Do you have questions about your child’s options following GCSE results day? Q&A with The National Careers Service - £100 voucher to be won

[JustineBMumsnet]

GCSE results day can be an uncertain time for students and parents, and with that uncertainty increased this year we’ve partnered with the The National Careers Service to bring you an expert to help answer your questions about your child’s choices - including apprenticeships, the new T levels, A levels and routes to university or the workplace - following their GCSE results.

You can find out more about post-16 options here.

James Dudney, a qualified Careers Adviser, will be answering your questions. Read on if you’d like to know a bit more about his background: “James is a qualified Careers Adviser, usually covering the South London area. James has been a part of the National Careers Service London team since 2015 and his areas of expertise include working with customers with low confidence levels and helping customers identify transferable skills.”

Post your questions for James on the thread below - he’ll be online to answer questions on results day and periodically in the days following.

Please note the advisers will be giving advice with the education system in England in mind. If you're living elsewhere, any advice given may not be relevant.

All who post on the thread with a question for James will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

@Oblomov20

I too am puzzled. Ds1 got good grades. Enough for his school 6th form. And I am very pleased. That's enough.

But some are a puzzle.

1. he was struggling with triple science. Might get a 4 or 5 in all 3. But today they gave him 2 x 7's in combined science. Suppose we should be grateful. But isn't that wierd? And when was the decision taken to put him down from triple to combined?

2. RE predicted an 8. Got a 5. Which was his lowest mark by far. Is that odd?

Is it worth doing anything about the 5. It looks odd compared to the other marks he got.

And generally, as a general question please: if it's only a grade difference , a 5 when you Were expecting a 6, a 6 when you are predicting a 7 then presumably it's not worth doing anything about it?

when is it worth doing something about it? is it worth speaking to the school at all or would you just appear like a fussy parent who should be just grateful that the child is going on to do A-levels and leave it at that?

Hello @Oblomov20,

Thank you for your questions.

1. Can only be answered by your school. I could only guess.
2. Unless he is going into a career or higher level subject related to RE, it shouldn't have any negative impact.
3. The only time I would recommend appealing is if the higher grade is a requirement to gain entry to the next level of qualification. I appreciate it can be a point of pride. But, you do need to bear in mind that factors may dictate whether you can appeal, such as mock results. The school will often give you better insight as to whether the grade was likely borderline or not, or whether to pursue it.

Good luck!

@IHeartHarryStyles

Can you tell me a bit more about BTECs? I’ve had some great advice on here already but as poorer results than anticipated have meant they are now the only real option DD has any information in terms of how they’re perceived and how well kids tend to do with them would be great.

Hello @IHeartHarryStyles,

We have some really good information about the various options here:
nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/career-choices-at-16

"One of the main differences between BTECs and A-Levels is the way they are assessed. A-Levels mainly involve two years of study geared towards a few big tests at the end, whereas BTECs are continually assessed via coursework and practical projects." - Courtesy of WhatUni.com

With BTECs the work is spread across the study and less pressured on big exams. They can still get someone in to University, but not as academically intensive as A Levels. There can sometimes be challenges transitioning from these to degrees, because degrees are generally structured similarly to A Levels. By this, I mean that the reading and research, and exams, are more alike. Some educational providers have study skills units to support this transition though.

BTECs tend to be more vocationally-focused, so it's good to take time to consider future options - this could be a degree, an apprenticeship or similar.

I hope that helps - Good luck!

@wasgoingmadinthecountry

Dd is miffed with a 7 for Eng Lang - she got a clear 8 in her mock and is considering taking it in Autumn. I know her school will have marked much more fairly (harshly) than other schools. Also, I am aware (as an ex GCSE Moderator for a different subject) that not all exam boards are equal.

Is it worth the effort or will A levels supersede? If she does less well than a 7 (unlikely) will her CAG grade stand?

Hello @wasgoingmadinthecountry,

It all depends on the entry requirements for whatever course(s) she wants to do next. If she continues with A Levels, these will have more importance in those subjects. A 7 is still a very good grade.

For University entry (if this is her plan), they require students to have the equivalent of the old A*-C in Maths and English alongside any other specific A-Level or alternative Level 3 qualifications. So, that won't be a problem.

My understanding is that if you resit, you will get the higher of either the resit or original grade.

Best of luck!

