77766665555 for GCSE mocks

[basilbrush]

DD in Year 11 just got the following in her GCSE mocks: 77766665555

She did revise hard for them but is not very organised and really lacks confidence in herself in many ways. She has also missed lots of school (mainly in Year 10) due to medical problems so I am really proud of her for doing this well tbh! I think these results are a fairly accurate representation of what she will get in the summer - I don't think there will be any huge jumps up in grades

She is very keen on going to sixth form college with her most of her friends and doing A-levels. However, she is thinking of Biology, Psychology and English and I am concerned she will not be able to cope with 'meaty' subjects like this. She says she want to keep her options open and not do anything too specific at 16 as she doesn't have a specific career in mind yet.

However, her current school have basically suggested that she look into doing BTECs at the local FE college as a 'back up' options

There's lots of open days etc on at the minute - should I be encouraging her to go and visit them? She just assumes she'll be doing A-levels with everyone else and I don't want to dent her confidence when she's trying really hard. Equally, I don't want her to go down an inappropriate path either because I was too scared to be honest with her and tell her what her school have said!

Why not drop 2 and focus on getting up scores for the other 9?

I think looking at BTECs as backup can't hurt.
If GCSEs go badly it would be helpful nor to he scrabbling around for ideas.

Does current school have high entrance requirements for A levels?

Are the 7s and 6s in the relevant subjects are wants for alevel? A 7 is an old A and a 6 is a B so solid scores there.

A 5 is a strong pass and sits between a b and c in old grades. The rest are old b and a grades. She could do Alevels with these results. All schools ask pupils to have back up plans

Not a teacher but my DD sat her GCSEs last summer and my DS three years ago. Those are good mock results.

As a general rule to sit an A level in a subject it is sensible to expect to get a 7/8/9 at GCSE. Having said that I know children sitting A levels in subjects they got a 6 in at GCSE.

If you DD puts a little more study towards her English and Biology now she can expect to improve those by a grade. My kids took this approach after their mocks and focussed more time on their A level hoped for subjects. They both improved on their mocks.

If it were my DD I wouldn’t hesitate to encourage A levels and sixth form.

What grades did she get in Biology and English?

This is what I would have thought too? Our local sixth form college (none of the comps have sith forms in our area) has a reputation for being pretty academic and asks for 7s in sciences and 6s in other subjects for the subjects they are taking at A Level, with a 5 in Maths and English Language. Assuming her strongest subjects are those that she's planning on taking for A Level, I can't see why you would want to discourage her?

I think those grades seem fine for A levels. What did she get for English and Biology? Could she drop a couple of the 5s to focus on the others? What were they in?

Is she doing 11 subjects??? That's a lot!

Great grades tbh.

That is a great set of mock results and would get you into 6th form round here especially in the 6s and 7s subjects. If she's a hard worker she might well go up. I would just give her plenty of praise and encouragement, biology and psychology a level aren't that hard really compared to stuff like physics. English is quite weighty in terms of writing but could she change an a-level subject if she doesn't get what she wants in GCSE? You usually can here. It might be worth you just having a chat with local college to see how late you can apply if she does underperform, but really if she can get 7s she can do alevels in those subjects.

@123Valentina123 She was doing 12 and was allowed to drop one due to medical issues, school won't let her drop any more

@TeenDivided She needs minimum of a 6 to study a subject at A level in Sixth Form

@SnowsFalling she got a 7 in English and a 6 in Biology

Unless her chosen a-levels are the subjects she got 5s in she'll be absolutely fine to do a-levels, especially if she missed a lot of year 10 - those scores suggest she'll be capable enough. If she wants to do a-levels I wouldn't discourage that.

Edit because cross-posted: she'll be fine.

Considering her medical issues, she’s done brilliantly. Reddit has an excellent forum for GCSEs. I spend time on there getting tips for my DC. Learning a lot from them! It may help her to get ideas on resources and strategies.

r\GCSE is the page.

Praise her and build her confidence. Past papers are key to improving grades. Past papers and mark schemes available from exam boards website and your school.

Start by doing a past paper open book, untimed. No stress, just practise. Take breaks. Get familiar with the format. Build confidence.

Next paper do close book but not timed. Again take breaks if you like. Always mark your paper and correct mistakes.

Finally do a past paper in exam conditions, timed, no books, no breaks. Mark your paper and correct mistakes.

Try to do a past paper every week or even twice a week.

That's a lot of subject! How are they fitting that into the timetable. This must be a selective school? Really good results tbh.

@TalkTalkTheCure great advice - thanks!

@123Valentina123 thank you for the link!

Looks good - she's doing a lot are English and Maths 7?

Why is she taking 11 GCSEs

Why do the school insist on 12 when unis don't?

Ahh OP you must be very proud of her and quite right. Brilliant results and as others have said there is a every chance some may even go up by summer.

Also personally I've found this thread very encouraging as DD (bloody hard worker but not academic and has struggled through school) if she really revises her socks off could get grades like above. She has her heart set on staying for a levels and to hear so many saying those grades would be fine is encouraging

With those grades I think she will be fine. They are good grades. Only caveat is that the biology will be a big jump to A level. If she is working at capacity then the extra jump might not be there.

I would still sugggest going to open days too. Does the college offer A levels as well as BTEC? No harm in having a range of options. Then she can decide on results day. This is what I’d usually advise.

Those grades are great considering she missed a chunk of year 10.

Are her medical issues resolved, if not Btec might be abetter way to go as she can 'bank' grades with coursework opposed to worrying about missing content and not being able to answer exam questions.

Generally you would expect to drop a grade or two between GCSE and a level so a 7 (A) at GCSE is more likely to be a B/C at A Level, not always ofcourse. Some find concentrating o fewer subjects and the more independent way of working means they thrive.

The worst that happens is she tanks her A levels and has to do an access course prior to uni, going a year later isn't the worst thing in the world anyway. Plenty of options nowadays of different routes should her grades or heath stand in her way.

@basilbrush you are very welcome, I looked up the notes from a revision webinar experts advice about how to extend a good grade to an excellent grade from my DDs school recently.

Our school does 11 GCSEs as standard, I don’t think it’s that unusual.

I think that her grades sounds fine, my daughter got 8s in Biology and English lit and lang and does both at A level. She’s predicted A in both but she does have to work quite hard.

Good luck to your daughter.

Not in our part of London it's not. 10 is really the most I know, most do 8/9