GCSEs 2012 support thread

Daffodilly2 - I'm having to do the same as you for my DS1. Produce a timetable for the day, put past papers in fron tof him, try to get him to look at the mark scheme afterwards, etc. If I didn't do it, he'd just end up with lower grades and so I carry on.

Today I've been marking his attempts at French listening papers. The recordings are on the school website and he has the question papers, but he wouldn't bother if I didn't insist.

I too am grateful for the school revision sessions, which carry on until that subject's exams are over. It's the first year the school have done this.

Piawill
The top set at my child"s school found the maths IGCSE on Frid afternoon very tough too, so don't be downhearted.

fingers crossed then bruffin.

Results day in august is Dhs birthday, wonder how much we will have to celebrate.

Yes its a small 6 th form scholarship for future engineers. They can use it at any school that is affiliated to the scheme, but it looks good on uni application and they get a sponsor which may lead to work experience etc.

I hope it went well piawill it's horrible when you absolutely need a good grade in a subject. And good luck to your ds too bruffin, is that for a sixth form scholarship? By results day in August we may all have gone crazy!

Know how you feel piawill
I am still drilling Ds to find out how his interview went in April for a scholarship, have been in Student room as well, but we won't know until July.
It's the not knowing that driving me mad even though I know that there is nothing I can do about it

Such useful advice, glaurung but can't help myself. So much effort has gone into this particular exam, and so much is at stake, not least her confidence. Will try and worry less.

The Student Room is usually a good source of post exam discussion if you want a post mortem piawill. But I reckon it's usually better just to forget about it afterwards personally - there's nothing you can do to change things and the potential for getting upset over mistakes is rather high.

Who else has to guide the DS to revision every step of the way? I'm glad schools now run revision classes right up to the exams. Keeps them going.

Hello, any feedback on the Maths IGCSE paper this afternoon? How did they find it? My daughter thought it was quite hard and so did her friends.

I think the problem is, there will always be a yr11 at school every year, so there's always going to be teachers having to cram and guide them into their exams, iyswim!

I guess, we are thinking it should have been done during yrs 8, 9 and 10, because we didn't really notice about Yr11 back then. We weren't living it then and the parents of Yr11's 2 or 3 or 4 years ago, were saying the same as us now.

We're ready. DD is focused and her self dicipline at going to extra classes and picking up revision is brilliant. I'm very proud of her now and I'll be just as proud on 23rd August.

Cory

Thats such a shame Cory

Dd in Yr 10 is still under observation to see how many GCSEs she will be allowed to take, having been off school for the best part of the last 6 months with chronic pain disorder and mh issues. She is a bright girl who would do well at university- if she ever gets well enough to cope.

School very supportive and lovely but I'm worn out, just the enormous struggle of getting her into school, trying to make sure she doesn't start to hyperventilate, doesn't throw up, doesn't put her back out.

hate this system where it's all spread out over two years so you have no chance of catching up later

The accomplishment folder sounds like a nice idea

The assembly today is I think presenting every student with their 'accomplishment folder' - for all Y11's whether staying on or not, parents invited. I think there's then a separate assembly in the autumn for GCSE cert presentation. Muck-up day or wahtever it's called was meant to be on Weds but the weather was so vile it didn't happen. So suspect once assembly is over the kids will hit the town/park etc

Looks like the weather may be a bit better today Grungebob
I don't know when they are having an official leavers assembly. They did have an assembly yesterday when they gave out a few certificates. They all decorated their school shirts for yesterday and spent all day getting them signed. Some of the girls went to town with beading and sequins and DS had his designed by a friend.

My dd did Thorpe Park yesterday bruffin - 'twas wet but they didn't queue for more than 20 mins for any ride. Swarm was fab, apparently

Leavers assembly this afternoon. She's staying on for 6th form but most friends are going to other 6th forms so rather an end of an era. Have been so many farewells/celebrations this week I don't think she's had any time for revision!

SecretSquirrels I was having the same conversation with the Mum of one of ds's friends yesterday. I can't fault the work the staff are putting in now with the Yr 11s (and over last couple of months) but I too commented that perhaps that is only needed because of the lapsidaisical (I know that can't be the right spelling! ) attitude in Yrs 8, 9, and 10.

DS is off to Thorpe Park today with the school, He has taken his morph suit

His first exam is RE on tuesday, his RE teacher has challenged him to get 100% she said she has seen a few 99% papers and hasn't worked out where they dropped the 1%. No pressure there then.

Maths for Ds this afternoon. Study leave started today. very quiet here at the moment as he is sitting working through old papers with no prompting I thought my morning would be spent battling to get him off the x box!!

No school for DS today. He's having a day off so he can get back to the revision first thing tomorrow! First exam not until the 21st so we're quite a chilled household at the moment, sure we won't be next week though!

The pace in Year 11 has been relentless since September and it's true that for staff Y11 are the number one priority. Am I being a tiny bit cynical to think they should have upped the pace further down the school years and avoided some of this cramming? Or is it that the kids themselves are generally more motivated when the GCSEs are round the corner?

DS has English revision class after school today then his first exam is on Monday - French. I haven't noticed much French revision going on but he says every lesson for months has been revision and practice papers.

Maths IGCSE for my DD today. This afternoon - although my greatest fear is that I assume it's an afternoon exam and it's actually in the morning!

You'd think that as DC3 I'd have got it sorted out by now, but no, I have to look at the timetable first thing every morning just to check myself. And that's me! It's not even my exam! (I'd get a 'U')