All the country seems to be celebrating GCSE results, I am not!

[reasonableme]

Dear Mums,

Please help me see light at the end of what seems to be a dark tunnel.

Everyone on Mumsnet is celebrating their children's GCSEs - most posts I read were talking about their DC's 8s and 9s with the least grade I read about being a 6. Clearly all those super accomplished children's parents are all on Mumsnet or vice versa which is why I think this is the right forum for my question.

My DD was predicted 6s and 7s in most subjects but she ended up with 4s and 5s in most with just one 6. She cleared the entrance exam for a private school for 6th form earlier but now lost out on that seat as she couldn't clear the entry requirements. No school in the vicinity wants to take her. She prepared very well for GCSEs spending several hours every day. I personally helped her with several hours of revisions, free science lessons on YouTube , flash cards, practice etc. She was in top sets in her school for almost all the subjects. I am really struggling to understand what happened that her marks were so bad across the board. University path as we know is literally over for her and her a levels are a big question mark.

The school (state school, ofsted good) hasn't bothered to get in touch with me after the results and surprisingly they didn't express any surprise at her results. I emailed them requesting them for a remarking and I asked DD to resit maths and English GCSEs in November. I am trying to get private tutors while trying to get her admitted to 'some' 6th form college. I suspect she has mild ADD as she is highly fidgety and is into mindless dancing with music blasted into her ears. I am planning to take her to an educational psychologist for help. Other than that no major distractions (as if that was not major)!

Both DH and I had high academic backgrounds and her disastrous results are depressing to all of us. I have not become normal 4 days since and have been crying for days now that all my dreams for her have been shattered. Most universities want consistent track record so GCSEs matter more than we wish they did. The results are poor in all the subjects so there is definitely a major disconnect somewhere. How do I see light and how do I move on?

No one considers 1- 3 a pass in the world of MN and the right wing press which then filters down to parents and students: but they are. It is a simple fact.

I considered a D a pass! My DS has a Geography GCSE at grade D. That is a GCSE. If he failed it, no one would make him put it on a UCAS form.

Grades 1-3 ought to be be classed as passes. It would be more constructive to describe them as a Level 1 pass with a certificate saying that. The others could then be classed as level 2 - grade 4 etc. It should be entirely up to the student whether they resit anything if they have achieved grades 1 -9.
The students I have with level 3 in GCSE English language are functionally literate but just not good at inferring authorial intentions from unseen texts.

This refusal to accept this is now raging on two threads loose

Otherwsie , I do agree with all you say lonicera.

And some of my grade 3s are just very , very idle...

They are the ones who should be amde to resit.

Piggy yes, very true, to be fair some of mine got a 3 because they turn up when it suits them! And then don't write anything!

Were past papers a reflection of the current exams though? They may have given a rosy outcome. Also they were not done in exam conditions.
You've touched on one of my issues wtih colleague. (Reworded this a million times for obvious reasons) Mocks are all done in the exam hall. Class work can be done in a mix of exam conditions and worked examples. Most teachers will say "look what you did not in exam conditions. This is awesome. Now we need to get it in exam conditions to secure the 7". Colleague would do non exam conditions and then present it as they were on X grade and ahead of other classes even though it was X grade with help.
Some students saw through it, but others bought into it.
I think a child getting 2 grades below is a cause for concern by the school, even more if this happened to lots of children, as in maisey’s school.

A group of students in one class, not big enough to cause a stir (because overall % will look ok; you'd probably only look closer if you knew what was being said etc). Thankfully the wider team is amazing but it's hard for those who missed out. Some of my old students are with colleague for GCSE next year and I'm gutted for them.

Sadly there's a certain type of teacher who is so bloody awkward but gets reasonable results that they get left alone because the alternative is not having a qualified teacher.

