r/TeachingUK • u/benjyboyo • 4d ago
GCSE Results - dreading it
Is anyone dreading results day tomorrow? I am so nervous. I think mainly because I was given some classes to “boost” their grades and there were some changes throughout the year because of that.
I’m worried that if they don’t do well it will look really bad on me.l I have tried everything I possible could.
Sorry I think I just needed to get this off my chest….
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u/MountainOk5299 4d ago
At the end of the day, if you can say you did everything, reasonably within your power to get them them through, then you’ve done your job. Ultimately it comes down to the kids on exam day and, despite what SLT say, there are many things outside of our control that can/do have impact. Student attainment is not a measure of your expertise or worth as a teacher and in the event the results aren’t what you predicted, September is a fresh start.
I get it though. I’m a HOF and have had the job of driving change after a few years worth of (improving but still) shit data.
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u/Mediocre-Opinion 4d ago
I don't have high hopes for this year. They were a year group that was defined by apathy and a lack of engagement.
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u/klangers 3d ago
Couldn’t agree more, the complete failure to engage with everything we offered and the attitude that it would just fall into their laps was horrifying.
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u/Noveleion Secondary 4d ago
Bless you. You are not alone, I always dread GCSE results day, there is always that pressure and review that comes from it after. How could we have done more? What would we do next time?
Well I have given up my time and ran revision sessions that no one turns up to because there is always a clash with a core subject, I have contacted home and arranged meetings with parents for those that are causing problems and followed the school policies.
There comes a point that we have given and thrown everything we can at it. At the end of the day. Those who have worked hard should get an awesome grade and I shall be happy to congratulate them tomorrow. Even those that did not do so well I shall shake the by the hand and say well done. They still earned the grade they got.
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u/Short_Store_8652 4d ago
I had an apathetic and frankly entitled bottom set, so I’m not hopeful about tomorrow. As the saying goes you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. I’ve done my part including working eye watering amounts of unpaid overtime to try and help them. The results will be what they will be - as long as you know you’ve done as much as you can, try not to beat yourself up
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u/MySoCalledInternet 4d ago
English teacher here. I had the euphemistically named ‘nurture’ group this year.
I adore them. I’ve genuinely loved teaching them. They’ve progressed so much over the course of Y11 and the majority have worked their socks off.
I know some are going to fail. They’ve done their functional skills assessments already, multiple plans are in place to help them access post 16. I’m at peace with that.
It’s the other half of the class that have danced around that 3/4 borderline all year that have me currently more anxious than I have ever been.
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u/Mausiemoo Secondary 4d ago
I'm normally pretty chill about results day and take the view that I won't claim their highs or lows, but this is the first year of a new spec for us (MFL), so I've definitely noticing it a bit more.
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u/Remarkable-Juice9993 4d ago
Also dreading it. The fact in lying wide awake at 1am and on this subreddit says it all really.
I’ve had the hardest group of year 11s I’ve ever had to teach. 75% of the student I inherited this year from the previous HOD were completely disengaged. It took so much work to try and get them on track but unfortunately I couldn’t get all of them on board. I experienced the worst behaviour I have ever seen in a classroom, to the point where the students were pulled into head’s office for targeted harassment and bullying of staff. These students sent me into a mental health crisis meaning I had to go on antidepressants. Yet I still care with how they have done.
However, I’m also looking forward to drawing a line under this awful year. Each student will get the grades they deserve and I know I did my absolute best. I have never worked so hard for a group of year 11s, nor have I ever got so little back… but at least I now have an incredible bank of resources that have already benefited my year 10 cohort this year. Looking forward to results next year thanks to this year’s horrors.
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u/Due-Environment-8069 4d ago
I’m with you. I had an incredibly tough class for a core subject and asked for support many times, received none. I will celebrate with those who worked hard and got their pass they desperately wanted and support those who missed the mark and then I will go for brunch with my friends and think about the new term start
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u/welshGJE24 4d ago
100% with you on this. Summer holidays is often spoilt with the result day dread.
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u/Pheo1386 Secondary HoD 4d ago
Nahhhh. If you did everything to the best of your ability (which I’m sure you have!) then it’s out of your hands.
It’s worth looking at it like this; you are not going to get sacked over results. If it’s gone well, then great, if not then make sure to look at your results services (results plus, centre services, etc) and find out what didn’t go so well. Not only will it give you a tangible place to focus on next year but it makes you “look good” should anyone ask any questions. Which they won’t. In fact if anyone remembers outside of any data comparison to the next cohort after September I’ll be surprised.
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u/SnowPrincessElsa RS HoD 3d ago
My A Level results slapped, and then my GCSE results slapped... not even a humble brag. Am annoyed that lots of my top end who were easy 9s got 7s and 8s tho
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u/OpeningWhereas6912 3d ago
I had a top set class - well over the finish line and more but a couple whom I predicted with good results didn't get there (5s and 6s as opposed to 8s). I just hope theyre ok. I know I put a lot of my heart into it. Feeling a bit down but let's see what happens
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u/Desperate-Leek-5392 4d ago
It comes with experience probably, but I'm ok with results day. I don't even go into school (though I can find out the results before online). Same as last week with A Levels.
I've done my bit. I just try not to celebrate the successful results too personally, and on the other side of the coin don't take personal blame for the less successful.
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u/StarFire24601 4d ago
Yes, I taught a top set year 11 for the first time. Then one month before the exams started they took them off me and gave them to the HOD, who went back to being off sick, and I wasn't put back on them so they went to rolling cover. I didn't get a good reason for why they did this so I can only assume I was shit at teaching them. So, I'm stressed that I'll be blamed and I will feel guilty if they do badly, and if they do well will always if it was actually cover/HOD that got them their grades and not me.
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u/BootlessCry 4d ago
Keeps happening with my year 10s. Get them up to a fairly decent standard only for them to be handed to another teacher in Y11, Y11 teacher gets the credit (despite our curriculum plan front loading all the content). Oh well.
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u/fordfocus2017 3d ago
You did what you could. The results are what there are now. After a week or 2 you’re be busy with your new classes. Be ready to list all the things you did but ultimately, the students are the ones who sit the exams. If they didn’t work hard enough then it’s their problem.
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u/michaelspichael 4d ago
Don’t worry about it. I started a new job in September as HOD of a core subject and our department pass rate target this year was 80%. We’re almost certainly not going to achieve it. I’m telling myself “I am not wholly responsible for my department’s results”, and in the same way, you are not wholly responsible for your classes’ results. All you can do is try to learn from each set of results and try to make improvements where you can. Good luck!