GCSEs 2018 (3)

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Following on from:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3113917-GCSEs-2018-2

Thanks Teen - I thought I was going mad. It makes the schools grade boundaries even more arbitrary. DD at a high performing school so often use higher internal grade boundaries than previous years exam results - but still would be good to know if they have some sort of logic to how they have developed these.

Teen do you mean 1% better nationally? That would suggest that passes for maths and English should go up as pretty much all students are entered for that.

Unfortunately it's not so straightforward for other subjects, because they look at the KS2 profile for the students entered for that exam, not the national picture. So if weaker students are being entered for exams than previously (like English lit because of the double weighting in the league tables, or languages because of the Ebacc) then the pass rate for those subjects will go down even if the national cohort is stronger.

Slinky - these are the grade boundaries DS1 used for mock IGCSE edexcel maths
9 - 92, 8- 80, 7-69, 6-58-48, 4-40

Yes Nationally ....

Thanks for that sandy. That is really helpful.

There was a 10% difference in the GCSE 1-9 Maths grades between 8-9...although 75% would have achieved a 9 last year - so if they set the grade boundaries similar - which in all fairness they should because historically the IGCSE was always perceived to be harder to get the A* ....will be interesting with the possibility of more students getting higher grades for IGCSE if similar grade boundaries...

Not sure whether the IGCSE syllabus has changed much with the conversion to 1-9. DD's class (set 2) have finished the syllabus now. Its a selective school rather than Super Selective - I think last year 80% achieved A*/A in Maths- not sure whether this years cohort will achieve that though !

DD was off school last week with the flu, she has mocks of core subjects after half term. Hopefully half term will give her time to recharge ready for the slog til Easter..

She has been in bed for last 3 days, looking brighter today and she has gone out for a walk..... So no school, no revision, no homework here...

Anyone else feeling pressure from family members? My SIL son taking his GCSEs this year too, a very high achieve, predicted 8/9s in all his subjects. His older brother had an interview for Oxford, currently finishing his masters degree with the possibility of continuing to do a Doctorate. My MIL will not shut the f*#k up about how academic her DGS are, FIL said my DD choices of psychology and sociology A levels are not worthy A levels unlike their DGS choice of all the sciences at A level.....

Oddsocks yes feeling pressure. But more because DD first grandchild on either side of the family and has always been considered very intelligent, has done historically well, goes to a super selective etc - so there is a lot of pressure (maybe self perceived but it's definitely there).

Sandy does your School do igcses for English, history or Latin as well. Trying to gauge boundaries here. We haven't been given any grade boundaries for English (both edexcel). History - a 9 was considered 75% and for Latin were told that in previous years 90% was considered safe for a top mark. With the change it would be slightly higher for a 9. As clear as mud.

Oddsocks - I completely relate to your post about family members ...My two nieces had clean sweeps of A* across all GCSE's and A levels...in fact I have lived with them showing glowing reports of the two girls for 15/16 years. They were (are) fortunate to live 5 minutes away from a top 30 grammar school - We live in a county whose education system is in disarray - no grammar schools - three tiers into two and we had effectively no choice to go private (we could have moved but it would mean two moves -because I split with DD's dad when she was 3 and we would have lost support system of granny too). My one niece went off the rails when she started at Uni because she had not had a normal teenage life since she was 11 (through studying) and really did party - thankfully she will just about scrape a first at Uni.
Fortunately I have an older niece who failed most of her exams (resat some) but managed to qualify has a hairdresser but has since changed career to working at a bank - is now a qualified mortgage advisor on management programme earning a very good salary - owns own house at 29 ...
I have explained to DD that I'm not comparing - my nieces are lovely and all the girls have very different qualities...and hopefully they will all be happy in what ever they do whether they have good grades or not.

Oddsocks glad to hear your dd is better; unhelpful comments from your in laws to say the least.

My ds is in Iceland at the moment. Bad weather today and their trip's been cancelled.

He is working hard but disorganised with papers all over his desk...! Without interfering too much I am putting stuff in files for him.

Does anybody else have dc going to revision after school most days? 3 times per week for ds.

Donot - My Dd goes to Maths after school one night and has been going to History/French Oral some lunchtimes ...there are clinics for nearly all the subjects at lunch time but this is normal ...she is in school tomorrow for DT and I know Food Tech and maybe Art are also in one day and the lower English sets too during HT.

