10 GCSEs, including my youngest who is now in Year 10.

Didn't realise re was legal requirement I mean I knew it was in faith schools but didn't know it was in normal state schools. Bit surprised about that.

They don't have to do a full GCSE but they are required to teach it.

Dd has opted to do RE but those that haven't don't have an RE lesson. There is a 40 min per week PHSE lesson & occasionally religion/ethics etc are discussed alongside sex ed & hygiene/ social issues.

Main issue I think is that, whilst in theory every one is in the same boat and grade boundaries will even things out, in reality some schools and some teachers are more clued up on the changes and the new requirements - so some bright children may be disadvantaged over average well taught children. I guess this is always the case but the changes will heighten this.

Sostenuto yes, my daughter's GCSE subjects are all on the new 9-1 syllabus. It's going to be a lot of exams. (But no more than I did at 16, because I am officially very old and did my exams before GCSEs were invented.)

10+ GCEs was very rare in the "old" days before GCSE came in. I seem to remember I took 8 which seemed to be the norm at my school. I think it's a relatively new thing over the last couple of decades for kids to be doing 12 or so. 10 is more than enough, in fact, probably still too many!

Well, they won't be the guineapigs for maths and English - that's the current Yr 11s. DD1 is in that cohort. For the rest - yes, lots of uncertainty. I'm glad DD2 is in Yr 9.

I have to disagree about RE being something being something you can just drop to free up more time. If well taught, it's extremely valuable and complements the essay skills which are so useful in English and in the humanities. DDs are both doing a full GCSE in RE, it's only the top sets who get to do it because it is NOT an easy ride.

some bright children may be disadvantaged over average well taught children
Nothing wrong with average kids getting taught well and working hard to achieve excellent grades - surely bright kids can get over poor teaching - I know I did!

Went to parent evening last week and quite honestly no one teacher gave the same answer when asked about boundaries and whether predicted grades were a good indicator. Looks like just got to hope all will be OK. They are very good teachers so have to trust them really. After the year 11 results come out think things may be clearer but personally I feel like everyone really stressed about new exams which makes everyone worry more for their children.

I was a Guinea pig in the first year of GCSEs. I remember teachers having a day 'off' to learn the curriculum about a week before my first exam. There were two sample papers and no past papers. I am also disadvantaged when I fill in an application form as there wasn't an A* grade when I did them and people normally only did 8 subjects; I did 9 and that was unusual (age discrimination means you can't tell my As were top grades or that I did a good number though it is perhaps irrelevant with two post grad degrees and experience). They must have become easier if kids were doing 13 of them!

Stuff changes, people know that. This year DD16 is doing the number grades for Maths/English, next year DD14 adds in the other subjects.

Having done a mere 7 O'Grades in Scotland 35 years ago has NEVER made an ounce of difference to my job opportunities - even when up against "young whippersnappers" with 13 GCSEs. Living a broad life with many interests and the capacity to write a blindingly good covering letter matters MUCH more than a few grades in the grown-up world.

Places that they matter - A level college/Uni etc know they will have to allow for the changes, so I don't get the worry.

Beyond the problem is with computerised application forms where there is a standard form for many different levels and no chance for a covering letter. It may not have any impact but it is irritating. Actually I struggled to even remember my GCSE for the form.