Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

[pointythings]

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

HELP – DS is really upset about the Edexcel exam today; he worked harder on this than any other subject and just ran out of time. He says he has missed out on 12 marks completely as he didn’t finish the paper. There were lots of tears at school from the students and my heart breaks for them all. He really wants to study maths at A Level and is now petrified about the third exam on Tuesday and already panicking and saying there is no point. He was quite confident after the first paper and now he is so disheartened.

I can see that a number of your DC’s also thought the exam was really hard. Do you think the grade boundaries will definitely be lowered? I don’t understand the system.

What can I do to keep him calm and get him back on track with his revision? My poor boy :(

Grade boundaries will definitely come down. Tell him not to panic.

'Maths was good.'

Strange child.

I don't know if over confidence is good or bad, really. I suppose I won't until august.

Possum, how did your DD get on today?

Scabetty How do you know they will come down. I do hope you are right but why would they?

Bless him, terrible to hear DCC in such a state.....blame the government!!! Xx

Minesawine, just cross posted there, I'm so sorry your DS was upset. Sounds like it was really tough. The grade boundaries I am sure will reflect that. I hope he feels better about it all soon.

It's so stressful for them isn't it

They can't have half the cohort failing especially as they are first to sit new format. I think and fingers crossed that your children will fine. Of course the boundaries will come down and I expect more to get 7-9 than in following years. All will be well, bless you all.

DD says AQA was hard but not harder than the first paper and that she felt she had done well. Maths is her thing though.

That's very reassuring, tiggytape.

tiggytape do you think a child can manage A Level maths if they get a grade 6. My DS was predicted a 7, and is still desperate to do maths next year. I guess it depends on the school criteria

Mines, DS's place to do at least AS level Maths requires only a 6, but that is on the recommendation of the teacher.

Basically, it is acknowledged that those performing below an A in 'old money' struggled with the transition to A-level. However, as the new curriculum is so unknown, they wanted to allow room this year for pupils who got a 'B equivalent', but who had always done well in maths, to move on to A-level at teachers' discretion.

This is, of course, school specific.

What would happen to the "cap" on Grade 9s if more than 3% of students got 100% in the Maths exams?

Not likely to happen, true, but the problem then moves down, so what if only 1% got over over 96%, but 4% got over 95% ?

Mines this is what dd's 6th form say abut maths:

"GCSE Mathematics high grade 6 or above.
Students need to have covered 7/8 grade material and be proficient
in algebra in order to access the A Level course.

There will also be a screening test within the first month of the course
which recaps GCSE grade `7’ material to ensure that this course is
appropriate for you. (achieving below the set pass mark suggests that
your core skills are not a strong enough base from which to succeed
with A Level Mathematics)"

Basically it is like cantkeep's - in the path they've asked for an A but given the uncertainty this year they are being more flexible.

in the past

That's why I was worrying about keystage 2 results. My gdd currently in 6th place over whole cohort but the 5 above her all got a 6 in keystage 2. Do examiners look at this? My gdd didn't want to sit the 6 paper at primary but got 98% on 5 paper.

Tiggy DD1 got 190/240 on that one and was told that was on the high end of an 8. But of course nobody really knew then and nobody really knows now.

Thanks everyone. I have just checked and our school also says grade 7 or a high 6.

Positive vibes. It will be fine. He will be ok. That is my new mantra.

That's it minesawine think positive. I believe all of the children whose parents are on here are awesome especially because their parents are, so supportive to all your children they cannot fail!

KS2 results aren't looked at by GCSE examiners. Schools may use them for progress tracking as in a level 6 should be an A star pupil but that's it.

Thanks scabetty x

KS2 results for the entire country are looked at for each cohort to ascertain whether the really low scores are because it was an unusually low achieving cohort, as evidenced by their KS2 papers five years ago, or whether the low scores are because the exam was really hard.