GCSE Summer 2020 Thread 10: Carry on Corona Cohort ‘The Next Step''

[OrangeCinnamon1]

Welcome all to the 10th Thread for this year's GCSE cohort - the Corona Cohort!

This is a thread for supporting all young people ( and their parents) who were examined for GCSEs 2020 regardless of the institute they attended or the grades they needed. 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 needed/deserved/wanted 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 it us 'results day ' most have GCSE results and some awaiting BTEC results .

We are all ALWAYS 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 popping this here.

previous thread

@User120673: another YAYYYYY here for you and your ds - and at least you also know it's a school with a sensible, thoughtful head who can think about individual children which has GOT to be good for your ds. I really hope he has a brilliant time :-)

Can I ask a qu of the classists around the table? DD (my Y10 child) adores classics, but is at a state school where such things aren't on the table - she has always read and loved classical texts/is obsessed by mythology etc. She is teaching herself a bit of Latin but has about 6 languages on the go and it's definitely not her fav, so it's a smattering at best. She mutters about classics/classical civ or similar for a degree, but I have no real sense if that's a viable option (at this stage, she's hoping to move schools at A level so she can study classical civ as an A level choice) - any guidance/suggestions??

@ChristopherTracy: that is SO frustrating. it does feel so unfair that the guidance wasn't clearer and more standardised, as even just from this thread it is so clear that the CAGs - whilst fairer than the algorithm - have still not really made a level playing field.

I'm not sure how the guidance could have been more standardised, as there is no standardisation of assessments done prior to GCSEs or A levels. Different schools do different things.

@PatienceVirtue

Sorry that should be UCAS points... it was called UCCA back in my day.

At present there is no distinction and they made that clear when they bought in the 9. My feeling, especially for Oxbridge and those courses that do take account of GCSEs is that this might change when this year get to admissions year. Possibly relying more on their own admissions exams than GCSE'S. It has not gone down well at all the way Oxbridge have dealth with applicants this year especially when they had so much other evidence apart from A level results. The Widening Participation lot were furious, quite rightly so.

Excellent news @User120673 !

@PatienceVirtue I don’t know specifically in terms of the new style grades. However, when Dd was applying for uni they also gave a lot of weighting to their own assessments- obviously not sure if they will be running these again by the time ours are applying. Dd had a mix of A and A but not across the board A but did well in her BMAT which is what for her an interview I think. It’s probably worth having a good search on the Oxbridge websites to see what you can glean.

Re Oxbridge, DS's friend got a Cambridge offer with even a mix of 7s, 8s and 9s. Standard comp for GCSEs, selective state sixth form.

Surprised at all the 6th forms with "business attire" dress codes. I dont think any of the state 6th form options around here have anything beyond "nothing others might find offensive".

My anecdotal observations Patience based on DC I have seen (and siblings to DD’s peer age) is that it’s often those that didn’t get the top grades who excel in their under grad applications. I think there’s a shift change in learning style from gcse to A/higher level and some of those straight hitters don’t automatically translate.

If your DS is aspiring to Oxbridge, the respective internal exams and interview/a, if shortlisted are more significant than gcse grades, and allegedly treat 8 and 9s equally. I am inclined to believe this, as I’ve seen many who were perceived as dead certs not secure a final offer.

Sorry...interviews. Fat fingers.

@PatienceVirtue as far as I understand it (and dd has been at a similar school to your ds), Oxford put more store by GCSEs. They grade each applicant on a combination of GCSE grades, interview and entrance exam. But they give the same weighting to 8s and 9s. Most successful applicants have about eight. Cambridge aren’t so concerned about GCSEs apparently.

Having said that, it might all change for this year.

Thanks so much for these replies - as I say I'm not even sure he'd want to aim for the top tier but I just wanted to know if they were an option. Arggh pushy parent that I am.

I agree @ealingwestmum about the lack of correlation between GSCEs and undergrad applications/studies. Speaking as someone who got Cs in some o levels, a C in one A level and then a first at Oxford. Each stage requires a different sort of thinking and it doesn't require being good at art or French or whatever it was that you didn't excel at in y11.

