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?

In our area, the school 6th forms mainly concentrate on A levels and the local regional college is more vocational btecs.

There are no btec extended diplomas at state school here (the ones that are an equivalent to 3 a levels) but there are at non selective, very good independents. Dd is doing a mixture of extended certificate (equiv to 1 A level, a distinction has the same ucas points as an A at a level) and a levels at a school 6th form. I

I'd be really surprised if there are state school 6th forms that don't do any type of btec!

OP are you looking at selective schools??

So she could do a extended certificate in computing, that's the equivalent of an A level. Then another btec extended certificate plus one a level in her best subject.

@reasonableme

Well, after a very long and painful week, DD has been offered a place on a Level 2 BTEC at the 6th form college that she originally wanted to go to. Not a quibble in sight. We were very worried about how strict they would be on entry requirements, but these courses seem to be their safety nets for applicants who've dropped their grades.

[I think she has basically got into Hufflepuff.]

DD is extremely excited - I'm hearing good things about the course and the level of support so that is very good news.

I am hoping that my blood pressure eventually returns to normal, I have been so wound up and worried this week.

Hope everyone else is gradually getting some clarity.

@Finnifinola, no, unfortunately no selective school will offer her a place but even the comprehensive state schools have entry criteria (not sure if you would brand them selective) that is proving hard. I am also looking at sixth form colleges.

@rogueelement, so pleased for you and your Dd! Congratulations and all the best. I am sure it will prove to be a great option for your Dd x

My heart goes out to you OP. I haven't RTFT yet but wanted to respond. I was a bit disappointed with my son's results. They weren't a disaster but he DIDNT try so I can't help thinking, what could he have done if he had just tried....

He failed one, got a couple of 7s, a couple of 4s and the others were 5s.

Anyway, he made the grades to stay on at school sixth form ( small classes, very good results) for A levels but not in the subjects he wanted to do. We had to make a fairly swift choice between staying at school sixth form to do the A levels subjects that would take him, or go for BTec (or similar Cambridge Techicals) at FE college.
He's opted for FE college- Cam Technicals equiv to 2 A levels and one A level- which will be a challenge for him. He certainly hasn't given up on university. He won't go to a friggin Russell Group.... but plenty of decent universities admit students with BTecs.
It's been hard hearing about everybody else's 9s and A* - school friends and family members- and facing up to the fact that my child is nowhere near as interested in academic pursuits as i was. I get you!

Cyber law as a discrete study option on an undergrad course is difficult to find. Cyber security, for example, is widely available in undergrad form. Broadening out options is helpful because there are plenty of universities with add ons to computing. They don’t require high A levels grades and other qualifications are welcome.

He won't go to a friggin Russell Group.... but plenty of decent universities admit students with BTecs

RG unis accept btecs. My dds friend is off to Birmingham and another to Cardiff. Both did btec level 3 diplomas

My dd just got into Cardiff with a btec. It is the top rated uni in the country for her course

I'd be really surprised if there are state school 6th forms that don't do any type of btec!

Ours doesn't.

"I am also looking at sixth form colleges"

Given what you have written here you should only be looking at 6th form colleges. I think most state schools don't offer BTECS, and only offer A levels. I don't know of any that offer anything other than A levels.

Ours dropped Applied Business A Level because of stupid league tables so now does . We do not have a wide range of vocational options in my very large state secondary :especially for boys along traditional gender lines. We do have child care and hopsitality but none of the range locally at all, not even at the sixth form college in town.

Here, it isn't '6th form colleges' that offer BTecs and similar, but primarily 'FE colleges' [called things like 'name of region college']

6th form colleges locally are primarily like school 6th forms but exist where schools are relatively small / widely dispersed and it makes sense to have a single 16-18 academic provider. Most 6th forms are in schools (some 6th forms are disproportionately large relative to the school because they essentially function as 6th form colleges for a group of schools). They mainly offer A-levels.

Regional colleges offer apprenticeships, BTecs / HNDs etc etc and access to FE / HE courses.

Some of our local school sixth forms offer some limited BTEC options, often Health and Social Care or IT or engineering but often only 1 x A level's worth to fit in around other A levels.

The college of further education is the one that offers lots of BTEC options. HNC and HND is actually higher education but colleges of FE often offer those more vocational courses as well to older students.

Ellen, apologies, I realise that I got my terminology / courses mixed. The point about the local FE college was that it offered a HUGE range of courses by subject, including Btecs and apprenticeships, for a whole variety of different age groups and abilities.

If DD was in the position that OP's daughter finds herself in, with school 6th forms not interested, it is to the FE college that i would be applying, starting with the subject and then working down to the highest level course she had the requirements for, if that makes sense?

Oh yes, cantkeep I was agreeing with you really. My DS2 will be taking an HNC this year at our local college and the transfer to HE has been a bit painful! (EHCP stopped, having to apply through UCAS, having to take out a student loan and get DSA etc)

Ours does applied science, computing, business, hospitality, health and social care, sport, tourism and art and design.

My DS has just completed a BTEC L3 Extended Diploma in Computing and is now off to Reading University. A levels are not the only way.

Ozy it's really hard isn't it when you are surrounded by children who did so well and their parents are so pleased. These are all people I have been close friends with for nigh on 16 years but I now feel isolated from which is horrible. They have all been lovely and very supportive, it is me feeling like this (my DS has no idea I feel this way). I can't believe it was a whole week ago that we were all waiting in anticipation for results day.

That unforgettable Thursday .

Parky that is really good to hear

@unsaltedmixednuts It's very hard to be gracious towards the high achievers when your own DC got mediocre results.... It took me a good few days to be able to say sincere congratulations to my high achieving nephews and niece but I've got there....
What I found particularly difficult was people glibly saying "Oh A Levels aren't everything"/ "Oh University isn't for everyone"/ "He could do an apprenticeship"... whilst their own kid has sailed through and IS OFF TO DO A levels and university , and they have never in a million years considered an apprenticeship.
I felt like hitting them over the head soundly with a pile of unopened CGP revision guides.

hitting them over the head soundly with a pile of unopened CGP revision guides

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink! Come to think of it, I can send you a few pristine CGP guides if you want an even more satisfying thwack sound!

I do feel that more is expected of teens these days. The pressure ramped up after the government sent delegations out to the Far East to see how the game of education plays out there – and then decided to introduce similar standards here, forgetting that most teens over here are not really prepared for the exacting lifestyle changes required to reach those giddy heights.

I'm sure I did a lot of daydreaming and still managed to do fine but there has to be a moratorium on mooching for 16 year olds these days if they want to do well and it makes me rather sad.

If you can tell us where you are in the country maybe someone can help you?
for example Strodes in Egham your dd could do A levels or BTECs - see p12 on this year's prospectus

here

The private schools have quite difficult sixth form courses - typically they start with 4 A levels, they do an EPQ, they do voluntary work / DofE Gold. They're aiming for top university courses, there are definitely easier routes to good degree courses.

And if she's interested in cyber law is she into coding? Computer science? If any interest at all do everything to persuade her to look at that route. We're facing a massive skills shortage in this area. Plus there are VERY few females applying - there will be selective descrimination for uni courses, jobs etc.

Oxz dear god that made me laugh! Yes to piles of pristine revision guides omg......

Ozy even..!