Page 25 | GCSE support - the final frontier!

SheilaFentiman · 2023-06-10T21:25:21+00:00

These are the voyages of the GCSE Enterprise. To support our DCs, bemoan exam boards and to boldly go through the last fortnight like no one has gone before!

CalmConfident · 15/06/2023 09:28

Alongside it they give actual grade outcome for mocks but th predicted range stay static as 7-9

closethedrawer · 15/06/2023 09:55

TeenDivided · 15/06/2023 08:04

@PicnicBunny You misunderstand me, I think.

I think the existence of 9s is relatively pointless because it brings unnecessary stress to the perfectionist high achievers without being any practical benefit.
It isn't that, given that they do exist, parents shouldn't be able to talk about the pressure they bring.

However on that general note. I hope that on results day we don't get parents of kids who have achieved 7s saying their kids results were 'bad' or 'awful' which has happened in some years. It is fine for parents to be disappointed they were lower than they could have been, but in any objective sense 7s are good.

(Really I think many parents of academic strugglers might prefer just to see 'delighted met/beat predictions' rather than all the 7s, 8s and 9s listed out but that's never going to happen. And if people can't boast on results day anonymously on MN, then that would be a shame too.)

I agree with this 💯

closethedrawer · 15/06/2023 10:04

I'm pleased to say that my DS has no interest in what anyone else gets. His group of friends vary academically and all have different plans for what they want to do after school.

I know he'll be pleased if he gets a 4 in English Language, and over the moon if he gets a 5, because that will be a huge achievement for him, it's irrelevant what anyone else gets.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 15/06/2023 10:22

Yes I don't think DD cares what her friends get. Whilst I think all will probably pass all their GCSE's, some are doing Higher some are doing Foundation, some are doing more practical courses so they don't really compare themselves with each other. And some are going on to A levels, others to vocational courses mostly at different schools/colleges. There's definitely a feeling of moving on with them all and the GCSE results are just a stepping stone onto the next stage of life.

Jowak1 · 15/06/2023 10:35

My son said Edexecl History was quite hard! Hope he has done well enough for a pass as it's not one of his A level subjects

kidstaxidriver · 15/06/2023 10:50

@closethedrawer totally with you on this and so relieved DS has this mindset as opposed to worrying and comparing himself to others, which I know I’m prone to doing……. It’s refreshing!

thespy · 15/06/2023 10:59

Edexcel history now done - hooray 1 stupid exam left tomorrow and it's all over for DD!!! Marvellous!

She was quite stressy / panicked this morning and had been cramming last night and reading text book on way to school, so I was feeling anxious for her, but she just phoned me saying it was great! I must say I slightly worry when DC say this after exams (in case they've totally got the wrong end of the stick and not actually answered the question - all dyslexic) but nothing to be done now either way so onwards.

Hope everyone else's DC have had a good day.

BonjourCrisette · 15/06/2023 11:01

Completely agree about the worthlessness of 9s as a grade, and I speak as the mother of a child who is likely to achieve this in at least some of her subjects. It's just pointless. She thinks getting a 7 will be a bad mark (I constantly point out that it is a fantastic grade, it's an A and it's a grade some people can only dream of achieving and that I couldn't care less as long as she does her best).

In fact, I wouldn't mind if they did away with all this 'better than an A' business and just went back to A, B, C etc. At least in those days a B was the second to top grade and therefore perfectly respectable.

TripleDaisySummer · 15/06/2023 11:10

I'm thinking ahead here but if you want your results by email, do you have to request that? Or do they get automatically sent them at a certain time?

I think it varies between schools and their polices.

DS was asked and chose e-mail which then due to his school imposed difficulties meant he wouldn't have access to - and it took 6 e-mails then e-mailing a none parent family member by mistake and a meeting to supposedly sort it being sent to a parents e-mail. I suspect we may still have to go in and sort things on the day.

I remember getting my own from school with my Dmum refusing to let me talk to anyone - and every single family member saying don't mind about the C - the one grade I'd worked so hard on and pulled up from a scrapped E in the mocks.

We still have A* to G here in wales - so do avoid the whole 9-7 perception difficulties.

PicnicBunny · 15/06/2023 11:25

Ds waffled on so much he missed two 4 mark questions. More tears now

Summer787Cyclist · 15/06/2023 11:25

Really interesting chat about the grade expectations and I’m guessing heavily influenced by the school environments your YP are in. My DD is at a huge failing comp where we’ve just glad she has survived the process hopefully with her mental health in tact but the expectations of teachers even with top sets was to pass! I was shocked when a year ago her English teacher felt it was great her top set would all pass with G4-5…my DD entered the school on a G7/8 path. When I looked up entry requirements for college / Uni I could see a min G6 was needed so she’s had to work hard outside school to pull that up as the school just didn’t have the resources to do it (5 English teachers left at Easter), I doubt there will be very few of her 350+ cohort getting ANY G8/9s not because they are not academically able but the quality of support just hasn’t been there. This isn’t inner city either (SW) just a reflection of the chronic underfunding in other areas of the country.

roadsidetree · 15/06/2023 11:28

DS is back from Edexcel History (Weimar & Nazi Germany) and mumbled the exam was alright. Not sure what to make of this monosyllable.

He has his last and final AQA Geography tomorrow afternoon.

PicnicBunny · 15/06/2023 11:28

Edexcel Weimar Nazi Germany a distaster apparently. I don’t know what missing 8 marks is going to do. He’s now said he loves History and Weimar was his strong subject now feels awful. Even his teacher had said to him it’s okay to get even a C in history that’s what he got! One more day!

