What were your exam results like when you were an NQT

[EventfulDay]

On my PGCE I was always so relieved when the end of topic test results came in and showed a spread of data which was 'acceptable' - where children had met 'current working levels' consistently and many moving forward.

As an NQT my test results and mock GCSE exams are coming back with the majority of kids underacheiving. How 'normal' is it for pupils to have lower than expected results when taught by an NQT? Did you find that your exam results improve over time? It sounds obvious that they should...but I cant help but worry about the poor kids that have ended up with me and how much better off they'd have been with an experienced teacher.

Fortunately I don't have any Yr11 classes so there is a year to put things right. ...but....

I am assuming they are in year 10? My 'mock' results aren't great- a few have met their target, so I am revising them upwards. The rest are either one or two grades below their target which I think is fine. If they were already meeting their target they should either be taking the exam now or increasing their target. Not sure what subject you teach but certainly in maths the knowledge progresses over time. We leave a/a* stuff to year 11 because it's hardest. Also if the class is a bit lazy it's the perfect opportunity to tell them they need to start working harder.

I am not an NQT but in my 5th year teaching. Can you have a chat with your mentor or someone in your dept?

I meant to add, they are half way through the course, so you still have a year to go! I told my class if they got 50% in their exam, they have retained half of what I've taught them. That is because we don't give past papers as they don't know everything yet.

The mocks only covered the material taught so far.

so in theory they were capable of acheiving 100% if coverage of the content was the only factor.

50% of them got ungraded. Most are 2-3 grades down on targets (minimum). It's just so depressing - but I don't know whats 'normal' for an NQT or normal for mocks.

I just feel like I'm letting them down and now the exam results are evidence of that.

I'm an experienced teacher with excellent record of results... I fully expect my y10s to all get below target for their upcoming mocks. A lot by 2-3 grades. I think it will give them the kick up the bum they need.., a lot of them think they're working really hard but have done practically no work all year.

My DS is in Y10, and I was hoping his results would be poor as he is a lazy bugger and deserved that so that he would get the kick he needed - which is exactly what happened last week .
I do think Y10 is a time when they go off the boil a bit as they have all the teenage stuff going on. This is the time for them to get a short sharp shock to spur them into action.
My DS1 similarly did below target in his Y10 exams and got 11 A* a year later for GCSE - there is hope!

Beliw target by a couple of grades I could probably rationalise.

half of them ungraded? Is that really 'normal'. Esp when targets are Bs and Cs. But in many cases the ungraded is a partial consequence of tiered papers....