Y11 2023/24 thread 5 - results!

[Techno56]

New thread as no 4 is nearly full

@Panic71@Panic71thank you he gets upset easily and is in a group of mates that are high achievers.
He applied with his school 6th form he needs a 5 in English he had 3 4 and a 5 in mocks for. Also city college 6th form had unconditional offer unsure how only condition they stated was a 6 to do core Maths. School 6th form is walk away and outstanding has great results. College one could take nearly 2hrs to get there due to buses till he can drive then only 30 mins.
No idea why tagged twice won't let me delete one.

I wish dd could get her results on a portal. She’s going to go to a toilet cubicle to open them! And yes I shall be in the carpark. She’s gone from saying she’ll be upset if she doesn’t get mainly 9s to being in a state of panic over physics and maths, particularly maths which she has to get a 6 in (she got a 6 in both mocks )

She’s also stressed out of mind over how much work A levels will be after seeing lots of tik toks about this. I’ve pointed out she worked hard for her GCSEs throughout and a lot of people didn’t, so working hard is not an issue for her but it probably comes as a shock to those who could coast during GCSEs.

My DS1 found A levels way better than GCSEs, and did much better. Remember, its only 3 subjects and its ones they have chosen and like. Plus they know the inporatnce of keeping up with work and revising from GCSEs, and are more mature. They have chosen to do A levels remember and can choose not to. Everyone is forced to do GCSEs, including in subjects they hate or just don't get. A levels are more work for sure but my anecdotal observation is that the kids doing them enjoy them a lot more.

Love this! Hoping to experience the same

We don't have the option of a back up, the two colleges in the area also have the same grade entry requirements and there is no wiggle room, I stupidly assumed all colleges and sixth forms in England were the same, yet on here, ours seems to be different. There's no transition work and if you don't meet the grades for the subjects you've chosen, you can't swap to a different subject. Both colleges also require a 5 in maths to any A Level. We didn't get an offer for either college because of being full.

The next nearest college would mean a house move as its 2 hours away so we are literally relying on Sixth form else he's screwed

This was completely my personal experience and I tried to relay this to dd yesterday and I think she sort of took it on board. Eg some jobs are hard work but that doesn’t mean they’re not interesting and enjoyable. Plus she never has to do maths science or languages ever again!!

Thank you @AIstolemylunch - great post. I remember A Levels being really hard but I chose the wrong subjects. I'm really trying to get DS to understand that he's better off taking subjects he loves for A Level than those he thinks will look best on his UCAS form.

@YellowphantGrey double awful if there is no alternative for your son. Are you very rural?
It's certainly different all over the country. Many on these threads have said that their schools want the students to start with 4 A levels and drop one - that's not the case local to me. In fact taking four is frowned upon. My son's school doesn't have a sixth form so he's had to apply elsewhere. His first choice is a super selective state grammar and the grade requirements are high, but their results are fantastic. That's why there is such a lot of transition work. Although all schools and colleges around here set transition work. A teacher friend says it's to try and get the students back in the swing of education as soon as soon as term starts.

No results portal here either @Countrylife2002. If the student doesn't collect in person they could have opted to have them posted out, but they had to have requested this before the end of term.

We don't have option of portal either, really annoying as I don't think DS particularly is bothered about going in and would have probably not wasted a day's leave to get them.

@YellowphantGrey that must be extremely stressful, I just assumed all areas were same as ours, whatever results you get you make an appointment at college to go in from lunch time on results day, you either register on the course you want if you have the right grades (or register on the course plus maths or English if they agree) or if you don't get the grades you can register on a different course/Foundation/L1 or 2. It's very relaxed. At 16 this is a lot to deal with, also stressful for you too. I have my fingers crossed for your DS.

We only have 1 mixed 6th form in the area and it's a super selective expensive private school, the other is a girls private 6th form. The rest are regular colleges, some do A levels only then their other campuses do vocational only. There are some great technology style colleges also locally.

Not rural, about 20 mins drive into the nearest city. Our sixth form is 400 places. They open up to other pupils from other schools. There are 7 secondary schools, all have sixth form but we can't apply to ones out of catchment. Ours you can apply out of catchment.

