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Original poster

DD's mocks results are a disaster - what can I do now?

238 replies

Earningsthread · 18/12/2013 23:44

Art target grade A* - mock grade - A/B
Biology target grade A* - mock grade - C
Chemistry target grade A* - mock grade - C
English Language target grade A* - mock grade - A
English Literature target grade A* - mock grade - A
French target grade A* - mock grade - D
History target grade A - mock grade - A
ICT target grade A - mock grade - A
Mathematics target grade A* - mock grade - A
Music target grade A* - mock grade - B
Physics target grade A* - mock grade - D

This girl is talented. So talented that her English teachers in every year have told me that she is the most gifted student they have ever seen. But just look at those mock results. They are APPALLING. She is underachieving in every subject bar 2. What should I do? What can I do? There are only six months between now and the exams. The school thought she was an Oxbridge banker. I know my rebellious DD and knew she would not work. But there is not working and not working. THose mock GCSE results are appalling.

What if anything, can I do to help at this late stage?

OP posts:
monet3 · 20/12/2013 07:43

Earnings, It basically boils down to the fact that your DD is lazy I think she needs a good wake up call.

I would leave her to her own devices and let her fail her GCSEs (I know its hard) but she will have to find out the hard way.

wordfactory · 20/12/2013 07:42

frau ewhy on earth do you assume it's an either/or?

There are lots of young people who achieve their academic potential (whatever standard that may be) weho are also happy, have lots of interests, an ability to connect etc.

There are also lots of young people who do not achieve their academic potential and still aren't happy etc.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that those of us who reach our potential are more likely to be happy conteneted bunnies Grin. Obvious innit?

hellsbells99 · 20/12/2013 07:36

Also op, make sure your daugter is aware that most of her exams will be in May not June!

FrauMoose · 20/12/2013 07:34

There seems to be an assumption that being a good parent means ensuring that - if our children show any spark of intelligence - they get:-

  1. a string of A*s at GCSE
  2. another batch of A*s at A-level
  3. a place at a) Oxford, b) Cambridge or c) a Russell group university
  4. is presumably something like a career in medicine, law accountancy or some other kind of supposedly secure high status profession.

I might go for something different. How about a secure and happy young person, with interests and the ability to connect with others in a positive way, who has the ability to earn their living and adapt within a rapidly-changing world?

hellsbells99 · 20/12/2013 07:33

The music and language exams would have been listening ones and this is probably the 1st time your DD has sat them properly. School will be doing lots of these between now and May. Music is very hard to get an A* in btw even for a good performer.
I actually would be very concerned about the sciences. Even with limited revision an A* student would have been expected to score far higher. Print off loads of past papers and get DD to start doing them. Answers need to contain specific terminology.
Re physics - not sure if exam boards differ, but the course work/ Isa my DD has done is only worth 25% of final mark.

curlew · 20/12/2013 07:30

Earnings- frankly those teachers' comments don't indicate that they think she's an "Oxbridge banker". Does she want to go to Oxbridge?

wordfactory · 20/12/2013 07:29

Earning having read your latest thread, I think it's time to step away.

Your DD is lazy and arrogant (sorry, I know that's harsh). She doesn't work in term time. She didn't revise for her mocks and is refusing to do owt at Xmas.

With that attitude she is very unlikely to get the grades she is predicted and even if by some miracle she does, A levels just don't work like that. She certainly won't thrive in Oxbridge, where there is nowhere to hide Wink.

No doubt you've told her, and clearly school have told her...and yet she remains convinced of her own brilliance Grin. This is common amongst teens of course...

What you can do about it? Very little. Tutors would be an utter waste of money, I think.

All you can do is keep banging the drum that she is making a choice here.

As the teachers at DS school (absurdly selective) endlessly tell the pupils 'being clever on its own is without merit'.

monet3 · 20/12/2013 06:48

I meant in the sense that its much,much easier for young people to set up businesses now. Anyone with a laptop and half a brain can set a company up.
A good Uni qualification does not guarantee a good job anymore. It worked in the old days as only a small % of the population went to Uni.

antimatter · 20/12/2013 00:52

Music is not only performing but composition and some written part too.

My dd just got her mocks scores and we discussed what she needs doing in order to get better results.

I think your dd has to try to imagine herself how she is going to feel if she fails getting to 6th form due to poor gcse results in subjects of her choice. Would she be happy to swap subjects?

I hope she is right in saying she can catch up however studying for mocks saves time in long term

I've also heard that art is very time consuming etc

I keep telling my kids. Now is the time to get as high marks as possible. Also that they aren't likely to want to resit gcses in the future :)

You can't make her to do anything.

maybe she needs this lesson to work hard later in her a levels.

