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Original poster

To do my daughters GCSE course work?

387 replies

LolaLouise · 05/05/2025 07:28

My daughter is adhd diagnosed, probable autism which she is still on a waiting list for years after the referral was submitted, she gets frustrated and gives up quickly, she tries, she really does, but sometimes gets overwhelmed and cant continue a task.

Her art GCSE course work is due in this week, she was very behind. I have spent all last weekend and this weekend helping her get it done. Up until now its been sitting and encouraging her, ive done some of the research whilst shes been doing the sketches needed, and then shes re-written it out, suggestions of sketches she could do, and cutting it all out so she can place everything into her book, helping her with layouts and ordering, but mostly just keeping her on track and focussed in 2 hour windows. There was one piece of art required for it to be done, she tried, for hours, yesterday to do it, but she got so frustrated and couldnt do it, its a portrait of a person. She ended up getting quite upset with the drawing and the looming deadline. This isnt the first time she has attempted it, shes been trying to draw it for weeks, but i put it to one side as she was hyperfixated on it, and in order to get everything else done, i took it off the table and said we would do that last. The sketch is needed as her final piece was based around this portrait, though her final piece was just shapes no details. The teacher has told her she absolutly must include this portrait in her project. Her final exam has already been sat so she cant just change the direction of the project now.

So ive drawn it, its not great, i can draw a bit but not even close to being skilled, but its better than what she was able to produce. She doesnt know ive drawn it last night. Ive started the shading to block out the main shadows, but it needs finishing, which she can do in the same way she has shaded all her other work, it looks vaguely like the person its supposed to be if you squint a little bit. We are going to try again today, ive even suggested to her tracing the facial structure today if we can figure a way to do it as we have no thin paper left to trace with, just really thick watercolour paper and card left. But it needs finishing today to hand in tomorrow. Then we can focus on her other much needed revision.

Her college plans do not include something even close to art related, its one drawing in amongst probably 100 others over the 2 years of project work, in the grand scheme of things i dont think it will make a difference to her grade, but her teacher has said it has to be included, so she is building it up to be the most important thing ever. I just want to help her, and ease some of her stress. Would you give her the drawing and help her finish it? Or is it too much help? Ive convinced myself if she does the shading then its no different to having traced the initial drawing, which is perfectly acceptable in her work, we just dont have the access to do that easily today. Do we try the tracing first and it that goes wrong then i just give her this one to shade over? theres a chance she has tried tracing in school on the lightboxes and they have been discarded already, as i know she traced other images.

How much help is too much, considering her SEN, but also that this is GCSE work?

OP posts:
Original poster
LolaLouise · 05/05/2025 09:33

AmyFFismyhomegirl · 05/05/2025 09:30

It's cheating and no i would not do it. I also have a severely dyslexic child with adhd. I could have done his coursework and tried to justify it like you, but it would have been wrong. If the gcse is not relevant to what she is doing going forward anyway then if she doesn't get a good grade it doesn't matter does it?

it doesnt matter, the issue is until this is done she cant focus on the subjects that do matter, and i know that even after submitting this, if this one drawing isnt included because the teachers has said it needs to be included, it will play over and over in her mind and stop her focussing on revision she does need to do.

OP posts:
Whyherewego · 05/05/2025 09:31

OP you're getting quite a hard time here I think
I know a lot of parents who have helped with coursework for GCSE. My son was struggling to get one of his things done on time and so whilst he worked on one but, I did a non essential but helpful thing to help him out.
My view is if overall it's not material to the final grade ie the substance of the work is theirs and you've helped on bits here and there, then that's fine. So a quick basic sketch of a face and she finishes off the shading and the rest so she can submit something seems OK to me. It doesn't sound like this is the main/only part of this project ?

Original poster
LolaLouise · 05/05/2025 09:31

RobinHeartella · 05/05/2025 09:25

It's not a huge problem if there's a sketch or two "missing" from her coursework. That's not really how coursework works.

If I were you I'd be way more hands off, and just offer praise, encouragement, materials, and a quiet calm environment.

Not micromanaging "now do the eyes! Now have a break! Here are facts on post-its for you to copy!"

Adhd kids (and adults) I know would be quite overwhelmed by all this, which would manifest as rage and frustration. Hence the screwing up sketches into balls. Let her do it her way

Not even close to what i was doing. I wrote some dates out whilst she drew, discussing other things to keep her from over thinking, i got up and made drinks, made food, whilst talking to her, i cut out the sketches she did. I didnt sit their barking orders of "do this, now do that" and nor have i implied at all that is what i did. You're creating a narritive that doesnt exist.

