Whilst digging through some letters, I discovered my year 11 (aged 16) school report which I then decided to read. I was kinda interested by how much my predicted grades differed from my final grades! The reports themselves don't really contain anything surprising, but I thought this would make for a good topic!
How did your reports and mock exams differ from your achievements in school?
Did your teachers have an accurate perception of you, or did they assume you possessed different qualities?
My predicted grades were actually pretty accurate when it comes to my effort and understanding of topics in January. In Science, for example, I averaged out at 51%, primarily because (I hate to say it ) the teachers didn't produce lessons which engaged me. I didn't really feel compelled to focus on the subject through the year and ended up teaching myself Chemistry, Biology and Physics during Study Leave before the June exams. I ended up with an AA!
The story is pretty similar in History, for which my predicted grade was a C. I ended up with an A in the summer exams after a lot of revision...although I did end up revising for the wrong exam at one point. Luckily I had revised for both simultaneously and had just been reviewing EVERYTHING on the morning of the exam itself.
I suppose I found these subjects more engaging on my own. I hated how the Science teachers would talk to us for an entire hour and there was very little discussion involved. We also worked at a slow pace, so I spent the majority of my time daydreaming. I was a little afraid that I wouldn't get a good grade... but even after hours of revision, I've never assumed I'll do well.
English is perhaps the most interesting for me as I was getting 55% in the middle of the school year! I must have been a little lazy... I ended up with an A in the Literature paper and an A in the Language paper, then went on to do two separate English A-Levels, an English course at Uni (for which I got a high 2:1) and am now going on to be an English teacher. I must learn from my own laziness so that I can spot it in my future students.
Maths, French, Food Tech and Drama were all pretty accurate though. And Religious Studies wasn't far off. My predicted grade was a B and I came out with an A.
I was never an A* student.
How did your reports and mock exams differ from your achievements in school?
Did your teachers have an accurate perception of you, or did they assume you possessed different qualities?
My predicted grades were actually pretty accurate when it comes to my effort and understanding of topics in January. In Science, for example, I averaged out at 51%, primarily because (I hate to say it ) the teachers didn't produce lessons which engaged me. I didn't really feel compelled to focus on the subject through the year and ended up teaching myself Chemistry, Biology and Physics during Study Leave before the June exams. I ended up with an AA!
The story is pretty similar in History, for which my predicted grade was a C. I ended up with an A in the summer exams after a lot of revision...although I did end up revising for the wrong exam at one point. Luckily I had revised for both simultaneously and had just been reviewing EVERYTHING on the morning of the exam itself.
I suppose I found these subjects more engaging on my own. I hated how the Science teachers would talk to us for an entire hour and there was very little discussion involved. We also worked at a slow pace, so I spent the majority of my time daydreaming. I was a little afraid that I wouldn't get a good grade... but even after hours of revision, I've never assumed I'll do well.
English is perhaps the most interesting for me as I was getting 55% in the middle of the school year! I must have been a little lazy... I ended up with an A in the Literature paper and an A in the Language paper, then went on to do two separate English A-Levels, an English course at Uni (for which I got a high 2:1) and am now going on to be an English teacher. I must learn from my own laziness so that I can spot it in my future students.
Maths, French, Food Tech and Drama were all pretty accurate though. And Religious Studies wasn't far off. My predicted grade was a B and I came out with an A.
I was never an A* student.