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GCSE Support - nervously waiting

1000 replies

Hellocatshome · 29/06/2023 21:53

Hopefully everyone from GCSE Support The Final Frontier can find this new thread!

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11
scaredysquiggle · 15/08/2023 20:52

We get some results this Thursday from the CIE board. I think results at in two halves is a bad idea. She had forgotten until I reminded her today (wish I hadn't). She's now nervous...

PhotoDad · 15/08/2023 20:53

CIE are a law unto themselves. It would be better for everyone if they co-ordinated exam timetables and results with the other boards!

scaredysquiggle · 15/08/2023 20:55

My bad. It's tomorrow

grass321 · 15/08/2023 22:00

blimey what kind of school is this? My kids went to a leafy comp and in the first year to do all number grades, DD's very smart and lovely friend got 9999999888 from memory. In DS2's year his super clever mathsy mate got a 6 in something (DS told me as he got a 7 in it lol).

Selective private school near London. For the avoidance of doubt, I won't be making him feel a failure if he doesn't get all 9s. But his brother got 9s during the covid years and then A stars last year when the grades weren't deflated back to normal. So he will feel disappointed even though there's no need to.

clary · 15/08/2023 22:19

grass321 · 15/08/2023 22:00

blimey what kind of school is this? My kids went to a leafy comp and in the first year to do all number grades, DD's very smart and lovely friend got 9999999888 from memory. In DS2's year his super clever mathsy mate got a 6 in something (DS told me as he got a 7 in it lol).

Selective private school near London. For the avoidance of doubt, I won't be making him feel a failure if he doesn't get all 9s. But his brother got 9s during the covid years and then A stars last year when the grades weren't deflated back to normal. So he will feel disappointed even though there's no need to.

30 tho. Blimey. I mean hundreds of thousands of DC sit their GCSEs each year and fewer than 1000 got all 9s in 2019; but 30 of them are at your DCs' school. wow. I'm not disputing just astonished.

NCTDN · 15/08/2023 22:24

scaredysquiggle · 15/08/2023 20:52

We get some results this Thursday from the CIE board. I think results at in two halves is a bad idea. She had forgotten until I reminded her today (wish I hadn't). She's now nervous...

What's CIE?

MargaretThursday · 15/08/2023 22:38

clary · 15/08/2023 22:19

30 tho. Blimey. I mean hundreds of thousands of DC sit their GCSEs each year and fewer than 1000 got all 9s in 2019; but 30 of them are at your DCs' school. wow. I'm not disputing just astonished.

Well assuming that they aren't just looking at the covid years because things were skewed there (one school near here got 100% 9s in 2020, when they normally had a more normal distribution) then there are ways that schools could make that more likely.

Selective entry. Naturally if you only take the top 5% then you should get better results.
Sit fewer exams. I did 10 GCSEs. That was considered unusual, most people in my area did 8. Dd1 did 15 GCSEs or GCSE equivalent, plus Additional maths. My other two haven't done quite that many, but still 13/14.
Choose exams that tend to be easier to get top grade in. eg I believe a fair proportion of top grades in some languages are gained by pupils for whom it's their first language, making it harder to get a top grade for pupils for whom it isn't.
Those are all fair enough, but you could also have the situation where a school discourages a pupil from sitting an exam if they might get a less good result. I'm by no means suggesting this school does it, but the school I attended in the 6th form definitely did things like that fair practice to keep their percentages up.

Going back to the covid cohort:
In 2021, 3,606 achieved straight 9s. In 2020, 2,645 achieved straight 9s. In 2019, this was just 837. There was surprisingly little drop last year in 2022 with 2,193 students managing it. Will be interesting to see what numbers get it this year.

So 30 students from one school in 2019 is absolutely amazing and no wonder they're proud of that. That's 3.5% of the straight 9s.

PhotoDad · 15/08/2023 22:59

NCTDN · 15/08/2023 22:24

What's CIE?

Cambridge International Exams. Now called CAIE, I think. It's one of the boards which offer International GCSE (and International A-level as well!)

jamimmi · 15/08/2023 23:09

No GCSE'S related but just a question. The search for 6th form bag has started. Dd used rucksack at secondary now realised her style will be judged and not sure of her bag. Tote with zip and padding for laptop if this exists ot rucksack? No patterns but on trend. Any thoughts? She not very "on trend" but wants to loose the nerd! Her words not mine. At least it's distracting her form results day.

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 16/08/2023 06:08

@jamimmi

My daughter has just bought a jan sport plain black rucksack.

She knows she will have loads of folders / books so is being practical.

MargaretThursday · 16/08/2023 06:45

All mine went for a rucksack laptop bag in the 6th form. Easy to carry and safe for the laptop.

They're all more practical then trendy though!

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllanty · 16/08/2023 08:11

"So 30 students from one school in 2019 is absolutely amazing and no wonder they're proud of that. That's 3.5% of the straight 9s."

Is this the mumsnet grammar school?

BonjourCrisette · 16/08/2023 08:51

jamimmi · 15/08/2023 23:09

No GCSE'S related but just a question. The search for 6th form bag has started. Dd used rucksack at secondary now realised her style will be judged and not sure of her bag. Tote with zip and padding for laptop if this exists ot rucksack? No patterns but on trend. Any thoughts? She not very "on trend" but wants to loose the nerd! Her words not mine. At least it's distracting her form results day.

