GCSE 2022 Results - the moment of reckoning!

[Rollergirl11]

Hello everyone, here is a shiny new thread ready for DC’s results day tomorrow and a much needed hand hold for us nervous parents. 🥴🤪

Tomorrow is the culmination of an incredibly turbulent 2 year journey that our young people have had to navigate. Fraught with ups and downs. They have done us all proud!!

Here is a link to the previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4566030-current-year-11-2-more-weeks-of-exams?page=37&reply=119483572

Thank you both @TeenDivided and @whenwillthemadnessend. These results are not good for school. He doesn't want to study Economics alone is interested in PPE / Politics and Economics.

Well done to your DD @whenwillthemadnessend , I do wish that we had sent out DS to a comprehensive but it's done now.
He loves his school but it has been a real stretch financially. I think he would have done better in a school with less pressure.

@Lovemusic33 - a big congratulations to your DD, absolutely fantastic achievements.

@BerryPieandCustard I'm sorry to hear what your ds has been through, just awful. Well done to him.

It does put everything in perspective doesn't it?

Really pleased for her. That's a proper achievement!

That's fantastic @Lovemusic33. Well done to your DD you must be very proud.

@Lovemusic33 well done to your dd, great results, you should be really proud of her.

@Lovemusic33 what a fantastic achievement. Very well done to your DD, you must be incredibly proud.

Well done to all these fantastic kids who have achieved so much and have had disrupted schooling.

We've been through this twice before with my older dds who are now 21 and 19, and will do it again next year with dd3.

Just wanted to say to those who are disappointed with their results - there is always another path. There seems to be this expectation that A levels automatically follow (especially for academic kids) but there are many other options. If kids have struggled to revise or don't enjoy their subjects, they may find A Levels tough.

My view on re-marking is that it's usually not worth it. The times we have requested a re-mark the grades haven't changed. Personally I think there is too much analysis of marks and grade boundaries, it just causes extra stress. Years ago you just got a grade!

well said!

I would have a look on clearing for research - there are lots of maths/business courses on there with grades from Cs upwards. Everyone seems obsessed with Warwick etc and they do seem to require A* etc but there are many other great places to go. Hopefully that will show him there are many options however his a levels go eventually

@Tiredpigeon and @bendmeoverbackwards

Thank you 😊
It does indeed put things in perspective and I am so proud of him. DS choice of Domino’s takeaway with a load of sides tonight to celebrate!!

@Shongle I'm sorry your ds is disappointed but his results are very good, mostly 7s and 8s. He should be proud of his results as you should be.

I feel sorry for these kids who feel they must achieve top grades. They just need to get whatever is needed to get them onto the next stage. He has a college place to do the subjects he wants so all should be good. He is looking much too far ahead, now is not the time to be thinking about university! There is no reason why he should wait a year before applying. He should apply in Year 13 like everyone else and see what happens. And he certainly doesn't need all A*s for those universities you mention.

DS got 7 and 8 in his English mocks and was predicted 8 and 8 but got 5 and 5. I haven’t checked the grade boundaries yet to see if worth a remark, he’s disappointed

We are thrilled that dd got:
two 8s
five 7s
one 6
two 5s

Especially pleased with the 6 for English Language which was a real surprise after a 3 in the mocks and much struggling. It’s not always about the top marks.

I can’t believe what I’ve just read. But in a good way. My son is in his 30’s, barely verbal but can read and do key stage 1 arithmetic. To see that your darling daughter passed her GCSE’s and that she’s going to college is just out of this world. A huge well done to her and to you and everyone who loves her and has supported her. What you’ve all achieved is monumental and I wish all of you, but your girl in particular, all the very best going forward.

And to everyone else who’s children were up against it and still managed to get this far in their education - a huge well done to them. To all of you.

Well said. The relentless love, dedication, support and encouragement to achieve this is humbling to read. I hope you can take some time wallow in the pleasure of this.

Yes, it's sad to hear of young people with very good grades feeling disappointed. I know the system was changed to provide more discrimination between pupils but I think sometimes it's helpful to turn things back into "old money" and remember that 7s would have been As, which I doubt many people would have been disappointed in. A 7 is a high grade to be celebrated.
My DS got all 7-9s bar one 6 and I've had a couple of messages from people whose kids have got mostly 9s along the lines of "Oh don't be too upset, he's such a lovely boy, and there's more than one way to be successful in life other than academic prowess". WTAF?! We're thrilled! He worked very hard and got what would have been the equivalent of 6 A* 2 A and 1B a few years ago for heaven's sake, and I feel very optimistic about his future. But some of these people are speaking like he is on the scrap heap at 16 because he didn't get as many 9s as their kid. Total and utter garbage. Every pupil who has reached their potential should be celebrated.
I also teared up when I read @Lovemusic33 's posts. What an incredible achievement that should be shouted from the rooftops. That is what success looks like, with bells on.

I am so proud of his achievement as at one point all I wanted from him was to stay alive.

My DD had a similar trauma to shoulder. It’s been unreal. Well done to you for all of the strength and comfort you gave to your son in these darkest days @BerryPieandCustard

@MrsAvocet how awful that people said that to you. Your ds has done fantastically well, huge well done to him and to you for keeping him grounded.

Personally I feel we should do away completely with the grading system and have a simple pass or fail at GCSE. That would avoid this ridiculous competitiveness (unfortunately among parents as well as students).

Echo all that has been said here 💖

Well done to each and everyone who sat the exams. Revel in these achievements and onwards and upwards now. Also to those who are disappointed please don't despair. These young people are at the start of a journey and the life skills they will gain along the way will be more important in years to come than the gcse results.

We are delighted that DS got a mix of 8s 7s 6s and a 5. He's got his place at sixth form for the subjects he chose and are so proud and relieved.

I have seen so many FB posts and it makes me so mad, so much pressure on the kids and also a lot of bullshit. One friend has posted a photo of her DD getting her results saying congratulations she's passed when she hasn't really, a few others suggesting top marks when their DCs have told mine they have mostly 4s. I fear for DCs mental health if even their own parents can't actually celebrate what they have achieved and their actual brilliance rather than what they would have liked them to achieve. So much pressure these days, and also for a year group that have been stitched up compared to last couple of years.

We will have a tough time with DS2 as he has additional needs but whatever I know he'll work hard and do something he will excel in even if it's not massively academic.

@Bayleaf25 what was she expecting? If a 7, I’d request the script and have the HOD English review it at her school. If it looks to them like she could gain some marks, def go for it! In some cases, we feel the examiner has been too generous so we then don’t appeal!

@GingerPushkin definitely!

Thanks @bendmeoverbackwards we are very pleased for him.
It's the parents, not the kids to be honest. DS has a lovely friendship group and they are all very supportive of each other. He says the conversation has been mainly around whether they are happy with what they've got, not one upmanship. But I know of parents who are even comparing the actual marks, to figure out whose 9 is the best 9. 🙄 I'm not engaging.
I did look at the grade boundaries out of curiosity and a couple of DS's 8s are only a mark or 2 off 9s. I asked him if he wanted me to ask about getting them reviewed but he said no, an 8 is a strong grade and he is happy that his grades reflect his abilities and the work he's done. He just wants to focus his A levels now, not have a GCSE post mortem. That'll do for me. Time to celebrate then move on to the next stage.

Seriously what are things coming to of 6/7/8/9s are not a god selection of results. Like you say because of the change to numbers even a 7 sounds lower but it's just ridiculous.

You're a great parent @MrsAvocet and I agree with every word. Hope you have a lovely evening celebrating.