Drop from GCSE to A levels

[buckwheat]

Hi all, I was just wondering, having looked at this year's GCSE and A level results for the GS's, why the children seem to do so well at GCSE and then (except for Pates) the marks are not so great at A level. Lots of A* and A's at GCSE across most GS's but at A level very few A* and A's. Pates is consistent in its results at GCSE and A level and I would have thought the standard at the other GS's would have been consistently high too but my local comp matches the A level results (nearly) at the GS's (except for Pates') despite not being selective which surprises me. My local comp's GCSE results are much poorer but at A level there isn't much between it and HSG, STRS and SHS. Surely if you pick an A level subject you have an interest in it and (hopefully) an aptitude for it. So in a great GS environment why are there not more A*'s at A level? I realise they may be hard to get but they are attainable.

[fairweathergardener]

Hi
I've been wondering the same thing and have been asking some questions....it appears a lot of the best students leave these grammars and go to Pates or independents. Pates has a big intake of only the exceptionally bright kids for year 12 and 13. It might be useful to get the numbers of leavers from Denmark, tommies, Ribston etc to se if that corresponds with what I have heard. It's something I intend to do once the schools are back after half term. Unless someone else can corroborate what I've been told or knows something different...Pates require something like 28 points (may have changed to a little lower this year) from a students' top 8 gcses for their A level intake so they really are after the very best and are more selective than anywhere else for even that entry stage. It's no wonder they get the best results.
The other thing you'll find is that the indies/private schools won't have quite as good results as the grammars or Pates either for GCSE, but at A level they really overtake all the grammars apart from Pates, but then they are nowhere near as selective.

[buckwheat]

Hi fairweather, I wondered if this was also the case but Pates only has an extra 60 or so places in the sixth form (and the mark required is now 22 I think) so would this account for such a difference at the other GS's? They can't have 'taken' all of the brightest ones (they wouldn't all want/be able to move surely). We're considering a big move if DS and DD pass next year so I need good evidence and results are one of the things I have to look at.

[fairweathergardener]

I've just had a look at the 6th form entry requirements. Denmark Road want 17 points, balcarras a minimum of 7 points, Ribston want 6 GCSEs a* to c minimum, and Pates now want 22 points from your best 8 GCSEs, which would mean a fair smattering of As and A*s. MIght have something to do with the results....?

[fairweathergardener]

Ad as far as I am aware, the existing students at Pates, and probably all of the schools, are required to apply for 6th form and if they don't make the grade they do not go on.

[stroudydad]

IF Pate's do take some of the highest acheivers from other grammars (and its perfectly a perfectly reasonable hypothesis that they would),then that will obviously cause a differential between Pate's and the grammars at A-level.

[Chelt_Dad]

Given the information above, does anyone know if you are in Pates from yr7-y11 and sit your GCSE's, do you need the 22/28/whatever points to enter the sixth form and finish your education there or are the points only for direct entry to the sixth form students?
Thanks

[bobbym]

I'm pretty sure existing Pates pupils are required to reach the same number of points. I met a sixth former at Ribston who spent year 7-11 at Pates but couldn't stay on at sixth form as she didn't meet the requirement.

[Chelt_Dad]

I guess all of the GS's do that then, just the number of points differs between them.

[Amber]

Existing Pates students are required to get 22 points from the top 8, which is actually rather low when you consider that an A* is worth 4. Incoming students are also required to get 22 but they are so heavily oversubscribed that in order to even get an interview a cut off of 5 A* and 3 A predictions seems to have been used (I know many children who applied). All of those who got an offer were those who fell into this bracket, as far as I could tell (sample size 20-plus students). So while Pates then had to honour its 22 point offer, in reality most of the incomers would have been those with far more than that. They are by no means taken just from other grammars, but from a very wide selection of schools including some which I have seen some on this forum recoil in horror from!