GCSEs 2018 (16) - The Final Countdown

[mmzz]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3304925-gcses-2018-15-the-reckoning?

DD toungue in cheek said they should do Educating Berkshire next. At least she recognises her comparative privilege :)

Yes well done The Third for enabling your DS. I'm sure his love of physics will shine through and they will love him. I bet he can't wait for Uni and higher level learning.

I would like those "Educating ...." series to do one on a school that is actually doing well, not pulling itself off the bottom. It would be interesting to see what good looks like in 2018, rather than have a camera in the social workers room. Educating Yorkshire had a good mix (even though it was also coming back from a low point), but the others have all been about everything except academic education.

How about an "Educating Mumsnet"?

The trouble is they know the sob stories especially with a positive ending is what gets viewers.

Well done Third ...I know how you feel ...I seem to have been doing the same all through this summer holiday ...taking DD somewhere and leaving her (sink or swim)....Just dropped her off at Uni Campus ...DF picking her up so I wont see DD until next Monday now.

I think we are now 8 weeks into the summer holidays and DD has been fairly fully occupied so not had too much time to think about results.

Oneteen aren't most of your Dd's results due out tomorrow?

mmmz DD sat Edexcel IGCSE's not Cambridge ...in fact I dont think any of the exams sat at DD's school were Cambridge (they tend to try and stick to the same exam board so that there are no clashes)

Oneteen DD and I had our first conversation about GCSE results yesterday ...DD stating what if I fail them all ...my reply that isnt going to happen... Quite a change really because up until yesterday she was - what will be will be and that she could not change anything.

I've had this conversation with my DD too! Apparently she has been having dreams that she gets her results and has failed everything (clarifying that she considers a B in the English exams a 'fail').

Not looking forward to trying to reassure her that Bs are actually very decent grades (if indeed she has done worse than predicted.) It would also mean having to find a sixth form at the last minute as she needs at least A / 7 grades for her A-Level choices.

Thanks for the tips on registering to vote mmmz.

Agree it is a bit of a minefield to ask about other DC's results, especially as there may be disappointment for some. No doubt most ask out of politeness and awareness that it's a big moment (and I'm sure on this thread, we've all shared the journey with each other so it will be a little like sharing the joy/sharing the load of our own kids).

It's not difficult to spot the 'competitive askers' and so I like the idea of saying that 'we're proud of the effort DD put in for such a huge undertaking. Life is more than a set of exam results' without giving anything away (this will be even more satisfying if she's overachieved!)

I was tidying up some paperwork yesterday& came across Dds record of achievement which she was given at Prize Day. According to it she was predicted 7 in everything except English Lang, Lit & RE where she was predicted 8.

She admitted on Saturdsy that her English Lang Paper 2 was a complete wreck & she fell apart due to the context & dh’s illness. I told her that it doesn’t matter, her teachers know what she’s capable of & as long as she gets a 4/5 once she’s done her English A level no one will care.

It is difficult re asking I sort of feel if I ask it may seem insensitive but also odd if I don’t ask as if u don’t care/don’t realise what a. If day it is - so yes I guess the ‘was x happy with his results’ or ‘what is x doing next’ is the best bet

Sorry - ‘what a big day it is’

I like your questions Oratory - going to use those, thanks!!

Sorry to hear about your dd's who are not in the best frame of mind Twin and Sticker. Dd can have her dark periods too but seems okay at the moment

Congrats to your dd on landing that job Jufus - I hope she gets some shifts soon

And glad to hear that you are enjoying your holiday Loose

In the past I have asked about GCSE results in all innocence - not considering what a minefield of a question it can be. I hope people don't ask about dd's but they invariably will. I am happy to share with her grandparents and auntie and uncle, but not with my friends and acquaintances as their will be competitiveness and one upmanship in some quarters (even among my friends - who are good friends in most respects). I think irrespective of what she gets I'll say she did fine and attempt to rapidly change the subject something like:

"Yeah, good - onwards and upwards to the next step. She's quite nervous about sixth form college" - in the hope that this will deflect them into enquiring about sixth form.

