GCSEs Summer 2020 (thread 4) -the final countdown

[PostNotInHaste]

Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1(year 10)

Hope OrangeCinnamon doesn’t mind me starting another in her absence , feel twitchy without ! Apologies in advance if I have messed the links up.

The last thread ended with discussion of possible school closures, not really what we want to hear at this point - let’s hope things sound more positive as thread progresses.

There's medical ethics in sociology A Level, too, as it goes (although it's an option so not always done). Really interesting topic.

Kings the GMC expect that newly qualified Doctors will have an understanding of the social determinants of health.
Given how competitive it is to gain a place to read Medicine at University, I would stick with 3 A levels as Anthropological/ Sociological aspects will be taught in her degree
Nowt like background reading, though

Thanks for starting a new thread @PostNotInHaste, and so sad to read your news @Alsoplayspiccolo. MH issues are so horribly common - the pressures of social media, exams, managing friendships: it all adds up
:-(

Place marking for the new thread. DS has gone and got himself a Saturday job which I flipflopped about but actually he needs to have a normal life. GCSEs arent the be all and end all.

True @ChristopherTracy i've started to become very aware that this year and the next few years coming up are very much about managing the transition to adulthood. I just keep on thinking about the kind of things I was doing at 16 vs what DD does and how quickly you grow into adulthood between ages of 16-20

I need some advice as well - DS has applied to another school locally just in case he doesnt meet the stringent 6th form entry requirements where he is now. The new school have sent a form this week asking us to accept or reject the place and details of 3 induction days in July.

When we viewed the school and had a quick chat they were well aware why he was applying - a normal situation. But it feels bad on our part to accept a place that we might not be using if ds aces his exams and decides to stay.

What is the proper form? The school he is at now doesnt accept applications for 6th form until GCSE offer day for this reason.

@ChristopherTracy - I would have thought you need to accept, otherwise you may be stuck without a place if things don't go to plan. I'm sure school are use to people changing plans following results day.

@ChristopherTracy - I THINK they can accept multiple (state) places and then confirm once results are in. DS is in the process of accepting three - all with different grade expectations, so he has options. Annoying for the schools in juggling their expectations but unavoidable I think.

You can apply to as many sixth forms as you like, not a problem

Thanks all - it must completely bugger up their budgeting and class planning surely. Will do though. so pleased he has got it in the bag - of course if he crashes and burns completely it is a different matter again but we can worry about that if we get there!

Only just noticed these threads, I’m another one nervous of how Cv will affect exams. On other boards (and apologies if already mentioned) suggestions were that in the eventuality of GCSE exams being cancelled due to staff or pupil sickness then pupils predicted grades would be awarded. Also any knowledge gaps due to school closures would be highlighted to examiners and papers marked accordingly.

We don’t have 6th form at our school so DS going straight to college but his course conditional on certain grades so its a bit of a worry tbh.

Yes, dd has three applications in but no offers yet. I anticipated accepting all three. At least 2 have induction days and I see that as one of the ways for her to decide - to be honest the one with no induction day is the favourite and most selective so at least she can decide on her second choice by July. Does that sound ok?

My colleague's daughter applied to another sixth form as a fallback option to her existing school sixth form, but liked it so much at the induction day, she ended up going there instead.

DS has a different issue re sixth form - he has no idea what he wants to study. (He has applied to his current school sixth form but just put something random down on the application form). He's ruled out so many things that I suspect he will be left picking the least bad option - not the way I want him to be going into Post 16 study. But no idea how we resolve this. I am thinking that we just have to put off the decision until after GCSE results.

@redskyatnight are there any new subjects on offer? I was thinking about my son the other day and I think he’ll be the same. The only subject he enjoys is history although I can see him doing a BTEC in Sport - or maybe trying a couple of new subjects like Business/Politics/Sociology.

