GCSEs 2018 (12) Are we nearly there yet?!

[mmzz]

chunter I think I have to admit my ds has probably done fairly little revision too. I also have my fingers crossed that he's done enough to stay on where he is, as that's really a very good opportunity for him and they only ask for reasonable grades from those already there. Plenty of people hoping to get in for sixth form where grades asked for are considerably higher.
His predictions suggest he should be OK, and he did nearly get the grades in his mocks. But his approach is making me a little nervous, especially compared to older DD
Anyway, maths today, which hopefully is one of his stronger subjects

Looking at the figures again the maths results were really interesting. The percentage to pass the maths exam (grade 4) was supposedly 18%. Not checked this but that’s what I was told. According to the table 30% of DC didn’t get a level 4 so therefore didn’t manage to get 18% of the paper right. That’s pretty shocking!! The papers are clearly very hard, so when they come out of their exams declaring “I have failed everything” it may be nowhere near as bad as they thought.
.....there’s hope for us all :)

cblue from memory, they were going to have a grade 4 as the floor for the higher maths paper, then had to invent a grade 3 at 13% to give those who didn't achieve the 4 something. It was a complete mess, but I'm sure noble has more of an insight.

It's fascinating to read everyone's description of their DCs. What a variety of hobbies and passions!

Here's mine:
DC doing GCSEs: DD1
Other DC: DD2 - year 8 (2021!)
A level intentions: Physics, Maths, Further Maths and (to my surprise) German.

Current school: State Comprehensive
Sixth form: Staying put
SEN: Nothing official. Has some sensory issues that bother her more than most people realise.
Other info: Self-professed geek girl. Fascinated by science. Makes stuff, volunteers with children, swims, reads (endlessly). Hates noisy places but has a lovely group of friends who help her get out in the world.

Last exam: German on 21st

It's interesting to see how few of them are taking a language at A-level. DD1 will be in a class of 2 and I'm enormously grateful that her school has agreed to run the course!

I think I would not have encouraged DS to revise quite so fully if I'd known the %s who will get 7-9.

Maybe its a good thing that i didn't know because he might have been a bit too complacent. But then, despite 42 hours of work for English Lit, he is fairly certain that he did badly.
On the upside, I can finally see how the school came by its grade predictions!

DD's school split the year group 50:50 between French & Spanish in year 7. This determined their streams for maths and all the other core subjects as well. There was no opportunity to switch languages or take a second language in school. They also have an abundance of teachers who teach German, but they weren't able to offer the course. DC could only take a second language if they were competent in in at home and could study it independently. It's such a shame, but luckily DD has no talent for languages & was pushed into taking GCSE Spanish by us. No classics offered, full stop.

Grade inflation became apparent a few years ago when I realised 26% were achieving an A or A* for history, but hadn't a clue about the basics. I have students who still use a calculator on their phone to work out 10%.

I've re-done the table to make it less confusing. now its just what % of DC will get what grade range before the adjustments for cohort ability and rounding to the nearest data point.

Speaking of cohort ability, I looked at the DofE SATS tables this morning and I couldn't see anything that indicates that the DC who did their SATS in 2013 were unusually more or less able than the few years before or after them.

So today DD has Spanish listening and writing. Then just chemistry tomorrow and physics on Friday, yay!

Our summary is:
DC doing GCSEs: DD
Other DC: DS1 gap year, DS2 and DS3 taking A levels
A level intentions: Spanish, music, wanted to do RPE but it clashes with Spanish so considering history.
Current school: specialist music school
Sixth form: staying put
SEN: dyslexia, hypermobility
Other info: hoping to go to music college, loves our dogs, worries endlessly.
Last exam: Friday morning.
Brothers finish Monday morning, can't wait!!

Good luck everyone!!

mmzz I have always been someone that has said not interested in grades but just the fact that I know DS has done his best........but you with all your statistics are reeling me in and I am finding it really interesting

So much so that I hadn't even realised that maths started 20 minutes ago

I was thinking this morning how nice it will be to be 'post GCSE' - especially since DS2 and DD have already finished their exams. My list of post GCSE pleasures....

1. Won't have the anxiety of 'does DS1 have an exam today? Does who know what time?'

2. Printer usage will reduce so printer cartridges and paper won't need endlessly replacing. I gave spent a fortune!

3. Random bits of paper all over the house can be safely disposed of.

4. No more last minute texts of 'can you buy me a compass, paper (see no 2).

5. Normal Family life to resume with weekend activities / trips not thwarted by DS1 needing to fit in some work or get an early night.

