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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

oxbridge and module resits - Do they know?

92 replies

NotAnOtter · 12/03/2009 20:27

DS has got his AS results today from the modules he sat in January

They are all fine ...apart form one and we knew it was not going to be great

we had asked that ds not take it as he had really not grasped mechanics and had asked to move class . Unfortunately they insisted that as he was set one he take it - despite the three other sets not taking it until may/june.

Anyway whats done is done.

The results as a whole were not fabulous for mechanics and school are advising re-sitting the module for the majority.

I would be fine with this had i not read on here that oxbridge will know - if they are re sits.....

Any advice or knowledge on the subject gratefully received.

If he is repeating they need to know by Monday latest!

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Original poster

NotAnOtter · 13/03/2009 21:40

thanks bagsforlife - you are very learnéd on the subject!

another friend whose son is at independant school is re sitting a chemistry module despite scoring 90% as he wishes to read chemistry

in his yeargroup all bar one child ( a girl !!) are also re sitting the mechanics module that ds cocked up!

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scienceteacher · 15/03/2009 19:32

The thing is, the prevailing culture is that you can do resits. A lot of schools treat the January modules as 'mocks' with the firm view that they are going to do them for real in June.

Obviously, the awarding bodies are happy with this situation, especially when they get the January fees, along with fees for remarks and/or returned papers.

I don't think Universities or UCAS can change their entrance requirements while this practice goes on.

Original poster

NotAnOtter · 16/03/2009 20:49

thanks for that scienceteacher am now passing that on to ds

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Original poster

NotAnOtter · 16/03/2009 21:12

depressing news

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Lilymaid · 16/03/2009 21:20

I don't think it is depressing - it is merely acknowledging the fact that so many students get 3 As or more at A2. Over half the students at DS1's school get at least 3 As every year and they don't all expect to get into Oxford, Cambridge or the LSE but end up across the Russell Group universities.
What is depressing is the quality and amount of teaching for undergraduates at some Russell Group unversities - but that is another subject and a very good reason to try to get into Oxbridge.

Original poster

NotAnOtter · 16/03/2009 21:28

feels depressing from where i am sitting....

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senua · 16/03/2009 21:54

"he did well in the rest with one 89, four mid 90's and critical thinking 100!"

What's to be depressed about!?
Actually, I found the comment, "i rang school today but no nearer a solution as they really did not know" depressing but not altogether surprising. Any more news today? Don't forget the obvious solution - phone up Cambridge and ask them. I have heard that they are helpful as they are desparate to be seen as open, egalitarian and not clique-y and (obv.) they want to encourage the best talent to come to them.

Original poster

NotAnOtter · 16/03/2009 22:03

senua that last piece of advise is probably the best!

ds is bright and breezy and kind of que sera sera mentality

rang school again and head of 6th said 'do not be seen to play the system'

he advised to re sit the 77 but i have since learned anyone with less than 85 was advised to re sit ....

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scienceteacher · 17/03/2009 06:45

Notanotter,

Are these UMS points that you are referring to? Do you know maximum UMS available for the papers?

I wouldn't worry about grade boundaries at this stage as every mark contributes towards the final A2 grade. Even if they scraped an A in the module, it might still be worth resitting.

I would be inclined to have the paper returned for him to see where he went wrong. As a teacher, unless I was an assessor for the awarding body, I would want to see the marked papers as this is a new specification and it will be a while before the mark scheme and chief examiner's report comes out. TBH, it is crazy to go into a resit blind.

If he is definitely continuing with the subject to A2, he doesn't need to rush into a resit now. He could do it next January, when he will be a year more mature, and have had some other teaching that will grow his confidence (if you are saying it was Mechanics he struggled with (is this a Physics paper?), the no doubt all the Mathematics he is doing now can only help him with that). By January 2010, there will be 2 past papers and 2 examiner's reports to go on. Personally, I would wait.

senua · 17/03/2009 08:16

I disagree, ST. Although your advice about getting papers returned in advance of the chief examiner's report sounds excellent advice for most subjects, isn't Maths the odd one out because it has not gone with the new / A* syllabus.
Also, if Otter's DS is going for a resit, he will want the new grade in place for UCAS forms in the Autumn because Jan 2010 will be too late to influence admissions tutors.

bagsforlife · 17/03/2009 08:46

The thing is, as I see it, most of the successful Oxbridge candidates at my DCs grammar school DO get over 90% in all their modules etc so they will get the A* grade. They will be glad it it there, some of them really do find the current A levels 'easy'!!

There are very few that get offers who aren't likely to get 'top' As at A2, as opposed to just scraping an A. So really it is better for your DS, notanotter, because it will weed out all the just scraping 3 As students.....

