GCSEs 2012 support thread

ds's school do have a 'Leavers Lunch' after the exams have finished, but it is on a date when quite a few of their school will be away doing 'The Challenge'
It's not too big a deal for him as he (and many of his friends) are staying into the 6th form, but it does seem a shame. Also a little bit sad they don't have a kind of 'final assembly' like MaureenMLove's dd's school. I'd love to go along to something like that...... indeed, I might suggest it at the next parents group meeting - too late for me, but some other parent might appreciate it in the future

DS's school has a prize giving for year 11 very early in September, and their prom isn't until the end of this month. But he did miss the leavers assembly as he had a d&v bug.

Btw the ethics question seems to have been on AQA P2 not P3.

A number of ds's teachers have given them little parties during their last lessons this week. And he came home today with a number of little cards with nice messages on, saying things like what a pleasure he's been to teach and relating anecdotes. One or two even made personalised cupcakes for them.
I'm so pleased and grateful the teachers found the time to do this during such a busy and stressful time for them too.

DD had her leaving assembly today. They were presented with a leatherlook bound folder, with gold writing on the front as their record of achievement.

It had their work experience reports in and certificate and their last ever school report.

I have today decided, on the strenght of the absolutely fantastic words written by DD's teachers, that I couldn't care less about 23rd August! Things like model student, confident, asset to the school and she will go far, are more important than A*'s! She's already secured Maths and English through early entry, so anything else is a bonus.

I am one proud parent this evening. Wish I could share this with DD other than with a text - she hasn't been home since she dropped off her school bag and I'm not likely to see her until teatime tomorrow!

I agree cardibach. DD's school even brought forward the start of exam leave unexpectedly. I know why they do it - to avoid the petty vandalism which is certainly a risk at her school. However it is sad for those who have worked hard for 5 years.

Well done all you mums that have been helping your DC - we all deserve a bit of a breather. I can see my DS is relaxing - playing footie in the park with friends. He's taking Saturday off too - then back to the grindstone with History and DT.

On the whole I've been proud how he's had a pretty positive approach - not too many nerves. I feel my DD in Yr 7 will be a bit more uptight - I'll have to try and chill her.

THat's lovely, Kez. I feel DD and her friends have been 'done out' of a last day. Many of them are leaving and since they weren't given study leave they have just petered out, so to speak. THey will almost all be in for the two maths exams after the holiday, but some have already got the grade they wanted and aren't resitting. It's such a rite of passage, leaving compulsory education, and the school has made it a non-event.

ds1 said ICT paper today was OK, so he's come home quite chilled ... For once!

It's DS's last proper day at school today . They all have printed leaver's T shirts and have spent the last two days signing year books and taking photos.
They have done a year book for their tutor which says wonderful things about her.
There will be tears........

Nothing for DD til 11th June now! So we're about to go shopping for summer dresses!

DS said the physics paper was alright. But I don't set much store by that TBH. There were 2 questions he didn't understand - one was about what was wrong with the experiment and he couldn't remember the other He got C's in the first 3 science modules so I'm not expecting miracles.

hope it goes well mumstoast and all the hard work pays off.

we have ICT today and DD has woken up feeling sick and faint, she's not really looking forward to doing this feeling ill but she will just have to push through, i feel so bad for her because she has spent so much time revising ICT

Hold your nerve everyone. It's not long and I think this break will be a great help. Ds is on a safety boat course for these two days and then it's back to knuckling down for the last 3 exams.
Summer111 ds tells me, for them the animal testing question was in the aqa biology paper. And the short answer is, only when there is no alternative and benefits to humans.

Dd sat the AQA physics paper yesterday with similar comments about question difficulty. She remarked that one question asked about the ethics of testing products on animals which none of them could readily connect to the physics course. Surely that type of question would be more aligned to a biology paper if any? Fortunately she has covered ethics in her GCSE psychology course so was able to answer the question intelligently. Throwing in questions like this I believe to be unfair.

Dd came home today after RE exam and unusually for her started Chemistry revision straight away in spite of having no more exams until after half term. So much for having a rest! She seems to think they've not covered the last chemistry module properly in class, I hope she's wrong after what people are saying re: Physics. I'm fairly sure she won't have gone beyond the syllabus in any of her sciences or other subjects as she's had disrupted teaching in a fairly mixed ability (but small) group. She has Phys, Chem, Bio, Maths and Geog after half term, so still quite a few to go and she wants to do well in them as they're all the subjects she's chosen for A level (except Geography).

You make an interesting point BeingFluffy. In DD's school top set really means very little so the teacher is being stretched across a wide ability and behaviour range.

Testing 'off the syllabus' is really unfair on students in that type of setting as the teachers have their work cut out to cover the published syllabus let alone pointing out where the exam may go off piste. The student doesnt get the opportunity to have wider teaching. The student needs to read beyond the syllabus but that needs to be guided by the teacher who just doesnt have the time.

Just ventured into DS's hovel bedroom to get some washing only to find him flat out asleep! Just goes to show how much the exams take out of them

It has, Maureen. I'm an ENglish teacher - hence my stress about Maths, possibly as I'm not really any help to her!

Cardi, I feel your pain! I'm not a teacher, but work in a secondary school and I started working there when yr11 were in yr7, so I know so many of them really, really well. I've spent lots of time and effort in the classroom, covering their lessons over the years and I knew I'd be a bit of an emotional wreck this year!

I can't help with the prom arrangements without filling up and the leavers assembly has me apologising for not being able to speak regularly!

Our results will be available from 10am, whilst DD's school will be midday, so god only knows the state I'll be in by then!

Hope your subject exam has already been and gone and you can have a well earned rest over the holiday.

DS now only has 3 papers, Maths where he needs A (second set comp), geography and a resit of P1a (should be an easy A to bring his overall grade up). Then it's sixth form induction, and results day.

Thanks again Kez. It's lovely when parents appreciate what we are doing. do feel like I've gone throught the ringer a bit this year having DD doing them too. And next year and the year after won't be any better. I am also having a bit of a crap time at school (bullying management related) so can;t wait for the holidays.
I will be waiting for all my students results with only a little less suspense than I wait for DDs though. It's an intense business, teaching :)

ds and several mates are going "oop town" tomorrow (in the day I mean, not clubbing ). It might be his first experience of being hoiked out of shops for clearly being one of a gang of hoodies - he doesn't tend to shop much . However, like many others, I don't think a day chilling will do them any harm at all now - his next exam isn't until 12th June (History) and he only has 6 more after that, spread right to the end of he month.