6. DS1 can get back to being his normal lazy teenage self - binge watching GOT, playing PS4 and cricket. He's been really good for ages now and I'd like him to get back to his normal slobby self for a change.

noble and mmzz thanks for the interesting info....I'm just praying for low grade boundaries in RE. DD wants that 9 so badly, and a 6 in English Language.

DD said Biology (AQA combined) and Geog (OCR B) went well yesterday - she reckons she got 50/70 on the Biology which is a shocker as Science/Maths really not her strong point!

Interested to see there are other competitive dance mums out there Hamilton Lobster and a couple of others I think - would be great to swap notes - what styles do your DC compete in?

Good luck to all DC taking exams today, Maths here then Chemistry tomorrow, Physics Friday and German next week.

DS1 can get back to being his normal lazy teenage self - binge watching GOT, playing PS4 and cricket.

DS discovered Game of Thrones yesterday evening. I wish I had a camera for the huge smile he had on his face when he said "Next week, I'll have nothing to do except World Cup, FIFA on Xbox, and in between GoT".

I haven't seen him look so content in such a long time. It was lovely to see.

(But I need to get DH onside with a rule I'd like to make that GoT does not go back on the TV again until Friday.)

Don't forget though mmzz that although more get 9 s in those subjects he is supposedly 'competing' against a brighter group so level of difficulty/need to revise to get a certain grade should even out.

DS has definitely been more focused on the subjects he cares about (English - needs to pass, A level subjects & History - loves the subjects and the teacher). It will be interesting to see how far results reflect that.

Dd is taking her GCSEs, ds is a levels.

Current school - state comp, where she will stay on for a levels TBC dependent on results....she was hoping to take history but I think that unlikely...
Out of school she dances
Last exams - German and dance next thu.

mmzz that table is really interesting, thank you. Have forwarded to DS to look at after him maths exam!

noble that info about gcse maths is thought-provoking. I have been astounded by the sheer amount of topics in gcse maths now. Lots of things that I didn't start til A level. Thankfully DS is doing further maths as well. They do it as an after school class once a week and the HoD teaches it; 30 students (out of total of 80 in Y11) started FM in September and 24 will be sitting the exams next week. DS rightly concerned that he would otherwise be a "bit behind" when he starts maths A level, as the sixth form he hope to go to attracts some of the cleverest kids in East of England so there will be a lot of competition. His algebra is pretty good 'phew'

Oratory I don't think I'll mind if DS only gets 1 level 9, as long as he gets that one in maths. If he gets two, then I'd hope for his other A level subject: Physics, but I know its unlikely.
Beyond that, anything else at 8/9 is just a bonus.

I love GOT! Read all books which are great and have all of the series. Am eagerly waiting till next year for final series. Am determined to see it! Dgd loves it too. Westworld is newest HBO fad in our family. And the new cumberbach series Patrick Melrose makes me cry as it has some bits that remind me of my childhood but brilliant acting and storyline. Harrowing though. Then Sherlock series........I can go on and on!

I feel same way regarding geography mmzz and agree with all your post.

Yes a 9 in maths would be a great result after a lot of work over the last five years (plus being one of only two SATs level 6 at his primary) - RI maths master classes, UKMT, and several inter-school competitions. He's nowhere near genius but the concepts come naturally and he refuses to let anything out-smart him
Mind you, I'd rather he got all 7s rather than a 9 and some 4s!

I've known 3 people who are genius level in my life. All 3 of them men, by coincidence. Its vanishingly rare (by definition) and TBH, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all my own children.
The one thing that they all had in common was I got a strong sense that they were all lonely, even though all 3 of them were/ are outwardly friendly and open.

Thanks for the table mmzz - given the work dd has put in, despite her natural propensity for silly errors, it shouldn't prove too difficult to get the 6's she needs (and hopefully some 7s)

Random bits of paper all over the house can be safely disposed of.

Piles everywhere. Yesterday’s biology exam notes in living room. So pretty due to DD’s recent sharpie dependency. Hard to throw away.

Anyone else’s house filthy? Mine is awful

If anyone wants a specific subject added to the table, just let me know and i'll try to do a batch of them later.

(Just so I can find it easily though, if anyone does want something added could you write: -

mmzz, please add Spanish / Italian / Business Studies / whatever )