GCSEs 2018 (17) What will be in your coffee cup on Thursday?

[PeggySchuylar]

Thread 16 full to brim. Hope nobody minds me starting new one.

noble when do you see the grades? The day before?

Thought I was fine this morning. Now I feel a bit nauseous (nerves). Another 48 hours + of this!

No, the exams officer and people who stuff envelopes see them the day before, teachers (and pupils) are embargoed till 6am on results day.

I'm still me & my stray thread has been deleted. I didn't think you could have posted so much so soon!. We all got back under one roof last night, but we're avoiding each other like the plague. Non-exam related stresses are blowing even a small domestic request into dramas. How is FMQC further maths (or what ever It's called) graded? We're expecting an epic fail, so comments on add maths have given a glimmer of hope.

DD's physics teacher has given her strict instructions not to catch his eye as his face will give her results away as she goes in. Flip, I keep forgetting then remembering that It's this week.

DD4 took the FSMQ thing which I call Add Maths but may well be the same as the one you call Further Maths? I'm not sure Add Maths is the official name. If so, 56% was A (top) and then there seem to have been some narrow boundaries below that. DD's paper had a totally unintelligible question about a garage door in it, if that rings bells/ triggers nightmares.

Our poor exams officer has all her DC at the school. That must be hard - I think she keeps miles away from her DC until they've gone into school and collected the results themselves.

Long time lurker here! I think I'm way more nervous than my DD about the results. She has her heart set on a particular college and if she can't get in, she'll be in bits for days .
I'm quite amazed that colleges don't even give you time to breathe and take in results.
The one she wants to go to has asked that 'qualifying' students go in at 1pm to enroll!
The earliest she can get her 'slip' is at 10am!

Further Maths is different from Add Maths FSMQ - the one with the 56% grade boundary - which was also the lowest it has ever been I think. FSMQ stands for Free Standing Maths Qualification.

I had a question - do you ever find out what percentage/UMS you get ie with official statement or do you have to get from teachers and that is the only way. We had a mixed bag so far - for our letter grade ones CIE we had the percentage or maybe it was UMS. And for the Add Maths and the 9-1 CIE we had no indication of %

DD had a print out of her percentage stapled to the certificate with the grade on so clearly the mark is available to schools.

DDs current school (where she thinks she wants to stay) want them to confirm when they pick their results up on Thursday including courses....hence the 3am panic. 6FC are happy to wait until Friday which seems far more reasonable.
So many decisions in such a short amount of time for the poor loves.

Mind you, the posts from those that have already received some results makes fairly encouraging reading and I am thrilled for them (other than the anomalous result of course)

Will we all be straight on MN when we know? I do hope so because I feel somewhat invested in all your DC too. Weird given that I don't know any of you in RL

This thread has been a lifesaver through the exam period- I don't know what I have done without you all!!!

DD's school sent a pack out (unfortunately I cannot screen dump the sheet) the sheet apparently gives grade, mark equiv and points...BUT I think it is different for the new 9-1's.

I was wrong eaglefly - I just nipped upstairs to look at the certificate and it has the grade also the %. The thing stapled on are the FSMQ grade boundaries: 56% A 50% B 44% C 38% D 33% E.

This is what DD's school give out - not sure whether it is the same for all schools :

Thanks for the new thread.

DD is getting twitchy, but on the plus side, that means she has finally moved herself to look up the enrolment times at her first and second choice colleges.

I was asking her whether she wanted either of us to come in with her for results, and DH said musingly, 'Oh, is that this week?'

Grade boundaries are numbers out of top marks e.g. 80/160 was boundary for grade 4 English Language in November resits so 50%. The same grade boundary was 72/160 in June 2017 so a whole 8 marks different. These boundaries are, however, set on a bell curve so the same percentage of students will achieve each grade across the nationwide cohort.

There are no UMS marks with the new system afaik. Points/marks out of max. were only available to exams officers and teachers for AQA last year which made it impossible to tell where new retake students were within the grade they were awarded, unless schools were willing to help.

It's a bit of a faff for teachers to look up, especially when the website is busy, but it's possible.

So, for a student moving from school to college with a grade below 4 in English and/or it's very useful for the college department to have that number. A student who was very close to the target grade 4/5 at school may be automatically entered for the Nov resit at college and would probably be offered extra coaching and revision.

Some schools will accept ex pupils for Nov resits, but not all of them, so that's worth asking about too. I think some don't see the point as it doesn't show in their results.

Also, for new college students who may be offered Nov resit at college (English Lang) it's very important to note which board and the grade - Pass. Merit. Distinction - for the NEA (non-exam assessment) speaking and listening element as this can be carried forward. Thus, leaving valuable time between Sept and first week of Nov for targeted tuition and revision.

Had an email from exams officer this morning to re-iterate arrangments and saying even those who have made otehr arrangments are welcome into school.

DD is still panicking about English Language.

It's definitely squeaky bum time in our house! I have one Dd year 10 waiting for her English Lit result and another Dd year 11 waiting for all of them.
Dd Y11 still isn't sure what she wants to do in September. It's either A levels at her school's 6th form ( History, English Lang and something else) or Childcare at the local college.
I think she may be better off doing Childcare as I don't think she will want to go to Uni and that would give her more direction. I haven't told her this though as she is very easily influenced and I want it to be her decision.

@Oneteen - that's really interesting. There's more than one exam board so if it came out in that format they would have to cooperate.
If it comes from the school there could be errors and it would slow the release of results down.
@noblegiraffe - any idea?
DDs school say they are emailing the results 'early on Thursday 23rd' so I was kind of expecting v early given that the girls are expected in at 10am (most live an hour from the school).

Cblue - I think this must therefore be what dD's school put together because there are all the exam boards on the same sheet....I assume they verify everything several times but they would not want to issue an incorrect report for something so important. The cohort is around 90 girls.

Ds could get his add maths result from his school email; but firstly he can’t remember the password and secondly we are in holiday so he has decided to get it on Thursday when we are back and with the others . I also think that he is worried about it so ignorance is bliss so to speak

Yes that's just what the school does to collate the results for individual students - they're working flat out through Wednesday to get it all done and checked.

For any DCs who don't get grade 4 and above in Maths and English Lang, plus any adults who didn't and want to go to day/night class, it's free at your local college.

Also, Sheffield College, do an amazing online courses which are fully supported (unlike some online which require finding your own exam centres at considerable cost). It does require attending Sheffield for the exams and optional revision weekends. Again, those without the C/4 are free.

If another go at achieving a higher grade (4 or above) is appropriate then some colleges may offer such to existing or newly enrolled students. It's up to the college and some persuasive negotiation in my experience.

Sheffield will also accept students who need a higher grade. For example those with a C/5 who need higher grades for professional development. I think teaching quals in Wales need a B in both subjects these days. Sheffield charge about £400 for one year, superb quality, courses.

Not sure whether this is of help too...although costs may relate to DD;s school.

DD2s school did something similar to oneteen. For DD1 and ds we just got grades at first with details later on separate sheets for each board