Y11 2023/24 thread 5 - results!

[Techno56]

New thread as no 4 is nearly full

DS' teacher for the subject he got the boundary score for emailed yesterday afternoon to ask that we consider a remark and linked to a google form.

This seemed to be a generic form with check boxes for "script" or "remark" for each subject the school offers. Also a covering letter explaining what each was. Why didn't they send this when I first emailed on the day after results day?! Annoying. The deadline for the request was yesterday so if the teacher hadn't emailed we wouldn't have known anything about this.

I've asked for the scripts for the two boundary subjects - one is a sort of essay subject (Psychology) and the other is Chemistry. Also for the subjects where he would like to see his papers for interest (no review). There is nowhere on the form I can differentiate between these two requests though. I will wait and see what happens next...

What is the difference between a,4 and a 5? Does it make a difference for college?

I can understand between a 3 or 4, or maybe a 5 to 6 if its for A levels.

It did make a difference for his college as he needed a 5 to be able to do the course he wanted. He has however got a place on another course and he can resit maths in November as he was one off a 4 there too! It just makes a difference to his mindset that English was his top predicted grade (6/7) and because he got a 4 he said it felt like a failure for him . I told him to forget about it and move on, but actually if it's worth a punt I will just do it just so he doesn't have to look at it every time he writes a job application!

That's a big difference from projected isn't it! I can understand him being upset. There are a few posters on here whose DC have gone up 2 grades. Worth trying for a review if its required for college always but with such a big difference you wonder if its an error so maybe worth it in this instance?!

DSs teacher said he was likely to get a 5 in Eng Lit and he got a mark off a 4 which was disappointing. There definitely seems to be some harsh marking from AQA this year!!

I remember at the time that general feeling on AQA at the time was really really positive. I wonder if they set the paper at too easy a level and that’s why the marking is harsher? My daughter did WJEC and comparing with her friends that did AQA on exam day she felt very hard done by on her papers The same feeling seemed to resonate through Mumsnet.

Hi all, sorry, completely haven't been on this tread since results day!
I'll go back and read everyone's news in a minute.

Dd as expected failed Eng. Lang (got a 3), but amazingly got all the other 6, and got a 7 in maths (neede for A level)

After a LONG interview with sixth form college, they have accepted her to do 3 A levels with an English GCSE resit alongside. Amazingly there is a resit in Nov, which I had understood didn't exist any more, so she may take in then and then be done with English, which would be amazing.

The learning support at sixth form is also amazing, so much in place for her before we start, eg they are going to meet with her every week over the first few weeks to get her into a work routine.
Doing the prep work they sent out has been really hard as she doesn't work well at home, so she came to work with my on Wed and sat in an empty office and then we spent 4 hours in McDonalds yesterday and got the last bits done.

First day of sixth form today, she went off feeling positive, so I am crossing my fingers for a good start.

That sound very positive, @steppemum! Do come over and join us on the new Y12 thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/5148656-year-12-202425-support-discussion-and-looking-after-each-other?page=1

Just heard from the school and my DSs AQA English lit came back from being reviewed/remarked and has been regraded as a 4 from a 3, it was only a mark off overall. Don't know how many marks yet, his English teacher just told me the new grade. We didn't bother to review the papers first so it was a bit of a risk re paying for both papers to be looked at (I assumed the cost was per exam but my son took the form to school and paid £84 instead of the £42 I was expecting) but presumably we get that back now.

That's good news @PugInTheHouse
When did you request the review?

30th Aug I took the form to school and paid for it so its been quite quick I think. Not sure if they sent it off straight awayor waited to see the scripts first.

I think school sent DD's papers for review on the same day @PugInTheHouse

Congratulations! According to this you will get a full refund on both fees (which you wouldn't have done if you'd sent one paper off, resulting in no change, then sent the second paper off, resulting in a change. So the (albeit unintended!) gamble paid off!

AQA | After results | Post-results services | Review and priority review of marking

Thank you, that's great!

Are you still waiting for yours?

The school just called me to confirm the change in grade, it was his class teacher who messaged before but didnt know the details, they found 4 marks on paper 1 on one question! That seems such a lot to have missed on just one question.

Yes still waiting @PugInTheHouse
The marking does seem really off. I had a good chat with the head teacher of DD's school. He was livid about it. Said GCSE marking is a scandal.

School have just phoned me to say that upon review it appears that his English paper is short 20(!) marks - DS has to confirm himself with them but it's going back to the exam board

It makes his anomaly English lang mark seem more understandable if it's that much off

That's shocking 20 marks did they miss some pages?

DS has not heard anything from the school since they asked permission. Is anyone else waiting for school to get back to them since asking permission as we have not paid anything.

My friend works at a college and said there have been more regrades than she's ever known!

I have attached what the script marking grid said for the question that was marked wrong

20 marks, wow that is crazy!

You have to wonder how many papers are wrong. DSs friend got mostly 2s, they were generally 4 marks upwards below a 3 so seemed a way off, they can't afford to get them looked at but you have to wonder if any were completely wrong!

DD has put in for 3 reviews. They were sent off Friday afternoon and she's already got History back which increased from 6 to 7.

This is really feeling like a scandal now. What about all the kids whose family can't afford to put in for a review?

Wow, that's super fast @Gazelda
I agree it's a scandal.

But good news for your daughter @Gazelda !

This has reminded me to get dd to chase up her school over her paper she asked about on results day. I’m unsurprised, this is the science dept so useless I had to spend all my savings on a tutor to mitigate for.

@Countrylife2002 skip the department and go via the exams office