GCSEs 2018 (15) The Reckoning

[mmzz]

thread 14
The next step of the all new GCSE journey.

Thanks all. Can we ask school for marks just out of curiosity then?

Lovely to see u all.

Lovely to see you Sostenueto
It's probably up to the school - they will show you if there's an issue about a result because they'll be able to tell if it's close to the grade boundary. Otherwise they might be a bit reluctant on results day!

Results are available from 9am to 11 am for DD1 and she's going to collect them. We live about 10min from school on foot, so I'm thinking that I will kick her out of bed at a reasonable hour so she can go and get them, and I will delay going to work until she's texted to say what she got. Then I can leg it down there if there's been a disaster.

There's no risk that she won't get into the sixth form. She's staying put and is one of their top students so I'm certain they'll hang on to her even if things went wrong. But she does need a 7 in physics and an 8 in maths for her preferred options. So if she's missed either of those she may need some back up with asking teachers the right questions about what to do next.

Of course she might blow a hole in these plans by choosing to saunter along at 10:59 with her mates and leave me stewing in the office like she did when she got her RS in year 10.

LooseAtTheSeams : they might be a bit reluctant on results day!

I've always wondered why schools are reluctant to share info like this. I can see that it would be a pain to go up to their office, pull out the file and look up one % then trudge back down to the exam hall and hand it over. Then back up the stairs again to get another....
However, having an administrator sit at a desk at the side of the main hall with the whole lot printed out in front of them and spending two hours telling anyone who asks, what wrong with that?

mmzz that's what will probably happen at the school I work in. This is the first year that actual results aren't given for the majority of the GCSEs as that's the new system. The old ones had the UMS marks for each paper given out. There aren't UMS anymore and the raw scores aren't provided but the school gets given them. It's in an awkward format, though. By subject not by student so tricky to look up quickly. Most parents, those slightly less invested won't care that much but those that do mind do have the right to see them.

I think my day will go, wake up DS3, get to school for 10, results available 10-12. He might let me go in with him. With DS1 I stayed outside the gate with a lot of other parents. DS2 needed me with him.

Hopefully 7s and/or 8s in maths, chem, computing, physics, 6s in both Englishes, history, music, biology, B in Chinese. Would be a bonus to get a 9 in maths, but not really expecting it. Off to preferred sixth form to sign up.

Otherwise he'll stay on at current sixth form where, rather bizarrely he needs an 8 in maths to do FM, only a 7 needed at preferred sixth form which has a much better reputation.

mmzz Scenario 1- DC gets 1 mark below the next grade up and feels utterly distraught with a 7 not an 8. It's still a brilliant grade and it makes absolutely no difference to their life, but it ruins what should be a great day. Marks are irrelevant, especially if your DC goes to a school where they can't afford to quibble with re - marks and checking.

Scenario 2 - mark very close to tight grade boundaries. Parent quibbles, school gets it checked & DC actually drops a grade.

Ds wants to go into school on his own but I will drive and sit quietly outside until I know he is happy/ok/no total disasters. I feel sick thinking about it th but he worked hard all year, got great mock results (2x9 7x8 2x7) so if he achieved that we will both be v happy. They are growing up so fast, it's particularly noticeable after the GCSE period.

Email between 6am and 6.30am on results day for DS so I may be one of the early posters!

Just grades. However, if a grade is lower than expected we can go in at 10am to see actual mark/decide whether remark required/chat to teacher etc. Other than that they have been told that teachers will let them know their actual marks when the go back into 6th Form. anyone leaving has to go in to collect results and I suspect they will get their marks. Only about 30 leaving to go to other 6th forms.

DS obviously doesn't plan on needing any remarks as he is off on the bus to Reading at 9.30!

cubscout assume you meat GOT great mock results rather than NOT

eh - I definitely saw NOT

Yes I was just going to say mmzz I expect schools don't give out all grades immediately to limit the remark queries and disappointment for those close to next grade up.

I think there will be one of three scenarios for me on results day.
a) very sad and frustrated that he hasn't got required grades in his first choice A level subjects or passed English. But telling him and (myself) that he worked hard, it doesn't matter etc and reminding myself of all the things we love about the school even though they could be better academically,
b) a bit sad that his results aren't as he deserves across the board but happy that he got English and that a level grades and we can move on and look forward to the next stage
c) over the moon as he finally got what he deserves and/or a 9 in maths

Could be any of those but most likely b) which certainly isn't a bad position to be in

sorry I meant give out all marks not grades

I wrote GOT! It looks like 'got' not 'not in my phone.......

The schools don't get supplied the marks in a user friendly format, just by subject, so can't easily convert them by student with a nifty computer program. It's really a case of sifting through loads of data per subject to find your DC's marks. I think it's on a PDF type format so you can't harvest the marks automatically, you'd have to enter them individually. And each exam board's format is different.

The old GCSEs included UMS with each grade straight from the board by student, so it was much easier to turn around over night to give to each student.

This is how I think results day will go... DD will leave it til last minute to go to school and collect results. DD will eventually come home and a full on ordeal to prise results out of her. I honestly can’t call her results, she has been so up and down and gave nothing away during her exams. Most concerned about English as her mock result was Not sure what DD/we will do if she doesn’t get grades required for 6th form as she shot any other alternatives down. No plan b

I read not too and it didn't make sense. So, I read it again and saw got the second time.
I think it is just an example of the phenomenon where your brain fills in what it expects to see so you believe you've looked at it properly but you haven't really.

I've taken a look at the school's website & results will only be handed out between 11-12 on 23rd. Any uncollected results cannot be retrieved until school starts again in September. I will spend the next 3 weeks fretting about things which could prevent us from getting to school until 12.01!

Stickerrocks why are they so restrictive?

stickerrlcks I now have an image of you nose pressed against the school door seeing your DDs result envelope but it's 12.01

I went with my DD for results but I'm not sure my DS will allow me to go this time. Might have to hover round the corner... not sure. We have to input them online for the new school to see if he's got the grades for his A level choices.

I wrote out my best case and worst case predictions the other day (in private for me). They both ended up with an average score in the 6s so it didn't seem to make much difference. But I have to admit I was being terribly cautious about best case.

Anyone else done this?

I will never let on to DS about this - but I was pretty accurate in my predictions for DD.

Stickerrocks that would give me major stress!
mmzz apologies - only just catching up with thread but Ellen explained it. Also remember everyone's taking 10+ subjects and DS's cohort is 240 boys. Most people will want the levels not the marks but the teachers have them in case of queries/checking requests.

Resevoir you got me looking at my post about 6 times!

Cubscout - Sorry

I also read NOT and thought that doesnt make sense then re-read the post and read GOT - must be an optical illusion.