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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

GCSE Summer 2020 Thread 9 : Carry on Corona Cohort ‘Let’s Ofqual the whole thing off'

999 replies

OrangeCinnamon1 · 18/08/2020 12:56

Welcome all to the 9th Thread for this year's GCSE cohort - the Corona Cohort!

This is a thread for supporting all young people ( and their parents) taking GCSEs regardless of the institute they attend or the grades they need. It is respectfully requested that we are all supportive and helpful to each other.

If you want to start a debate e.g state vs private - please do not within this thread.

Similarly it should be recognised that the grades our children need/deserve/want will vary across the board- we wish to celebrate and comiserate with all. One same grade outcome can simultaneously cause joy and despair for different posters and their families. Please be sensitive when responding to threads about grade outcomes.

Some of us have been here since I started first thread back in yr10, 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 on the Secondary Education Board (at least until Mumsnet HQ chuck us out Grin ) as from now on our DS/DD may go down various paths such employment, apprenticeships, higher ed etc so we decided not to be exclusionary.

Any new threads should have 'GCSE Summer 2020 Thread # : Carry on Corona Cohort' in title just to make it easier to find. There is no preciousness about who starts new threads!

At this precise moment in time we are still awaiting GCSE results . At first these were to be that seem to have been produced by an algorithm that also takes very little account of Teacher Centre Assessed Grades. There is an appeal process but it was changed to include mock results and coursework, then taken down again for review. Now it has been decided that the higher of Centre Assessed Grades and Calculated Grades will be awarded in two parts??!?!

We are all STILL trying to protect our young people's mental health, which the government claims is their priority...when they talk about wanting students back in schools/college in September...

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Fiddlersgreen · 19/08/2020 22:23

What is FSMQ? Also what is IB?
Thanks

stoneysongs · 19/08/2020 22:25

IB is international baccalaureate

fSMQ I think is an additional maths qualification

itsgettingweird · 19/08/2020 22:25

[quote sandybayley]@itsgettingweird - FSMQ will be CAG as well. Grading is A-E - no A stars![/quote]
Thanks. Are they also out tomorrow?

HPFA · 19/08/2020 22:26

Funny looking back at the predictions - they still seem reasonable.

DD was worrying about her English Lang but has since been given an unconditional offer for her school's Sixth Form based on the CAGs so we know she won't have to resit anything unless she wants to.

It feels very strange - because of the unconditional offer we know the grades will be reasonable - but then again there's no chance that she might have pulled off a miracle on exam day! This isn't at all how it was meant to be.

PaddingtonPaddington · 19/08/2020 22:29

Good luck all, no doubt I’ll be awake early hours and post again then!

Thanks to the link to the predictions @EwwSprouts fingers crossed.

AvacadoLover · 19/08/2020 22:32

Another lurker coming out the woodwork!

DS is going into school tomorrow to collect his tomorrow, they have set times when they have to go in and his is about halfway through (10:45) and they basically have to collect them and leave the site. The school won’t be emailing the result until the afternoon, so it’s going to be a long wait till 10:45 😬

Thank you to whoever posted the link to the government website that shows all the schools previous results, very interesting 👍🏻

Wheresthebeach · 19/08/2020 22:39

@IHeartHarryStyles. Our house looked like a horror movie this evening...

DH cut the top of his finger off when our gardening...it matched the 2 inch gash that had to be glued at A&E this weekend when he hit himself in the forehead with gardening sheers...

DD decided to shave her legs...2 inch strip of skin on her ankle shaved off...its quite deep and is bleeding through the bandages we’ve put on...

Honest to God....Today was suppose to be alcohol free....

AvacadoLover · 19/08/2020 22:39

My son got his FSMQ result on Sunday. Although I’m now not sure what this grade is as the school have said they will not get the standardised grade for this until Tuesday and will just get the CAG tomorrow 🤪 I thought what he already had was the standardised grade!

sandybayley · 19/08/2020 22:39

@itsgettingweird - FSMQ was actually out a few days ago but most schools hold them back to release with GCSEs. DD will get hers tomorrow.

20newnames · 19/08/2020 22:46

AQA FSMQ are graded 9-3 not letters any more.

My predictions are

Eng Lang 6
Eng lit 5
French 6
Geog 6
Maths 9
Physics 9
Chem 8
Biology 7/8
PE 6 🤷‍♀️
Further maths 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ (They never even had a mock in it and never reported on it so no clue)

Good luck to all.

On the BTEC issue DS1 still hasn’t had his level 3 BTEC results which were due a week ago. No idea when he will get them.

itsgettingweird · 19/08/2020 22:48

This BTEC shambles is horrid.

They are equal to and as important as a levels. Why aren't they being treated as so?

Surely this means even more uni issues?

20newnames · 19/08/2020 22:50

@itsgettingweird

This BTEC shambles is horrid.

