What do you have to do to get a grade 4 GCSE pass

[Toorayeh]

Just that really, in for example English, what would a grade 4 level completed paper look like? How much would you need to write and at what level of grammar, spelling, detail etc

Depends on subject and if higher or foundation level. You have to complete more of the paper at foundation but the answers can be more superficial,

For English, you need 50% ish for a grade 4, so you still need to write full answers which relate directly to the question. You are only marked on grammar and punctuation for the last question, and I believe it only counts for 20% of the final grade. My DD2 is working at a grade 5 level in English. She writes well but has dyslexia, so her writing is not accurate.

No tiers in English tho.

It’s not really about how much you write, as much as does it answer the question? Does it tick the boxes of the mark scheme for example in terms of referencing elements of writing such as similes metaphors, rule of three – but that’s for one specific question.

The best way to find out what is needed is to look a a past paper and check the mark scheme @Toorayeh.

Why do you ask? Are you hoping to help someone with this? Tbh there is no easy answer – tho it’s true that for AQA Eng lang in 2024 73/160 so 46% got you a grade 4. But that figure in itself doesn't really tell you what you need to do.

Thank you! I know that the grading scales are to capture the range of abilities. DS is currently KS3 and very low ability due to SEN. I asked as grade 4’s would be an amazing achievement for him, but I’m not sure whether alternative courses would be more achievable. I realise I have no idea what a pass at GCSE looks like. DS scored less than 90 in SATs.

You can usually find previous years marking schemes online, if you know the exam board his school does you should be able to look it up.

A SAT score of 90 would give target grades of 3s and 4s. Were any access arrangements put in place for the SATs? You may find that with the right access arrangements (readers, typing, scribes etc) and the right attitude and support 4s are more than achievable.

DD2 didn’t sit SATS due to Covid, but we were told she wouldn’t get 100 in any of them. She is on track to get 4/5s in the core GCSE subjects this Summer and 6+ in her options.

School will most likely expect him to sit GCSEs but perhaps a reduced number. Agree wrt access arrangements – a reader or a scribe (or both) plus extra time may make a difference. Depends on the SEN and it's not automatic but school should be able to advise. Extra time for example is possible if there are processing issues.

Thanks for your comments, yes he has reader, scribe and extra time. His SATs performance was with those.

I think functional skills in maths and English are often a good idea for pupils who struggle with maths and English.
I wish more schools informed parents about them

I very much agree that FS is a great thing for weaker students.

Unfortunately schools are pretty much obliged to enter students for GCSE even if they know they will not get a grade 4. I have seen it again and again. Often the FS qualifications are available post-16 though.

Writing is 50% of the mark on all English Language papers, with all exam boards. It’s a compensatory qualification, so weaknesses in writing can be offset by stronger performance in reading, which is often the case. All texts are unseen, so they need to work on strategy: time to spend on each question, and how to identify the focus of the questions. Most marks lost on English Language are from missed questions or sections or from not reading the questions carefully enough. For timing, 1 minute per mark available is a decent rule of thumb. Leaves a good chunk of time for checking and improving writing.