GCSE Summer 2020 Thread 7 : Carry on Corona Cohort, Cruising or Crawling to The Final Countdown

[OrangeCinnamon1]

Welcome all to the 7th Thread for this year's GCSE cohort ...or the Corona Cohort as has been termed by @FoolsAssassin.

Some of us have been here since I started first thread back in 2010, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. It is hoped this will continue. Going forward we intend to stay in secondary so any new threads should have 'GCSE Summer 2020 Thread # : Carry on Corona Cohort' in title just to make it easier to find.

From now on our DS/DD may go down various paths so we decided not to be exclusionary and stay right here in Secondary

Thread 1 The first GCSE yr 10

Thread 6 last thread

@BlueMarigold thank you. So unless it's subject like English or Maths is there much point in doing the retake? I'm worried that ds will fall short of his chosen subjects that he wants to do for A level but if they let him do them anyway is there any point in retaking the GCSE?

@FoolsAssassin

What makes me even crosser is that it has been a really difficult time for everyone and this needed to be as easy as possible and for a lot has been the complete opposite.

It's rubbish isn't it ? But the press will bang on about snowflakes, resilience and Mickey mouse courses

We’re lucky that our DD’s A level results have been wonderful - she has her place at her firm, and 3A*s in the bag. A lot of her friends weren’t as lucky so I feel very grateful.

Hopefully GCSEs next week will also bring good things...

@GreekOddess

I don’t think it will be worth doing the “resits” if they’ve been able to get into their A level courses without needing to.
I feel it would be best to draw a line under it all and just work hard to obtain good A level results.
I think it would be a struggle to revise for subjects that have not been studied since March whilst also trying to learn new topics and keep up with A level work

Great news @roisecap !

I've been lurking on these threads since lockdown but first time posting. I hope my question makes sense and isn't a load of garbled rubbish.
DD is waiting for her GCSE results next week, her school only offered double science until last years cohort where they introduced triple science. DD could have taken triple science but chose double.
Due to the school only having one year of historical data for triple science I'm wondering if Ofqual will use the historical data for double science when grading triple science which could mean worse results for double science.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about and able to answer me, thanks

Laffie

I understand your question so I'm sure those with the answer will.

Ds has gone from being really upbeat and looking forward to next year to really worried.

His sister did well today including an A* but the entire cohort was moderated down in English.

Ds needs 4 Grade 4’s to get into college. He’s ranked 1 in music and likely to get 7/8 but most of his other subjects are 3/4/5. He was pretty sure of a 4 for English & Computer Science and a 5 for maths & Business but he is bottom set for English. If he is moderated down then he may not get enough.

On the upside he uploaded his bridging tasks to his college today and honestly, it’s his best work ever. Fantastic analysis of Jason Roger-Brown’s band, compositions & style in a PowerPoint presentation.

Laffie, no they won’t because they are totally different subjects. Double Science is Combinec Science whereas Triple is separate qualifications in Physics, Chemistry & Biology.

Hi @Laffie

I'm a teacher (head of faculty, so have been deciding lots of CAGs myself this year, but not science).

I don't know the definitive answer, and can't say what data they'll use to judge the triple science,

However, the triple sciences are separate entries from the double science. So Id be surprised if the data from triple science predicted grades would push down the double. They should be considered independently of each other. At least at a school level. How the algorithm works, is anyone's guess.

Comefromaway

Hello my love, we are here.
Dd has a result she got 6/5 in English and is absolutely over the moon.
She is worried about Maths though 3 in mocks.
Music could go anyway, it had all been submitted, 9 would be deserved but who knows?
I'll be keeping you company before results

Devlesko, thanks.

Comefromaway, thanks, the whole situation has got me so stressed, I'm struggling to think clearly.

Can I ask a question- not sure but it's probably been asked before?
Kids in English schools were not allowed to know the teachers predictions were they ? But in Scotland they were.
So obvs I can see how Scottish kids will be able to appeal. But if GCSEs next week are not massively off the mock results ( without knowing teachers grades) how can we know if we should need to appeal? Bearing in mind most/some kids do so much better in the real exam.
I hate this situation

Today for A levels many schools and colleges were telling kids their Centre Assessed Grades. So they may do the same for GCSE next week.

Thank you. I guess depending on results next week determines if DC want to know CAG!

Sarahbeans, thanks, it's just worrying that they are not only being ranked alongside their own cohort but also against the ability of previous cohorts.

Breathing a sigh of relief for DD's brother who has got his grades for his 1st choice uni.

Short period of calm before it all starts again.

DD's school released moderated grades, CAGs and Mocks all on a little chart for the Year 13s and I believe they will do the same next week for the GCSEs.

@KingscoteStaff - that's great news. One down, one to go like us! DS1's school hasn't released CAGs, I'm a bit surprised given most of the local schools have.

Such a relief to get yesterday over but have woken up inexplicably early again. I think I'm fretting about holiday prep (we go at 6am tomorrow) which is a nicer thing to be fretting about.

Interesting afternoon yesterday. Following FB post from DS’s school congratulating all those with a-level results etc, I responded asking if they could provide their % of downgrading / uplifting

An hour later & my phone goes & it’s the head of sixth form, saying she’d looked up my name & realised DS was waiting for results next week.

Apparently they are not planning on publishing the stats. She did confirm 29% downgraded by 1 grade, 3% more than 1 & 2% were given higher grades.

She also said that it was a larger than usual cohort (200+) more than ever have gone through UCAS & the usual % went through clearing.

Seemed very pragmatic & said most of the students were ok & it’s just what they have to deal with. Although it was a shock for those downgrading more than 2 grades.

Again, she confirmed they have no details re a valid mock & is advising that if students want to appeal, it will mean a resit.

I haven’t told DS yet, he’s due back from his holiday today.

It’s a state school in NE.

I forgot to ask if they’d advised students of their CAG’s.

Great news Rosiecap and Kingscote 🙂
One of our local schools which is DS’s back up said they had done well and all students got what they wanted, friend said load of bollocks. Her friend’s DD missed her uni offer and several of her friends did too. Poor show from the school to try and cover that up, gone right down in my estimation.

I think they will say that because on average the schools' results may be more or less the same. That's the case in my school but there are still lots of disappointed bunnies. But the vocational students all got upgraded (!) , some A Levels were pretty much untouched, the very top A*s got their grades, so , on balance, they look like decent results.

The sad thing with all this is the choice of subject made the difference to each student.

I think the hidden thing now is the schools' ability to appeal : different form the mock appeal system. I think that ahs been made deliberately tortuous and the algorithm is so obtuse not even mathematicians can understand the graphs sent out to schools to 'explain' how grades were arrived at! I am waiting to see whether my school will appeal my subject's results but am not holding my breath...the mock appeal seems cut and dried. The other, school based appeals , I bet, are less likely to be upheld.

My DD’s school isn’t saying anything about A-levels or how it went.

First of all many congratulations to all the a level students!

DD asked me a question yesterday and I have no clue, are the GCSE grades already decided by now or can they still change? Thank you.

Piggy when you say the mock appeal seems cut and dried have you seen anything further that defines a valid mock ? I saw on another thread that the actual scripts would have to be submitted, DS’s went into the recycling bin. Would they have had to have all the papers for a subject or would one under exam conditions suffice?