Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

[pointythings]

Because we need a new thread now that things are really hotting up!

Indies did have a choice until they realised universities would probably pick a state 9 over an IGCSE A+, the myth of which has been exposed as a lie. State schools turned to them when it became clear it was so much easier than GCSEs so it was ruled they couldn't.

Hi Red. I don't really follow your post. What is the myth that has been exposed as a lie? by whom and where? What is the 'them' that state schools turned to? What is so much easier than what? who ruled who couldn't do what?

I'm sure it makes perfect sense to you but it sounds a bit 'the CIA is watching me, that's why I'm in this tin-foil-lined room."

DD says Edexcel maths was 'impossible' and that some people in her exam were crying! She said there were two questions that she just couldn't do at all...hoping for low grade boundaries!

Ofqual will have oversight of the grade boundaries and it's their job to ensure that standards are the same across all of the exam boards. KS2 results will be used to profile each cohort so if it turns out that schools with weaker pupils turned towards AQA, because they promoted the fact that their questions weren't as wordy, then AQA won't get as many of the top grades. Basically, on average, kids getting a 4B at KS2 will be expected to get the same result whichever exam board they sit. This isn't the same as saying a 4B kid will get a grade 4 however hard they work, because it's an average and individual kids can do better or worse.

A letter was leaked last year which showed Edexcel arguing with Ofqual about where to put their grade C boundary which shows what sort of data is used to decide this: www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/ofqual-forces-exam-board-raise-c-grade-boundary-maths-gcse

Fleur,

With a selective school, the GCSE results should be very good even with average teachers - because pupils have passed the selection tests and should do very well.

If the results at your child's school take a dip, then your school has not coped as well as other (other things equal).

A possibility, that's all.

I didn't realise that some schools were still on A* - U instead of 9-1 for maths.

IGCSE is still A to G but it is generally regarded as not been as rigorous and obviously does not give the students a chance of the higher 9 grade

I don't suppose in the grand scheme of things universities are going to spend a lot of time distinguishing between an IGCSE A and a new GCSE 9 for Maths*

I agree. And it's silly to worry about it now anyway. It is what it is and whatever your dc's school decide to do.

How is everyone feeling about English Lit tomorrow? Dd is doing Macbeth and Poetry which she is feeling quite confident about.

Good luck to everyone for tomorrow, final day before a bit of a breather!

Feeling even more despondent...

Anyway, does anyone else get tutor2u emails? They have just published all the answers for both AQA and Edexcel maths papers today. Not sure if I should show ds or not!!

we're forgetting maths for now - not looking at mark schemes etc, too depressing.

DD has Eng Lit tomorrow (edexcel paper 2) - poetry (conflict anthology) & 19C novel (Jekyll & Hyde). She seems okay, I'm sure she could've revised her poetry more thoroughly but it's bit late now!

Yes Lania - ds does NOT want to look! To be honest, it's just the answers so unless they can remember exactly what their answers were it's pointless.

DS is knackered. Says he's going to get up at 4am ( I put a stop to that ) but feels he is 'screwed' for his english lit tmrw. (not sure if 'screwed' is better than 'doomed' or not! )

DD did edexcel higher. She said she was ok with 16 of the questions but the last 4 we're really hard, the last 2 she couldn't do. She said she gave them a try and might pick up 1 or 2 points from the workings.

I asked her if she'd had time to check over the paper but she said it took the whole time to do so she didn't which is a bit worrying as she is prone to daft mistakes at times.

She said most of it felt easier than the mock but several girls came out crying, some out of foundation too

English lit tomorrow. She's been floating round the house talking about entwined branches or something.

Yes Eng Lit here too, DD sat the Edexcel maths paper today, she came out feeling fairly upbeat, but even so I wont be showing her any answers as I don't want to risk knocking her confidence -always a bit rocky around Maths.
It's also DDs last day tomorrow, well until September at least! So the year group are looking forward to a fun afternoon and final assembly before half term starts.

IGCSEs the school can chose 9-1 or A*-G - Ours is doing IGCSE and using the 9-1 system.

They also do the IGCSE because despite your assertion it is easier it covers and has always covered some of the maths that is included in AS/A level so better prepares kids for Maths A level and thus is not easier.

Redrules It is always a myth that is bandied about that IGCSEs are easier than GCSEs. On the basis that our school had 39 candidates gain Oxbridge places, a Harvard place plus other medical/dental places I can assure you they are not opting for easy options at IGCSE. If you'd like me to pm the link to our school's results page to back this up I can but do not wish to do so pubicly as it would be outing.

The figures I quoted were for the students doing A levels in 2016 and there were 81% A/A grades at A level and 93% A-B at A level

DS1 did AQA maths (higher) today and says it was 'hard but doable'. He attempted the last question but didnt get the right answer. Eng Lit tomorrow - Blood Brothers and conflict anthology. He hasn't revised the play tonight at all -says he feels confident. Focused on poems - he talks a good talk so let's hope he can get it down on paper!

Maths was apparently fine in our house, he is good at Maths, not worried and he intends to do it for A level.
More concerning was his assertion tonight ( and it seemed like a recent discovery 😳) That we don't get an excerpt for An inspector calls, I am doomed.
I suggested that this might not actually be new news, and did get an agreement, teenagers, hey ho.

Or it could have been jekyll and Hyde, who knows

Thank you for explaining noble!

TheFrendo it will be interesting to see this year's results, maybe you're right. I do hope though it isn't the case. I don't understand why they would have entered him for higher also if they thought he'd struggle. I am hoping he's exaggerating otherwise nothing makes sense. He's in second set, academic school, really good at maths as he (used to) enjoy it, extra revision classes 2 hours a week attended since January and his grade has improved from a 4 in mock in Nov to a 5 in March his teacher being confident he can get a 7 if he's pushing himself, 5 sounds like s blessing now.

Anyway what's done is done, moving on to English Lit tomorrow, A Christmas Carol and An Inspector calls. Hopefully he'll be ok.

DS is knackered he's gone upstairs just now after a hour of solid revision for tomorrow's English literature.
I did ask him about maths he sed it was okay he tried doing all the questions that's the best they can do now it's done now no point keep thinking about the non calculator paper now focus on the 2 calculators.
Good luck to all the D.C. taking English GCSE tomorrow make sure they all take a cool bottle of water...

On the staffroom thread they are dissecting the question that was last (according to DS) on the AQA maths paper. He had a go but didn't get the right answer. Couple of people saying it was too easy to be a last question, bright yr 6s could have done it

Ds thought he'd got about 50 but having been sent the answers by a friend he looked through & now thinks it was only about 25. He's now just hoping he'll manage to get the 5 he needs for 6th form, luckily he's still fairly upbeat.

ready - my DD also felt she'd got around 50 for maths.

error - last day here as well with a fun assembly this afternoon. Where did all that time go?

AQA poetry and DNA this morning. It's going to be a long exam in the heat - already 25c here,. Let's hope there's no more shocks.

What I've been trying to drum into ds and any of his friends that will listen is that the new maths and English papers are designed to let the top 2% in the country get higher than an A*. So unless you are in that top 2% they are going to be hard and there are going to be things you can't do and that's not a problem.