GCSE results day 2021 support thread

[HappySonHappyMum]

10 days to go until results day. Thought I'd start a new thread for parents who are getting the heebie jeebies and are probably more stressed than their DCs. I personally am trying not to mention it AT ALL, so it would be really good to have a thread where I can worry along with everyone else!

@Obakarama

Yes, starting to feel my DD did not do as well as I thought. I guess MN kids are not wholly representative!

This 100%

The brightest girl I dds school (a good friend of hers) got a mixture of 8s and 9s. Dd1 got mainly 8s one 7 and two 6s. She’s done amazingly and we are really happy, but she almost seems below average by MN standards. It’s not at all representative and we really shouldn’t compare. Comparison really is the thief of joy. So long as the DC are happy and can go on to do what they want to next, then it’s all good.

I am disappointed with my DDs results. She got 80% or higher in her mocks and final tests but got 6 6’s and 3 5’s, I know her school wasn’t chosen for moderation as ex is a head of education. Of course haven’t told her that. Her friend got the same test results yet got an 8 on English.

My DS said he'd either be disappointed or ambivalent and it was a mixture of both. Apart from a 9 in his best subject, he got 7s and 8s. He had been expected in normal circumstances to get 8s and 9s, but he dropped out of school at Easter after 3 terms of very patchy engagement (both in person and in lockdown) and really poor mental health. So we're all just glad to draw a line under the whole hideous affair. I'm immensely grateful to the most fantastic Assistant Head at his school who oversaw the gathering of evidence in all his subjects, wrote to exam boards with details of his poor mental health, referred us to CAMHS and then chased them relentlessly, fixed up counselling, put us in touch with various other bodies for help, and guaranteed him a place in 6th form regardless of his results because she believes in him. Bloody amazing teacher. I don't know where we'd be without her.

I am so proud of my daughter, she has a specific learning difficulty and got 1x5, 4x4, 2x distinctions and a 3 in maths.
I am gutted for her tho as she cannot do a level 3 course because of the maths. Bloody government!!

Of course MN is not wholly representative.

It’s the same as any social media (Twitter FB). The only parents I see posting their actual teenagers results are those who got 7, 8 and 9.

There was a real mix of results from my lads state school. Some who got all 8’s and 9’s and others who got 1’s and 2’s.

Those who got 4, 5 and 6 tend to post in general ‘Well done - passed them all’.

Those with 7, 8 and 9 tend to post ‘Amazing, worked so hard etc. and then the grades’

Those who got no where near grade 4’s post nothing.

@cookiemon666 fight hard for your child to get on that course if you think they can handle it.
I think they can do a level 3 if they have Maths OR English.
A poster below has told how their child got on the course they wanted even though they didn't get the grades required.

Ok, this isn't my usual posting name, so I'm going to post my DCs actual results.

7, 6, 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2.

It's certainly not all 8s and 9s here... I'm guessing most posters are holding back from posting average results.

My child is absolutely thrilled they are able to move on to their Level 3 course.

Personally I think two of the 5s could have been 6s, but over all the results are fair, and certainly not inflated.

My DC isn't doing A' levels. If you read MN it seems like that is the only real option available post 16. My DC has the grades to scrape into 6th form, but realistically the A'
level results would be poor, where as I suspect their BTEC results will be pretty good.

@ChocolateCrocFace

Ok, this isn't my usual posting name, so I'm going to post my DCs actual results.

7, 6, 5, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2.

It's certainly not all 8s and 9s here... I'm guessing most posters are holding back from posting average results.

My child is absolutely thrilled they are able to move on to their Level 3 course.

Personally I think two of the 5s could have been 6s, but over all the results are fair, and certainly not inflated.

My DC isn't doing A' levels. If you read MN it seems like that is the only real option available post 16. My DC has the grades to scrape into 6th form, but realistically the A'
level results would be poor, where as I suspect their BTEC results will be pretty good.

Huge well done to your DS.

Some of our BTEC students who are on our higher and degree apprenticeships are better than those that come with A levels. Absolutely nothing wrong with doing a BTEC - they are highly valued where I work. It’s engineering and highly paid too.

@imacuddler. I have been fighting for her since she started school. I will continue to fight. Its so ridiculous

My DS did great, part of me was a little disappointed but then I had a bloody strong word with myself. I reminded myself that many years ago all I wanted was him to be happy, have friends, feel part of a community and if he passed exams then that was a bonus.
He got 3 Gr 5 Gr 4 1 Gr 6 and a level 1 distinction in Sport Science.
He has ASD and spent most of reception with his shoes off on a corner! When he got to secondary school it was horrific, he struggled immensely.
He has left school with loads of friends, really good social skills and a real gift for sport.
I realise it could have been so different and am proud of the young man he has become. He is off to do a higher BTEC.

My very lazy son managed to scrape through to 6th form with 5s and 4s. He struggled terribly during lockdown but the scare of not getting through i hope spurs him on.
Hes doing a mix of btecs and a levels.
One of his friends got all 9s (and a special mention by the head). Proud of all our kids getting through a shocking year and a half.
I thank my sons teachers for the extra help getting him over the line.
In the real world a lot haven't passed and I hope they are all OK in the long run. On a few years no one will care about GCSEs anyway

@cookiemon666 I'll cross all my fingers for her.
I agree with @Lucyccfc68 but also love mumsnet. The support has really helped me get through the exams this year.
My DC got two 6s (which one should have been higher), one 5 which we were very pleased with, lots of 4s which we were VERY pleased with and relieved, a 3 and a 2 (both of which where predicted much higher). So a real mix.
The 2 and 3 show that the school didn't just give grades away based on predicted grades or what the child could achieve (their grade policy was absolutely awful as well) so the other results seem to be hard won.
And a win they most certainly are .