@ChristopherTracy
Has your DS’s current school given him a conditional offer based on the GCSE grades they require for progress to his chosen A levels?
If not, and given his current school don’t accept sixth form applications until after GCSE results, surely it’s his current school that will be ‘cattle trucked’ with budgets and class planning?
A lot of DDs peers have applied to an over subscribed outstanding comp for sixth form.
A quick flick through the entrance protocol for this particular school seems to suggest that all those holding sixth form entrance offers which have been accepted are expected to attend the induction days.
Thankfully, DD has been offered and has accepted a place for sixth form to do the A levels she wants to do.
It has not been an ‘easy ride’ and in all honestly, the sixth form application process has made, for DD and I, the GCSE slog seem like a walk in the park.
So, and to all having to contend with sixth Form applications

I am not worried about his current school, they will be massively oversubscribed the other way with children going upwards iyswim, we will be going down...all the children who get the grades they want can stay on which is basically 7s in A level subjects.

I think it might be lack of caffeine but I’m not getting then up and down thing ChristopherTracy! So they don’t apply until results day? Never heard of that one before.

DS has one offer locally and off for another interview in a couple of weeks and will get an offer for that. I think they both do days in the summer. We’re still waiting in offer for his preferred place at College though. Started this all in October , trip number 5 over there is this weekend and each is a 4 hour round trip. He got through the exam to interview stage and has done that. Offers out next week finally, it’s been a long haul . Then if he gets an offer he has to get 8/9 in 2 subjects.

Mocks, round 2, day 2 today, Cant wait for June.

I dont think I explained it very well @PostNotInHaste. So my son will, in effect be chucked out of his school for not getting the grades on GCSE results day but lots of other children will apply to his school with amazing sets of 9s which they do by turning up and physically applying.

So my son is heading to a less academic school but the children going the other way to a much more academic school. How could they apply before results day when the sixth form GCSE requirements are so stringent? Plus the current school dont know how many children they will let go for not meeting those requirements iyswim.

In that case, I’d accept the place at the other school without feeling bad.

We’re in a weird situation too. DD has a place to move to her chosen 6th form, and a place to stay at her current school.
Both have offered scholarships, but the other school has offered a bursary, whereas her current school didn’t (long story, but we suspect because they are p*ed off we applied elsewhere, and also because they don’t like having to make adjustments for DD’s SEN).
DD has to get particular grades to move, but in the meantime, we have to give notice for her to leave her current school.
If she misses out on her grades, we’d have to try to get her back into her current school, and of course by then, she’d have foregone the scholarship there.
We don’t have another fall back.

Christopher if the other school have offered a place to do the same A levels at lower entrance grades you should accept the place.
Most sixth form offers are conditional and only confirmed when the student has their GCSE results.
Also we are in the same position and have to give notice at Easter.
DD needs 7/8 for her A level choices at both schools.

Proggy, it's tricky, isn't it? Our situation is compounded slightly by the financial side of missing out on a bursary and scholarships, if DD doesn't get the grades.
I guess all we can do is cross our fingers and hope (and keep encouraging our DCs to work hard but consider the possibility of every eventuality).

Also we are in exactly the same position!
And yay- keep encouraging them to keep doing what they’ve been doing.
The end is in sight!

Ah, sorry, *Proggy , I didn't realise your financial situation was the same as ours.
It would be very talking (not to mention almost financially impossible) for us to have to go cap in hand to DD's current school, when the head has made it so clear she only wants DD if we can find full fees.

That makes sense ChristopherTracey and I would definitely accept place at other school.

Sympathies to those having to juggle bursaries, notice and grades on top of everything else.

Yay! Found you :-)

Thanks for the new thread Post and so sad to hear your school's recent news Piccolo. Three different girls who all go to different schools have attempted within the space of 2 months and our heart goes out to the families - 2 of the girls are my daughters' friends and the other DD is my good friends' DC. The pressure and stress these DC (and all our DC) are under is immense and there is no magic solution :-(

Has anyone's current school actually offered a place yet or even interviewed? We've had an offer from another school that we have accepted and DD has her interview next week but nothing from her current school - is this normal?