GCSEs 2019
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BlueBerry22
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:16 pm
Re: GCSEs 2019
Been trying to find time to post since Aug 22nd but have been on cloud 9 - now slowly coming down!!
As you may have known from my posts between Feb – June, DS was predicted not to get enough points to return to his GS Sixth form – GS required 5’s in Maths and English and 44 points overall.
I am delighted to say that after a lot of hard work – he was able to pick up a 6 in Maths (a huge achievement as was predicted a 4 if very lucky) and 71 points overall. His results included one very unexpected 9 and in most subjects, he was at least 2 (or more) grades above predictions.
Seneca Learning and Primrose Kitten were two free tools that made him feel in control of his revision. I would recommend them for 2020 sitters.
Off to a new Sixth Form now full of confidence.
Hope this doesn't come over too much as bragging - it was just so unexpected - he himself did not believe the numbers on the paper on Aug 22nd!
BB22 (now off to 6th form forum board and even possibly uni forum board - he has never regarded himself as Uni material until now)
As you may have known from my posts between Feb – June, DS was predicted not to get enough points to return to his GS Sixth form – GS required 5’s in Maths and English and 44 points overall.
I am delighted to say that after a lot of hard work – he was able to pick up a 6 in Maths (a huge achievement as was predicted a 4 if very lucky) and 71 points overall. His results included one very unexpected 9 and in most subjects, he was at least 2 (or more) grades above predictions.
Seneca Learning and Primrose Kitten were two free tools that made him feel in control of his revision. I would recommend them for 2020 sitters.
Off to a new Sixth Form now full of confidence.
Hope this doesn't come over too much as bragging - it was just so unexpected - he himself did not believe the numbers on the paper on Aug 22nd!
BB22 (now off to 6th form forum board and even possibly uni forum board - he has never regarded himself as Uni material until now)
Re: GCSEs 2019
Ahh, congratulations! I could have written that post 12 months ago. DS needed 54 points in his best 8 GCSEs inc 5s in Eng and Maths. He was predicted 53 points so was borderline as to whether he would get back in. However, he ended up with 66 points with 8s in Eng and Maths.
I am glad your DS is doing so well and looking towards university.
I am glad your DS is doing so well and looking towards university.
Re: GCSEs 2019
Well Done!! That is great to hear. It is one thing, to achieve better than predicted. But it is even more impressive, that the young people take it up as a challenge and strive to get more than predicted, and not give up.
What is this point system? I wasn't aware of point system, other than in iGCSEs....
What is this point system? I wasn't aware of point system, other than in iGCSEs....
Re: GCSEs 2019
It depends on different subjects/ different awarding bodies as far as I aware. On average the passed mark is 4 (equivalent for C). The entry requirement for sixth form are based on the total points which is the sum of every GCSE scores, plus with the subjects children would like to choose (Normally require score 6-7 above). For example, if a children take 10 GCSEs with score 4, he/she already has 40 points (4*10 =40). Thus, it's nothing a big deal for total score points if a child takes more than 10 GCSEs without ''super high scores' in order to stay in a decent school. However, on the one hand, it does affect how much effort and time that children could spend on each subjects. On the another hand, children with supper high or supper low scores or without any particular interests on any subjectss would probably have more difficulties to choose the right courses for them in the future sixth forms. That is the problematic issue for young people which the present GCSEs system would not be able to clarify for them. As we all know that, score points system is nothing but a myth, a mystery and a misleading concept for children, teachers and parents.wildwest wrote:Well Done!! That is great to hear. It is one thing, to achieve better than predicted. But it is even more impressive, that the young people take it up as a challenge and strive to get more than predicted, and not give up.
What is this point system? I wasn't aware of point system, other than in iGCSEs....