Although I know nothing about present day applications, I do instinctively agree with those suggesting more weight on internal examinations. Otherwise it's impossible to distinguish.

At the moment, I'm leaning towards encouraging him to apply to universities post A levels. He's young for the year and I think the fallout from this year will drag on. The whole getting a place at university and then having to get the right grades adds layers of stress.

Johnson stated the mutant algorithm is gone. It is not. The ‘Mutant’ Algorithm is still being used on tens of thousands of state schools’ 2020 GCSE students. The government dumped its algorithm but yesterday, it quietly permitted another, nearly identical one to be declared, ‘[not an error]’. They are most likely referring to the FFT data analysis that up to 1,900 schools used. See ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2020/06/gcse-results-2020-a-look-at-the-grades-proposed-by-schools/?fbclid=IwAR1i6OB4gEvjEcBa4yCWW9xYW83S5EM1K2WiWanh-BKoqTpo1Q0V2Z9-V1g

The government’s abandoned algorithm placed weight on 2017-2019 historical performance, school-level data. FFT placed weight on 2019 historical performance, school-level data. Per the Department for Education, the government algorithm resulted “in more significant inconsistencies than can be resolved through an appeals process” and “the process of allocating grades resulted in more inconsistency and unfairness”. FFT’s certainly resulted in the same biased results yet Ofqual just published the following regarding appeals, “A school or college that took into account the distribution of centre assessment grades compared with grades achieved by the centre’s students in previous years will have acted within the guidance. The taking into account of such information is not, therefore, an error.”

Per FFT, "[schools] received reports which compared the spread of grades in each subject to historical attainment figures and progress data." "We’re going to compare it to published, school-level results for 2019" "The precise reason that schools submitted data to FFT’s statistical moderation service was to seek some assistance in determining what grades to set. Many will have used the reports that they received to tweak the grades they were proposing before they are submitted to the exam boards."

SPREAD THE WORD! LET’S SHOUT LOUD ABOUT THIS INJUSTICE!

Twitter:
@ofqual
@educationgovuk
@BorisJohnson
@GavinWilliamson

Ofqual complaints:
complaints.ofqual.gov.uk/

DfE Complaints:
form.education.gov.uk/en/AchieveForms/?form_uri=sandbox-publish://AF-Process-f1453496-7d8a-463f-9f33-1da2ac47ed76/AF-Stage-1e64d4cc-25fb-499a-a8d7-74e98203ac00/definition.json&redirectlink=%2Fen&cancelRedirectLink=%2Fen

@PatienceVirtue - DS1 has a about to start at Oxford so I have some recent insight.

I think you don't need a full set of 9s but you do need some and most of the rest should probably be 8s to get to interview. I think there is some allowance for spiky profiles but probably only in 1 or 2 GCSE subjects. For what it's worth DS1 got 5 A stars, 1 A 3 9s and an 8 (he was a mix of IGCSEs and GCSEs) then was predicted 4 A star.

The GCSE results are looked at in the context of the school - DS1's school is very high achieving so his GCSEs would not score as highly as if they'd been achieved by someone in a lower performing school.

But that's only what gets you to interview. For most subjects it's the interviews that determine whether you get an offer. Plus any assessments (although DS1 did TSA and that wasn't used to determine offers in his subject).

To be honest it's a bit of a lottery. I'm confident it's a robust process but DS1's school has plenty of surprises - both good and bad. The candidates need to go into it with an open mind and not get too fixated on success.

Had the uniform list through from college, so bottle green lab coat is ordered, needs a polo top, ok this is where it gets interesting only sizes in stock XXL, 3XXL and 4XXL. So went onto live chat to say size not available, they advised try the next size up. Trying to find out when the smaller sizes in stock and told daughter to get on live chat to ask what to wear as an alternative.

@PatienceVirtue The downside to applying post A Levels is that unless you achieve the highest grades, you then may be restricting where you can apply. If you apply with predicted grades and then don’t achieve them, most unis will still consider taking you (apart from Oxbridge).

