GCSE Support - nervously waiting

[Hellocatshome]

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

The education system isn't fair. It's as simple as that.
There will be no allowances for (widely) different experiences in lockdown.
But there never are allowances, in terms of grades awarded, for differences in quality of education received, parental input, access to cultural capital etc.
Covid differences are the cherry on the icing that always sits on the (somewhat mouldy) cake.
Universities do make some allowances for all this with their contextual offers, but these are blunt tools and fundamentally it should not be their job to make up for the chronic state that governments have left the education system in.

I awoke with a pit of anxiety in my stomach. DS is already up and about, but very subdued. He's been checking his school iPad because he will receive his results via an app and is worried about random updates delaying things tomorrow. I do hope he gets the results he wants - he worked hard but who knows..?

I think we will head out on a long walk today with the dog to try and distract our minds. Not sure either of us will sleep much tonight.

@Purpleconcreteroad yes totally agree the Blunt tool of examinations is not really fit for purpose, but then neither is the remote memorising of data / poems! For the PP saying how much disruption year 10 / 11 have had. Attendance average year 10 in out local secondary was 80% average for year 10. DD lost 3 weeks due to covid and then shut down due to staff illness for a further 2. In years 8,/9 she was in college 1 term. Year 11 better but year attendance 86%

Less than 24 hours to go

@TeenDivided The disruption in year 10 was minimal (if you discount the positive covid tests resulting in 10 days off for kids and teachers multiple times) but the disruption in years 8 and 9 was huge and this is when much of the foundation for GCSEs is taught. Lots of year 10 was spent catching up on the basics that hadn’t been taught or embedded as they usually would be .

I agree with this, ds is about to go into Year 9 and hasn't chosen his options yet.

It's really difficult to allow for that though, as all school years have important foundations and basics. I don't really see what can be done. Individuals can always state the disruption they had on uni applications etc if needed.

If a local area had massive disruption you'd hope that 6th forms would be sympathetic to that when deciding who to let in on courses.

I'm not unsympathetic, more fatalistic. My DD missed all of y11 in covid due to MH and we are still very much playing catchup (hence why I am on this thread). There is only so much 'the system' can allow for.

My lovely DD was Year 8 and we had the lockdowns, then there were 2 lots of 10 days isolating as I work in Care and so had Covid 4 times. They were into school out of school like a yo-yo with the lockdowns and then teacher absences.
Then there were MH issues and poor attendance year 10/11 and ongoing disruption from changes in teachers and teachers leaving because they had had enough.
I personally feel they should have made allowances for the whole lot until that last year 7 are through.
It was a huge deal for our children and I don't know why we have to pretend they are all fine back to normal nothing to see here. Just support them all and be fair.

How much were this year's cohort disrupted in y10?

For DS they were stills ending entire year groups home - and DD1 in Y12 lost teaching time to teachers staff testing positive for covid - I've seen it said on here it that wasn't happening then but in our part of Wales it was.

There's also been an aftermath loss of teaching staff - which has hit DC secondary very hard - which I don't think they can take account of.

Wales pretty much had to take a slower approach though than England because A-levels and GCSE are different.

Y12 40% of A-level is sat and can be retaken next year if needed.

GCSE is even more involved - many here sit English Lit in Y10 - but other subjects you can sit some papers in Y10 and some in Y11 - varies between schools and even at different years at schools. Usually DC school would have sat one Geography paper last year and one this - they did them both this - and History they teach Y10/11 same paper and do rest year after.

So I think they had to take is slower as pupils could sit papers different years and come out with same qualifications in same year but face widely different marking and they are trying to decrease grades but be fair.

If you asked me I actually think DD2 was worst hit (though I think it set DD1 up badly for A-levels )- by aftermath and during covid and she is starting Y10 now. I've seen MPs in press start to say it will take 10 years to get past impact on exams and start to close gap that opened again between state and private.

Another here who doesn't really have a plan B and my stomach keeps flipping every time I think of tomorrow.

I'm just on my way out to buy some congratulations flowers, card and cake, but I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do. We're proud of her for just getting through it, of course, but if it's really not gone the way she wanted, would they be more like commiseration flowers? I'm rubbish at writing cards at the best of times, but I want to pre write this to give it to her straight away, so it needs to hit the right balance.

Think I might reach for the Kalms today......and maybe the gin tonight 😬

I've ordered a cake, too. She's going to Cornwall on Friday with her boyfriend and his family, so if she fails, dh and I will eat it

Yikes, can't believe we're here already, seems like only yesterday we were on here saying goodbye, see you in August!

DD is starting to get jittery, she should get what she needs to get for 6th form because they're almost as low as they could be (plan b would be the same place but different quals I think) but she was hoping to do really well and I think the A-level results have flummoxed people a bit a lot.

I just want to get it over with now and 6th form enrolment on Friday. Both of us are curious about the school's Ebacc results after the awful History papers.

