GCSE results day

Legionreturns

Some of you will know that I work with extreme behaviour kids in a special school. 

Both of the lads I worked with last year got a 4 in maths which is a C equivalent. 

That's huge for them and I'm so proud! 

The pain and hard work paid off! 

Just waiting for English results 

underdog

That's awesome.

My daughter picked up her results today, the entirety of her childhood has been spent trying to get help for her low self esteem, depression, and obvious autistic traits. No one was any use what so ever, but she picked up her results and got 9 GCSEs at C or above. So happy for her and hope college is kinder environment for her.

Legionreturns

underdog said:

That's awesome.

My daughter picked up her results today, the entirety of her childhood has been spent trying to get help for her low self esteem, depression, and obvious autistic traits. No one was any use what so ever, but she picked up her results and got 9 GCSEs at C or above. So happy for her and hope college is kinder environment for her.

Glad she did well. The reality is that there's no money for specialist support in mainstream schools once you pass primary. 

Another consequence of gutting the education budget.  

richardhomer

My boy’s got a 9 in English Literature and an 8 in English Language. I’m actually a bit overcome....

Legionreturns

Good stuff @richardhomer ;

You should be very proud 

richardhomer

Legionreturns said:

Good stuff @richardhomer ;

You should be very proud 

I am mate - in a way - I more proud that he scraped a 4 in Maths - he’s always really struggled with it. He can now go on to college and not have to worry about resitting it. He arrived at the doorstep with a Cheshire Cat type grin on his face - my ex was already here, so we got the news together....

guitars4you

my daughter just got her results

x  3 at  6 grade -  2 of these in English 
x 4 at 7 grade inc maths
x 1 at 9 grade - geography which she is ecstatic about
x 1 at A grade - business studies - apparently still in the old A, B, C format for some reason

the x 2 grade 6 results that came in English at first surprised her, as a bit below expectation - Yet her best friend, who is somewhat of a grade 9 brainiac, got the same x 2 at grade 6 for English 

Overall she is happy and content - She always knew she could have worked harder, but adopted why go for a 9 when a 7 or 8 will still get you in the 6th form and a lot less work required

She'll go on it the 6th form - maths - business studies and economics - Don't think she wants to go to Uni

Congrats @richardhomer ; @Legionreturns ; and @underdog ; and all who follow this posting

guitars4you

Legionreturns said:

Some of you will know that I work with extreme behaviour kids in a special school. 

Both of the lads I worked with last year got a 4 in maths which is a C equivalent. 

That's huge for them and I'm so proud! 

The pain and hard work paid off! 

Just waiting for English results 

so glad for you and the kids - makes it all worth while doesn't it

My daughter has a friend at school who is straight 9's etc - She said she would be upset if she got an 8 - My daughter said that was disrespectful for those who fight hard to get a 5, 6, 7, or 8 - And as such she should be grateful about it and not snobby in an intelligent way  - So yes I'm glad for you and the appropriate kids

mart

guitars4you said:
...

My daughter has a friend at school who is straight 9's etc - She said she would be upset if she got an 8 - My daughter said that was disrespectful for those who fight hard to get a 5, 6, 7, or 8 - And as such she should be grateful about it and not snobby in an intelligent way  ...

Wise words, indeed, worth much more than any number of 9s. You should be very proud of your daughter. 

guitars4you

mart said:

guitars4you said:
...

My daughter has a friend at school who is straight 9's etc - She said she would be upset if she got an 8 - My daughter said that was disrespectful for those who fight hard to get a 5, 6, 7, or 8 - And as such she should be grateful about it and not snobby in an intelligent way  ...

Wise words, indeed, worth much more than any number of 9s. You should be very proud of your daughter. 

yes - I am - thanks 

Sporky

guitars4you said:

so glad for you and the kids - makes it all worth while doesn't it

My daughter has a friend at school who is straight 9's etc - She said she would be upset if she got an 8 - My daughter said that was disrespectful for those who fight hard to get a 5, 6, 7, or 8 - And as such she should be grateful about it and not snobby in an intelligent way  - So yes I'm glad for you and the appropriate kids

I don't think it's disrespectful for anyone to be disappointed if they don't do as well as they'd hoped/expected.

My experience (as a non-9er) is that the people who got 9s put in far, far more work and deserved the higher grades.

usedtobe

That’s better than I did! Nice one, man!

guitars4you

Sporky said:

guitars4you said:

so glad for you and the kids - makes it all worth while doesn't it

My daughter has a friend at school who is straight 9's etc - She said she would be upset if she got an 8 - My daughter said that was disrespectful for those who fight hard to get a 5, 6, 7, or 8 - And as such she should be grateful about it and not snobby in an intelligent way  - So yes I'm glad for you and the appropriate kids

I don't think it's disrespectful for anyone to be disappointed if they don't do as well as they'd hoped/expected.

My experience (as a non-9er) is that the people who got 9s put in far, far more work and deserved the higher grades.

