GCSEs 2018 (2)

[Stickerrocks]

Pre-empting our 1000th post.

I do get the impression Progress 8 feels fairer to all schools - although I must say some of the Super Selective's have still done really well- although I suppose some of the students at these schools may have average SATS but have been heavily tutored.

You are saying the GCSEs are really hard but it's not so bad for other years because they were prepared in year 6?

That's a genuine question. I'm not entirely sure that I understood

DS2 (current year 9) did the same SATS as DS2. I think 2016 was the first year of the new SATS.

My view is that the new GCSEs are really tough for the least able. It's not nice doing a paper that you can only get 18% or less on. However, the old two tier system was an issue too because the people who did CSEs felt inadequate knowing others were doing o levels.

Tbh that's not what I remember from doing exams in the early 80s, but maybe those doing CSEs just kept quiet about their feelings. Anyway that's the reason why they moved to GCSES.

No doubt teenmum. My dgd school NOT a selective school in ability, but majority middle class professional parents, a lot teachers themselves, many have private tutors, which the school hates, saying their teachers are good enough without needing extra coaching ( I agree as my dd cannot afford tutors for my dgd, as she is single working parent on minimum wage, who not only keeps up with the very top students but beats some of them).
But Alexanders point about bright students coasting in top schools but other schools students making good progress spot on I suppose.

Mmzz its still GCSEs and CSEs in reality. Higher papers go level 4-9 foundation 1-3. Just like old system. In my day GCE went A,b,c,d,u. Cse went only 1,2,3.U. If you got a 1 in CSE it was classed as a C in o level (GCE). No one classed anything below a C as a pass at GCE. Same with A levels. But that was in my day, a long long time ago.

It went to GCSEs earlier than 80 s I think. I went to first ever comp. Grammar and secondary joined as one. Those in secondary got opportunity to do GCEs if they were in top stream of secondary and I can assure you there was stigma between GCE and CSE students.

My DD may underachieve with her GCSE's (I'm hoping not - she will still get a great set of results and given the fact that we completely messed up her education - she's done well to turn it around) The sad thing is if you get things wrong you can turn off their love for learning - Sostenueto it sounds like your daughter has a really strong work ethos which is a credit to yourself and your DD....I'm a "single parent" too but I share care and dad is still actively around (although this also brings its own problems - we still disagree on lots of things).

MMzz - I was of the age of O levels with CSE's - I did a mixture of both (my dd gets some of her coasting attitude from me) Fortunately I did get CSE grade 1's apart from Art which I think I only got a 3 - so I still count the CSE grade 1's as O levels :-)

The new SATs ( which includes that grammar paper my dgd piloted) are definitely structured towards the new GCSE levels. So anyone taking new SATs will be more prepared for the new GCSE courses when they hit year 7. As I said GCSEs really a 5 year course now ( we can see how our present DC are struggling over 2 or 3 year with content of new GCSE). So this year at real disadvantage even more than last year because almost ALL GCSEs the new system, not just 2!

Same here teenmum some cses grade 1. But in our day if you got 4 GCEs you were brainy! No one did 19,11,12!

I meant 10 my index finger numb!

First year of GCSEs was, IIRC, c. 1987. I certainly remember looking at the first sample GCSE papers with my Chemistry teachers while in the sixth form, but what i don't know is whether they were implemented a year or two years after that.

Ah, Google says 1988. That seems about right, as my DBro, who took end of Year 11 exams 3 years after me, still has O-level grades.

Sostemnuto, I took O-levels between 1983 and 1984, and took 12 in all (well, one was an A/O). That was on the high side of normal for that era, but fairly standard at my school.

Blimey that late? Didn't realise that cantkeepawayforever!

I took mine in the 60s ( giving age away!)

My parents, a generation earlier, did 8+ subjects IIRC.

GCSEs came in in 1988.

I agree about the reality of the dual system but what's the answer?
Dual named system? No, tried that and abandoned
Easy exams? No. Perceived value lost, and most able making inadequate progress hence need to reform GCSES.
Two tier but same name? Still not fair.

Now in my day if you got a B in an A level, worth only an E nowadays. That's why all these changes. We didn't even use the same math system you use now or in the 80s! Hence I can't make head nor tail if new math.!

Sostenuto, you sit between me and my parents in generation terms - they must have been in the early O-level / A-level years of the late 1950s.

I think i did 8 - and school allowed you to stay on if you achieved 5 O level passes...but I did my Maths O level a year early and did "Advanced Maths" for a year (sure it was Advanced Maths rather than further Maths) in those days.

What maths system did you use?
Long division? Yes, I did that through primary school.
Imperial measurements? My generation learned to work in both.
Books with tables? I used those as well as calculators
Slide rules? Yep. I've no idea how they work.

Teenmum my dgd dad walks past her in the street. There are times I wish I could bop him one! Not a penny in maintenance either!

Teen, mine was 'Additional Maths'. The A/O was in 'French with Texts', which would definitely mean something different now!

Yep your right cantkeepaway! Sssh!

At multiple primary schools in the 1970s, I lurched between those teaching 'New Maths' and spending hours with manipulatives and practical apparatus, and those doing 'Traditional Maths' of arithmetical methods and lots of 'sums' 9in those lovely workbooks with the answers in the back.

It was an engrained enough distinction that the exam for my secondary was set with alternating questions, and we were told to skip the ones we couldn't do. This puzzled me. The fact I did the lot, old and new, probably got me my place through sheer surprise!

Mmzz I'm now going to have to look it up. The whole maths system was based on the system devised I think in 18th century by eminent mathematician. ( I will get name in mo) then the whole system was chucked out and replaced with modern day mathematics. Will get back to you.

As a result, I cook in lbs and oz, g and kg, and 'weight to balance 1 egg' measurements simultaneously....