DD sad about her GCSE Results

[tes320]

Hi my DD just received her GCSEs yesterday and is really sad even though she got 1 A , 2 Bs and 4Cs but 3Ds (failed maths). She now hasnt got into her first choice college.

It's really hard. I'd advise avoiding Facebook for a few days (her and you).
Make a Plan B and C.
We spent yesterday and today in colleges finding what alternatives there were, looking at the possibilities for apprenticeships and in a long and helpful appointment with the careers service.
We've now got a Plan of action and it feels so much better.
Also I started an equally useful thread on MN so if you search my username, you'll find it.

Did she work hard for the full two years? Did she do her best?

Http:www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3015138-Non-academic-16-yr-old-How-do-we-find-a-way-forward

YY to finding out why she got the grades she did. It's crucial if she's going to learn from it and move on.
Mine fessed up this morning to less than useful levels of revision.

Its annoying though she always revised and tried her hardest and failed maths.

Did the college just reject her completely?

Most Colleges will offer resit Maths so this is definitely worth looking into. Many students find a resit easier when they have been through the experience once before. Good luck!

If it helps that happened to me too. I now have a doctorate and am quite senior in my profession

Things will be ok in the end

CanIBuffalo yup, just blatently rejected her.

My DD didn't get what she needed for her first choice either. She has two other choices but she's not keen, one is staying where she was but she fancied a change, but now she's having a wobble about the new place. I'm disappointed for her, though she has admitted she didn't do much work, it's a hard lesson to learn. I hope you find something that suits your DD.

DS1 got a U and a G for his 2 resits. He had SEN and finds it so hard. It's rubbish having to deal with their disappointment, hope something can be sorted for your DD.

Many children who would have gained Cs in Maths and English have got grade 3s. The new exams rewards what a child can produce in the exam and nothing else. They disadvantage borderline children who work hard and would have benefitted from having coursework to do which they could spend time on and produce their best effort. In addition the reading age of the maths and English papers is very high.
In the English GCSE children entitled to a reader and scribe can no longer have a reader. That combined with the reading material having to stretch the Grade 9 students has seriously disadvantaged some children and rewarded the more able but lazy who get by on ability. In maths the affected children have seriously struggled with the literacy level of the questions, not with the actual maths. Very sad.

As the analysis is done we will see that children with additional educational needs and those who receive Pupil Premium and are from disadvantaged have been hardest hit and those who are able and from the middle classes have done even better than usual.

That's annoying.
What choices does she now have for college?
Is it just a 2nd choice college or truly inferior to her 1st choice.
How come she got a D in math & not a number result in math?

My DD and DS failed their re-sits for Maths this year. My son is being a typical teenager but on the plus side he's still off to uni in Glasgow next week as he doesn't need Maths to do his Computing degree. He will have to resit as he will need it when it comes to getting a job. My DD tried really hard this year and really struggles with Maths. I need to get her a tutor and see if that will help. I'm lost as to where she goes from here. We will try to go to college and see if they still put her on her course, otherwise an alternative. It's my son who is giving me the most stress tho! This year he has changed completely after a chance meeting with his half siblings ( I'm a single parent and his dad has ever been in their lives) they have been a nasty influence, giving him weed and ecstasy. I have tried to insist that he has no contact with them but he is still phoning them. My only hope is that he leaves London and goes to uni in Glasgow next week. (Train tickets booked, bags almost packed !) to make this even more complicated, he decided on moving in with his GF (she's already in Glasgow) so we didn't sort accommodation for him , instead they're sharing, however she is now fed up of him and he says he only wants to be housemates , she has agreed but I'm not sure this will work. I cannot afford the £650 last minute deposit for his own place and the deadline to pay was Monday. He has a part time job but I've kept hold of his bank card so he doesn't waste any money. Everything is set for uni and I'm hoping he will focus and once he is away from certain individuals who are doing nothing with their lives, he will make a better , new life. He's really pushing my limits as last night I was awoken at 1 when he deciddd to bring a female work colleague into his bedroom. After I spoke to him ,he took her home. I've got 6 more days till he leaves . I'm so stressed about everything, I'm even on stress leave from work as I have been bullied by my headteacher ( I've taken out a grievance ) the matter with my son isn't helping. I have a lovely partner who's supportive of my decisions but doesn't like how my son has been treating me and an amazing DD who is 23, she's my soldier. I also have an 11 year old DD about to start secondary school.

I'm surprised that he doesn't need Maths for computing.

I was surprised too. I've contacted uni and it's been confirmed. He's got in through achieving triple distinctions on his BTEC level 3 computing course. Apparently you only need GCSE Maths when he applies for a job. This works out great for him as he's got time to re-sit alongside going to uni.