I think one downer of the education system is that it wants to praise the high achievers, via the point scoring process - The system is geared up to show how great that school is doing and how well the government is doing etc - As such the grade 9's are placed on a pedestal, along with the others who have passed - Yes many of these work hard and yes many have the natural requirements to achieve the required results, both now and in the future

Yet the education system equally produces the future shelf stackers, along with all the other poorly paid jobs - So if someone works equally hard, as a grade 9er, but possesses far less natural ability, yet such work can take them from a grade 1/2 or 3 to a 5 and hopefully allows them to follow a more fulfilling career, then they deserve to be applauded - But you don't see this reflected in any praise via the education system - As @Legionreturns mentions above, a 'troubled kid' achieving 4 in maths is something to be proud of

I have a friend in town who was crap at all school lessons - low education achiever etc - But somehow he bonded with the wood work teacher - He is now a joiner - Self employed and so popular and good at his job, that he is quoting at least 3 months starting time for any new work - Government education stats will just show him as a low achiever - Yet total credit to him for finding something he is good at, enjoys and able to earn a living from, to support him and the family

So yes the grade 9er only getting an 8 can be disappointed - But they are not the only one who has worked hard

PolarityMan

guitars4you said:

Sporky said:

guitars4you said:

so glad for you and the kids - makes it all worth while doesn't it

My daughter has a friend at school who is straight 9's etc - She said she would be upset if she got an 8 - My daughter said that was disrespectful for those who fight hard to get a 5, 6, 7, or 8 - And as such she should be grateful about it and not snobby in an intelligent way  - So yes I'm glad for you and the appropriate kids

I don't think it's disrespectful for anyone to be disappointed if they don't do as well as they'd hoped/expected.

My experience (as a non-9er) is that the people who got 9s put in far, far more work and deserved the higher grades.

I think one downer of the education system is that it wants to praise the high achievers, via the point scoring process - The system is geared up to show how great that school is doing and how well the government is doing etc - As such the grade 9's are placed on a pedestal, along with the others who have passed - Yes many of these work hard and yes many have the natural requirements to achieve the required results, both now and in the future

Yet the education system equally produces the future shelf stackers, along with all the other poorly paid jobs - So if someone works equally hard, as a grade 9er, but possesses far less natural ability, yet such work can take them from a grade 1/2 or 3 to a 5 and hopefully allows them to follow are more fulfilling career, then they deserve to be applauded - But you don't see this reflected in any praise via the education system - As @Legionreturns mentions above, a 'troubled kid' achieving 4 in maths is something to be proud of

I have a friend in town who was crap at all school lessons - low education achiever etc - But somehow he bonded with the wood work teacher - He is now a joiner - Self employed and so popular and good at his job, that he is quoting at least 3 months starting time for any new work - Government education stats will just show him as a low achiever - Yet total credit to him for finding something he is good at, enjoys and able to earn a living from, to support him and the family

So yes the grade 9er only getting an 8 can be disappointed - But they are not the only one who has worked hard

I think that people use the results for different purposes and because of that they aren't a perfect indicator for any of them. Obviously an employer is looking for results as an indicator for ability / return on investment but even at high grades it doesnt distinguish between someone incredibly naturally bright who sailed through but might therefore have an issue putting in graft in real life versus someone with less natural aptitude who worked really hard.

When you are looking at you own personal results, or your own child's results then I think the goal is a measure of effort and achievement and as such a personal level of calibration needs to be applied but equally I think when you're looking at the system as a whole there isn't necessarily anything wrong with giving recognition to those at the top and of course institutions should be measured on a result that reflects their entire performance range.

Bridgehouse

Well done to all! I don’t care how the papers and media put a downer on “it’s too easy” - they are young, and the pressure is huge on them. 

guitars4you

Bridgehouse said:

Well done to all! I don’t care how the papers and media put a downer on “it’s too easy” - they are young, and the pressure is huge on them. 

yes I was talking to another friend of my daughter - Left it a bit late to start working hard but then went into overdrive - sleepless nights she said and plenty of tears

rsvmark

I am massively proud of my son. 4 X A, 5 X 8 grades, 1 grade 9. He was 1 mark off a 9 in one and  3 marks off a 9 in another. After his mocks he massively knuckled down and I couldn't be happier. Well done him and I am delighted he has lived up to his potential. I never wanted him to be this or that, only to do his best.

guitars4you

rsvmark said:

I am massively proud of my son. 4 X A, 5 X 8 grades, 1 grade 9. He was 1 mark off a 9 in one and  3 marks off a 9 in another. After his mocks he massively knuckled down and I couldn't be happier. Well done him and I am delighted he has lived up to his potential. I never wanted him to be this or that, only to do his best.

good feeling isn't - My daughter is just chilled with it - Kind of 'just a set of exams dad - no big deal' - I'm kind of in more joy about it than she is - A level results approx 103 weeks today

Sporky

guitars4you said:

I think one downer of the education system is that it wants to praise the high achievers

I don't see that as a downer. Are we meant to applaud mediocrity and failure? There's too much of that already. 

The people getting the top grades will all have worked hard - "natural talent" is at most the first 5% and the last 5% - everything else is effort. 

I don't want to be in an aeroplane designed by a 5. Do you? 

People who work hard and get good results should be applauded, not knocked down by underachievers for making them look bad. 

guitarcookie1

Well done to all yours
My daughter got 2 A’s, 9 B’s & 2 C’s (in Wales we still have the old grading system)  

strumjoughlamps

My best mates lad got 3 a’s, 2 a*s and 4 a**s

he is currently still on cloud 9