BubblesBuddy, OP says that her dd wanted to study computing and cyberlaw, not that she wanted to be a lawyer. I responded to her original post with some comments about courses available. I also said entry requirements vary but they're more focused on A level or other equivalent results (this would include BTec). You chose to ignore large amounts of my post in a way I find quite unnecessarily dismissive. So many people on this thread including me have tried to suggest that there's no need to assume any prospect of academic success must be completely at an end., have tried to say look what's out there.

MaisyPops, I'm not a teacher but I think you're right to have concerns about your colleague's attitude. I would also be suspicious even if everything was under exam conditions that internally marked exams like mocks for very new exams are going to rely on guesswork. Some teachers and schools may guess better than others, but I think mocks should be marked quite hard and that should be a learning experience. Being too kind and optimistic in the mocks doesn't help to prepare for real exams.

I personally hate Michael Gove's education reforms, but if students need to get their all important qualifications under this system, they need to know what is being asked of them, not how well they might do in a teacher's fantasy scenario. It's not only going to lead to disappointment, it's not going to help most students do as well as they can.

BubblesBuddy, I see now that MaisyPops was responding to you, and on what you say on mocks and moderation, I agree, so long as harder marking and moderation is combined with constructive feedback and advice.

Not a teacher but a primary school parent governor for several years and I have seen bits of what goes into turning a school around and the moderation process.

Being too kind and optimistic in the mocks doesn't help to prepare for real exams.
I agree.
I mark to what I feel the lower end of tolerance is. Students know that because I tell them quite openly that 'these are some of the cock ups that have happened in recent years on a national level. I have reservations about x y z and so the best I can do is prepare you to the best if my abilities to protect you from that as much as I can. Beyond that it's up to your revision and attitude'. I have to say the remarkable thing about most students is that they do value staff being honest (as long as you've got the credibility for the students to feel safe with you. If students doubt a teacher's competency then a chat like that probably isn't a good thind to do as it will probably panic them)

When a student has been a mark off an 8 they've been known to ask 'could this have got an 8?' and my reply is 'quite possibly depending on your examiner. It was a strong response. Look at the corrections I gave you to secure the 8 next time'.

Op, I understand what you're saying about your child's ability level v the reality of rhe results.

I would take a quiet moment to reflect with her. You say she worked very hard, if this is the case and she still received these results then she will struggle with a levels, it's a big leap, and an even bigger leap at uni.

So maybe there are other options open to her, she's clearly a smart girl, maybe just not good at exams, anything from apprentiships onwards. There are many options to consider.

I don't mean to be rude, but you are being ridiculous. Plenty of accomplished people didn't do well in school exams and it's people like you you make them feel as though they will never make anything of themselves.

True lolly but weve got to be mindful that those 'I got no GCSEs and now I'm a millionaire' tales are the minority and sometimes playing down how upsetting it is to not do as well as you'd have liked feels really patronising.
If she is already disappointed then the last thing she needs is 'but look at these people who did well after being unsuccessful at school' because that reinforces the idea that what she has is bad and she's not done well. (And time with teenagers has shown thay even if an adult has good intentions, if they feel patronized then that's worse and they can switch off because 'what s the point? You clearly don't think I'm going to do well anyway!')

Probably better to take the approach 'they arent what we hoped for, acknowledge the disappointment and the say but what s up next? Let's get some plans together'

I don’t think it’s possible to say anything precise about the quality of a person’s mind judging by their performance in exams taken at 16. It’s just too early. The brain is undergoing dramatic changes at that age, rewiring itself in fundamental ways – a process that continues to around the mid-twenties. Teens can be at different stages of brain development even if around the same age chronologically. Differences in rate of physical development among teens are evident to the eye but there are differences in intellectual, social and emotional development too and some teens are just not mature enough when it’s time to sit GCSEs.

You shouldn’t judge a painting until the final brushstroke has been applied, nor should you judge a brain before it has had a chance to refine its functioning!

If you get her some tutoring or if you can do yourself with her and pay for her resits she can do in November whether at college or not.

I agree with Maisy on this, all this my brother did shit and now he's a multi millionaire is both unlikely and if true, then the extreme minority.