Dd worked very hard but is disadvantaged by her spLD. I am expecting mixed results and I don't want somebody - who hasn't got a clue - thinking that a 5 or 6 'isn't very good' (as I write this I realise that I am visualising one person in particular!) I have to be honest, I probably will feel ambivalent about hearing of a whole list of 7-9's - yes I will be pleased for the student concerned, but a small part of me will be trying to suppress envy. I am hoping that my better nature will triump. Strangely enough I won't have to battle those feelings so much on this thread - as we have shared some of the lead up to exams and the dc who will get the clutch of stellar grades on this thread have really, really grafted for them

I've been quite honest there - I hope that's not unpalatable!

And I am starting to feel slightly nauseous when I think about GCSE results - and there are still 10 days to go!

Likewise oratory. I like the what is DC going to do next is good. I have last year asked are they happy with their results or something even more vague. Had 3 people who were going through it that I knew and all volunteered the results. I don't have any plans of asking anybody this year unless they ask me. Also will depend on how DD does and more importantly how she feels about the results. We will be happy no matter what.

If she doesn't want me telling people I won't apart from close family. Will become tricky for those that told me their results openly.

I'm hoping my brother doesnt ring me (both his girls were straight A including an A^ in further Maths). I think we had this conversation many many threads ago ...I've spent quite a few hours reading my DN's glittering reports and watching their wonderful dancing video's over the years (I love and adore them both) BUT... DD looked more at home on a rugby field to a ballet class and reports were always along the lines of "needs to shut up in class".

I think the confusion is for us that is we have a mix of a star to g grades, 9-1 grades and then add maths that goes up to a A not A star.

Sorry not sure why bolded. Will be hard to explain to those that are not familiar with the grading system eg grandparents

That's the (only) great thing about being in this cohort - nobody will have a clue what their results mean anyway!
I had this conversation with some family at the weekend - most had no clue the grading system had even changed (have they been living under a rock?!) and those who had at least heard/read about the change still didn't really understand what the new grades mean.

Third hope your DS is having a brilliant time, oneteen your DD too!

I loved the "Educating . ." series too, I had hoped there would be another one this year. Perhaps they feel they've exhausted the format now.

Is this awful of me to say... one of MIL's other grandchildren is the same school year as DS1. MIL sees nothing wrong in having favourites amongst her DC and DGC.
I've had 16 years of endlessly listening to long, detailed accounts of the other DGC's latest sporting achievements. Her house is filled with photos of him on just about every flat surface, and when they were little, he would get a £££ present for Christmas and birthdays whereas DS would usually get nothing, or just a token present.

DH's children just aren't on her radar.

So, I am hoping that DS's results blow the other DGC out of the water! I've nothing against him, but I am so fed up hearing about his all round wonderfulness , that I have to remind myself sometimes that he is probably ok.

I'll know if DS's results are better because she won't want to talk about exam results when we the first time we see her after the results come out. I think they might be on course for that because she's already told me that achievement in the arts or in a sport is much more important.

Tbh mmmz, in the scenario you describe I would be secretly hoping the same too

It is bold because if you put text between two *, you get bold on MN. So mention the A (star) grade twice on the same post and it bolds it.

I dont actually resent my DN's achievements because they have both worked incredibly hard and been very diligent and deserve their results and my brother/sil have a right to be very proud .. Funny enough we had the opposite scenario to you mmmz with my late DF who absolutely adored DD because she was so chatty and full of life....and felt my 2 DN's were too aloof.

mmmz - I think i would too.

I can't imagine being a grandparent and having favourites though I frequently suspect it's going on in our family too

Just had an email from DD's new form tutor ....little bit worried about the content - looks like DD will be sitting her A levels in 2018 - I am here to guide and support her in the next phase of her academic journey as she prepares for public examinations in the summer of 2018 and ultimately, life beyond school.