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!

Another one in the 'not mentioning it' club here. We've had both sets of grandparents visiting over the last few weeks and they were instructed not to mention it either, as ds has really struggled with going to school throughout Year 11, having had no problems before the pandemic. His school were brilliant about accommodating him for his exams and we have a fairly good idea of grades from earlier assessments.

Still bloody nervewracking, though. I'm definitely more worried about his GCSEs than I was about my own! (And, whilst not the same, I did my GCSEs in the first year of GCSEs so it was a rollercoaster then as well in terms of no-one really knowing how they'd be marked). He worked really hard and I'm pretty sure he will have the grades to go into Sixth Form to do his chosen subjects. My only concern is that he meets his own expectations.

@Chocolateriver I do hope so! (thanks so much for posting)

ds actually did get off his backside and do some work so hopefully this will be reflected in the grades.

think he can go in to collect in person and they then email them out about half an hour later..... pretty sure he won't let us go with him to collect them -even if we promise to wait in the car!

Joining the thread but don't really know what to expect next week. DS worked as hard as he possibly could whilst suffering months of chronic fatigue. Whatever the results I expect we'll have a celebratory meal of sushi.

They're expecting him back for sixth form in September which is good because we didn't have a plan B!

@clary

Yes it is him that couldn’t decide what to do…he is still really undecided. PE and Geography are definite but still dithering about the final one.

My DS is looking forward to results day and enrolling at college.
He’s seen most of the results that were sent away, so it looks like he will do better having done it this way than sitting GCSE’s.

How has your DS seen the results? I'm just curious as ours have been done quite secretively (Lincolnshire grammar?) They told us they were swapping papers amongst the grammar consortium teachers to avoid bias, but I was hoping for a bit of bias, lol! My DS finds learning so hard but is a total trier-this might have been the one time where being marked by a teacher who knows how hard he tried over lockdown might have helped his grade a little!

Also interested in how your DS saw results DinosaurDiana.

An email from my DS's school stated that they were forbidden from disclosing the Teacher Assessed Grades to any third party, including students and parents, until results days.

National inconsistencies I guess!
My friend's DS who is at a selective independent school knows all his results already and dare I say-she admitted they had been boosted up.
It therefore sucks that our school went with a really draconian approach of anonymous marking, plus 2 sets of Mocks and assessments. We received that exact email too along with stern words from the Head about don't bother trying to ask!
Oh well!

@WhatHaveIFound

Also interested in how your DS saw results DinosaurDiana.

An email from my DS's school stated that they were forbidden from disclosing the Teacher Assessed Grades to any third party, including students and parents, until results days.

They were given the scores from the papers they took.

Thanks for starting the thread

Usually we'd have been away on holiday, but this year we've been at home SI so the wait is really painful.

We have very little idea of what the results might be. DD is boarder line 4 in several subjects so it's nail biting for us.

I had written off her GCSEs in May 2020 as we were advised that she should stop all school work for health reasons. She seemed to make a comeback though, and I couldn't be more proud of her.

I feel so sad when I think of lock down at the start of this year when she was home alone in her bedroom, with what seemed like constant zoom lesson. She didn't organise herself to open her curtains or eat (I'd leave her breakfast and pop home for lunch and see her for for 10 mins if I could) but she did work really hard in the lessons, and dealt with the many IT issues like lessons over lapping & deciding which none to be in quite brilliantly) . No 15yo should have to spend day after day alone in a room learning by themselves.

Wales students were told their submitted grades.
England were told not to discuss submitted grades with students or parents, though of course students would have known how they were performing from mocks if nothing else.

As long as pupils have enough to get to the next level that is 'good enough', 7s not 8/9s or 4s not 5/6s won't matter in the long term no matter how disappointing on the day.

If they tried their best that is all we can ask.

