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Education

"It's only one day..." GCSE teachers' opinions, please!

21 replies

Janh · 29/04/2004 09:33

I've just had a row on the phone with DH about this - please give me some support to throw at him!

Next Saturday he is taking the DSs to Edinburgh to see Hearts play (they may be dropping in again, tamum, if you're reading this - be warned! ). Last time they set off before crack of dawn on the Saturday and didn't get a lot of time in Edinburgh so now he has had the bright idea of going up on Friday and staying Friday night - ie taking them out of school for one day.

DS1 is about to do GCSEs. He is not what you might call ahead of the game anyway. I believe they will be doing a lot of revision in class at the moment? (And his first 2 exams - one German, which is his worst subject, and one English, which is his best - are the week before halfterm.) So I said no. As well as what he would miss at school it just sends completely the wrong message when I've been banging on about how little he's been doing for weeks!!!

Now DH is really mad because "it's only one day". Please give me some good arguments to fling at him! (Or, if you agree one day won't hurt, then give me those arguments too. He does want to take them to see the castle properly which they didn't have time for last time...I think he thinks that makes it educational!)

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Tinker · 29/04/2004 09:35

Couldn't they stay Saturday night?

Janh · 29/04/2004 09:39

Ah - forget to say, DS2's football team have a Cup Final on the Sunday morning (he will probably not even sub but the whole team will be there) - otherwise that would have been the solution! (Thanks anyway, Tink! )

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twiglett · 29/04/2004 09:39

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twiglett · 29/04/2004 09:39

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Hulababy · 29/04/2004 09:41

As a GCSE teacher I know that I am currently doing a lot of revision work with my pupils in class now the coursework is out of the way. We are doing practise exam papers, looking at mark schemes, filling in gaps in learning (based on practise papers), cramming on subjects pupils ask about, etc. We do do a lot in any one lesson I have to say. You say your DS is not really ahead anywway so if he does miss a day he could miss a lot of revision work at this stage. I am assuming he will miss at least 5 lessons in one day. If his lessons are much like mine, then it'd be a lot of wor - and work he can't really catch up on in school again.

Could they not set off straight from school in the afternoon? At GCSE age your DS will probably be okay driving a bit later, going to bed later, etc. and then he gets to do both? Just an idea.

Does your DS have an thoughts on what he would miss? Which lessons he has? Whether they are examined subjects? etc.

Soapbox · 29/04/2004 09:43

Janh - where abouts do you live? Would it be possible for them to take the sleeper overnight or if you're a bit further North then can't they get a train which leaves later but still gets them there on the Friday night?

I really do agree with you about not missing school at this important time leading up to exams. But exams can be stressful so if there is a way of letting them have their boys night away then I would try to find whether there is another solution.

Janh · 29/04/2004 09:45

Oh, that's OK, twiggy - all help gratefully received! They could go straight after school on Friday - it's about a 4 hour drive so they'd get there about 8 - it's still light for a bit then, isn't it? And they'd have until about 1pm on Saturday then...I will suggest that when he's calmed down!

(But then again DS2 has football training on Friday night - with the Cup game on Sunday that will be quite important too, I don't think DH was thinking about that either.)

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Twinkie · 29/04/2004 09:47

I'm not a teacher either but I would expect him to get his head stuck inthose books every hour of the day until it is time to go - and make sure he knows that any slacking means he will not be going!!

Everyone deserves a treat and he will probably do more outside school hours if he works hard each night than in one day at school!!

Maybe you could get a Learning German at GCSE CD or something like that from a bookshop that may help him that he could listen to in the car or on a walkman too??

Hulababy · 29/04/2004 09:51

Also, as an extra revision point (bnot instead of school ) does his school have access to any online revision materials, like SAM Learning. They are really good but can only be usedif the school has paid to subscribe. And there is the Channel 4 sites, and the GCSE Bitesize. Much revsion like this can be done at home I agree.

What he may well get in class, and harder at home to do, is being taught about how to answer questuions on an exam - using the marks allocated, use of words on the exam paper, etc.

Janh · 29/04/2004 09:53

Hula, I knew you'd agree!

