Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

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...

First Thread

Previous thread

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
0DimSumMum0 · 19/08/2020 02:53

@motherstongue

Been lurking about but felt it was time to join in... DD received 3 of her IGCSEs last week. Was down graded on one which, as of last night, has now been reverted to the teachers predicted grade. Had a few days of an upset DD and a few frantic emails backwards and forwards to the school but thankfully all worked out fine now. It left her utterly uptight and freaked out a bit about this Thursday’s results so thank god for the u-turn as she has reverted to (almost) normal. We have decided to go out for lunch tomorrow to celebrate the hard work rather than Thursday and it being all about the results.
Hi motherstongue, how did you find out that the Cambridge result was downgraded and then reverted back to the predicted? Can you access them through the Cambridge site still? We received 3 also last week but have not heard anything since apart from the school saying that the higher result of the two will still stand once we get the CAG. I feel for your DD as on that first batch my son did well but if it had been the other way round he would have been devastated and really worried about Thursdays offerings.
0DimSumMum0 · 19/08/2020 03:03

@Devlesko

Thank you very much, I don't get it. I'm smelling a rat, but surely one of her mates wouldn't have done it.

Dd got an email at 9.30 (last night) saying that her igcse had been downgraded due to the change of exam policy from Cambridge.
She was 7/6 and now 5/5.
Other kids went down a level too, not many but small school.
It was a very highly inflated result and we've had some laughs, but why give them a grade again?

My son's IGCSE Eng Lang with Cambridge went up 1 grade last week but we had an email from the school saying "To be clear, the grades issued by Cambridge last week will stand if they are higher than the teacher predicted grade"
Northumberlandlass · 19/08/2020 05:26

Morning ..... so in an unexpected twist, DS is going to his Dad’s tonight. Which means I won’t be there when he gets the email tomorrow. I asked him to let me know when he gets his results. His response, “if I’m awake” 😳🙄

ealingwestmum · 19/08/2020 05:38

Woah, doing the early sports run and laughing at the match making over night. Another musical one shopping for a tall boy here...she’s 5’8” and has had no luck as yet Grin

itsgettingweird · 19/08/2020 06:23

My ds is tall. 5" 10 (maybe 11). Athletic, very quiet but not musical. Well he loves music and creates his own on computer but doesn't play an instrument.

He's a swimmer!

Paranoidmarvin · 19/08/2020 06:31

Woken up. Finally slept. And realised tomorrow is the day. It cannot come quick enough for me. How to dh and ds just sleep through all the stress.

PaddingtonPaddington · 19/08/2020 06:38

Had a much better nights sleep last night thankfully. Can’t believe it’s tomorrow morning and the actual results they get will be the final ones.

DH thinks I’ve got a bit obsessed with it all.

Loving the MN DC matchmaking!

StillDumDeDumming · 19/08/2020 07:06

@Northumberlandlass

Morning ..... so in an unexpected twist, DS is going to his Dad’s tonight. Which means I won’t be there when he gets the email tomorrow. I asked him to let me know when he gets his results. His response, “if I’m awake” 😳🙄
I feel your pain. In an unexpected twist I’ll actually be with dd for a change, because her dad are traveling the night before for the funeral. I never get to see them on milestones. It’s a punishment. They live a mile away!
Confusedbutheyho · 19/08/2020 07:28

I’m glad DD is away.

I feel physically sick with worry about tomorrow.

EasilyDelighted · 19/08/2020 07:29

Morning all,
We went out for a pre-results meal last night (last night of holiday, travelling home today). DS is planning to meet friends tomorrow during the day then his favourite takeaway in the evening. I'm not back at work till Friday so I'm on taxi duty.

DS feels very angry that throughout all of this there is no sign of the Prime Minister. He has shown how little he cares for the young people of this country by being completely absent throughout exam result time. I agree.

Northumberlandlass · 19/08/2020 07:30

Sad Flowers @StillDumDeDumming

Pleased you’ll be there tomorrow! DS he’ll come back so I can take him to school at 1140 to collect his envelope.

StillDumDeDumming · 19/08/2020 07:32

@Northumberlandlass ah that’s great that you get to be there. My dd was all for going it alone. Dawned on her she might need her mum.

stoneysongs · 19/08/2020 07:32

24hrs 30 mins for us now.
Sorry to hear you might still have a bit of a wait @Northumberlandlass

@Oblomov20 how are things with your DS now?