To do A levels you need to get 5 in Maths and 5 in English to get in. You then need 6 or above in gcse to do the A Level. There's no wiggle room. They offer places to existing students, then outside students then waiting list. Those are then admitted in the same way as school, so looked after children, special needs and distance from school.

The other sixth forms are 200 places and don't accept outside the catchment.

Our catchment is 0.8 miles and we live 0.6

The colleges require the same entry requirements for A Levels. They've sent offers out, DS got turned down from both, despite being on track to get nothing less than 5.

The next nearest college is an hour by bus into City Centre then 45 min bus ride out without traffic.

The Sixth form are also very strict. They are still in uniform, can't leave school premises during the day, still get detentions, still get praise points etc. The colleges seem a bit more relaxed but are also full.

He needs to get a total of 50 points to get into Sixth form (minimum) which has to include a 5 in Maths, English Lit and English language.

We just need the Maths to be a 5. First mock was 6 and second mock was 4 but everyone dropped two

It's definitely changed from my day!

Offers from colleges and sixth form came out end of February. All conditional.

It's frustrating because if he gets a 4 in Maths, he won't be able to go as the entire sixth form and both colleges are 5 minimum to do any A Level.

He can apply to the college to do a Maths resit but the college were not very forthcoming about what else he can do as they won't accept less than a 5 to do any other courses.

Im hoping this is all irrelevant and he gets his 5. It's frustrating as he's desperate to do Geography and even his Teachers said he is a natural at it but they can't make an exception if he misses this 5.

@YellowphantGrey our school will.let you resit Maths or English on a 4 whilst doing A levels. Is that an option?

@YellowphantGrey it's so much pressure on 16 yos, half of them don't even have a clue what they want to do at that age or change their minds often so this is so rigid for them. Hopefully he'll get a 5!!

DS2s school put them all in for foundation Maths in November if they are not likely to get above a 7 (those do the higher paper early). It takes a massive amount of pressure off those who struggle like my DS. They can then take the higher on June to improve on a 5 if they wish.

No, I did ask this and they don't do resits.

If students get a 5, they can do Geography but still have to do core maths. If you get 6 or above, you don't

DS sat the higher paper.

Predicted Maths is a 7. He got 7 on the first mocks and 5 in the second mocks but everyone dropped two grades.

The worry is dropping again. Apparently a lot of the class came out of the second mocks and were upset because there were quite a few questions on the paper that they had no idea about and the Teachers put on extra revision classes as everyone got the same questions wrong or left them blank.

I know there needs to be a cut off but there's definitely a lot of stressed 16 year-old right now! Doesn't help that the Sixth form constantly refer to anything below a 5 as not passing

Yeah that's not good from the 6th form, a 4 is a pass, way to make them feel not enough 😩. Sounds like he his a smart lad if he has achieved 7s in mocks so I'm sure he'll smash it!

Goodness @YellowphantGrey they sound intractable. This current year 11/12 group nationally are very large but it sounds as though there isn't enough spaces to allow decent flexibility in your area. Also, I thought sixth forms, whether school or college, were their own admission authority, so not to allow applications from outside of the area is very limiting.

5 of the 6 sixth forms DS applied to were outside our local authority and he still got offers - they're all competing for the same children after all. It sounds as though your area doesn't have enough spaces which has caused those schools/colleges who offer A levels to just bring down the shutters and become stupidly rigid.

Referring to a grade 4 as a fail is simply insulting, and incorrect. Poor kids, they don't need that stress on top of everything else.

Phrases used by the Teaching staff include "if you don't get into sixth form because you've failed your exams" or one that come home in the newsletter was "....anything below a 5 will not be considered a pass...."

It was a huge birth rate year (2008) the school we are at has 10 classes per year with 30 children in each. To start in year 7 there was nearly 2500 applicants to the school. Many children didn't get any of their choices and are in schools an hour away despite some living at the top of our road but out of catchment.

As it stands, all sixth form places are allocated to students and external students. Someone I work with, their child went to a different school with no sixth form so they've applied to ours as within catchment and they are on the waiting list. They asked what position on the list they are and they don't give a number after 100 so the waiting list is huge.