Last edited by rebellian on Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: GCSEs 2019
@wildwest,
To give you an example: Dartford Grammar School requires a minimum of 52 points from their top 8 subjects. So, if you took 13 GCSEs and got 4s in all of them (total 52 points), you would not be allowed to do the 6th form there as only 4x8 = 32 points would be taken into account. Moreover, they also require that you get at least a 5 in English and maths, as well as a 7 for most of the subjects to be done at higher level (as they do the IB, not A levels). Furthermore, if you are doing higher level maths, you need to have an 8 in your maths GCSE.
Each school has different requirements.
Salsa
To give you an example: Dartford Grammar School requires a minimum of 52 points from their top 8 subjects. So, if you took 13 GCSEs and got 4s in all of them (total 52 points), you would not be allowed to do the 6th form there as only 4x8 = 32 points would be taken into account. Moreover, they also require that you get at least a 5 in English and maths, as well as a 7 for most of the subjects to be done at higher level (as they do the IB, not A levels). Furthermore, if you are doing higher level maths, you need to have an 8 in your maths GCSE.
Each school has different requirements.
Salsa
Re: GCSEs 2019
A 4 in the new grading system is the equivalent of a C (albeit the lower end of), not a D, in the previous one.
https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2018/03/02/g ... r-parents/
https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2018/03/02/g ... r-parents/
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
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kenyancowgirl
- Posts: 6738
- Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm
Re: GCSEs 2019
Yup - our school (in common with quite a few) also will not count anything below a 5 when considering the "best 8 GCSEs" and requires 54 points from these with a minimum of a 7 (an old A) in any subjects one wishes to take at A level.
Re: GCSEs 2019
Thanks for everyone's correction above. I have corrected the info as others suggested. However, it might be not quite clear what I would like to address earlier. It's not the score points children/parents/teachers should care about only as a whole.
The more important thing is about how to make sure children knowing themselves well, knowing what they would like to do in the nearly future based on their strengths and weakness as well as their personal interests. Getting highest scores at GCSEs/ A levels results or getting into the super selective grammar schools wouldn't definitely mean that children are more able to clarify what they actually like to do in the nearly future regardless what they could do or not.
To some extent, it's still hard to identify children's abilities in coping with complex studies based on these foundation academic-centered subjects. Or should we say, it's a pretty rough way of self-identification when it comes down to three/four choices for children in sixth form stage. I am not sure how children in this generation could cope with the pressure and anxiety on this competition based on the scores. Yet, I would rather see all the parents could more focus on what their children want to learn, what they have learned so far and as well as how to develop those potential skills they should have for the nearly future, instead of imprinting the ideologies on getting higher score points as a life-long goal. In short, score point system is nothing but a manipulate tool to stabilize the merit system in schools among all levels. Try not to worry too much about the scores, because sometimes it really means NOTHING=>''nothing but holding a school place''. All the best!
The more important thing is about how to make sure children knowing themselves well, knowing what they would like to do in the nearly future based on their strengths and weakness as well as their personal interests. Getting highest scores at GCSEs/ A levels results or getting into the super selective grammar schools wouldn't definitely mean that children are more able to clarify what they actually like to do in the nearly future regardless what they could do or not.
To some extent, it's still hard to identify children's abilities in coping with complex studies based on these foundation academic-centered subjects. Or should we say, it's a pretty rough way of self-identification when it comes down to three/four choices for children in sixth form stage. I am not sure how children in this generation could cope with the pressure and anxiety on this competition based on the scores. Yet, I would rather see all the parents could more focus on what their children want to learn, what they have learned so far and as well as how to develop those potential skills they should have for the nearly future, instead of imprinting the ideologies on getting higher score points as a life-long goal. In short, score point system is nothing but a manipulate tool to stabilize the merit system in schools among all levels. Try not to worry too much about the scores, because sometimes it really means NOTHING=>''nothing but holding a school place''. All the best!
Re: GCSEs 2019
Ah! ok. I understand now. I don't think our school has any point systems requirement for sixth form. It just mentions particular grades needed and with some explicit ones like for Eng, Maths etc.
