GCSEs 2019

[ToadMum]

Just last week an Oxford Professor in response to a question about Third Class degrees responded very firmly that anyone in line for a Third would be identified long before the final exams and would not be able to continue with the course. DG

Ah...

Again, the kind of activity that tends to get other educational establishmentts a bad name (St Olaves, anyone?). But no doubt a perfectly sound strategy if you're an Oxford college. The Norrington Table doesn't include the number of undergraduates starting out on their career at the colleges, only the number graduating.

Obviously, DG, either your informant doesn't share the oft-claimed belief that an Oxbridge degree of any variety opens more doors than a higher class of degree from elsewhere. Or perhaps they do and it worries them?

[dez]

Isn’t that a bit like pointing out that GSs get higher exam results?

Oxbridge are highly selective, so I’d sort of expect students to get more firsts and 2:1

+1

[loobylou]

Back to GCSEs 2019 - we had a 6th form information evening last week; half the evening was on the 6th form and choosing A levels and the other half on managing GCSEs. It was very useful. I do like the amount of involvement the school has in trying to ensure that everyone does their best and minimises their stress at the same time.
As a medic I really liked the 2 minutes taken by the Head of 6th form to say "some of you will want to do medicine, others will be being encouraged to do medicine, others will be being told to do medicine. We will discuss with you what you really want to do when we discuss your A level choices". I was very surprised to see that the second highest university subject choice over the last 10 years was Medicine (highest was History) - although as there is a very broad range of destinations the actual numbers are not too high.

[anotherdad]

As a medic I really liked the 2 minutes taken by the Head of 6th form to say "some of you will want to do medicine, others will be being encouraged to do medicine, others will be being told to do medicine. We will discuss with you what you really want to do when we discuss your A level choices".

I like that. I expect there were some parents twitching and shifting in their seats awkwardly when s/he said that.

[Amber]

As a medic I really liked the 2 minutes taken by the Head of 6th form to say "some of you will want to do medicine, others will be being encouraged to do medicine, others will be being told to do medicine. We will discuss with you what you really want to do when we discuss your A level choices".

I like that. I expect there were some parents twitching and shifting in their seats awkwardly when s/he said that.

You reckon? Or do the parents you might be alluding to also tell themselves that 'my child has always wanted to do Medicine. Since he was 3 months old. Nothing to do with me at all - if anything I have tried to discourage it but bless him his little brain never tired of reading obscure medical journals as soon as he got past the Jolly Phonics stage and now he carries out full body VR dissections in his bedroom in his free time in a self-driven personal quest to understand more about cancer'. Etc.

[anotherdad]

When I was a small boy I wanted to work in a baker's shop. Then I realised I was scared of wasps, so what would have been a promising career in pies and cakes was dashed.

[Guest55]

You worked with pi though almost the same.

[piggys]

When I was 14 all I wanted was to be a punk. I'm still one now.

[Amber]

When I was 14 all I wanted was to be a punk. I'm still one now.

I wanted to be an Olympic gymnast. The list of reasons why that was not going to happen began with '5 foot 8'.

[Tinkers]

Back to GCSEs 2019 - we had a 6th form information evening last week; half the evening was on the 6th form and choosing A levels and the other half on managing GCSEs. It was very useful. I do like the amount of involvement the school has in trying to ensure that everyone does their best and minimises their stress at the same time.
As a medic I really liked the 2 minutes taken by the Head of 6th form to say "some of you will want to do medicine, others will be being encouraged to do medicine, others will be being told to do medicine. We will discuss with you what you really want to do when we discuss your A level choices". I was very surprised to see that the second highest university subject choice over the last 10 years was Medicine (highest was History) - although as there is a very broad range of destinations the actual numbers are not too high.

DDs school tried to emphasise that the students themselves should pick subjects ‘they enjoy and are good at’.