DD has been using a tote bag for the last couple of years but is switching back to a rucksack this year, for the sake of her shoulders.

SomersetBrie · 16/08/2023 08:59

MargaretThursday · 15/08/2023 22:38

Well assuming that they aren't just looking at the covid years because things were skewed there (one school near here got 100% 9s in 2020, when they normally had a more normal distribution) then there are ways that schools could make that more likely.

Selective entry. Naturally if you only take the top 5% then you should get better results.
Sit fewer exams. I did 10 GCSEs. That was considered unusual, most people in my area did 8. Dd1 did 15 GCSEs or GCSE equivalent, plus Additional maths. My other two haven't done quite that many, but still 13/14.
Choose exams that tend to be easier to get top grade in. eg I believe a fair proportion of top grades in some languages are gained by pupils for whom it's their first language, making it harder to get a top grade for pupils for whom it isn't.
Those are all fair enough, but you could also have the situation where a school discourages a pupil from sitting an exam if they might get a less good result. I'm by no means suggesting this school does it, but the school I attended in the 6th form definitely did things like that fair practice to keep their percentages up.

Going back to the covid cohort:
In 2021, 3,606 achieved straight 9s. In 2020, 2,645 achieved straight 9s. In 2019, this was just 837. There was surprisingly little drop last year in 2022 with 2,193 students managing it. Will be interesting to see what numbers get it this year.

So 30 students from one school in 2019 is absolutely amazing and no wonder they're proud of that. That's 3.5% of the straight 9s.

My friend's DD was "discouraged" from sitting Spanish by her grammar school as she was predicted a 6. So she dropped it quite late in Y11.
She is now quite likely to get 9s across the board (maybe an 8 for English).

The school has a fairly small choice of options, all academic.

Not taking away from the all-9ers at all, it's a remarkable achievement, but some schools definitely do manipulate their students/subjects to keep the grades high.

BonjourCrisette · 16/08/2023 09:32

SomersetBrie · 16/08/2023 08:59

My friend's DD was "discouraged" from sitting Spanish by her grammar school as she was predicted a 6. So she dropped it quite late in Y11.
She is now quite likely to get 9s across the board (maybe an 8 for English).

The school has a fairly small choice of options, all academic.

Not taking away from the all-9ers at all, it's a remarkable achievement, but some schools definitely do manipulate their students/subjects to keep the grades high.

In contrast, DD was strongly encouraged to give Add Maths a go even though she got a D in the mocks (highly selective London private school).

First three results just came in, all good.

Hersetta427 · 16/08/2023 09:49

jamimmi · 15/08/2023 23:09

No GCSE'S related but just a question. The search for 6th form bag has started. Dd used rucksack at secondary now realised her style will be judged and not sure of her bag. Tote with zip and padding for laptop if this exists ot rucksack? No patterns but on trend. Any thoughts? She not very "on trend" but wants to loose the nerd! Her words not mine. At least it's distracting her form results day.

DD has used a Nike tote for the last 2 years - it still looks as good as new.

DD's is black but this one is similar.

https://www.nike.com/gb/t/sportswear-essentials-tote-bag-NGscnK/DJ9795-291

Nike Sportswear Essentials Tote Bag (26L). Nike UK

Find the Nike Sportswear Essentials Tote Bag (26L) at Nike.com. Free delivery and returns.

https://www.nike.com/gb/t/sportswear-essentials-tote-bag-NGscnK/DJ9795-291

MsElizabethBennett · 16/08/2023 10:00

BonjourCrisette · 16/08/2023 09:32

In contrast, DD was strongly encouraged to give Add Maths a go even though she got a D in the mocks (highly selective London private school).

First three results just came in, all good.

Congrats to your DD.
DD dosent get Cambridge igcse result untill next week! Have you seen the grade boundaries, quite interesting.

Mia85 · 16/08/2023 10:31

We have one igcse (rest ordinary GCSE) but I wasn't aware that any results came earlier than next Thursday. Presumably we have to wait too.

Is the information on grade boundaries just available for the igcses that have already released their results?

tennissquare · 16/08/2023 10:35

My ds at a top performing private SW. London school doesn't get his igcses until next week either.
@BonjourCrisette , overall are the cohort pleased?

elkiedee · 16/08/2023 12:54

Congratulations to any students who've already received some good results. I am appalled though that a school would discourage a student from an exam at that stage in a course on the grounds of a predicted 6.

scaredysquiggle · 16/08/2023 13:10

One of my children's school holds back the CIE result until the results say and the other releases it as soon as they have it.

BonjourCrisette · 16/08/2023 16:28

tennissquare · 16/08/2023 10:35

My ds at a top performing private SW. London school doesn't get his igcses until next week either.
@BonjourCrisette , overall are the cohort pleased?

DD very pleased. I think so far her friends all seem to have done really well too. Everyone is happy!

I haven't seen the grade boundaries but will take a look! Though I don't know what they were any other year so....!

MsElizabethBennett · 16/08/2023 18:33

I compared grade boundaries with the other years. Data on website. I only looked at one subject and the boundaries this year are mostly in between 2019 and 2022.

jamimmi · 16/08/2023 19:36

Thanks all for the advice re bags , will suggest the Nike one @Hersetta427 and the reasons for a rucksack @Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky . Only just home from work and no progress on the search reported. Having wine before I ask.

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