Drop from GCSE to A levels

[buckwheat]

Thank you all for not being too offended by my post, I'm not here to offend anyone but it can be difficult to say what you are thinking without upsetting people sometimes. Just to clarify though I am looking at the breakdown of A levels so I am really looking at the traditional subjects and not even worrying about the softer ones (I too won't commit myself to the blocks by naming them ) I was really surprised to hear that an A* had only been achieved after 3 goes! That really throws a spanner in the works. Without the GCSE and A level results to go on, and the fact that we live miles away and have not friends that have children at the schools leaves me with little to base my opinions on. Thankfully it's only my two DC's education I'm worried about here and not something really important Thank you again though for not being offended, without this forum I would have nothing to go on at all, it's the only sensible place to air your thoughts and worries as far as I can see - and I am truly grateful for it

[Amber]

Buckwheat, please don't be offended by what I am about to say!

It seems you are thinking of uprooting your family to move to an area where you don't know anyone, on the basis that your children, in around 6 years time, might be at a school with slightly better 'A' level results than the one they will go to if you remain where you are. Have I got this right?

If so (and I apologise if I have misunderstood) then I would say think very carefully indeed. There are so many factors which affect the results your particular child will end up with at the age of 18, and placing such heavy emphasis on the number of top grade 'A' levels a school which your child isn't even in yet has achieved this year, will surely distort the picture you are forming of whether a move for your family is the right thing.

A school is just a school; a grammar school is not, as I have said on this forum before, a sanctuary of fine dining, good manners and highbrow intellectual debate at break times. The behaviour of some of the kids at these schools out of hours can be appalling (as can that of children at some of the most expensive schools in the country, as I witnessed this very week) and just because your child is in a 'good' grammar school, there is no guarantee of getting one 'A' level grade over another.

Not trying to sound negative, but please just think very carefully about whether what you are looking for is something which can't actually be found.

[neveragain*]

I was just midst long reply but amber beat me to it.
I am total agreement.
Wanted to add that I see so many parents losing their grip on their teens at 17 and 18, becoming overly liberal, thinking its cool to condone drinking and even drug use.
Their all a* GCSE DC suddenly become low grade AS LEVEL students, I have seen this time and time again.
The same self children come to my house and talk at uni and personal statements and texts to use for their coursework as they feel their parents aren't interested anymore.
Now, I want my year 13 DD to manage all her work, plan it etc but she knows I am there when she needs me. I know what periods she studying in history and might suggest a film, what books in english, what topic in politics so we can discuss......as I would have when she was in younger years.......just different emphasis.
She goes out, sees friends etc, normal 17 year old, but I am not keen on her doing that often inn school week and work comes first.
I think parents need to keep connected even when they feel rejected by teens.
I really believe this is a huge part of a level drop off......

[Amber]

I do agree, neveragain*- I know I bang on about this a lot but why do parents, who have presumably fought tooth and nail to support a child into a GS, then also encourage, or at least allow, that same child to indulge in heavy partying, drinking, s exual relationships and even drugs once they get to 16? It really shocks me and I think it is down to parents not wanting to parent, but to be best friends with their offspring, which nowadays seems to mean allowing them to indulge all their whims and desires. A party I know of recently at a GS turned into something like the last days of the Roman Empire, with every excess you could think of; and a friend with a daughter at a jolly expensive independent school reports very similar scenarios, with parents allowing under age children to 'pre-load', under the guise of 'getting changed' ahead of parties. I must admit I hadn't linked this with 'A' level drop off, but you are almost certainly right in that it must be a factor.

As, I think also, is just the sheer jump from GCSE to 'A' level in terms of workload and difficulty.

Sorry if that is a bit OT, but maybe food for thought?

[cairo]

Buckwheat - I don't know what part of the country you are in, but if the comps near you do indeed get exam results comparable to the grammar schools in our county, then I agree that there doesn't really seem much point moving.

The reason so many people in Glos want to get their DCs into GSs is because most of our comprehensives *don't* get similar results. If they did, people would be happy to send their DCs to the local school instead of hiking them across the county.

As others have pointed out, there is a lot of movement between the schools for sixth form. In addition, all the GSs seem to take additional pupils into the sixth form. For example STRS takes 108 boys into Y7-11 but has around 150-160 per year in the sixth form. I have no idea whether the additional pupils have better or worse GCSE results than the original cohort, but it does muddy the waters when trying to compare GCSE and A-levels.

Have you visited the schools your DC has the option of attending? And what did you think of the ethos of each school? Could you imagine your DC being happy there?

I wouldn't choose a school exclusively on its exam results. I'm much more interested in finding schools which will help my DCs successfully navigate their teenage years. Growing up to be well-rounded, interesting, comfortable-in-their-own-skins young men and women is to me much more important than quite how many A*s they end up with.

[bobbym]

The comps in the Stroud area don't have sixth forms and therefore students wanting to do A' levels have the choice of FE college or Grammars, so some pupils will be coming from the comps. However they still have to achieve the entry requirements. Pates start their GCSE courses in year 9 to give a broader and deeper understanding of the subjects - perhaps this is another reason why their A' level results are better.

[Amber]

Pates start their GCSE courses in year 9 to give a broader and deeper understanding of the subjects - perhaps this is another reason why their A' level results are better.

Well it will be a flash in the pan if that is the case then, as from this year all GCSE courses will have to be completed within 2 years, so Pates won't be allowed to carry on in that fashion. Certainly a 'deeper and broader understanding of subjects' is anything but an advantage at GCSE, where the only knack is knowing how to answer the questions within the narrow confines of the prescriptive syllabus.

[stroudydad]

Is Archway not a Stroud comp?

[sandman]

When it comes to comparing A level results between GS and comps. it is worth noting in what subjects the A levels are. It is interesting that many comps appear to fail to provide the subject/grade breakdown, just giving overall %s. GS, on the whole, provide a subject grade breakdown. Ask yourself or the school. why?

Not sure where this "GCSEs will have to be completed in two years" comes from. My daughter's and son's schools have both started GCSE in year 9. Is this a new course?

[daveg]

Well it will be a flash in the pan if that is the case then, as from this year all GCSE courses will have to be completed within 2 years

You mean that no English, Maths, MFL, Humanity or Science will be taught until they start GCSE in Y10? How exciting!