Also going on to do btech

*Btec
Hopefully my child can spell it as I clearly can't

I knew it was going to be all fails, due to DD having been raped and therefore being unable to cope with going to school and sitting her exams. Seeing it in black and white still hurt though.

Her mental health is much more important and she can do English and Maths GCSES alongside her college course, so all is good.

@TheBigFatMermaid

I knew it was going to be all fails, due to DD having been raped and therefore being unable to cope with going to school and sitting her exams. Seeing it in black and white still hurt though.

Her mental health is much more important and she can do English and Maths GCSES alongside her college course, so all is good.

I'm so so sorry for your daughter and of course your whole family. I hope with time and love she can somehow move on with her life and not let this horrendous crime define her. Best of luck to you all

Been there with DD in tears and distraught many years ago. I wish media/TV didn't hype the results day. Its all very well for those academically gifted. Life isn't all about A* grades and uni. Sometimes its about finding your route in other directions. Work experience, apprenticeships. Be there for them whatever the outcome.

Thank you maxbabi.

Since he got 4 years in prison and 3 years on licence, and the judge made amazing comments about my DD, we have all moved on massively. DD is excited about her future. We are very proud of her.

All the way through, she was thinking of the 13 year old he would do it to next.

@TheBigFatMermaid

Your DD sounds like a very strong and resilient young woman, qualities which should be valued much higher than exam results.

SlightlyJaded I’ve been pondering the state v private point in one of your posts and this was linked by someone in the know on another thread which was really useful to read.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2021/08/gcse-results-2021-the-main-trends-in-grades-and-entries/

‘Between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of entries graded 7 or above at independent schools increased from 46% to 61%. If we leave aside Colleges (where most entries will be from those aged 17 and above), this percentage among state schools increased from 21% to 28%.

Though as one comment to this article below notes, there was also a large (10 percentage point) among secondary selective schools though the Ofqual data only paints half a picture since it only seems to include 85 out of 160+ grammar schools.

We still do not know a great deal about the external quality assurance undertaken by the exam boards.’

I don’t know anything about the process at all, and it might be some kind of bell curve change due to learning in each sector over last two years. I’d be interested to know more though.

@MarshaBradyo

SlightlyJaded I’ve been pondering the state v private point in one of your posts and this was linked by someone in the know on another thread which was really useful to read.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2021/08/gcse-results-2021-the-main-trends-in-grades-and-entries/

‘Between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of entries graded 7 or above at independent schools increased from 46% to 61%. If we leave aside Colleges (where most entries will be from those aged 17 and above), this percentage among state schools increased from 21% to 28%.

Though as one comment to this article below notes, there was also a large (10 percentage point) among secondary selective schools though the Ofqual data only paints half a picture since it only seems to include 85 out of 160+ grammar schools.

We still do not know a great deal about the external quality assurance undertaken by the exam boards.’

I don’t know anything about the process at all, and it might be some kind of bell curve change due to learning in each sector over last two years. I’d be interested to know more though.

Last year 2020 state schools were advised by Ofqual that their exam results (the CAGs) could be investigated by Ofqual and if any evidence of bias was found, the school could lose its exam centre status.

Your daughter is a star 🌟 for getting through that @TheBigFatMermaid

It puts it all in perspective for sure.

@MarshaBradyo and @NOTANUM I've just followed the link and read it. I think it suggest that there may be something in my feeling about Private Schools having more autonomy and being less scrutinised.

But no matter - it's over now and for all the DC i am glad it's time to move on. I agree that MN is not representative (and nor is any social media). It's telling that my DD (with her mostly 7s and odd 8) so effectively got a clean sweep of A's in old money, is feeling deflated and a bit disappointed not to get 9s - because the social media posts she has seen would suggest that 9s are par for the course. They really are not. Truly well done to all of those who got them, but mostly well done to the less academic kids or the ones who really struggled with lockdown and have made it though the other side. They are the ones who really should be getting praised this week.

I think of it like a race. Effectively every child is entered into the same race. Some are natural athletes, a few are Elite athletes, others are just not athletic. Some are a bit overweight, some have health conditions, some freeze up when the starting gun fires, some might have disabilities and some can run but just aren't very good at running. And at the end of the race, we hand out Gold medals to the elite athletes that won - which is fine, except that there isn't a race designed for the rest of the kids. So they take their silvers and their bronzes or their 'medal for participation' and we move on. Those kids that were disadvantaged and still completed the race have overcome far more than the athlete to win. So to me, they should be praised more for simply crossing the line.

NOTANUM, so true. I was stressing so much about how well she was or was not doing. Then this happened. I was more focused on making sure she wasn't suicidal or self harming.

As someone who did an access course in later life, I know education can happen any time.

We are past that awful stage and she's very excited to be going to college.

Well done to everyone. I am so proud of my son who is blind and has been through alot especially last year with Covid19 and lockdown. He has achieved 6x9 and 3x8.! He keeps saying out loud "I'm a genius ".