Jowak1 · 15/06/2023 11:30

My son told the Headteacher ( History is his subject )some of the main questions on the Edexcel History paper and his headteacher thought they were really bad questions to ask.

minisnowballs · 15/06/2023 11:33

DD says Weimar was all on the earlier period and lots of people found that really hard, depending on what they had revised. She seems OK though..

@PicnicBunny they worry so much about individual questions - he needs to remember he's taken two other full papers as well- it's easy to catastrophise over one. Poor thing though - a lot of it seems to be the luck of the draw with the questions.

PicnicBunny · 15/06/2023 11:45

Ds said he knew the answers but ran out of time this one was shorter exam and mentally he couldn’t pace himself. He waffled on in the other questions and went into it in depth too much agggg so frustrating. His timing is always slow anyway. He loses track of time when writing. But he’s gone to bed.

TripleDaisySummer · 15/06/2023 11:49

Summer787Cyclist · 15/06/2023 11:25

Really interesting chat about the grade expectations and I’m guessing heavily influenced by the school environments your YP are in. My DD is at a huge failing comp where we’ve just glad she has survived the process hopefully with her mental health in tact but the expectations of teachers even with top sets was to pass! I was shocked when a year ago her English teacher felt it was great her top set would all pass with G4-5…my DD entered the school on a G7/8 path. When I looked up entry requirements for college / Uni I could see a min G6 was needed so she’s had to work hard outside school to pull that up as the school just didn’t have the resources to do it (5 English teachers left at Easter), I doubt there will be very few of her 350+ cohort getting ANY G8/9s not because they are not academically able but the quality of support just hasn’t been there. This isn’t inner city either (SW) just a reflection of the chronic underfunding in other areas of the country.

We've also found it very frustrating at times the lack of ambition for the DC - because as you say you have to put in resources and motivate at home.

But you are right the upside has been DS felt less pressure - and as he very much used to have perfectionist tenancies probably not a bad thing - especially as like me he's a very quiet plodder.

We did think it screwed DD1 - second year of covid so no exams still - the school predicted quite low for the cohort generally. They'd had high GCSE for school with previous head who was forced out then as staff left they dropped then covid - but it was a bit eye raising how much in sixth form evening they went on about the huge increase in results - no where near results under previous head - but up on covid years.

We've similarly has a disseminated English department - DS did English Lit in 12 months and most of the year with no English teacher at all - he was top set and got a B - which given situation was great - but school didn't seem to expect more - hopefully they focused on border line students but I'm not sure they actually did. Don't think any are going on with English Language A-levels it just killed their interest.

SirSidneyRuffDiamond · 15/06/2023 11:49

I also hate the whole grade 9 business - I expect the introduction of the numerical ranking system running in this order is a way to avoid the old A * business, as almost inevitably there will eventually be a grade 10 added.

PicnicBunny · 15/06/2023 11:49

Not sure even how to check grade boundaries for this one. 8 marks lost.

spiderlight · 15/06/2023 12:00

I'm really glad we still have letter grades here in Wales. DS will be delighted with Bs and Cs. That two days before the exams started, we didn't think he'd be able to sit any of them because his illness and the anxiety he'd built up around it had him completely unable to leave the house, and his Head of Year had contingencies in place for an invigilator at home. The fact that he made it into the exam hall and sat them all means that he's got twelve A*s for courage and resilience, in my book. Getting the five Cs he needs for college will be a bonus.

BonjourCrisette · 15/06/2023 12:06

Summer787Cyclist · 15/06/2023 11:25

Really interesting chat about the grade expectations and I’m guessing heavily influenced by the school environments your YP are in. My DD is at a huge failing comp where we’ve just glad she has survived the process hopefully with her mental health in tact but the expectations of teachers even with top sets was to pass! I was shocked when a year ago her English teacher felt it was great her top set would all pass with G4-5…my DD entered the school on a G7/8 path. When I looked up entry requirements for college / Uni I could see a min G6 was needed so she’s had to work hard outside school to pull that up as the school just didn’t have the resources to do it (5 English teachers left at Easter), I doubt there will be very few of her 350+ cohort getting ANY G8/9s not because they are not academically able but the quality of support just hasn’t been there. This isn’t inner city either (SW) just a reflection of the chronic underfunding in other areas of the country.

This is really sobering, particularly "the expectations of teachers even with top sets was to pass". It can't possibly be the case that your daughter is the only one clearly capable of considerably better.

@spiderlight Really well done to your son. Hope he gets the grades he needs for the next step!

Violasrule · 15/06/2023 12:07

minisnowballs · 15/06/2023 11:33

DD says Weimar was all on the earlier period and lots of people found that really hard, depending on what they had revised. She seems OK though..

@PicnicBunny they worry so much about individual questions - he needs to remember he's taken two other full papers as well- it's easy to catastrophise over one. Poor thing though - a lot of it seems to be the luck of the draw with the questions.

DS said the same. We spent yesterday evening going over Hitler and then section B was all about the Weimars.

Very pleased that was the last History paper.

Purrfecto · 15/06/2023 12:17

My daughter was predicted a 9 but wasn’t happy with the edexcel paper.
She had one lesson on culture in Weimar and most of paper based on this.
12 marker went well apparently but she said some friends wrote things outside the time period stated.

PicnicBunny · 15/06/2023 12:21

Have to draw a line under it. Physics and Geography tomorrow.

HappiDaze · 15/06/2023 12:34

I haven't heard back yet from DD re this mornings History exam which hopefully means it was ok

DD and her friends just want to pass. Some will do very well others not so and some like DD will be relieved to pass but excited to see if their revision has increased their marks compared to their dire Mock results