Original poster
Earningsthread · 19/12/2013 23:57

We have a parents' evening coming up. Frankly every parents' evening for the past three years have made me want to cry. The conversations go like this:

English: She is the brightest student in her year, In fact she is the brightest student I have ever taught (three separate teachers, none of them new to the game), She has won the English prize every year.
French: She doesn't try, she doesn't listen in class, she is a pain
Sciences (all three): She could get A* if she ever did any work, but she doesn't
ICT: She will get an A*. She has won the iCT prize every year
Music: She needs to apply herself
History: She will get an A*
Art: she is good but she needs to paint. I bought her a set of paints. She won the art prize
Maths: She is disappointing. She might well still get an A* but she is disappointing. She never works

OP posts:
curlew · 19/12/2013 23:44

What do her teachers say?

Original poster
Earningsthread · 19/12/2013 23:39

Actually the most positive thing she did say is that getting A* in all three sciences would be a breeze and that I worry too much.

I freely admit that I am worrying. But those mock results are not saying to me that getting an A in the three sciences are going to be a breeze. Apparently she has done 40% of her physics already and she has A for it and was the top of her year. Is that possible? I just look at the test score - which was lamentable. If she is going to breeze surely she would have breezed those mocks.

OP posts:
curlew · 19/12/2013 23:36

Does she know she needs all As (ish) for Oxbridge?

curlew · 19/12/2013 23:34

Are you sure she's not being breezy to cover panic?

bountyicecream · 19/12/2013 23:31

At least she's proposing to do some work eventually Grin

Original poster
Earningsthread · 19/12/2013 23:28

Then she told me breezily that she wasn't proposing to do any work at all until next term.

OP posts:
Original poster
Earningsthread · 19/12/2013 23:25

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and input. I really appreciate it because I am frankly panicking.

I have asked DD what she thought about her mock results. She laughed. She told me that mocks were ridiculous, she hadn't revised for any of them because she thought they were a waste of time.

My DD is not a people-pleaser (if only:)) She is her own person and I am very proud of the person that she is. I adore her, let's be clear. I am just very worried that she is closing off doors. I'm not just worried that she is closing off doors in general. I'm worried that she is closing off doors that she professes to want to go through.

OP posts:
noddyholder · 19/12/2013 22:22

I don't believe things are improving The stats on examination are full of people on zero contracts and p/time. People are still struggling food banks opening weekly and no full time decent jobs. I will eat my hat if the govt don't move the debt goal posts in teh next 5 years

princessalbert · 19/12/2013 22:01

DS did similar.

He has always sailed through school getting top marks, without putting in much effort.

In his mocks, he did generally quite well --except for English - D! and Spanish C!

I think he now realises that he will have to try a little harder for the real GCSEs in May.

We have parents' evenings and meetings with 6th form coming upin January - so will get chance to discuss any strategies necessary to improve on these grades.

Try not to get too worked up over these results - it is likely that DD will have had chats at school with the teachers about these grades. School want her to do well, just as you and she do.

lottieandmia · 19/12/2013 21:57

You may have had higher hopes for her, but that is different from saying her results are a disaster - they don't look like a disaster to me.

I had a school friend who did very well at school and got A*s and As in her GCSEs but I also remember her crying into my shoulder when she got to school in the morning because her mum had been shouting at her that she wasn't working hard enough. I do agree with those who say academia is not everything.

wordfactory · 19/12/2013 21:57

Well noddy in the sort term that debt can sit there.

And in the long term...things are moving. Slowly, but certainly moving.

For those with good degrees from good universities, I hope it's not too late.

noddyholder · 19/12/2013 21:52

I dont think they are any worse off tbh. The grads have debt are still living at home and can't find work. Whats the difference?

NigellasDealer · 19/12/2013 21:49

Grin nicely done word...
OP honestly try not to worry too much
Flowers

wordfactory · 19/12/2013 21:48

I think being a farrier might be a great job for the right person. And yes, I suspect good hard luchre could be made.

And I do see what you're saying about university. It's bloody dreadful that these young people are sadled with debt.

My view is if you'r gonna go down that route them aim for the very best university you can. The very best course. Get ythe most bang for your buck (given all courses cost the same),.. which takes us back to the OP, I guess.

NigellasDealer · 19/12/2013 21:41

so true though about the 'mainstream' trades word,and things ^are going to get worse.
but the farriers round here can pick and choose their work, and if anyone upsets them.........it's byeeeee!! and things.
tbh it the expense of uni that puts me off more than anything, imagine shelling all that out and then see your child do bar work for years.