The focus should be on the best route forward, not my brother is Alan sugar.

You could also say most millionaires are born with the silver spoon so if they get a degree or not is irrelevant.

On the subject of people who say ' I am a millionaire and I have got no qulaifications blah' , did anyone read the ST article by a young woman with no dgegree , who ahs travelled the world, interned for charities , and is now a blogger and journalist. She mentions that her own 'mum and dad' didn't go to uni but weren't fazed. To be fair, she does mention that she is privately educated (but that's hardly seen as privileged in the world of the ST!). What neither she nor the ST highlight is that she is Emily CLARKSON and daddy is -umm- Jeremy Clarkson. I am sure that rather helped you, dear, to get past not having a degree and to get your foot in the door (it was aways thus in journalism I know) . It was laughable (and poorly researched, one little paragraph on maybe if you're a pleb uni might help).

To think soem parents are now reading this article and showing it to impressionable 17 year olds actaully made my hackles rise.

Piggy. Your very right there.

@LoniceraJaponica, thank you so much for your post! There is a mix of selective and non-selective schools around here. We tried many schools but they are not ready to relax their entry criteria even if there are spaces left. You are right, the system wants creme de la creme so they can boast about 97% passes or 89% A*-A. Dd is now trying btecs too but they are mostly full as well around here. We are applying to many places

Some posters who asked me to take a reality check - I think children blossom at different times. Some kids are fully matured at 16 and some at 18 and some may take even longer. We all can make several references to lives of people who made careers in areas they were initially written off in. I am not saying schools have to open their doors to one and all but if a child has ambition and is willing to work hard for it, cleared the School's own entrance exam and a personal interview, I would give her a second chance if I were the independent School's admissions officer. If they only ever take the brightest kids, what is their contribution? The children would do well anyways even if they are self taught or home schooled?

We won't complain as long as we are on the right side of the system (I never complained myself) but my heart goes out to kids who are bright but for some reason, end up on the wrong side of the system :(.

Is there not a 6th form college in your area? One that is just 6th form? Not all children get high grades at GCSE so there must be somewhere for them to continue their studies?

Ellie: So is cyber law not law? I was only responding to another post! Law is practiced by lawyers. If DD wants computing there are many avenues to study that and plenty of good advice has been given. However putting law in the frame makes it a different world.

OP: The problem with the independent school may well be that they have removed their own pupils who didn’t get the grades for continued study. They can be quite ruthless on pupils whose parents have actually paid the fees for 5 years if they don't meet the standard required. They know these children but still apply the rules. I’m afraid I can see why they won’t take a punt on your DD. If GCSE results were part of the offer (6, 7,8 or 9 in chosen subjects?) then they can say she doesn’t meet their requirements. Many schools ask for even higher grades from those joining a 6th form precisely because they don’t know them.

There are colleges of FE that take pupils for vocational courses. There should be one or two to choose from unless you are very rural. Or are there less academic schools? There must be something!

Our local town has two parts to the 6th form college. One half is for A levels only, and the other half is for students who don't wish to or are unable to take A levels. There must be some kind of provision where you are reasonableme.

I hope you and your daughter manage to find somewhere to continue studying.

BubblesBuddy, near the beginning of the thread, OP's daughter had originally hoped to study Computing & Cyberlaw at university. I think this is quite a specific course, and I suspect most students on that degree course aren't actually qualifying to become lawywers. I mentioned one example of a university in London which offers both BA and LLB Law courses and courses combining law with other subjects, as well as various computing courses with different specialisms or other subjects. London Met also does post-graduate legal training and its first degree course details specify the differences between courses which contribute towards legal employment qualifications - like the LLB - and non-lawyer academic qualifications - like the BA Law.

Most solicitors I know who have qualified here have done other subjects first, worked in other legal employment or changed from different careers (I used to work as a secretary in an in-house legal department so we had all of those plus people who had trained in other countries). But I think I'm going totally off topic here - OP's DD has expressed an interest in studying computing and cyberlaw not training to be a solicitor!