To all the students (and parents!) awaiting next week's results and

Dreading it just hope DD does well enough to get into 6th form. She is dyslexic and qualified for 25% extra time. But her mocks was a total fiasco. She only received extra time in 4 subjects. In most of her exams two kids close to her were coughing badly (she was worried about covid as I am on the shielded list and they turned out to have covid) why no teacher picked up on it I don’t know. They sat mocks in December north of England in just a jumper in halls with all windows flung open due to covid in one drafty old hall they had a bucket catching the rain water and DD is easily distracted. She didn’t receive any extra time in the numerous timed assessments in class and said some students were openly looking up the answers on their phones etc etc.

My ds is just wondering how he actually gets his results; there hasn’t been any info from school!

Life DD hasn't had any info yet, though I am assuming it will be in person as it was last year. I'm guessing we'll get sent info on Fri/Mon.
(Whether she can make it over the threshold though is another matter as she hasn't done that for a year.)

If it helps any, we've been told to check emails at 8.30am as they are emailing the results to stidents. We've been asked not to go to school, but that staff will be on the phone from 10.30am for advice if needed.
Different for different schools though I think.

@HazyDaisy123456 hopefully your dd will get what she needs. Do you know whether the grades will be based solely on these tests or are the school going to take other work into account too? There will also be an appeals process and if your dd didn’t have her rightful access arrangements then this could be something to keep in mind. Although I fully appreciate this probably is a route you really want to go down. You never know, the school may have taken your dd needs into account when awarding grades. The Ofqual information was a bit confusing and contradictory in parts, but it did say to take an ‘holistic’ approach. I definitely took various individual student situations into account. So you could be pleasantly surprised come results day. Try not to worry unnecessarily just yet - easier said than done I know.

Thanks @ChocolateRiver fingers crossed.

At Dd’s school they have been asked to turn up at school between 8.30 and 10 and all the different form groups have to collect their results from different places. are collecting their results from the same room. Then all go to the main hall and either sign up for 6th form or loon at other post 16 options. The email said parents were welcome to wait in certain places but not go into the school buildings but DD is adamant she doesn’t want us anywhere near the school.

@TeenMinusTests

Life DD hasn't had any info yet, though I am assuming it will be in person as it was last year. I'm guessing we'll get sent info on Fri/Mon. (Whether she can make it over the threshold though is another matter as she hasn't done that for a year.)

DD had info (which I intercepted) but parents weren't informed about what's happening on results day until today. So your DD might have had info but not read it.

I'm guessing lots of parents haven't read the info sent to students and have contacted the school.

We got a letter on the last day of term, ds will be given a time slot to go in. Otherwise results will follow by email. I've persuaded him to go in as my nerves can't take it!

@LynetteScavo You're right about no 15yo should be learning alone in a bedroom for weeks on end. I don't know how some of our year 11s coped with it. I was working from home and was pretty upset listening to some of the things my DDs friends were having to deal with. I think all results will have been very hard earned this year but of course the media will call the results worthless and fake as per usual I imagine.

Hello, joining in. Thanks for the thread. We have been informed that results will be emailed to students after 10.30. My DD will be at work so might not check at all.while I will slowly expire in anticipation. Can’t call her at work either.

[quote ihearttc]@clary

Yes it is him that couldn’t decide what to do…he is still really undecided. PE and Geography are definite but still dithering about the final one.[/quote]
Maybe something will stand out for him next Thursday - fingers crossed for an unexpected 9! DS2 almost did physics on the back of an 8 he was amazed by :)

Lynette School definitely didn't email the pupils as I've been in charge of DD's email all year. I'm guessing we will get an email soon just on track record (a) they keep parents in the loop (esp as many will need to be driven in) and (b) with all the CV stuff they have generally waited to make announcements until situation is clear so they wouldn't have wanting to publicise things in June for mid August.
Though of course they could have told them verbally or given them something on paper which we would have missed.

@TeenMinusTests - that would drive me mad as I like to know everything ahead!

We had to book a slot, and I chose an early, but not too early as I appreciate some parents who need to get to work might need the earlier times. DD has no intention of staying for sixth form, but they're desperate to fill it up and are offering places with much lower grades than usual (apparently maths GCSE isn't required) I think DD might get the grades they're asking for, but would struggle with Alevels. I want her to pretend she's interested just to see how far they'll take it with a student they know would struggle. She says she can't be bothered though. Can you tell I'm bored?