School information – Mum to Mum Milton Keynes

Results season has arrived again, with thousands of anxious teenagers finding out how they did in their A Level and GCSE exams in the summer term.

The MK Citizen has given us a round-up of news from across MK’s senior schools and colleges, with some very strong results coming in particular from the schools in the west – Denbigh, Hazeley and Shenley Brook End, and some big reasons to celebrate A Level success at Ousedale and Lord Grey School. Find out more from the links below:

MK Citizen reports on GCSE results

MK Citizen reports on A Level results

The Citizen has also written a useful explanation for this year’s changes to the GCSE system:

“Under the new system introduced for this summer’s exams, traditional A* to G grades have been replaced with a 9 to 1 system, with 9 the highest mark.

“Except…

“So far this system has only been introduced in England, with Wales and Northern Ireland also making changes to their GCSEs, but retaining the traditional grading scale. And the new marking system only applies to three subjects – maths, English language, and English literature. The other subjects will have the new system phased in over the next two years.
Grades 9, 8 and 7 are broadly equivalent to an A* and A; grades 6, 5 and 4 are in line with grades B to C; a 3 would be broadly similar to a D grade; and 2 and 1 cover grades E, F and G. There will still be a U (ungraded) mark.

“Many students are concerned about what is the equivalent of a C grade, which can be key for getting onto A Level courses. A grade 4 is being called a “standard pass” by Education Secretary Justine Greening. Grade 5 is defined as a “good pass”.

“It’s a good system, and so far the government has only spent £380,000 or so explaining it to schools, students and employers.”

UCAS exam results helpline

Telephone: 0808 100 8000

Find out about call charges

Twitter: @ERHelp

If a student you know didn’t get the results they were hoping for at A Level, there are lots of options available through Milton Keynes Council’s Adult Education – Community Learning programme. Whether they would like to retake their course, or try something completely different, the programme is there to help: “You can book online and search our database of courses for day, evening and weekend short courses and workshops, including arts, digital media, fashion, business and computer skills, cookery, and languages.”