To do my daughters GCSE course work?

My mum helped make a dress with me for some coursework once. I still managed to a do science degree all by myself just hated DT!

It's very common where I live to use tutors for dc who aren't struggling, I will do the same. Is it that dissimilar?

I feel your pain. My daughter is also about to submit the coursework which leads to her final piece of art work that was completed last week. The art work is so time consuming and has taken over our lives for the last month or so, I can’t wait for all of the equipment to be packed away so I can see my dining room table again!
In the big scheme of things what you’ve done is inconsequential. I wouldn’t over think this, just let her shade the drawing and move on with her other subjects. Life is not an even playing field, people have all sorts of advantages and disadvantages. Your daughter is lucky to have your support and interest in her school work. Good luck!

This post nails it. Just let her submit what she has. A poor art grade won’t matter. You can’t save her forever

I would do the same as you.

I'd hand in your drawing. It's one piece of one project for one subject... it's not like you've done this for every thing she has ever submitted. Feck it. It's causing her so much stress, and it's one piece.

I get it, completely. Let her try again when she's rested. If she's not studying art further it's almost a safe way to allow her to feel the consequences.

My DD is GCSE year too, her coursework subject is textiles. She also has dyslexia and is awaiting an ADHD diagnosis.

As a parent I can only do so much and that's been reminders, sitting with her when I can, breaking things into small steps, putting food on the table and paying(!) her to revise the subjects she hates but needs to pass.

Procrastination, distraction and worrying about failure all hold DD1 up. She leaves everything to the last minute.

In the end the textiles coursework was finished the night before the exam. She stayed up almost all night and got 45 minutes sleep. Then did a 5 or 6 hour exam.... But, I think it's a lesson learned.

Talking about how hard she finds coursework and motivating herself has helped. We've chatted about future steps that she can move on from depending on results. And she has decided not to do a coursework subject at A level.

Good luck whatever you decide to do OP.

I have ADHD.

Our ‘superpower’ is being able to hyper focus to meet deadlines.

weeks I’d spend in the library trying to do an essay. I’d sit on 300 words for months. But there I’d be sprinting up the four floors at uni to get my essay pushed through the window with 9 seconds remaining.

Same with my A-level media coursework. Changed direction the night before. Spent all night filming it. The next day editing it. Asked my teacher what time he was leaving site and passed him the USB stick just as he went to leave work.

You could stick blutack on a computer screen and use paper to trace the portrait. You bail her out now, you’ll always have to bail her out.

Another tracing solution.

You say you only have watercolour paper...but you/your DD must have something thinner somewhere. Lined A? A page in her English book? A handout/photocopy from physics she doesn't need.

Use this to "trace" from the laptop (amend the contract/turn it black and white to help).

Then graphite transfer onto the paper she is going to use.

I might have helped with some of it, like the research. But I wouldn't have drawn the picture.

Go on @LolaLouise. Do it.

But only if you're willing to tell your DD you did it when it was her task.

Thought not.

I don't think it's a big deal to help out tbh, but I'd be worried the art teacher would know and the rest of her coursework that she has done herself and worked really hard on would be discounted.

If you have a projector she could also do a small sketch, take a photo onto your computer and then project it big and trace the outline. Plenty of people do that to get proportions right with big pieces.

Having read the whole post I think YANBU just give her the portrait.

I think YABU to post it here though, it’s easy for strangers to get on their high horse and give you a kicking but this is your daughters life and the two of you have to live through this.

Does it have to be a realistic portrait, would she be allowed to draw a more abstract portrait if that suits her style better, plenty of abstract art can look stunning.
Or put the portrait on an iPad/tablet and using baking paper/ greasproof paper just trace or mark essential features and transfer to paper, as long as eyes, nose, mouth, forehead and chin, are in the right place it will look like a person.
I hope she manages and does well OP, I think artwork is one of the most frustrating to feel happy about.

Sorry OP, I’ve re-read your first post and realised that the urgency is because this is distracting from her other revision. So I misunderstood the deadline.

In that case, I agree with other posters that the drawings she’s already done and scrumpled up should go in the portfolio so she can move on. If she’s happy with that approach.

I agree your body doubling support sounds like it’s been really helpful. The research l, suggestions and other input while well meaning can be very distracting and overwhelming.

Wishing you and your daughter the best of luck today! Must be stressful with the exams looming too.

I found this example online using just biro and black paint. This kind of thing takes no time and could be a fun process.

I paint portraits and getting a likeness is HARD. It's not something you'll learn to do as a one off. I think it would be helpful for your daughter to really get her head around this - no one is expecting a masterpiece, even the professionals struggle to get a likeness. I can see why she might be panicking.

A PP gave some good practical advice about grids. That's also still quite tricky if you're doing it for the first time. Another option I've done in pure desperation is get some baking paper and trace the shapes of the head, eyes, nose, ears etc. Then cut around those lines with scissors, lay the pieces on paper and draw around them. That way you can get the proportions right which is the hardest bit. Then she can just shade it in.

Lots of hand wringing by other posters but this ^ sounds eminently sensible.

Like others have said, I'm surprised the coursework deadline is after the two-day practical. How did she do in that, does she think? It's 40% of the final mark.

I would and have helped with organisation. My child's teacher also helped out with sticking in and ordering coursework before the submission deadline (two weeks before the exam which was last week.

I wouldn't go as far as producing a piece of coursework for them.

They are way, way better than me anyway but I'd imagine it's obvious it isn't their work and you're risking a U on that basis.

Can see why you are desperate to help and support though.

One of my sons friends has SEN and found the exam conditions unbearable.

Poor girl just couldn't complete it.

Art GCSE is really tough.

I hope she is okay. This too shall pass, as they say.

I think this is great advice. Also, it may help your DD with timings for getting it done - for eg, she could try and do x amount of squares before lunch or something similar.

I do sympathise, my DD13 is similar and it’s never easy with homework!

She hasn’t done all of the work, you’ve also done the research that she has copied. As a result she will get a better grade than students that have done it without cheating and done it all themselves. The project is also submitted to go towards the grade not just the exam, if it wasn’t then her teacher wouldn’t be pushing for it so much.

@LolaLouisejust do whatever you need to do to help your DD pass this GCSE. Absolutely no judgement here. Trying to help a child with additional needs through the GCSE process is a stressful task. Many don’t and can’t take in what they need to do. It’s not cheating to give extra help. It’s making it a more level playing field. You’re not teaching her not to try, you’re showing her that there’s support around her. Exam times are tough for all pupils but those with SEN have it really tough. Schools aren’t geared up to give them the support they need. This is one drawing for one part of one exam. She’ll never need to do any of this again. She just needs a pass so she can get on with the next stage in her education - a stage where she’ll be doing subjects she’s chosen and is good at. This one final drawing sounds horrendously stressful for her. Just keep calm and carry on.

@Christmasmorale perhaps but nephew said the college doesn't seem to be doing much to deal with it?
So the next classroom along could be full of cheats and staff not bothered when op and her daughter are next-door sweating over one piece of art??

Doing a line drawing with shading using something large and blockly like graphite would not take 2 hours. It would take her a few minutes. There's no sense in doing a detailed drawing if she'll struggle with that and another style could be easier for her. Include various versions to show progress. I'll try and find an example of what I mean.