Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread

Oh and it was last year when DS realised that despite knowing he's as intelligent as GirlA (who he's been at school with since Reception), she was starting to get better results because she was revising and studying.

Luckily he didn't have that epiphany too late!

We're doing OK here after a few very hectic weeks. DS1 had an Italian student staying for 3 days the week before 1/2 term, then he was away with Explorers for most of 1/2 term, then we've had 4 6th form open evenings - one thing after another.

He's just given up being a Young Leader with Cubs and is dropping Explorers after Xmas. He won't drop his extra-curricular music though as he wants to take music next year. He'll fit in his sport around everything else as he prefers to do solo bike rides or go to boot camp in our village, activities which are easy to do when you've got time, rather than be committed to a club sport.

He's really hoping they don't pile the HW on over the Xmas hols when he's meant to be revising.

He's working hard and I'm proud of him, just hope he can keep it going.

Yy I need to see his timetable. The reply was that there are quiet study areas for the pupils to revise etc if they come on the bus and aren't able to come and go as such. I guess I may do a couple of trips if it fits in with my stuff but TBF I think staying at school studying would be way better.

Over 60% of the school get in by bus so he won't be the only one.

Also his maths teacher said there will be no new topics after Christmas, it's all consolidation apparently.

Sparkling, how annoying. Hopefully his exam timetable will be 2 a day!

OMG OMG OMG. Just had a reply from school. They only have to go into school when they have a mock exam! How on earth is that going to work when we live 12 miles from school?

I have asked the above question in my reply but not in those words.

DS says he doesn't need to revise, he'll be fine even though his last progress check that came home predicted D's and E's, with the odd C.

We have agreed that he will do the mocks (first week of December) his way, and if it goes tits up then I step in... I never realised how stressful it would be!

If he thinks I will be doing a 24 mile round trip so that he can come home an hour earlier, go in an hour later or whatever it ain't going to happen.

I have emailed the school and asked if DS1 has misunderstood.

YY to the revising. Blimey. He has written reams. Of course that doesn't mean it's actually gone into his brain mind....

bigTillymint my D's has never revised for an exam in his life. But it seems to have clicked that if he wants to stay in 6th form he had better pull his finger out :)

It's full time for mocks here. Mind you, they dont get study leave for the "real" exams anyway, they are full time until the first exam starts.
I remember last year dd had revision sessions at lunch, after school and in half term as well.

I think they are still full-time for the mocks at DD's school. But I may be wrong! Glad to hear he is revising - it's all good news!

Hi all. DS1 has gone into revision overdrive. I have never seen so many notes.

Also he seems to think that during the mocks they only have to go in for exams. That's not normal is it? Not for mocks? He's having a larf because he goes to school 12 miles away. On the bus.

Fingers crossed for your DD TAT. They can redo them, can't they? I think DD has a French one coming up. And a Biology ISA.

TAB, that gives me hope for DS when he gets to Y11!

mocks start for ds1 next week but he has a "real" french exam on Thursday.
After spending 5 years coasting through school he has now realised he might actually have to do some work now as he wants to do 4 Alevels and his school keep saying "your mock results play a big part in the decision making for 6th form"

So now he is revising like mad. Which is amusing to dd who is in year 12 now and worked hard, steadily throughout yr 11. She keeps saying to him- did you not realise you had GCSEs this year?

Well, my DD's CA went really well apparently.

Apart from the fact she only wrote 75% of the permitted word limit.

And that in her first go through she wrote less than half

Maybe not so well after all

DD's mocks start on Wednesday and she has done absolutely nothing in terms of revision. She says that none of her friends are revising and that she knows it all anyway. I'd be pleased for her to fail the lot and then hopefully be jolted into action for the real thing, but she has just been offered an academic scholarship and if she does badly in the mocks, her predicted grades will be revised and that will be the end of the scholarship. It's a crazy situation, I'm far more stressed than she is. She doesn't give a damn and won't listen to a word I say. I'm not sleeping at night and feel very run down.

Onemoremum, that is what I am struggling with the forcing to drink thing. I am currently at the point where I feel I'm going to encourage but not force the point as I feel she needs to be taking control of her learning at this stage. I'm monitoring and will provide all the help needed plus have accepted she won't be revising for Additional science after getting a D for Core last year as she says she hasn't a hope of a C. I think she might possibly with stacks of work but am more worried about a C in Maths.

I take my hat off to those of you with twins, I have a friend going through it this year who also has the different school/ability thing. Last year another friend survived GCSE year with triplets so I feel quite pathetic flapping about one.

Marking my place too
DS has mocks next week, doesn't appear to do anything revision-wise unless nagged into it and seems to be heading for a rather uninspiring (for him) set of B's or worse if he doesn't pull his finger out.
How much do you take the horse to water (provide space and opportunity to study) and how much do you try to force it to drink?? He's 16 not 12.....

DS2 will be doing this next year and is not even slightly academic so am dreading that even more than this year, C's will be an achievement for him.

Dd is ramping herself up something chronic!

She does have a lot on. Mocks, CAs etc but she also has far too much extra curricular stuff; choirs, sports teams, DofE, lead part in the school play...

I've told her something has to give and she has chosen to give up singing lessons in the New Year. But frankly they're not that time consuming! Still, it's a start I suppose.

Me too!

TeenandTween, WordFactory DD also doesn't have mocks till after Christmas - not till Feb actually, having just done some internal exams. And a load of CA's before then. And sixthform visits/applications. She is quite stressed and so am I, worrying about her being stressed!

Word, also have two but at least they are in the same school. Slightly different abilities though which doesn't always go down well.

I have two in year 11. Do I get a badge? Different schools too, so mocks spanning before and after Xmas.

Good luck to all those witb offspring doing mocks and CA'S this week.

DD overheard me just now complaining to DH about the Russell Group booklet linked to on Sparkling ' s thread where someone says it should be compulsory reading for all students , regardless of ability as it is about keeping options open. I dutifully forwarded it to DD who refused to read it. She has come in to tell me not to worry, she will get 5 GCSE'S and she is starting revision tonight, she will be doing an hour.

Please please please let her decide to do BTEC next with continuous assessment, I can't bear the idea of her trying A Levels. She has dyspraxia which does not help with the whole being organised thing.