I am also not so sure it will particularly advantage the independent sector (as has been argued by some elements) because they might find not all of their students can get the absolute top grade whereas those really, really bright and motivated children in the state sector do tend to get the top grades whatever.

What a lot of people don't realise though is that Cambbridge definitely (and prob Oxford by other means) DO already look at whether students are getting 'high' As or not. Having said that, they are looking for POTENTIAL as well so the interviews and all the other tests (eg for medicine, English, history, law) also help.

Judy1234 · 17/03/2009 09:21

Yes, I find it surprising that people are saying it's a bad thing that it will be easier to see who is clever and who is not so clever. Surely it's good we have A - C so why is it a problem to have A* to C?

bagsforlife · 17/03/2009 10:03

Also the Cambridge admissions people advocating this have said they aren't going to be specific as to which A level has to be an A*, just that one has to be (to show a certain degree of academic rigour I suppose) and that it evens out the independent v state 'confidence' at interview worry.

I think it has to be a good thing in the long run because at the moment there is a huge disparity in those pupils who get 3 As, some are incredibly super bright (and would reslish 'harder' A levels) and some, quite frankly, aren't, but on paper look as though they are because of the re-taking of modules etc, type of subject they take etc., school they go to(but that's another argument...).

Original poster

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 10:21

thankyou all

scienceteacher - i asked for him to wait and sit this 'mechanics' module in june with the 'lower' sets but they would not let him

he is ringing cambridge for a 'chat' today

i am causing him grief - he felt quite happy until i started questionning it

last night i said do you regret maths and his reply was' no its so much more interesting than English' which we debated way back...

On the plus side his head of sixth form said ds was a ;rare thing' in that he is very articulate and often candidates for medicine and the like are less so. He indicated ds just needed an interview.....

i really must thank you all for your input. Quite bizarre that Mumsnet is where i turn in an academic crisis!

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Judy1234 · 17/03/2009 15:22

My brother read medicine at Cambridge and was also very good at English/writing etc at school. I think you need that - doctors need to be able to communiate and far too many in the past have had the personal skills of a newt but been very clever.

scienceteacher · 17/03/2009 17:52

I'm talking about the new spec, senua. Since it is a new spec, there is very little info around.

If he is doing the old spec, then presumably he is in U6 doing A2. There is still scope for resitting though.

scienceteacher · 17/03/2009 17:56

The A* grade is a bit different from the current A grade. It is not the same as building up enough UMS points. You have to be consistent also - getting high marks in all the modules, not having a strong and a weak module balancing each other out.

When I did my training last year, we were told that QCA expected to award very few A* grades. They can adjust the grade boundaries to give them exactly what they want (increasing a little each year).

scienceteacher · 17/03/2009 17:58

Can't you just get your chequebook out and ask the school to register him for June? I really can't see the problem.

You have to be quick as entries are due in any day now.

Original poster

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 19:15

he is in lower IV doing new spec science teacher but it is all news to me ! Had to ask ds what you meant!

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Original poster

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 19:18

yes science teacher we have done!
ds took senuas advice ( amny thanks!) and rang cambridge

they said they were happy with the odd module resit but not happy with full a levels being repeated!

Who knows...

she said ' a very good excuse is sickness'

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scienceteacher · 17/03/2009 21:14

Chatting with DS1, who is in L6 and just had results.

He told me that the RS/Philosophy dept treat the January modules as a mock (everyone in the sixth form does either RS or Philosophy in addition to their other four AS levels). If they get an A - fine; if not, they are automatically entered for a resit in June (with the cost added to the bill - parents have to decline the resit rather than approve it). Fortunately, DS did get an A - but I don't think the school would jeopardise their entire sixth form, several of whom will go to Oxbridge.

Original poster

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 21:23

thanks and well done scienceteachers ds!

feeling as though we have done the best thing....

Found out today that even though he got an A at the other module ..the AS modules do not contribute to A* - Does that sound right?????

he also told me that he got another 100% in gen studies- i know folk pour scorn on it but i am still v pleased for him!

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scienceteacher · 17/03/2009 21:38

I believe that the AS modules do contribute to the overall A grade. They have to get over a certain % in each of their modules, including having a high overall grade to get the A - I think 90% is the target.

snorkle · 17/03/2009 22:17

90% or above for each of the A2 modules scienceteacher and also at least an A overall. So as long as AS modules don't bring you below an A it's only the A2 modules that count for an A* as I understand it.

Original poster

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 22:21

yes Snorkle ds definitely told me that ONLY A2 directly contributed to the A*

any one else horrified at the minefield this has become?

It is a very steep learning curve for me...

Life is so much easier with ds3 and the old ORT stages

or ds 4 and his flashcards

ds5 ...the breast??

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