Given this is the first year of the new 2-tier entry, I'm wondering whether to enter my 'safe' grade C students for higher or foundation.

Can anyone offer any advice?

I am working on the principle that a safe C at GCSE might be able to get a B, and I haven't the right to deny that opportunity.  I am also working on the other principle that if the learner is a safe C, then s/he can get that grade on either paper.  I teach resit classes in FE, and usually get about half C and half B on the old intermediate, so I think I will be putting most in for the higher paper, but I want to try a few past questions first - done by the learners under exam conditions.  It really is new territory, and I don't want to mess it up, having done so well with the intermediate papers in the past. 

To get a C on the foundation one needs to get a very high proportion correct - this will be a much lower proportion on the Higher paper, but they will be more demanding questions.  But many of the questions on higher will have been on intermediate in the past, and all my learners could cope with those, even if they got some wrong in the exam. So I am thinking there will be enough 'easy' questions on a higher paper for the middle candidates (B and C) to get a decent grade, even though some questions will be aimed at A star.

Colin

I am very nervous about this coming years results as we are a Secondary Modern school and I currently have a top set Year 11 class. They have just done the specimen paper as a mock and about half the class got 'D's using the grade boundaries that have been issued with this paper. It seems at 42%, the grade C will be so much harder to get.

I don't suppose you could do me favour and post me the grade boundaries for the 2 papers. I can't seem to find them anywhere.

Hope you can help!!!

Trust me, you are not alone!!

My second set mostly got E's on the foundation paper, averaging less than 50%.

As a department, we are worried. At least it's the same for everyone, and a couple of good pieces of coursework will help.

We are also very concerned having just marked our mock exams. We are a grammar school and used to enter just our lowest set into intermediate and the rest higher. We never have more than 3 or 4 actual D grades in the final summer exams however having just given all our year 11 the higher mock, only one pupil in the bottom two sets achieved a grade C using the guideline boundaries? How reliable does everyone think these boundaries are?

We've just marked our mock, also thought it was hard. Top set (targets A/A*) came out with 2 A*, 4 A, 17 B 4 C, 4 D - I would expect most half As half Bs a couple of Cs. Interesting to find you thought the same - i've just put another post asking that question! I'm wondering whether to "tweak" the boundaries a bit?

I have given last years paper to one group to compare results. I'll post the results after they are marked this weekend. If they obtain higher grades on last years paper then I am going to tweak grades before reporting mock results to parents.

 Results from comparison of one class who were given one of last years papers on the very next lesson back after their mock examinations. Not all the group were present for the 'second mock'.

The Revised Boundaries definately bring the mock results more in line with teacher's expectations for the Foundation Tier.

 There is a problem that students do not seem to achieve as well on the Higher Paper (even with the revised gradings) as 50 students have sat both tiers having been extremely upset by their Higher results

Hi

Last year our final headline figure for A* - C grades in Maths was 69%. We would usually expect around 50% in the mock. Our value added measures are always excellent.

Last month only 12% of students achieved a C grade or better in the mock exam. We are all motified, as are students and parents. Having just read the revised grade boundaries I am slightly reassured. However student and parental confidence must be repaired and I am worried about results in the summer given this experience. Will it be right by then?

I also find myself very wary about entering students for the higher paper, although they would previously have been fairly safe B grades.

Please, somebody, reassure me,

Di Carey

My students seem to have done poorly even with the new grade boundaries. My H2 and H3 group performed below expected, the groups who would have been my safe intermediate grade C's and B's did terrible. The foundation was more or less as expected.