OP posts:
AmyFFismyhomegirl · 05/05/2025 09:30

It's cheating and no i would not do it. I also have a severely dyslexic child with adhd. I could have done his coursework and tried to justify it like you, but it would have been wrong. If the gcse is not relevant to what she is doing going forward anyway then if she doesn't get a good grade it doesn't matter does it?

Original poster
LolaLouise · 05/05/2025 09:29

Riaanna · 05/05/2025 09:24

That level of support is not transferable to exams or real life.

Show quote history

But thats the level of support the exam boards deemed appropriate for her. Real life is also a good few years away yet, a lot can change in a few years with maturity and skills learning. Her self management and ability to focus is a long way behind her peers so she has extra support in that, why is that a problem? At the moment, this is what she needs, and it is what i and the school are doing for her. The sitting with her and keeping her on task to do her to do the work in chunks of times with regular breaks is literally the advice i got from the SEN teacher in how best to support her through the exam period.

OP posts:
Outrageistheopiateofthemasses · 05/05/2025 09:28

This is waaay too much help. You are just cheating

Cluborange666 · 05/05/2025 09:26

I would do it. It’s a GCSE that she isn’t going to use. I’d feel differently if she wanted to do it for A level. Her having a disability already means it isn’t a level playing field.

RobinHeartella · 05/05/2025 09:25

It's not a huge problem if there's a sketch or two "missing" from her coursework. That's not really how coursework works.

If I were you I'd be way more hands off, and just offer praise, encouragement, materials, and a quiet calm environment.

Not micromanaging "now do the eyes! Now have a break! Here are facts on post-its for you to copy!"

Adhd kids (and adults) I know would be quite overwhelmed by all this, which would manifest as rage and frustration. Hence the screwing up sketches into balls. Let her do it her way

Iwiicit · 05/05/2025 09:24

I think you should take some of these responses with a pinch of salt.
It's my feeling that the vast majority of parents want their children to do as well as possible and will help as much as possible; be it checking over work, hiring a tutor, revision classes or actually doing coursework for them. Where do you draw the line?
One thing's for sure, those who have 'cheated/helped' will never, ever admit to anyone that they have done their kid's work. Most teachers won't bother as it makes them look like better teachers .

Riaanna · 05/05/2025 09:24

LolaLouise · 05/05/2025 08:46

How? Up until now all i have done is sit with her and keep her on task in small chunks of time and regular breaks, dicussed ideas with what other ways she could do sketches, and written a few dates on post it notes. Chatted about other things along side so she doesnt over think what she is doing and argued over which taylor swift album is her best. How is that not supporting her? She needs someone sitting with her to keep her on task, she literally has that in her exams in the form of a promt, after she was assessed for what addictional support she requires in her exams. She has a reader, laptop (as she is also quite severely dyslexic), promt, and the standar extra time, in her own room. So me sitting with her and keeping her on task is exactly what she will have in all her upcoming exams.

Show quote history

That level of support is not transferable to exams or real life.

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 05/05/2025 09:23

YRNBU. At this point it is one small portrait-fair play though, I can’t do portraits. Just get it done and move on. Your DD will probably be delighted that she has a base to start from today and it will help her to complete it. Well done for supporting her.

Art GCSE is brutal. The hours and hours of input at home is massive and I don’t think they prepare students for it when they are picking options. Am surprised her course work isn’t already handed in though. DS had to hand in his on the first day of the exam on Thursday so that he couldn’t add to it after the exam had started…

RobinHeartella · 05/05/2025 09:21

I think you'll destroy her self esteem if you do some of her coursework for her.

It can't be good for her self esteem that you've micromanaged her so much so far, either.

She's 15, 16? She can do all of it herself. It doesn't have to be perfect.

You're teaching her that ADHD makes people helpless. It's not true

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 05/05/2025 09:19

Grids are good for drawing faces that look realistic. Draw a grid of squares on the face you're trying to copy. Then draw a grid of squares (very lightly so you can draw over it ans rub out) scaled up or down on the paper you're going to do the final drawing on. It's then much easier to draw shapes and lines in relation to where they sit in each square. I'd do the grids for her as they can be fiddly and time consuming and aren't 'art' and then demo how they work. Hopefully this helps her without you doing it for her

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 05/05/2025 09:18

Can you simulate a light box by taping things to a window?

Missey85 · 05/05/2025 09:18

So you want to teach your daughter it's ok to cheat?

