People can be very chippy about others who do well or seek refuge-marks.
Wanting a re-mark doesn’t mean a criticism of the grade 8 or of the child themselves - it is perfectly valid to hope for a 9 and therefore to be a bit disappointed with an 8. It’s not being a perfectionist or unable to accept less than 100% to wonder if you might have wrongly missed out on 1 mark - so many papers ARE wrongly marked, so if it turns out you are one of those, you are fully entitled to that mark and grade. It’s not greedy or pushy.
And for those seeking the most competitive courses at uni or training jobs in the workplace where huge numbers have stellar results, having more 9s will only help. It’s not just about getting onto the next stage of A levels but how those grades can impact you through life.
I don’t understand the attitude of ‘you’ve done well, just be satisfied you’ve done better than most’ and ‘wanting higher grades is being a perfectionist and a bad thing and to be discouraged’.
Actually, isn’t having some ambition a good thing - hoping to gain top marks a positive not a negative. Yes, sometimes there is some disappointment and we have to cope with that, but simply to not seek the best (or a re mark) to avoid the risk of disappointment is such a shame when more could be possible.
Money is involved in re marks and fair enough that lots can’t afford it. However lots of children miss out on grades that are rightfully theirs - perhaps because parents can’t afford it, but also as shown on this thread, because parents very easily settle and accept what has happened - some don’t find out how close to the boundary the child is and so never know if 1 more mark might make all the difference.
This thread reminds me of the differing family situations and opportunities open to children and the knock-on effect. Children with identical academic profiles and GCSE results might end up with different final results and uni places and careers because of so-called pushiness - the difference between a parent (and school too) who puts in for a few reasons-marks and those that don’t; the ones who want the very best for their child versus those who settle for what was dished out.
And I’m not saying everyone should put in for re marks. Often a child is just into a grade and miles off the next grade or the grade is totally expected.....but finding out where they sit within the boundaries and being willing to challenge if there’s a surprise result gives possibilities of uplift.
What’s the worst outcome from putting in for a remark? Really it’s that the mark doesn’t go up and money is lost. So what? No one would encourage a re mark where someone is close to the lower boundary due to risk of marks and overall grade dropping, but as long as that risk is avoided, the downsides are low. Yes, someone may keep their hopes up a bit longer, but unless they are terribly fragile and won’t cope with disappointment at all, really by that point, the likely grade is already clear.
Op, go for it! Your son worked hard and a 9 was within grasp and he’s missed it by a whisker. There’s a lot to gain and pretty much nothing to lose by trying. Let those who mock you leave their children without the option of a higher mark, if they choose to do so on finding themselves in a similar position and could afford it....but it’s hardly doing them a favour is it!