GCSE Support - the results are in

[SheilaFentiman]

Continuing the threads we had going during revision and waiting for results day!

@DDancerr my DS (and the school!) was expecting a 7 but got a 5.... We have asked for the papers to see what happened..

@naughty40me congratulations to your DS - you must be so proud! Exciting times ahead!

My son got what he needed for college so he’s happy. My daughter re took maths and got a 1, she got a 3 last year. I could cry for her. She could retake 1000 times and not pass. Outside of basic maths none of it makes any sense to her. Now sadly, yet again, she isn’t able to do the course for the career she wants as it won’t fit in her timetable. So frustrating.

The apprenticeship provider will be able to access the Learning Records Service - that will also hold his results. It'll be fine, either way.

The difference in sheets of paper is a school specific preference in formatting documents, same way some provide a breakdown with all results from the outset and some only do it when it's requested.

The important thing is that he has his apprenticeship! Congratulations!

Aww it's really frustrating. Both my elder 2 have had 2 attempts each at maths. It's just not going to happen for them. One of the things I am relieved about today for DS3 is whatever happens he doesn't have to do resits.

I hope she is able to find a path forward. 🤗

I’m posting under an old name as am so embarrassed to be posting this. My child got a really good selection of grades - 7x 9s, 2x 8s and a 7. They opened the envelope and immediately burst into hysterical tears. Until I saw the paper, I thought something terrible had happened, but these are great marks. I understand some disappointment at the 7, particularly since it’s 2% off an 8 (we’re having a remark for all the good it will do - it’s not an A level subject). I am embarrassed by their behaviour and total lack of perspective on this, in front of friends who were thrilled to have passed their maths or whatever. There’s no happiness, no celebration. I have a table booked at their favourite restaurant tonight but don’t wish to go with a rude, angry, monosyllabic and sulking child. For all the brains there is a startling lack of emotional intelligence being displayed and I’m so shocked I don’t know how to respond. All the focus is on that missing 2% and nothing on the string of 8/9s.

English Lang/Lit (OCR) and BTEC Music bafflements here - daughter is OK as she has passed the first two and only needed to do that - got a 4 for Lang and 5 for Lit but predicted 6 in both and to be honest is capable of more like an 8 but had a lot of absence due to an accident. Think she appears to be 1 mark off a 6 for Lit.

BTEC Music has come out as Level 1 Merit and she was predicted Level 2 Merit - this was all done in school via coursework and an assessed piece produced over 15 hours. The teacher never gave any indication of a possible drop to Level 1 mark so there is no explanation of why she has come out with a Level 1 grade - it's not the be all and end all but I'm not sure how best to query the result!!!

It was a REALLY long time ago, but I passed my Maths GCSE third time, if I can offer any hope!

Could she do Functional Skills L2 as that is equivalent to a pass grade?

DD definitely wasn't using any YouTube resources. Her English Lit skills are seriously impressive and she's been doing some work with Cambridge Uni on a talent scheme. She revised well, knew her texts inside out, even knew the unseen poetry pieces (avid reader). She rarely drops a mark in English. How she got a low 7 is utterly baffling us all. She's pretty accepting whilst secretly devastated. It won't stop her going to college and she'll study it at university she hopes but it's not a fair reflection of her abilities. Everything else was a 9 or 8 and she's thrilled after a horrible year, diagnoses, surgery and rafts of medical appointments. Just so strange to score so poorly on her best subject and she worries it will affect her getting into Oxbridge.

Don't be embarrassed. Some high achieving kids are perfectionists and their own worst critics. I don't have any specific advice because none of mine fall into that category but I hope your DC comes to see in time those really are great grades and that sometimes perfection can be the enemy of good!

DS did well, one 9 in maths and a mixture of 8's and 7's. However, another weird AQA English Language result, predicted an 8 got a 5! Like someone else said, this took the gloss off it a bit. I've told him not to give it another thought, he doesn't need anymore than that for his A levels. He doesn't want the school to get the paper to look at so that is that.

Good day here. DD v happy with her results - 6x9s,4x8s and distinction in her one Btec. Then went to enroll at new sixth form with her sport speciality and then to Reading Festival. I’m finally sitting with a glass of wine. Well done to all the DC, hoping they can all move on to the next stage and be proud of how they have navigated these tricky last few years.