Eg last year ds1’s offer was A* AA. He got AABC and still got onto his firm choice.

Just taken inherited child shopping. We both got totally freaked by lack of social distAncing and retreated to John Lewis because it was quieter. Hadn’t intended to spend £100.00 on boots or get 6 pairs of knickers for £30.50 , but it is a global pandemic. Know we could have shopped online, but I’ve forgotten all my passwords and keep failing to purchase having put all the effort in, and she had outgrown her shoes so we needed to try some on.
Rest will be online. I think I’ll suggest she registers in my name and give her my card details. I’m exhausted, had to come for a lie down!

What is “business casual” anyway?

Hello all, I was on here leading up to the CAG U-turn but have namechanged.
Will DS - going to a school sixth form (not his y7-11 school) - need a pad of file paper, binders etc for sixth form? He didn't need any of this stuff for GCSE (just his pencil case) but I have seen posters mentioning this stuff.
Also - can anyone recommend a cheap laptop? I don't want to get a Chromebook because I have heard that at my DS's last school it couldn't run the school's online learning system. It has to be cheap because a) just have to buy suits and a bus pass that is one month's salary b) he will drop it, leave it on the bus etc.

Business casual at DS's school mostly seems to be a list of "don'ts!""

For boys it's smart tops with long or short sleeves (collared shirt or a polo shirt)
And tailored trousers or chinos.

No trainers
No hoodies
No outdoor coats worn indoors
No T-shirts
No denim
No hats
No sportswear (unless a Sports student during PE lessons)
etc.

Thank you @RedskyAtnight. I think our business casual may be more of an attempt to stop it looking like they are all off clubbing, not too much flesh on show. But I have a very long legged girl here, she’s worried she will fall foul of the rules. Bought her 2 perfectly ordinary skirts, but they are quite far off the ground.
No T-shirt’s just seems cruel. I used to wear them for work in a profession that took me into very formal settings. No slogan tees would surely be fairer?

@AnneOfCleavage and @year11mummy. Could you tell a hopelessly out of touch person the source of the pink blazers?

I'm also amused by the business casual rules - my business casual wear is often jeans and a top ;-) I asked ds what the rules were and he reckons 'no crop tops' is about it. He tends not to wear those so we're fine.

Utterly underwhelmed by the lack of comms from ds' school: no official welcome, no info on what they need (apart from a specific calculator for maths ... I foresee a pile of extra purchases next week! I'm sort of anticipating a new laptop, but as ds is doing comp sci AND is dyslexic so uses a laptop in lessons I am quite keen to get input direct from his teachers/SENCO before we invest there...

(it's 'ni' btw )
I agree about lack of comms. Lots of info about rules and uniform. None about stationary needed, laptops etc.

DS college doesn’t seem to have a dress code. He wants to wear football shirts pretty much everyday

He enrolled on Tuesday and was given some assignments to complete for his first day, these included a list of items to bring, he needs an a4 folder and a lever arch file for each subject, then an extra 3 a4 folders for different economics topics. I’m not sure how he’s going to fit potentially 3/4 folders in his backpack each day.
Then other standard items like pen, pencils, ruler etc. Also lined paper.

Does anyone know how they will get their BTEC results? We were told tomorrow but no idea how they will be received?
@EasilyDelighted thinking of you and DS and hoping he gets what he needs

Reading the business dress info makes me very glad that DS1 is off to a sixth form where it seems like anything goes, clothes wise! I know several of our indy sixth forms require proper business dress though (essentially a formal suit, shirt and tie). I guess the advantage of that is that it becomes almost like the school uniform, with no morning decision over what to wear.

Feels like summer is out with a bang here - it's pouring with rain. Definitely a start of autumn term feeling!

I have moved on from constant low-level nagging about A level bridging work to constant low-level nagging about the homework given out at induction which must be completed before starting college on 7 September DS1 is normally pretty good at keeping on top of workload but after months of just doing bits and pieces of work here and there (and basically dossing about the rest of the time) the college routine and sheer workload is going to come as a shock I think.