midlifecrashes – which job was that for?

Do they not take into account experience and refs anymore or does it mean a 5hit teacher with good grades will get the job?

Your GCSE's do not make a serious difference to your life chances. its people with that attitude that put too much pressure on people at ages where they should really be doing more to enjoy life rather than worry and stress over pointless exam results. As for A levels you don't really need them either

er try not doing them then you idiot. The difference between 5 A-c's and no A-C's is that you employable as opposed to spending a life struggling in dead end jobs. Not everyone will struggle with no A-c's, my brothers an example, but nip down the job centre and look at the qualifications of the long term unemployed.

oh and my GCSE's were shit and it certainly got bought up at both my degree and masters interviews.

Your GCSE's do not make a serious difference to your life chances

Actually this is less true than ever; certainly at the top end. I was at a talk from an admissions registrar talking for the Russell Group (that represents the top 20 universities in the UK) and with increased competition for places many universities are bringing in multilayer purely administrative selection screening of candidates before applications get anywhere near someone that will actually read a personal statement, a reference or a predicted A level grade. The standard requirement to avoid the bin at the first hurdle in a lot of courses (not just medicine and the like) is now 6 A*s – 8 A* for Oxbridge. The scary thing is that this message is not getting back to schools and teachers unless they specifically go hunting for it. Course selection for 14yr olds choosing GCSE could have real life changing consequences and that A or (dare I mentioned it) B grade in some inconsequential subject such as D&T (mine!) might well have a dire impact on a student getting into the career of their dreams.

Sad day.

My view on GCSEs is this – 5 A-C grades is not difficult to get. Really, it's not. If you've been at school, and you were awake during the lessons, and your home life is sane, you should get at least 5 A-C grades.

Anyone who's bright and pays a bit of attention should be able to get mostly A-Cs across 10 or so A-levels.

Most A-level courses can be entered from that sort of a position. A-levels do make a long term difference though, as a lot of grad employers ask for your A-level results, even if you get into a decent course through clearing.

Edit: Re Convert's post above. That is nuts. A natural consequence of ever inflating A-level results though. I did mine a fair while ago now, but I messed about and even then there were still modules where I got close on 100% in some subjects. NB: This is not a surf-mat style post. My actual final results in A-level were horrendous.

iDave that's great especially with all the S*** off spineless muppets the poor thing had to put up with a while back. When she's a surgeon and said muppet turns up on the operating table one day your girl can take her revenge! 😆

thanks emma, that was pointed out to her by a few of her teachers……

My view on GCSEs is this – 5 A-C grades is not difficult to get.

For a great many kids its. At my school about 70% of kids should achieve that, but for a good many its a real challenge. You or may find them very easy but for many its hard. My last school got 15% 5A-C (including english and maths), its now up to 18% last year and they hope to crack 20% this year but that will be tough. Although your point about home life is true many dont have a good home life, maybe more than you would think.

midlifecrashes – which job was that for?

Do they not take into account experience and refs anymore or does it mean a 5hit teacher with good grades will get the job?

The job we were looking at was a late advertised (we had been informed late, but that's life) maternity cover primary school foundation stage teacher to start September. Most applicants were straight out of college, unsurprisingly. Experience and refs are great, but usually don't take refs up until shortlisting is done and interviews booked. You just can't be a good teacher at any level without the subject knowledge and GCSEs are a good indicator.

My eldest is bright and wants to be a vet, her school have timetabled her year to do Maths modules in Y9 starting next week "to get them out of the way so she can do more subjects". We've booked an appointment with the head of year to reverse this and give her more time to prepare, as they haven't yet twigged that at the top end it's not about the number of GCSEs but that you max them all out with A and A*, and that a retake is seen as a red flag.

t's not about the number of GCSEs but that you max them all out with A and A*, and that a retake is seen as a red flag.

That's a shame – too many getting high grades so this is how they choose now? I did English Language and Maths year early only getting a C and B then 3 more Bs and Cs the following year – last year of GCEs. Well that was more than good enough to go on to what I wanted to do next. Ended up with MSc from Warwick which was not needed for what I wanted to do really but so many people had degrees even then so wanted something a bit extra.

We've booked an appointment with the head of year to reverse this and give her more time to prepare, as they haven't yet twigged that at the top end it's not about the number of GCSEs but that you max them all out with A and A*, and that a retake is seen as a red flag.

I've had to teach a load of year 9's gcse physics, now I reckon I could get all 30 or so of them A*,A's with maybe the odd B if they had another year to mature but as it is its been a struggle and I've had to push them really hard, takes all the joy out of it for them and me and they wont get as good a set of grades as they could. The reason is if you look at schools with good CVA scores (value added, not sure what the c stands for, but its a measure of how they improve from KS2 to 4) they do more GCSE's its a pretty damn strong correlation so loads of heads like ours just want kids to do more GCSE's because they cannot grasp statistics!! Its that and the fact that timetabling 3GCSE's into the double science slot doesnt work so they start early.

edit just noticed you said maths, but expect the same holds.

For a great many kids its.

Aye, but if you're the kind of parent who worries about your kid's GCSE results, your kid is pretty likely to not be of the cohort who fail to get 5 A-C.

Some of you will call shenanigans but I've got a mate from college who got 2 D's, an E and a U.

Which of course spells DUDE.

Aye, but if you're the kind of parent who worries about your kid's GCSE results, your kid is pretty likely to not be of the cohort who fail to get 5 A-C.

thats simply not true IME

I wish I'd got qualifications that spelled "DUDE". 🙁

My daughter got 2 a* 3a's and the rest b. She needed at least b's for her college course and was worried about her english, so result. I felt more proud the other month when she moved up to national level competition in trampolining. The shocker was what so and so are getting for their results, its frightening how spoilt some kids are.

As a proud father, my daughters reward for her results is that I'm not making her pay for my 3 man tent she left behind at V festival……..

What will you get for A level incentives?

Wait till she passes test and leaves your car in the sand… 😆

My Dad gave me his 125 learner motorbike and then sold it for me before I had a chance to learn! didn't trust me with wheels and non human engine!

@midlifecrashes I guess if you have so many applications and no shortage in Primary teachers then selection by grades and University is needed.

Its a shame as many great teachers get missed and I am sick and tired of people becoming teachers who don't want to teach but can't do anything else as it rubs off onto the kids.

Load of toss.

Some of our most challenged kids managed to get 8 GCSE's this year due to BTEC's etc.

Our brightest student left with somewhere in the region of 16 or 18.

What exactly is the point in that?