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

[OrangeCinnamon1]

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 ) 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...

First Thread

Previous thread

4x8
4x7
2x6 (the dreaded French & Eng Lit).
DS wanted a 9 in Maths but I told him that he’s done fantastically and not to quibble over that! He’s hanging out with his mates now to celebrate. To put in context, there will be plenty in his cohort who would be all 8/9’s and 6th form entry required minimum grades of 7/8’s for his A Level subjects which he made so we’re happy here.

@singingstones

Just seen this on a wales news site

But exam regulator Qualifications Wales heaped more uncertainty upon students and schools saying the grades they receive today are only “best estimates” . A spokesman saying confirmed grades for Wales will be out in a few weeks, but added that they are not expected to be significantly different.

WTF

that's awful

@RedskyAtnight

So DS nearly did get murdered. He rang me in a flap saying I had to come in to school so I charged off imagining the worst.

Turns out that, due to Covid, school want all sixth form paperwork done today, so he needed a parent to sign the "parental agreement" bits.
No issue with his sixth form entry. Big sigh of relief (and why school couldn't tell us in advance that they needed a parent physically in, I have no idea).

sorry to laugh but that's so like my ds.

Gives the important information without any inkling the words might be translated with some emotion and the grey area of what they may mean.

Great he's in though

Got it out of her by saying she wouldn't even be going into town unless she told me first.

1x9
2x8
1x distinction*
1x distinction
Rest are 7s

A fair set of results, which is what I expected as I know the school gave cags to be what they genuinely thought they would get.
She'd probably have done better with exams, because she tends to work last minute and do better than expected. However she had a panic attack over her first set of mocks so she might have done far worse.

I may take her into town now...

@IHeartHarryStyles

The school have been in touch but DD upset and it was a very rapid call with little empathy along the lines of ‘this is what you wanted to do, this is now what you’re able to do (btech) so I’ll put you down for those, yep, great, bye’ whilst DD just looked blankly at me with tears streaming down her face and occasionally saying ok.

She’s saying she wants to sit the exams, we’re now trying to find out if that will make a difference.

hit choc and cake for your dd. Sorry she didn't get what she wanted but even more sorry she felt so unsupported whilst discussing alternatives.

Especially after things have been even harder for this cohort than usual.

Great results @Witchend

After a very stressful few months with bad mental health issues it is such a relief to get the results she deserved. 7 x 9s, 1 x 8 and 2 x 7.

Even a 7 in maths which was always her toughest subject.

Can now look forward to A levels rather than having a niggle about what might happen.

@Paranoidmarvin

All 4’s 5’s and one 6. He has been off school so much in the last year due to issues with legs so we’re expecting 2 and 3. He gets to do what he wants and no resits. So we are all happy here

Awww paranoid sorry he's had leg issues. Can empathise. My ds also has issues and managing pain, posture for 3 hours if exams etc is such a juggle.

He was diagnosed with a degenerative condition in October which makes me even more proud he was head down and keep going allowing good results.

@Witchend

Apparently she's not telling me because she wants to go shopping and she's going to tell me one result for each item she wants. Manipulative child. She's just told me the first item she wants is on line-a T-shirt for $35. I may have just disowned her and cut up my credit card.

Forget GCSEs.

That girl will go far in life 🤣

for those who've not had the grades they were hoping for, fingers crossed for they can all find a next step they are happy with.

DDs results are in and she's pretty happy. Got what she needs to continue with either of her chosen sets of A levels, just needs to make up her mind . By tomorrow I;m going to be flipping a coin just to try and end the dilemma, she's already changed her mind twice today.

Some surprises among her friends and there's some confusion as to whether there is still any way to appeal (I don't think so) or whether they are now looking at sitting exams in Nov.

@IHeartHarryStyles: that doesn't sound like great support for your dd: so resilient though to be determined to retake - that's an impressive attitude for her to have and will stand her in brilliant stead for the future.

Been to school to try to swap an A level but might not be able to as full class. Hey ho. Asked DD if she wanted a McDonalds lunch and she has instead requested a smoked salmon bagel Lol . We’ll pop some bubbles later(Buck’s Fizz for her) phew! Now just to relax and take it all in.

My dd got x6 5s and x2 4s. Some shocks with higher than we thought grades so we are over the moon. 6th place at her new school confirmed and prosecco is in the fridge chilling! Well done everyone and to those that were disappointed I hope re sits and appeals will be successful x

Is anyone thinking of the exam route even where the awarded grades are good enough for the next step? DD doesn’t need to improve her grades, but there are a couple she’s disappointed with nevertheless. I’m not sure what to suggest. Especially as I’ve no idea how the exams will be borderlined to determine the grade boundaries.

Ds definately won’t retake. We are all convinced he’d have got higher in business but he’s moved on.

Dd has just gone to get Dominoes for her little brother. She’s also celebrating as she found out this morning her English A Level CAG was an A but she says today belongs to her brother.

DS came home with a big smile and a yearbook that the school has put together for them.
They were the first cohort and had all sorts of celebrations planned for this year group.

We also received a letter stating that due to no prior data for our school, all the of the grades received are CAGs.

It also said that if anyone wants to take the exams there would be no fee but the exam grade would be final so your grade could potentially go down!! Just something to think about for those who are considering the “resits”

PE - 9
Physics -7
Biology - 7
Eng Lit - 7
Geography -7
Eng Lit - 6
Maths - 6
Chemistry - 6
Latin - 5

He’s ok - but thinks he would’ve got higher in Chemistry & Maths if he’d sat the exams. Think he was predicted 7’s.

Definitely no thought of that here @OublietteBravo
Happy to move on and focus on A levels now. There weren't any that were surprisingly low here though, DS was one of the lucky ones

@Comefromaway sounds like they have a lovely relationship and how mature of your DD to let her brother have this day even though she has something great to celebrate too!

Fiddlers I thought the November exams were "no risk" i.e. students could pick the higher of their CAG/GAV/exam?

DS is only disappointed in the subjects he is going onto study in sixth form. So hopefully will "prove" he could do better by getting a better grade on the higher qualification.

Those are good results @Northumberlandlass
Has he got what he needs for his preferred next step?

@KingscoteStaff and @MirandaWest - our DC might join Karen at Oxford ..... ! Miss Keith would be proud 😃

Hmmm. DD has a 6 that she’s disappointed with in maths (she’s taking maths for A-level, so any revision for that one would still potentially be useful). And a 5-5 in science which isn’t particularly relevant to her A-levels, but which she’s really quite sad about.

@RedskyAtnight I thought so too but that’s what it says?

Hi @singingstones yes - the school had already said he can do PE, Chemistry & Biology which is why he’s a little down abt Chem being a 6.

Onwards & Upwards!