They can afford to pick the very best pupils because places are in demand

It's annoying because we aren't in the middle of nowhere. I can get a train to London in 1 hour 20 mins but where we leave is just crammed full of 16 year-old all competing for places.

Today has been an up day - we're off to see Taylor Swift tomorrow so exam results are a distant thought!

DD has decided this week that she wants to do a 4th A Level as well as an EPQ

I am honestly shocked at the lack of choice and the school's attitude @YellowphantGrey I do hope your son gets the grades he needs on Thursday. Horrible situation.

In my area we had problems with school spaces for the rising 5's but this was fixed by the time the cohort reached secondary age with a new school being opened. This is the school DS attended. It opened two years before he joined with a 240 PAN and was full and put on an extra class (taken from accepted appeals) almost for 2007/08 year group as it was so large. However there isn't an issue for sixth form as there are colleges - both FE and sixth form - as well as the school sixth forms. DS' second choice is the best performing school in the borough and always oversubscribed for year 7 but loses around 40% of the cohort after year 11 as they go to other colleges so there are always spaces for new students.

Finally got a response from DS he would like to stay on to 6th form but would like to do core Maths been warned it has been oversubscribed from the school not sure how they pick the students to offer the places too.
He will go to city 6th form if he doesn't get a 5 in English. I know city 6th form does resits for English so worst case he will redo it.
Still can't get over the vast difference in school admissions. DS school is also one that treats 4 as a fail.

Morning all,

How is everyone doing?

My DD is starting to wobble now, she told me yesterday she isn't sure of her A level choices now as doesn't know what she wants to do for a job. Before she had leaned towards dentistry, and has always enjoyed chemistry and maths. Now she is questioning everything but I am sure it is a fear of results day and what might happen.

I've just tried to reassure she can choose what she wants on the day (she has to go and enrol at new 6th form on results day) and we will work around whatever happens.

I know logically it will all be ok but I hate seeing her so unsure of herself and her abilities. Even though I've been through this with a much older DD so know things work out regardless, I am still worried about Thursday.

She is working today and tomorrow (as am I) so hopefully we will be a little distracted.

My DD is a bit wobbly too. It might help your DD to know that most 6th forms allow movement between subjects in the first half term. So if she has a change of heart, she will probably be able to change A Levels (assuming option blocks allow).

I have another wobbly one. She's wanted to do History forever, wants to read History at University but one of her older friends has spooked her about the A Level content so now she's decided to do 4 A Levels in Y12 with option of dropping one (History!?!) in Y13.

I've told her not to do anything until Thursday. She wants to stay at her school sixth form (all girls selective - limited boys in sixth form) but entry criteria is high so it's touch and go which I know is the stressor - she doesn't care about the numbers on the paper, just that she can stay on there. Fall back option is local FE sixth form which is good but a very different environment than what she's used to! I actually think the FE sixth form college would be a good transition from school to university so I'm not stressed either way on that front!

Morning. Another wobbly one here.

He's never been 100% about his last choice of A Level and he's flip flopping all over the place now. He is allowed to request a change on results day but it's not guaranteed.

He's most worried about the English Language result as he can't compare to past, similar, mark schemes to approximate his scores. It's quite odd to get het about about this one as it's always been one of his strongest subjects but wobbles are rational are they?!. Luckily he's volunteering until Wednesday and doing the online work for his coaching course so he is pretty busy.

I do like the sound of Core Maths @Tebheag Apparently it's aimed at students who are taking sciences but want some additional maths. Although, having read the AQA syllabus and spec.it seems more practical. It's not offered at all near us so if DS want to do it, it will have to be private entry. I hope your son gets on it if he wants to do it.

Our sixth form, all students have to do an enrichment course (AS level when I was at school) and core maths is one of them along with psychology, can't remember the others)

Core maths is compulsory if you get a 5 on maths, regardless of which A levels you are doing. You can pick a different enrichment course if you get a 6 or more in maths.

Nerves are showing here but we are going on holiday today so that will offer some distraction till results day. Think the nerves are more mine!