Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread

DD was highly amused at the sheer horror on many faces in the DofE session where they were told the 'no electronic stuff' rule. And by the makeup bags which had to be removed from some people's overweight rucksacks on the practice. She was in a group of 4 which she says is the optimum number for the amount of equipment carried per person. I'm glad her school doesn't do expeditions at this time of year, that sounds insane - the bronze were in May and June, the silver will be practice in July and for real next September, which is more civilized and avoids the exam period.

A is what they will be aiming for I should think.

Aaagghhh!!!!just seen nobles post

Oh thank goodness for that

Although I do worry that the first few years will be downgraded IYSWIM so that the government can be seen to be tough in a. "look how few children get As now we have tightened up" way, on the other hand they may do much better in a "look how much better the children are doing now we have improved the education system" way

Oh god I don't know!!!!!!

Shouldn't be a fucking A grade in the first place! let alone an *

Y9 will be the guinea pigs for English and Maths, other GCSE subjects are changing a year later. So both Y9 and Y8 will be guinea pigs, but for different subjects.

Rufus I think I had it wrong, sounds like it is the current year 9s that get to be guinea pigs.

With the grades 1-9 I think 1 should be the A**, but that wouldn't leave room to add on loads of extra top grades like having it as 9.

sparkling

I thought it said the current year 9s would be doing the new GCSEs

Now I'm confused

I agree re the grades though...winds me up!!! You can guarantee that instead of changing the grade boundaries they will just bring in a new grade

Ds1 finished his mocks last week, has done quite well. History was a bit of a fuck up and dropped a grade or two elsewhere but not the end of the world. He hasn't got English yet and that's not one of his best.

No revision until January but will work on a time table over the holidays

I wanted DS1 to do Dof E. he didn't bother taking a letter

DD endured DofE last year. Her ankles were shot to pieces, she arrived back limping using a stick with them both bandaged up. Took a good couple of weeks to recover. 12 is a big group - surprised it wasn't 2 groups of 6.

They are very strict on not only phones but anything electronic, eg ipods. Absolutely not allowed. Phones to be carried but emergencies only. I think it's good for teens as so many of them are so reliant on electronic stuff these days.

Really Teen, didn't know that. It was only the training this weekend. The final one is in June. There was 12 in his group, one had an asthma attack, one twisted his ankle, another got a itchy rash, one did his cruciate ligament, it sounds like it was a blast! He bloody hates walking so it really has been an endurance test for him.

Yes, sorry, didn't mean to sound as if I think you're worrying over nothing. I realise that 'perfect' targets can put a lot of pressure on, and maybe a feeling of it's impossible.

Exactly. And when you have an anxious, self - doubting teen, it's not helpful at all

Teen, A* targets sadly don't translate into actual results for DS1 yet. Current grades vary between A and D!

Sorry. Year 8 parents evening suggested they were the first year of the 1-9, so DS2 won't be a guinea pig after all then? It was said that a Grade 9 would be a A**.

I think they will have added a Grade 10, 11 and 12 by the time DS2 does them.

Well, teen, the problem is she's actually got quite a way to go to get them from her current grades, so not in quite so smug a position, unfortunately.

I wish my DD was predicted all A* ! At least we wouldn't be worried about C grades dropping to Ds.

mother For DofE they aren't meant to use their phones. He will fail the final expedition if discovered to have been using phone for anything except an emergency.

Only result here so far is ict which he got a c in. Apparently he was only 1 point away from a b so I've told him to find out where he missed out and make sure he doesn't do the same in summer. Apparently we aren't getting any more results as they've not been marked yet!! So we've got to decide whether we push over the hols or give him a break.

Parents evening was a few weeks ago so it would be interesting to have another one when we get the results.

Good luck to everyone whose getting results.

Ahh, Lynette. A tricky one.

Lynette, re the overall grade, I don't know, but DD was getting A's for all her Chemistry last year and got an A for her ISA and then got a B overall

OddBoots - DS1 is very much like my brother - my parents let him have his own plan B....which was doing nothing for over a decade. That won't be happening here. But none of the Btec courses really appeal to DS. I think there is an applied science course which is equal to 2 A levels...but not sure if DS would cope at the places which offer it.

At parents evening I discovered he'd only got Cs in most of his course work .....one teacher said that means what ever he gets in the exam next summer will be his overall grade...I think....is that right?

Is it up to you to have a plan B Lynette? Isn't that up to him?

Mocks are after Christmas here. DS will not revise.

Tonight he asked me what will happen if they don't let him in to 6th form. I don't have a plan B.

Camping in this weather? Brrrrrr!

We get the report and results on Friday 19th.

DS currently away camping doing Duke of Edinburgh. He is not the outdoorsy type so my phone has been going ding dong with grumpy texts from him. It's been freezing and he has aching feet, poor soul!
Get him home tomorrow and that's him done until the New Year.