GCSE 2019 support thread 6

[DeRigueurMortis]

Hello All,

Welcome to thread 6 - results...

Last thread here:

Gcses 2019 support thread 5 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3610608-gcses-2019-support-thread-5

It's been a fantastically supportive set of threads to date with a diverse set of expectations and challenges (for both parents and children).

I expect this thread may be the most emotive for us all (crikey how did the time fly!!)

Good luck everyone

berlin what question would concern you? If it's a 'write about language' question and he only wrote about , say, structure, he might well have got very low marks for that Q , but there would be no SPAG.

If he missed the brief on the big final question that doesn't seem to matter quite so much. oddly.

The English Language exam is very mechanical. A lot of the students who do better than expected in it are very accurate and very rigid thinkers who can jump through hoops.

I wouldn't call her a rigid thinker but she certainly has an aptitude for applying the correct techniques to fully demonstrate her ability in exams. Jumping through the correct hoops, so to speak. DD2 by comparison doesn't.

But, she's prone to some hastiness, writes too much too fast ( Handwriting is not neat compared to most girls) finds spelling difficult - so, I'm happy to accept she's got a 6 on the day, it would just be good to have her teacher see the paper and confirm that and be sure that a section of marks was not left off the total since she's stood out as an anomaly even with her English teacher.

We won't jeopardise the 6.

Just to say you can pay for just a clerical check. I can see why you and the teacher would want to see the paper, of course.

Writing too much can be an issue (as can being pithy). The write too much crew, especially girls, have historically been over rewarded. The handwriting shouldn't affect things but it possibly has influenced the examiner. If you are concerned about that going forward, exams officers can apply for laptop use in exams without too much hoop jumping.

foslady Like saucery I can't remember which option I chose when renewing DD's child passport to an adult. I just remember it being really simple. I just put in all the existing details, uploaded a new photo, and payed the fee. The new passport arrived within a couple of weeks.

Thanks for your input Piggy.

It's DD who first questioned the result so hasn't been driven by me or her dad. In my mind I've ve wondered how the 6 in eng lang might be perceived alongside her other grades - will she not be thought of as a creative thinker or as as someone who has a good grasp of language and can write well but it's not giving me sleepless nights!

She was so very pleased with her lit result that I'm sure she'll move on from this very soon

Just catching up with you .

Been a tough week .
Ds's grades were not good enough so a re think has been going on .

Re passport...ds1 2 years ago when he was 16 . I think I just clicked child renewal and it automatically came with10 years on it .
I ptesume after this it just goes with adult renewal .

I did send him to snappy snaps for the photo and it came with a code that you put in ..and the photo comes up on the screen!!

Brilliant - thanks everyone!

@Piggywaspushed just wondering could a teacher ever over rule a re- mark? I had to drop some documents at school yesterday and I ran into the subject teacher whose paper we have requested to remark, she was quite difficult, implying 2 marks off was good enough already and she thought It was unnecessary and just to focus on Alevels. So should we receive an official slip to say it has been reviewed even if for example the grade remains unchanged?

But, she's prone to some hastiness, writes too much too fast ( Handwriting is not neat compared to most girls) finds spelling difficult

forty you could again be describing my dd

I am going to explore using a laptop for A levels.

Dd got a 9 for lit and 6 for language. I emailed the school today with the offer of paying to have the paper back, I've not heard back so guess it's too late. She was 6 marks from a 7 . I'll probably just pay for a clerical check and leave it at that.

Thanks for your input piggy

Has anyone had any chemistry remarks done? DC was 2 marks off the next grade (9) and is doing it for a level (and would like to do it at degree level possibly). I'm wondering if there is any point in getting a remark done as the grade is good enough for a level anyway, and science papers probably are more objective and less likely to go up. However DC quite keen to give it a go..school has no exams person in until next week to ask!

It's not too late fab. You've got a couple of weeks at least yet, which is probably more likely why you haven't heard back.

arewedone. No, if you pay it will be done! The exams officer would normally be the one to tell you the outcome. Teachers can only advise. We are always clear that it is down to the parents and DCs. Your remark request sounds reasonable!

@Piggywaspushed- thank you that’s a relief !! Sorry you are having to answer so many questions!

Not a problem!

Visit with exams officer this morning, 1 Biology paper and 2 Maths paper’s going for remark £112.50 but will get refunded if grade goes up. Hopefully he’s high enough on his current grade not to go down so nothing to lose really. Grateful that exams officer came in especially as not back in work until next week. Wonder how long it takes to come back.

@Rugbylife not sure which boards you are but Edexcel says by Sept 20th on their website and school has said 2 weeks!

Do all boards refund if they go up?

I believe only if the grade changes.

Anyone doing a cue remark, been told by teacher it’s very accurate we are 1 mark off a B, not sure which paper to mark each paper is £40!!

We've had a breakdown of the Mark's for both Lang and Lit. Son was 3 marks off a 9 in Lang and 2 off an 8 in Lit. There seems to be a lot of people getting unexpected grades in Lang so I think we'll probably stick with the 8, don't want to risk it going down. In Lit he seems to have done really well on Paper 2 (full Mark's on An Inspector Calls) but weaker on Paper 1 (Macbeth and A Christmas Carol). So think we'll go for a remark, can we just have Paper 1 checked?

calculatorqueen Yes, you can definitely pick the paper that you are more likely to pick up marks on. Fees are per paper, so important from a cost point of view too!

We received back Dds 2 Maths papers on Friday as she wanted to have another go at the last couple of questions that she found difficult, interestingly when she went through with her teacher they found 2 more marks. It makes no difference as she achieved a 9 anyway but it makes me think re marks are worth it!

Email from the exams co ordinator yesterday, the English grades were solid so happy to leave then and the music was correct so that’s £50 gone for good......expecting the same on the biology!!!! (At least dd can’t say ‘I might have got a 9 bit mum wouldn’t pay for me to find out......!)