I'm thinking your DC has always found everything easy, no real effort required to get top marks, they just knew it all instantly. So they expected this to be exactly the same, but it isn't. There are people in the country who have got higher grades, maybe even in the same class (and who the DC has always thought weren't quite as able as them).

The reality check that actually, you're not that perfect is challenging the way they have learned to see themselves, maybe reinforced by school, their friends, other kids and possibly by you. And it's not fun realising it.

Logically, being in receipt of all A, A star and A star star (if you look at it in old money terms) is a great achievement. But it's not showing practically perfect in every way and clearly the smartest in any room, so it's going to hurt, even for the more pragmatic kid who recognises the equivalencies (and isn't quite so demonstrably emotional about it).

I'd give them the opportunity once they've calmed down a bit to still go for the meal (hunger and lack of sleep could be contributing) and if they're not up for it, a giant tub of icecream, cookies and silly sprinkles later this evening might be a way of softening them up a bit.

My DD got a 9 for English. While that was predicted it was at the very bottom end (one was on the grade boundary) and she has consistently been scoring 28-30/30 for 2 years in tests with 2 different English teachers.

She definitely scored quite a bit lower than she expected.

Thanks @NeverDropYourMooncup and @OvaHere . Definite attack of perfectionism, but they did work so damn hard - couldn’t have done more, but at a very mixed ability school so thought they were the smartest in the room and I think the reality check has been a horrible shock. It probably is the first time they’ve not been top(ish) of their pile, and it’s a far better time to have that reality check than in 2 years’ time. Off to a super selective grammar 6th form so will definitely not be the smartest in the room, so I really hope this doesn’t crush all ambition and drive. Dammit, I want to celebrate!

DS did well - five 7s and five 8s. History and Physics were both two marks off a 9. History dept requested his scripts and have advised us to go for a review of one paper they feel was harshly marked (comparatively). Waiting to hear advice from Physics. Sigh of relief all round here!

We're having an issue with a considerable drop after moderation with grades for my DD's NEA for A-levels. This would be very useful for me to quote do you know where I can find the information? Thank you

@HermanHermit I expect it’s some of the pent up pressure and nerves exploding as well. Perhaps some worries about moving onto a super selective with one imperfect (in their eyes!) grade and ‘what will people think’ etc etc!

Give it a day or so and hopefully they will feel more rational about it, empathetic to others and pick themselves up.

And as you said, much better to have this realisation now than when it comes to A Levels, getting university offers etc etc!

Could be right there I reckon....

So pleased today is over. Over the moon with my daughter's results. A 9, 4 8's, 2 7's and a 6

Ahh, my daughter on her 3rd retake and got a 3 again, I am so sad for her.
I was the same at her age, maths just doesn’t work for us x

I really do feel for you but please don't despair - a lot of determination can get you amazing places! My brother's fiancee (32) failed GCSE maths at college and the sixth form retakes (while she was at agricultural college). She's finally passed Functional Maths at the 2nd attempt last summer so that she can start a vet nursing degree - a lifelong dream, which she's been doing successfully for a year now. While I'd still be pretty hesitant about her calculating any drug doses for my cats, her course is going really well and she's on track at last! It takes a lot of guts to keep going with so many set backs and not feel like a failure - but in the end, she got there!!

This would not, in my experience, have any impact on your ability to get work re-moderated. Re-moderation can only be done for the whole subject cohort and not for individuals.

You can complain about the marks not being shared in advance and the school may get a telling off, but that wouldn’t get the NEA remarked. Exam boards don’t mark NEA, they moderate a sample and they may never have ever seen your child’s NEA. Mark adjustments are applied across whole cohorts and any re-moderation involves looking at the sample again, they wouldn’t even look at your child’s work unless it was part of the original sample.

DD pleased overall, higher than expected in some slightly lower than expected in others. Particularly pleased with English 7 in Lang and 6 in Lit having been dumped in the worst set mainly due to not engaging with English much during Covid. The teacher taught to the lowest ability, never gave any encouragement to DD said she was likely to fail, never did exam questions or technique. I am fortunate enough that we were able to afford a tutor in the last few months to get her over the line. I really feel like contacting the school to make sure they are aware so that this teacher does not take any credit.