DS reckons he isn't going to tell us his results, just the grades, and then we have to guess which subject each one applies to Hmm
This child will turn anything into a game. We have been watching champions league football over the last couple of weeks and before each game he says let's see how many players you can name mum Confused

FoolsAssassin · 19/08/2020 07:49

Confused hang in there, the waiting is horrible but nearly done,

DD back home so we are going to hunker down away from the rain and binge watch something on Netflix

FoolsAssassin · 19/08/2020 07:53

I can’t put tall DS into the matchmaking pot as he is convinced he is hideous and no female could ever like him. He’s totally oblivious to the fact that my friend’s stunning and lovely DD (who reduced another friend’s DS to a mumbling wreck recently)has a very soft spot for him and was gutted when she heard he is (hopefully!) going away!!

ealingwestmum · 19/08/2020 08:01

It’s a strange age isn’t it Fools; just how unaware they can be of how they are perceived by others. It’ll come.

Of course itsgettingweird, I remember! Is your boy back in the pool yet?

MirandaWest · 19/08/2020 08:01

I could imagine DS doing something like that with his grades @singingstones - he also loves everything to be a game Grin

LittleLebowski · 19/08/2020 08:11

Just told my daughter this singingstones "DS reckons he isn't going to tell us his results, just the grades, and then we have to guess which subject each one applies to" she thinks it's a great idea and will now be doing it too! Grin
I am sleeping soo badly!
I'm trying to be all calm and 'it's not the be all and all', but internally I'm freaking out. Just want to fast-forward to tomorrow.

itsgettingweird · 19/08/2020 08:15

@ealingwestmum

It’s a strange age isn’t it Fools; just how unaware they can be of how they are perceived by others. It’ll come.

Of course itsgettingweird, I remember! Is your boy back in the pool yet?

They are back to some training. It's nit 10 hours a week but summer programme is usually reduced anyway. So currently 3 hrs and breaking in slowly. First session they struggled a 2k set. Week in and they are 2.5k and adding a little fly drill. Hopefully in another week or 2 they'll be managing 3.5k sets over an hour with some serious fly sets!

It's just all up in the air due to limited space in lanes and having to have time between squads to train etc.

But the great news is before lockdown he was bridging up to the top swaps and his coach invited him to return with them full time which he obviously accepted!

stoneysongs · 19/08/2020 08:16

Glad it's not just me who is raising a psychopath fun-loving child who isn't taking it too seriouslyGrin

Heifer · 19/08/2020 08:30

Good morning all. I am feeling queasy this morning - how the hell am I going to feel tomorrow morning?!
I am not going to tell DD about the games as she will also think it's a good idea :-)
I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to open her email on her own or whilst face timing her friends rather than with me (us). I would hate that - but I have to remember it's her results not mine :-)
I really can't wait for this to be over and to know that she is happy. How on earth are we going to feel in 2 years time??
This thread has been brilliant, so supportive. It's been fancinating hearing about all your Y11s. Totatally different to each other but at the same time, so similar.
DD is back on the hockey pitch - just training 2 hours a week at the moment but it;s a start to getting back to normal.
2 weeks time it's back to school!!!

ealingwestmum · 19/08/2020 08:38

That’s great news itsgettingweird, it’s a good feeling to be moved up squads as a result of effort, as well as performance. Pool time is restricted all round it seems, but at least they have a chance to start building a little endurance after so much time out.

And to all the others getting back to their sports, and other interests, great news to have some sense of normality returning 👍

MirandaWest · 19/08/2020 08:41

DS is at his dads house but coming back later today. I may or may not tell him about the “grades game” Grin

itsgettingweird · 19/08/2020 08:44

@ealingwestmum

That’s great news itsgettingweird, it’s a good feeling to be moved up squads as a result of effort, as well as performance. Pool time is restricted all round it seems, but at least they have a chance to start building a little endurance after so much time out.

And to all the others getting back to their sports, and other interests, great news to have some sense of normality returning 👍

Definitely and para swimming confirmed he will get assessed as soon as back up fully. As he's not planning on the para olympics until 22/28 he should still have time!
mummabear74 · 19/08/2020 08:45

We're just back from a week away and I'm going to keep busy unpacking & doing the washing today. I feel very nervous for tomorrow and hope everyone gets the grades their child deserves and enough to continue to their next stage. Our DD had a guess at grades at the start of lockdown and I must find the envelope with them in. I quite like the guessing game suggested too. I hadn't planned anything for tomorrow and trying to think of something otherwise the day may be a bit flat for her. Her friendship group started to split before lockdown so she hasn't really got a group to celebrate with.