GCSEs - foundation or higher?

[Ruffler]

My daughter is in her GCSE year at school and has been told she'll sit a foundation level paper in English. She is currently at borderline C/D level so I guess the less challenging foundation paper will give her a fair chance of a C. However, as C is the highest grade possible at foundation level, I fear she is missing out on the chance of getting anything above that. I can't help thinking that getting a C is all that matters to the school as it will have met its target of 5 A*-Cs including English and maths. I consider C to be a pretty mediocre result and am disappointed in this rather defeatist attitude. Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Ruth_Baldock]

I got all A*s and As (swot) at GCSE. It didn't make a blind bit of difference, no one has ever asked what grades I got as long as they knew I had a pass in my 'core' subjects. TBH I personally see GCSEs as a 'stepping stone' to get onto something higher. My sister got all grade C's and has had exactly the same academic oppurtunities I've had, except that she can't/won't apply to Oxbridge like I did (but I got rudely rejected, wah wah wah)

Some 6th forms want a 'B' in the GCSE of a subject you want to take at A-Level, but I know this isn't universal by any means...

[Fuschia]

I would arrange a meeting with the school to discuss it. If there is reason to believe her target should be B or above then it should be possible to work towards that, I would have thought....

[*Anna*]

I was in the foundation group for maths GCSE - I asked to try being moved up for a term at least and then really flourished and ended up with a A overall, I really wanted to prove myself. If you child will rise to the challenge then I would suggest asking...no harm in asking! (You can also always get in a tutor to help your child catch up if that is their concern, at least for a term or two?)

Good Luck!

[Ruffler]

Thanks all and well done Anna! I'll speak to her teachers and see what can be done. Ruth - I guess you're right. I've never been asked my GCSE results either!:)

[womanofdulwich]

if you are thinking of further education you will be surpised how silly things now make a difference. For instance my eldest son wanted to do classical studies at some universtites and they asked for a minimum foreign language at grade B GCSE. I had insisted on this too - but the school - as ever -were just wanting that C which is what they are desperate to achieve and keep their statistics up. Fight them all the way and push them as IME all some schools want is to get their stats up each year on 5 GCSe's A to C.

[trident]

Hi, I had a couple of friends who did foundation GCSEs, and if they achieved Cs they were offered the chance of resitting a higher exam in Jan. That's another possible route to discuss with the school?

[bawdy-nan]

This seems to be a policy being applied across a number of schools and in the case of some (Charter, for example) quite rigidly and rather secretively.

I assume it is to give the school a better chance of meeting statistical proof that they're not "failing" - ie they get a good number of children passing at grade c or above. In my opinion I think its utterly scandalous and limits the chances and opportunities of children at a very young age - putting the needs of the school way before that of the children.

As far as I understand it schools tend to stream a percentage of the year group as top performers and allow only them to take the higher papers. If you're in the top 60 (or whatever it is) you get to take O level equivalents. I simply don't buy that only 60 people in a year group are capable of attaining higher grades and ought to be streamed out of higher education at the age of 14. I'd be very interested to see what the breakdown of social groups and family incomes were in each of these streams. Schools doing this, and the teachers who support it, should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

Oh, and I think that GCSE grades are tremendously important and will continue to be so especially as higher education gets cut and fees rise. Access to any kind of financial support through bursaries etc is bound to be fierce and as A level attainment keeps improving anything that differentiates you in a crowded market is worth striving for.

[Fuschia]

Interesting discussion here:

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/1039265-gcse-higher-lower-tiers-advice-please/AllOnOnePage

[Ruffler]

Very interesting - thanks everyone! Trident - I think I'll discuss that option with the school. WOD and bawdy-nan - I totally agree - it's all about targets!