@BloodiedButUnbowed

Hello! DD got mostly 4s today, with a 5 in German and 3s in Maths (which she will resit), Physics and Chemistry. I think the grades are fair and are probably close to what she would have achieved in the actual exams - she is pretty intelligent but has very little work ethic unfortunately! She had planned to go to sixth form but sadly won’t be accepted now to do the subjects she wanted. One of the sixth forms she applied to were very helpful and offered her other subjects.

She’s inclined to accept that place (probably as it’s a ‘safe’ option) but she’s not really as interested in those subjects and I’m trying to get her to be really open minded about what she might want to do in the future, and not just to assume that A levels followed by university is the right choice for her. She is somewhat intellectual - she’s taught herself two languages and is very knowledgeable about 20th century politics, because she’s fascinated by them. But she just hates schoolwork (hence her grades) so I’m not sure she’d thrive at A level.

The local college is offering a 2 year course in Cyber Security which I’ve suggested she looks at. But time is REALLY short for making a decision so how do we find out whether it’s something she’d enjoy? My end goal is to help her find something that she will enjoy for the next two years, because she’ll only really work at something she enjoys. At the moment she likes the idea that it might lead to a lucrative IT career. Is that a good enough reason?

Hello @BloodiedButUnbowed,

First of all, she might find it useful to have a chat with one of the National Careers Service advisers through our telephone service on 0800 100 900. They may be able to start to get to the heart of what she is looking for.

However, there are lots of resources you can look at first to narrow things down (or expand ideas) further.

The National Careers Service website has lots of useful resources including a Skills Assessment, Job Profiles (these describe what jobs are and how to get into them) which are good for comparing, information on different Post-16 Options and more.

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/

UCAS has a good personality test that provides careers ideas:
www.ucas.com/careers/buzz-quiz

icould.com has other job profiles but with videos of people talking about their careers and other sector information.

There are some other sites like Prospects.ac.uk or notgoingtouni.co.uk that have useful resources too.

Whatever she decides, I wish you luck!

@pentaplanet

Hi James,

My son Ben, in his GCSEs, has got one at grade 9, and eight at grade 8.

He wants to go to the local FE College to do a BTEC Level 3 in Construction and the Built Environment, rather than stay on at his (very good academically) school, and do three A levels.

We think he will be wasting his (academic) talents, going down the BTEC route.
We are an academic family, with no tradition of Building & Construction in the family, and we fear that he will find the BTEC course very boring and pedestrian, and to be honest , not sufficiently demanding for him.
( The FE College does not have a great reputation).

What do you think he should do?

Hello @pentaplanet,

Thank you for the question.

The central question here is: What does he want to do in future? Does he want to progress to become an Architect, Developer, gain a trade, or similar?

He also needs to look at the pathways into these and research the right one for him. We have information on the different job roles within Construction (and most industries) that can help with that research. nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers

These will inform him of his options. He can also talk to a National Careers Service Adviser on 0800 100 900 if he wants to have more of a conversation.

I would absolutely advise researching the college and any other colleges or school options to make sure that it is right for what he wants to do and how he wants to study. Look at the student experience reviews.

Yes, BTECs are very vocationally-focused, but that can be their strength. They also allow a learner to concentrate their learning on an area of interest for the first time, rather than the broader benefits of academic qualifications such as A Levels.

A compromise option, if available, are T Levels. These start from Sept 2020 and one of the three first subjects is: Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction. These also provide an industry placement, which will make a huge difference to future employment prospects.

There is more about these here: www.tlevels.gov.uk/students/subjects/design-surveying-planning

It may be the case that what he wants to do is at a higher level where going a more academic route for the next level will still allow him to specialise later. As I said, research is the key.

Not an easy answer I can offer, but I do wish you all well and future success.

My son got 4 grade 8s, 3 grade 6s, and a 7-6 in Science yesterday.
He plans to go on to sixth form and has chosen A levels in French, German, History (all of which are his strongest subjects) plus Psychology, with a view to trialling all four subjects, and dropping one after a few months once he has a feel for them.
His interests for a future career are either sports journalism or teaching!
I haven't a clue which subjects to recommend as the ones to keep, nor what he should be looking at for a degree subject.
Do you have any advice for us please?