They are equal to and as important as a levels. Why aren't they being treated as so?

Surely this means even more uni issues?

We are fortunate that DS is on an apprenticeship already so doesn’t need them for Uni but it is ridiculous. They didn’t even find out until the day that they weren’t getting the results. I initially thought it was a college issue but it appears not.
Baileyscoffeeandcampfires · 19/08/2020 22:51

Good luck to all and wishing everyone an excellent night of sleep

Predictions for dd
Eng Lang & lit 5:5
Maths. 6
Biology / chemistry / physics 5:5:5
French 6
Geography 5
Computer science 5
Sociology 6

sandybayley · 19/08/2020 22:55

@20newnames - I don't think you're right.

DD's friend received her FSMQ result today and it was an A. Which board / exam are you thinking of?

sandybayley · 19/08/2020 22:59

I think the FSMQ grading is different by board. OCR is letters. AQA must be different.

TheySeeHerRowling · 19/08/2020 23:03

I can't settle, so I'll play predictions

Eng Lang 8
Eng Lit 7
Theology 7 or 8
Maths 5 or 6
Textiles 5 or 6 - not great at the practical side but did a decent mock and folder
History 5 - she wants to do this at A-level but it took her till this Feb to realise you need FACTS in your answers, not just beautifully written waffle, so fingers crossed
Spanish 4 - she wanted to do French and Latin and has resented having to do Spanish and put zero effort into it Hmm
Geography 3 - she put minus levels of effort into this
Science 4 if we're VERY lucky but probably 3

I don't think she'll get into the sixth form of the school she's at, but should get into the more local, not as highly regarded, one (she's happy with either)

20newnames · 19/08/2020 23:07

[quote sandybayley]@20newnames - I don't think you're right.

DD's friend received her FSMQ result today and it was an A. Which board / exam are you thinking of? [/quote]
I’m right, I said AQA is in numbers.

www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/after-results/exam-certificates/fsmq

IHeartHarryStyles · 19/08/2020 23:08

My predictions for DD:

English Lit/Lang 4/4
Maths 4
Science 4/5
French 4
Business 5
PE 6
History 3

DD thinks I’m being optimistic. Maybe I am. Her mocks were so bad I’ve discounted them but maybe that will lead to disappointment. I’m happier that she is the more pessimistic one of us. Hopefully she will be pleasantly surprised. Or at least not be too disappointed.

I’ll have to go back and see on that other thread if I made a prediction.

IHeartHarryStyles · 19/08/2020 23:10

@Wheresthebeach that sounds like a fun day 😱😱

sandybayley · 19/08/2020 23:12

No prob @20newnames - I was talking about OCR. Both right ✔️

itsgettingweird · 19/08/2020 23:14

Thanks for info. I didn't think to ask ds what exam board it was Grin

I'll check in morning if I remember through the nerves and then I can let him know.

IHeartHarryStyles · 19/08/2020 23:17

I’ve just looked back on that earlier thread. It was before she received her mock results. This is what DD thought she would get before they arrived 😟

They’re wildly different to what we think she’s going to get now. Shame that one set of exams she didn’t realise counted for anything could have such a bearing on things. Not that you all need me to tell you that!!

Lit/Lang 6/5
French 5
Business 7
Maths 5
History 4
PE 5
Science 5/5 (double)

frustrationcentral · 19/08/2020 23:17

Predictions for DS

English Lang - 6
English Lit - 6
Physics - 7
Biology - 7
Chemistry - 6
History - 6
Computing - 4
PE - 7
Geography - 7
Maths - 8

He'd love another grade on top of each, esp for Geography and PE, but I think that'll be wishful thinking. We'll see!

frustrationcentral · 19/08/2020 23:20

@20newnames

AQA FSMQ are graded 9-3 not letters any more.

My predictions are

Eng Lang 6
Eng lit 5
French 6
Geog 6
Maths 9
Physics 9
Chem 8
Biology 7/8
PE 6 🤷‍♀️
Further maths 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ (They never even had a mock in it and never reported on it so no clue)

Good luck to all.

On the BTEC issue DS1 still hasn’t had his level 3 BTEC results which were due a week ago. No idea when he will get them.

We're unsure about further Maths too. DS had just done a practice paper to see if he'd be able to take it on properly but we never got the result before lockdown. Some students who'd achieved 8's in mocks were already definitely doing it but hadn't done a mock or anything so not sure if they'll be awarded it tomorrow
StillDumDeDumming · 19/08/2020 23:27

I hadn’t thought of teachers being in the firing line! Which seems very stupid of me now. I’ve just been reminiscing in fb with her reception teacher (who I shan’t be holding responsible). Seems like a different life and about 3 weeks ago. I have no idea what dd will get - none. I’d like a distinction in dance and a 6 in English, 4 in maths. 4 in science would be a bonus!