DH rang after DS1 went to school so haven't yet had a chance to talk to him about it - he does have 5 lessons, but Friday includes Tech and Word Processing which he should be able to miss - he was slightly behind with Tech coursework but the teacher has 2 or 3 after-school sessions a week and I think he may have caught up now.

The other 3 are English (no probs), Biology (2nd worst subject after German) and Geog (average but I think he's finished his coursework at least). He really shouldn't miss Biology.

By the end of June when it's all over he will be free as a bird until Sept but of course the football season is over then too! (Until August that is...do you get the impression their lives revolve around football? )

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Hulababy · 29/04/2004 09:56

LOL Janh I could hardly advoctae missing school could I? What would my pupils say?!

Do you know the order of his lessons - which are morning and afternoon? If the non-exam ones are in the morning, he may be able to leave at break. Have to agree with what you said in frist port though - about the wrong message being given.

Janh · 29/04/2004 09:59

Sod's Law - Biology and Geog are the last of course! (manic grin )

Twinkie, German cassettes is a great idea! I wish I'd thought of that a few weeks ago - think it might be a bit late now...

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hercules · 29/04/2004 17:47

I agree with Hulababy. My GCSE lessons are carefully planned in terms of revision and include all the stuff hula mentioned. He would in effect be missing 5 revision lessons. def a no no.

tamum · 29/04/2004 18:26

I'd like to add my support that it's probably not worth doing, but you mustn't tell your dh in case he comes round on Saturday, OK? My general feeling is that it may not make a huge difference in practise, but it's giving a really dodgy message to your ds.

I'll check tonight to see what time it gets dark, but I think it's later than 8 now, our days are getting very long. Could they set off really early on Saturday (like 5am or something), or would they be doing that in any case? It would be nice to see them anyway!

Hulababy · 02/05/2004 18:13

Any more decision made about it? Just being nosey!!!

motherinferior · 03/05/2004 11:00

Not a teacher, but I'd say no.

bayleaf · 03/05/2004 13:05

Haven't read the thread in full but I AM a GCSE teacher and I'd say NO!!!!!!! I had girls asking to miss classes so tha they could practise for their leaver assembly last week and I nearly hit the roof - the past paper practice that we are doing in class is VITAL right now - and as it's languages and a listening exam coming next it's not easy to do at home. He has the rest fo his life to go on jaunts - the next 2 months are for WORK!!!

hmb · 03/05/2004 13:34

I have just read up on this, and as a secondary school teacher I would agree that he shouldn't go. I am running intensive revision calsses with Y11s at the moment. They are detailed and the timetable is very 'tight'. I would have no time to go over missed work with one individual. I would give up my break or lunch if a child had been ill/unavoidable absence, but not, I think, for a 'jolly'. Missing one lesson could mean the difference between a C and a D and that could affect the rest of his life choices.

And Edinburgh castle isn't going to crop up in his German GCSE

sassy · 03/05/2004 20:42

Here's a thought - could they fly up on Fri night? Some of the low-cost flights are ridiculously cheap - like £20 a throw. Cheaper than the petrol, and no need to miss school. Might be worth investigating.

Janh · 04/05/2004 09:19

It's sorted now, thanks for all your comments and suggestions, DH is duly chastened!

We had agreed that he really shouldn't miss Friday's school and then it turned out that his German oral exam is on Friday afternoon!!! (Dates have only just been issued for orals. He might have to miss that afternoon's lessons because of it though??? He told me something about having to sit in the library all afternoon, will have to look into that.)

tamum, I might come too this time ! (Will email you)

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Hulababy · 04/05/2004 20:40

Glad you have it sorted.

He will most probably be out of lessons all afternoon (or most of) for the oral exam. To start with he will be in a holding room with teacher supervision. May be several pupils in there. He will be expected to revise in silence for hsis exam (most likely for the oral, but we allow them to revise for anything they feel is best).

He may then have to go in a prep room and maybe be given some topic(s) to consider - can't rememeber if this still happen, used to, or maybe it is just at A-level???

He then goes into his oral exam and does it.

Afterwards what happens depends on the policy and organisation of hsi school. He may be expected to go back to normal lessons, or there maybe a quiet room for him to go to and to revise for other subjects. I assume he doesn't get to leave once the exam is over? I think the latter option is very unusual to happen though until leaver's day.

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