NautilusLionfish · 05/05/2025 09:17

@LolaLouise I have adhd diagnosed at 46 but always had problems focusing, finishing course work, until last minute. Also probably autistic. If you do this for her she will always feel in adequate. You have a lot of suggestions here that should help you. But let me recount one incident in my life (not sure might be too late). I couldn't do some write up for research. Months and months. Then got hyperfocused on how I was supposed to do it which paralysed my actual doing. My boss from before asked me to read getting this done book. I never finished it but a chapter or 2 into otitis talked about giving yourself permission not to do things. So I really didn't have to finish my research. Had to understand that I was OK with that and accept people will comment or feel a particular way but it shouldn't matter. (Am badly paraphrasing but hope you get the gist. I had to say " I will not do this and am fine with that. It doesn't matter that I have spent 4 almost five years studying abroad. It's not the most important thing in life etc). I felt so so free and let everything and stopped obsessing. A day or two later I took up the research and finished it. Got in the process rather than end goal. So you could let her put the work aside and free her mind. If she decides to come back to it great. If not she can submit what she has done so far.
I do not know what I would do in your case. I just wish you the best of luck

EmmaWoodhouseOfHighbury · 05/05/2025 09:16

As an autistic person who's really good at art but failed my GCSE partly because I was too scared to get paints out of the cupboard (and partly because I bunked off to avoid rounders and mean girls shouting at me for not being able to catch a ball), I think you should do it and not worry.

SalfordQuays · 05/05/2025 09:15

I’d hand in your picture if I were you. It’s just one drawing, and you’ve already said it’s not very good anyway. It’s not as if you’re a professional artist submitting grade 9 work for a grade 1 student. It’s only art GCSE. She’s not getting into the cockpit of a Boeing 747 with a fake pilots licence!

Gymmum82 · 05/05/2025 09:13

My textiles GCSE course workwas to make a pair of flares. My mum made them. She’s an amazing seamstress. I am not. I got an A. No regrets

Ubugly · 05/05/2025 09:13

Fine in my opinion, it’s ridiculous pressure for kids that are struggling, and possibly will never use or look at ever again!

my mum wrote one on my essays many decades ago, still failed though and she hasn’t had to pick any pieces since like many have suggested, I’ve worked very hard since my mid teens, school just wasn’t really ideal for me.

heroinechic · 05/05/2025 09:11

You’re doing your best to help your daughter in this very specific situation. It doesn’t mean that your daughter will forever feel that you’ll do her work for her.

I took an art based GCSE (god knows why when my strengths have always been academic subjects) and the amount of time I had to put into that subject was significantly more than any other individual subject.

arethereanyleftatall · 05/05/2025 09:10

I imagine in the future courses with 100% coursework won’t exist. It’s too easy to cheat now.
but like a poster up thread detailed, assuming the overall mark is mostly exam, cheating on coursework doesn’t help overall mark.
itll bump up your coursework nark obviously, but when you get to that question in an exam, not a clue, no marks.

Thesoundofscience · 05/05/2025 09:10

Can she not trace the portrait using a light box?

WhySoManySocks · 05/05/2025 09:10

Oceangrey · 05/05/2025 08:48

I haven't read the whole thread, but I paint portraits and here are two methods to copy one without tracing paper:

  1. Use a grid. Mark out a grid of small squares on the original portrait and then exactly the same size grid on your paper. Then copy what's in each little box. You'll get the same drawing, then paint over it.
  1. Download a photo merge app. The one I have is free and called ultimate photo mixer. Draw a very rough version on the piece of paper, doesn't matter if it's rubbish. Then take a photo of the original and set it as the background, take a photo of your sketch and set us as the foreground picture. Change the transparency so that you can see both images. Now alter the lines of your sketch to match the original. Do this multiple times until it's correct, taking new photos of the sketch. Then paint over.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

Also, write a load of arty waffle about the artistic struggle and whether getting a true likeness is really important. Find some stuff in art books or get chat gpt to do it for you. I got full marks in my art a level (pre AI) and I did a LOT of this.

How on Earth is using Chat GPT a good solution to avoid cheating?!!

It’s also cheating, but with a large carbon footprint attached. FFS.

UrsulasHerbBag · 05/05/2025 09:08

I would probably just do it too (I’m shit at art so the thought of my shit drawing in his project would probably galvanise him). Or let her fail, which is si hard to do but g.c.s.e art is not the worst thing to fail, she can re sit it if she needs or just file it away under experience. Failing can be a very positive thing at that age. As another poster said lots of parents are happy to pay for tutors or are in a position to fund extra support, it’s hardly a level playing field. Good luck.