Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread

That's what I am thinking Tilly and the chances of speaking to any teachers probably nil. Then there's the worry of 'Mrs Sparkling your DS wants to do my subject at A Level-do you think that's wise?' if I do get to speak.

He never said a word at the one last week either.

Well, it could be very much like that IMHO!:DD and her mates were so mature at the ones where they didn't know a soul - asking the teachers and students really pertinent questions, but at the local one (which would be DD"s first choice) they spent the whole time more interested in who else was there. And it was horribly rammed. A rather unpleasant evening!

Hi all. We have the Open Evening tonight at DS1's school, the one he actually want to go to.
What should my strategy be? I am imagining it will be chaos there, bit like parents evening but worse. What am I going to achieve?

I can see DS1 mucking about with his mates leaving me wandering around the school and talking to nobody.

Glad it's looking hopeful, homework. I have to say that Educating the East End programme was quite reassuring - showing children pulling their socks up in the last few weeks. I am afraid I have to admit that I did my best revision for my O'levels the night before the exams

I have not and will not tell my DC (especially DS) this!

Well mock results are in , mostly c 's and d's , so not dire , some work to do , so hopefully with some more work we get there.
Going to ask for us to look though papers with his teachers to see where he's gone wrong and what we need to look at to improve .
He said a few kids did really badly , or maybe that's what there telling everyone else . You just don't know , anyway I'm hoping that it helps his mental health slightly that he's not done too badly and that we can now work together over the next few months to get him though this difficult time.

(DS has had his French oral controlled assessment today, hence me nervously browsing mumsnet when I'm supposed to be working...)

homework, how many c grades does he need and does it matter which subjects they are in?

If he gets his triple sciences since that's his strong point, and focuses like mad on maths and English since those are so crucial generally, would those five be enough for the course he wants? He's probably better off with 5 Cs and the rest very low than 10 Ds.

He would wish to drop English as this is where he struggles the most , his biggest problem is getting what's in his head down onto paper .
He's also a visual, kinetic learner , he seems to have a love of science ,and although struggles with written aspect of history / geography can tell you so much detail when you ask him to answer questions , but struggles to formalise answers , even in this formate.

He said there getting results of mocks today , so was feeling very nervous as he said everyone's going to want to discuss there results and he doesn't . Let's hope he's done not too badly , so stressful this , don't remember being so much pressure with o levels , school didn't make such a big deal back then either .

DDs school has been excellent.

Each teacher has provided checklists for the girls so they make sure they cover everything.

Homework has all been tasks designed to refresh memory. And there have been maths clinics on Saturday afternoons.

DS school takes a more hands off approach! Which I suppose is better in the long run, but less comforting for the parent.

Out of interest, have your DC's schools offered any advice to parents about revision and GCSEs (e.g. different and effective ways to revise, revision timetables etc)?

Motherstongue I looked at the various exam board websites for the dates of the summer exams.

DD's mocks start today. She's still very relaxed about the whole thing and spending every evening on Facebook instead of revising. I'm worried sick and feel as though I've failed as a mother.All my friends tell me their Year 11s are working too hard, and I just keep thinking 'where did I go wrong'? Perhaps as a SAHM, she thinks that I'm not working, so why should she?

Revision is underway in earnest at Casa Wordfactory.

DD has made a good start because she had entrance exams in her A level options for her preferred sixth form, so did some work for those.

At the time she was not overly happy. But is now grateful.

DS is very relaxed as always. He says he's revising. He says he has his work 'under control'. Let's hope so.

Calendars have been compared. Week one of the mocks there are 3 days when he will be done early, and week 2 he has a 50 minute history Mock at 9am on the Wednesday and that's it.

My DD is in year 11 and is taking 26 exams this summer.....

Her mocks start on Monday and shes also thinking about moving to an independent sixth form from her state high school

There is a lot of decisions to be made!

Aw Homework, that's so upsetting. I feel so sorry for your DS and you too. Grades are important but not so important that someone's health should be affected whether it is physical or mental. I really hope he gets the support to see him through this.

My DS finished his mocks last week. Lots and lots of revision, he really has put the hours in so I hope it translates to good grades for him.

Does anyone know when they find out what date each of their GCSE exams takes place? It would be helpful to know this to organise the study leave/travel thing.

Yes we found an ideal course for him , but he needs these gcse to get onto it , the course then has lots of practical elements but the academics of it also play towards his strengths , the college sounds very supportive when we looked around .

The only down side is that we need these gcse to get onto it in the first place , so it's a catch 22 situation .
He's doing triple sciences his strong point , maths , English ? If doing both language and literature , history , geography . Btech health and social care and btech or some equivalent in laboratory skills / microbiology .

Littleham school informed me about the hitting mainly his head , but she said that it's not little slaps but full on blows , managed to find him a counsellor and he's aware of these issues .

I don't actually attend the appointments with him , but sit outside and hang around waiting for them to finish , did ask once about this and counsellor said that he isn't actually aware that he's doing this at the time , his anxiety and stress are that high that he's not actually comprehending or processing that he doing this . So is much more distressing for people watching him .

As the pressure increased he seems to be getting more anxious . School seem to be just as concerned as I am , but onto know how to manage it any more than allowing him to do assessments in short bursts , but they feel he's going to run out of time to get the work done.

It's so sad that there's nothing out there for kids who not most academic but work hard , all jobs these days want gcse at grade c and above . When I left school you could get job if you worked hard enough and showed you could graft . Even jobs that you once didn't need qualifications for you do these days .

Just checking in.

Very different experience with dd1, than it was with ds 3 years ago

We did mocks a couple of weeks back and ds actually did put in a fair amount of work , awaiting results .
There doing some controlled assessments at the moment that has got him really stressed and he's not coping with it all very well , school ran and said he's been hitting himself during these when he's struggled with the answer , we all getting very worried about it .
He is a hard working child but and best he can get will be c grades , and that's with a lot of hard work .
We also looked at sixth form colleges , one was a complete no , he just wouldn't have settled or fitted in there , second we both liked , course will suit him , needs to get c grades to get on it though , and has a lot of travelling involved , this is btech , still waiting date to go look at third , and fourth is his own schools sixth form .
So any ideas how to help reduce the stress levels , I would really appreciate , as not only him that be done in by end of this process.

Oh crikey, I hadn't factored in all the part time days. We are a 40 min bus journey away with a dodgy timetable, but there are a few other parents in my village with children in the same year so hopefully we'll be able to share lifts.

Mmmm, Littleham. I need to look at my diary and his timetable and get the highlighter pen out by the sound of it. Both in December and next Summer.

There a a handful of his mates that live within walking distance but don't want him lolling about at their houses.