I’m a headteacher – what to do if your child doesn’t get the exam results they wanted & how to appeal their grades
Exam results can be stressful for all the family, and this year is no exception.
These were the first exams taken in a hall since the pandemic, and this cohort has really been up against it, learning the curriculum in a hybrid learning setting.
But Ryan Lockett, director of studies at TLC LIVE and former secondary head of year and associate assistant headteacher, has urged parents not to panic if their child’s exam results don’t go to plan.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Ryan shares the five things parents can do if their child receives disappointing GCSE grades – and what they can do next to help.
Appeal your child’s grade
Ryan notes that if any of your child’s grades are borderline, i.e., a grade 3 verging on a 4 (‘C’ grade), it could be worth appealing.
“In most cases, the school will do this if it’s close to the grade boundary,” he explains.
Schools and colleges will look at the points scored and grade boundaries, so in the first instance, you should contact the school as they will have this information.
The school can request a review of marking if they believe an error has been made or in the hope that having it marked again might ‘find’ that extra mark or two needed.
As much as the exam board will insist that markers have been standardised, humans can still make mistakes.”
However, the associate assistant headteacher points out: “Re-marking does cost, so schools will be reluctant to pay if it’s not close to the next grade boundary or, in most cases, within 1-2 marks.”
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He goes on to say that even if unsuccessful, the school does have an opportunity to appeal if they strongly believe that there is a marking error.
“Please consider that this isn’t a silver bullet,” says Ryan. “The grades still might not change, but it might be worth trying if it’s close.”
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Send examples of previous work to your child’s chosen college
If you’re concerned your child’s grades don’t meet the entry requirement for their future college or sixth form, Ryan suggests giving them clear examples of work related to their future course, where they have achieved higher grades.
“We previously submitted work on behalf of a looked-after child who hadn’t been awarded a grade due to missing an exam for medical reasons,” he explains.
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“As a result, they were able to start the course and take the exam during resits in November.”
Phone their college
Ryan says: “Your child’s chosen college or sixth form may be flexible with entry requirements considering the disruptions over the last couple of years, so a simple phone call could potentially solve the issue.”
He points out that if you can get your child to make the call, that;s even better.
Look at other courses
The associate assistant headteacher reassures parents that there will be another course or qualification your child can access.
“Exploring your child’s options, especially before results day, should be a top priority,” he says.
Alternative courses will likely either be at a lower level or have lower entry requirements.!
Only consider retaking exams if absolutely necessary
Ryan says they only ever recommend retaking the core subjects (maths, English and science) as resits happen during term time, which he warns is “quite disruptive.”
He continues: ” Unless it’s an essential subject, don’t sweat a level 9 if they’ve got a level 8 – as long as your child has the minimum grade they need to get on to a course, they should move on to the next stage of their academic career.”
As mentioned, the only exception is for essential subjects, as some colleges and sixth forms make it compulsory to retake maths and English grades less than 4 (i.e. a ‘C’ grade).”
Ryan goes on to note that it’s at this point that you might want to consider private tutoring support.
“In our experience, we’d anticipate a child requiring up to ten hours of tutoring to pass one of these core exams,” he explains.
If extra tuition isn’t viable, there are other resources – schools and colleges have access to programmes and teaching support, such as the government school Covid catch-up programmes, funding and NTP, which you should enquire about.”
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He concludes: “There has been a lot of disruption over the past two years, particularly for young adults sitting their exams.”
Whatever their results, everything will be OK – you just need to support them in the next step.”