Dgd did first session of geography lunchtime revision class assisting the teacher by helping the lower grade pupils with their long answers . after half term she will attend lunchtime sessions of English, physics and continue helping in geography. She will not be doing after school sessions as her day is already really long having to get up at 5.45 am each morning walk to station, go on 45 minute train journey, walk 25 mins to school and vice versa except I pick her up at station, but she still doesn't get in till 5 pm. After school classes not on your Nelly she's permenantly tired as it is!

Oddsocks take no notice of family! What your DC has chosen to study is noone else's business! Here's some and to can your nerves

*calm

Thanks slinky, teen lulu and sostenueto

Mostly I don’t listen to MIL and FIL, they visited yesterday so had a whole day of hearing how wonderful the other DGC are getting on with their fancy pants degrees. Oldest DGC graduates this year but too lazy to start looking for jobs...

Slinky -DS1 does IGCE for everything. History and Latin are 1-9 but English Lit and Lang are letters.

Boundaries for mocks were:
History 9-80; 8-70; 7-60; 6-50: 5-40; 4-30. Latin 9-93; 8-85; 7-78; 6-70; 5-60; 4-50. English Lang and English Lit (same boundaries) A* - 80; A - 70; B - 60; C -50

This is a super selective school so it may be that they've set the boundaries high to push the boys!

Sandy - Those are interesting because my DD got 51% in her History which was considered to be a D by her school (IGCSE) which would have been a B on the GCSE boundaries ..

Sandy thanks for sharing those. That helps. I think our school also operating similar approach around grade boundaries where they are sharing. It was the Latin that in particular worried me. DD got in the low 90% for mocks and the thought that even that was not high enough for a 9 is crazy. Surely this must be the subject with the highest grade boundaries.

Evening! Half term here so a few days of down time for DD.

All this talk of grade boundaries sounds like no one knows what is going on! I think our cohort have the worst of it, with all subjects being at new grade numbers. It sounds an almighty mess, but one we all hopefully come through the other side with the results our DC want.

Been prom dress shopping today and selected a gorgeous dress - complete opposite of what she envisaged both in style and colour. I am refusing to tell my mum and DH how much it cost (it was less than I expected and the least expensive of all she tried - I didn't look at prices as didn't want to be influenced by that). My SIL came as she has a son and no other siblings, so wouldn't get to experience this at all. Glad its done anyway!

Going to try to get her to some some revision tomorrow - just ah hour a day, as next lot of mocks are at start of March.

Well we have spent the day stood freezing on the side of the road trying to film DS as he whizzes past on his bike for his GCSE PE. Luckily our involvement is now over and it is over to him to try and edit it into a blockbuster

Oddsocks I hope your in laws aren't planning to visit too often over the next couple of months!!

Lulu your lucky DS in Iceland, hope he's having a brilliant time, is he planning on doing A level geography?

DS hasn't attended any revision sessions and as far as I know he won't be, he likes doing things his way and as he is totally owning his revision the planning and application I am staying right out of it.......he's very mature for his age and I don't think his attitude is typical (certainly not amongst his friends).

Bluebelle he is lucky! I would love to go. Yes he wants to do Geography it's his best subject. I am impressed at your ds's organisational abilities I'm busy at the moment helping mine with some structure.

Andro good to hear prom dress is sorted I bet it's gorgeous.

Shall we organise a post exam trip to Iceland for ourselves to celebrate their success?

Well done on the prom dress experience.

Oddsocks I feel for my DD. We have accountants, lawyers & a professor in her immediate family. Her favourite uncle has degrees from Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Japan and a couple of others. Meanwhile I teach post grads how to pass exams for a living & wander around muttering things like "Maximum marks, minimum effort". Poor child doesn't have a hope!

Bluebelle DD is banned from the velodrome between March & the end of June in case she breaks something. Did you get clear footage? I only ever manage to get photos of her rear wheel or the person in front, so maybe filming is the way forward!

Bluebelle - I do feel for you - I know last year we were away with a mum who was trying to film her son skiing for his GCSE but mum was a more nervous skier...so another friend agreed to do all the recordings and they were still trying to get footage on the last day.
Andro - Glad you managed to sort Prom dress...we will hopefully sort this week too...I had a small windfall last week (refund claim) so DD may not be Cinderella after all. Any tips on where to look would be great ....
No lie in tomorrow DD in school for 9.15am - then apparently they are ordering Domino's for lunch (so at least no packed lunch to send in)

Teen we bought a last season sample before Christmas with 60% off. The local prom/wedding shops all seem to sell one style per school to reduce the risk of duplicate frocks, but the non-sample stock seems to start at around £250 and needs to be ordered sooner rather than later. Debenhams had a lot of choice, Coast and Monsoon also seem popular or we thought about trying 101 different styles from John Lewis online and returning them.