I've ordered a cake, too. She's going to Cornwall on Friday with her boyfriend and his family, so if she fails, dh and I will eat it

I like your thinking!

Every cloud!

Ds keeps hugging me and telling me he's stressed. He asked me yesterday what he'll do if he doesn't get the grades for 6th form, he seemed reassured when I told him we'd speak to them and discuss alternatives if it came to that

DS is starting to show some nerves - I think I'm more focused on getting the results the school is dire with communication hasn't really told the kids anything.

They should be e-mailed to me sorted with exam officer directly- but it may well not happen.

We had thought drama and lack of communication about getting hold of DD1 certificates - not till January - was possibly covid related but no they'd told DS year nothing about it. One of DD1 friends left the school joined another but because she goes buses back for one A-level ( how they do it here with sixth forms ) they won't release her certificates to her - presumably she'll have to pick them up in person in January with her one A-level one. Never known anything like it - the lack of communication around it all or insistence they have right to hold them.

We’re off out tonight for a celebratory meal. Celebrating the fact it’s all rather than results tomorrow. That way we can enjoy it in blissful ignorance!!

Just checking in as a member of the “nervously waiting” brigade - I followed closely although didn’t post on the GCSE threads, which were a great virtual hand-hold at the time. It’s results for DS1 we’ll be getting tomorrow, need to be in school for 9am to collect in person; we’re meeting a friend and their mum outside, at the moment he wants me to come in, although that might change.
Hopefully he’s done well, but he needs a couple of specific grades for one A level choice that have the risk of being a bit borderline, and he’s having wobbles about another choice, so I suspect there will be quite a bit of shuffling happening once he knows how he’s done! I just hope he’s done enough to stay on at his school 6th form, as we also don’t have a Plan B in place…

Just hope he doesn’t compare himself too closely to some of his friends - he’s at a good grammar, although not a superselective, and whilst he’s a very bright kid, at did put a fair bit of work in, he’s happy to coast doing “good enough” whereas a few in his friendship circle are really academic lads aiming for med school, so want the all 8’s/9’s results tomorrow - we’re expecting much more of a mixed bag for him.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow though - whatever the outcome, life does have a way of working out for the best long term, although it doesn’t always feel like it at the time. Just getting through the exams, especially after the disruption of the last few years and the ongoing impact on MH for them, is a massive achievement in itself.

DD just sitting in bed all day past 3 days. I have begged her to text a friend and get out but nope..she is in a real state..real panic...I wish I could help her

Your poor DD (and poor you!). It's a stressful time and I really feel for this cohort. I've been trying to stay positive whilst also manage expectations but apparently I'm just giving off massive stress vibes. Thank goodness the wait is nearly over.

Is anyone else's DC holding more than one offer? DS is currently holding two.

First choice has higher entry requirements so if tomorrow he doesn't meet those by some margin then second choice comes in to play.

However both colleges have different processes to follow post results.

College 1 (preferred option) states if you miss your target grades come to your enrolment slot as usual to discuss. I think his slot is the beginning of next week.

College 2 has an online system and you have to input your grades by 4.30pm on results day to enrol and secure your place. If you don't your place on those subjects is released for others.

If he meets the grades for college 1 we have no problem, we can turn down college 2 knowing all will be fine for college 1.

I'm not sure what we should do if he narrowly misses a grade for college 1 but doesn't have the option to discuss until well after the deadline is passed for college 2.

This has only just occurred to me after receiving an email from college 2 outlining tomorrows expectations.

Anyone else in a similar position?

I can't stand the not knowing now. Luckily DS is more chilled. 😂

stressing a bit here as DC1's letter with enrolment instructions from her first choice college is MIA in the post. she needs a code from the letter to enrol by Friday PM. We've emailed to explain and requested a copy to be sent by email but for dark and mysterious reasons It Goes By Post...

I can see this leading to some strained phone calls on Friday. At least it's H who's off work, and not me

We're just holding one (very high!) offer and I am now feeling that that was not the most sensible thing to do. DDs current school's standard offer is lower than the one she has and so I hope that if she misses the offer she could stay, the head of year did hint that'd be OK but it's not at all guaranteed. Do schools allow new applications on results day?

There is a thread about confirming multiple offers and it sounds as if that's possible https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4878450-6th-form-registration-on-results-day-vs-accepting-conditional-offers

@OvaHere locally at least the colleges are not connected to one another - no UCAS-type central system. So in your position if my DC had a near miss with grades I would accept college two, and still pitch up to college one the following week. I'm sure it's not great to potentially mess college two about and later decline, but you didn't make the rules.

Thanks I hadn't seen that thread. Will have a read.

The kids at DS's school were encouraged to apply for 2/3 places just in case but the post results processes of different colleges don't tally under some circumstances e.g a near miss situation with the first choice that may end up being offered anyway.