Thank you so much @JamesDudney

@27Yardsofdentalfloss

My son got 4 grade 8s, 3 grade 6s, and a 7-6 in Science yesterday. He plans to go on to sixth form and has chosen A levels in French, German, History (all of which are his strongest subjects) plus Psychology, with a view to trialling all four subjects, and dropping one after a few months once he has a feel for them. His interests for a future career are either sports journalism or teaching! I haven't a clue which subjects to recommend as the ones to keep, nor what he should be looking at for a degree subject. Do you have any advice for us please?

Hello @27Yardsofdentalfloss,

Those are good grades and good that he has some ideas about his future career. That makes advising much easier!

For any journalism, I would normally advise English as one subject, but there are different routes in. With Teaching, you have options on whether to go for a Teaching degree first or choose a specialism subject degree then get a PGCE afterwards or there are some work-based training options.

Take a look at the Job Profiles on the National Careers Service website:

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-careers

And on Prospects.ac.uk for more details on the different careers and pathways:

www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/browse-a-to-z

Best of luck!

Thank you @JamesDudney

@JamesDudney thank you for the advice, that's very helpful.

Thank you so much for answering my questions.
And for answering everyone's questions.

Ds got generally good results and starting a levels ( maths, bio, chem and another do be decided but will drop after 1st year) has a couple of gcses grades he was not happy with. Wanted to get all sciences at least 7 so we were thinking of 2 in Nov. Looking foward to ucas forms and what unis might want.
But he is now getting cold feet and worried about work load with yr12 and possible mocks at the end of term.
We were thinking of English(which he was v.dissapointed in not getting a 7 and a science.
What do you think?

My dd has got excellent results 8 English language, 7 English literature, 6 in maths, geography, statistics and 5 in 2 sciences. Still awaiting grade for health and social care but was predicted level 2 merit and possibly a distinction (btw what gcse grade is that equivalent to?)
So her dilemma now is does she stretch herself and do 3 A levels? That I should add she showed interest in previously but now insists she doesn't want to do the work involved and it's a no! Or she wants to do a level 3 in travel and tourism. No idea what job she wants in the future but wants to travel and work abroad. Help!

Hi. My DD was given a 7 in English Language last week, and then 4 x 9’s and 5 x 8’s (including in Eng Lit). The paper she did has 40% coursework and she had already submitted and received grades in line with an 8 for this. We are not sure why the school didn’t award an 8 but as far as I can see she has no right of appeal on that.

She is doing maths and science a-levels and is planning on applying to Russell group type universities for something like engineering/maths/science.

Do you think it is worth her sitting the exam for English Lang in the autumn to try to get an 8 so it doesn’t ‘stand out’ from her other results? How much will top Unis look at this? From our side it’s a 2 hour exam without much prep compared to other subjects, but she is keen to just forget it and move on.

My dc got borderline grades to go to college, should she see if they'll still take her?

Hi,
My son has got his GCSE results, ranging from 7 - 5 (1 7, mostly 5's) but this was with the help of a private tutor (he is dyslexic) as well as help from the school. I believe the school help - extra exam time and a scribe - will be ongoing in sixth form, but, given that he didn't actually sit the exams I am slightly concerned that he will not cope well with the pressure of A levels, bearing in mind that as a result of lockdown we are not now in a position to pay for private tuition.

Do you advise that he enrols for sixth form to see how it goes or would it be better to focus on applying for apprenticeships and jobs?

what is the latest on the BTec results please, DD got her GCSE's but is waiting on her sport - which is a subject she wanted to do at A-Level -

Thanks for your advice so far, My DS has missed so much school, and despite my best attempts has not done enough school work as i'd like, he got good results, but I feel will struggle at A-Level because others (key worker children and those who have studied) will be in front - if he cannot cope with the academic strain - could be change to an apprenticeship mid-term ? - If so how can this be done

My son has been given his grades, he got mainly 4s and 5s, but feel if he took the exams could have really achieved 6's - he has just according to school - 'scraped into 6th form' - it's really knocked his confidence, I want him to sit his exams (so does he unexpectedly ) can I pay to have this through an evening school or direct with the exam board (he only wants to take his Mathematics and Geography) thanks in advance

If I was to appeal my daughters results, how long would the process take? Have there been any successful appeals so far?

What if my child really has no idea about what they want to do?

Will any special dispensation for people who take their GSCE's this year due to the Covid 19 informed absence?

Thanks all for your questions - the prize draw winner is @BloodiedButUnbowed