Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread

Sugar Sorry things have been so tough for you. It's hard with ailing relatives at any time, so now must be terrible.

Your DD probably needs to do another round of considering BTEC options, so she has her fallback. Are there still some open days to go? Also if she is struggling to get the 5Cs would you/she consider cutting loose her least important/worst subject so she can focus on the borderline ones? My DD has been allowed to officially drop one which has made us all a lot less stressed.

Thank you, you'e all very lovely

Just back from DH's BIL funeral which was obviously sad but OK . We were able to have a discussion about FIL with the rest of DH's siblings (who are pretty sensible overall) about FIL who is very elderly and frail in Spain and a whole other saga.

DD announced that she has to get a B in English to do Sociology, she forgot to tell me this yesterday after 6th form interview. Says that her grades are slipping in English. 6th form guy said she is on the boundary of achieving 5 C's and would have to do level 2 if doesn't get them which she is adamant she won't do. Also if has to resist Maths, this would potentially clash with one of her options.

Also she has announced she doesn't want to go to the college she holds a place on the BTEC Media as has heard it is shit (fair point.). So I'm not feeling very optimistic to be honest but am trying to be philosophical and it is what is is. We are definitely seeing the fallout of the School's Ofsted disaster. If I was a cynical person I might think their disaster was something to do with pushing the last school in the area who isn't an Academy to become one.

All quiet on Mum front. CQC go into the new Home tomorrow and if approve they can open Monday. How Mum will get there I have no idea but it won't be me as am gong to be flat out plus working evenings next week. Sorry to hear of everyone else who has walked the Dementia path. AuntPetunia, that gives me hope that the right place could look after her properly. BTM I will keep my fingers crossed you aren't gong to be in the Dementia club.

Glad people's mocks are over and some decent grades. Think DD has more very shortly. Still no exam timetable though.

I think I may well be in the DM-with-dementia club too, I will know more when I go up at Easter.

DD was pleased with her mocks - some room for improvement but also decent grades in the ones she needs for Alevels. She is now going to focus on getting her CAs done plus maths study on top of homework, but not masses of revision. Yet.

Sugar sounds like you've got loads going on, my mum's another dementia sufferer, fortunately she's in a brilliant home and doesn't cause me any problems, I'm also lucky I don't have a stupid brother!

anyway am really struggling now to get DS to do any revision at home, I know he's staying each night for at least an hour but I think he should be doing another hour or so at home he disagrees! After a heated discussion he's refused to do anything tonight, as "I came top in the class tests last week in all my sciences" apparently as they where the ones he only got cs in this is good and proves he doesn't need to do anything else. ...... argh

am so tempted to just leave him to it, but I don't want him to fail by being complacent .

DD's had some of her mocks results - pretty much as expected so far I think, but the ones she's not had back yet are mostly the ones she was least sure about.

Getting easter holiday timetable this week sometime. DD is hoping she won't be going to school every day.

DD is supposed to be getting her results today. They were meant to get them yesterday....

Did last sixthform interview today and it was very satisfactory. We now have to wait and see what offers she gets.

How's things SugarPlum?

Well, that's DD's mocks over with. She seems to think they went OK. Anyone else's still in the throes?

Oh SugarPlum vent away. You really do have a lot going on.
Crikey, I've been whingeing since Sept about having one doing A levels and one doing GCSEs and I have no other worries really, so you are totally justified imo!

I'll keep my fingers crossed that your brother realises the problems he's creating and that your Mum is sorted with new accommodation soon

Thanks Erroll I am learning to focus on the things I can change and eat chocolate to deal with the rest

sugarplum - blimey, you're having a heck of a lot to deal with

I was thinking about my O Levels earlier and also don't; remember it being like this or my parents being very involved.

With DS' s meltdown this week and DD'S today I feel emotionally exhausted. I always said I would make sure things would be as calm as possible in the run up to DD'S exams but not worked out like that.

We were both made redundant so before Xmas I bought a little business. DH started a new job 3 weeks ago, at an office rather than being home based so that has been a bit if an adjustment for DC'S . DH'S BIL has just died. My Mother has Dementia which has been several years of hell. She had several infections about the same time DH started his new job and I thought she was on her way out. She's physically a lot better but mentally quite unwell and waiting to move to a new Dementia Home as her needs too great for current place who have said they can't keep her but opening of new one keeps being delayed.

My Brother and her want her to live near him in Asia. It's as much as she can do to get into the next room. One of his proposed dates for taking her is just as GCSE'S start. He sent a stinking email to her GP basically accusing him of incompetence, said he was going to bed due to time difference and asked him to ring me and discuss it. Next minute I have an irate GP on my mobile to deal with.

Sorry, that is long again and I'm very aware I keep going on rather a lot but need to vent.

As we've just got the one the summer hols are very much DDs choice - water sports for a fortnight (but I love that too) and then she's got a summer camp - DH and I might go away for a few days then. she says she wants a lot of time doing nothing!

It is immensely stressful! I don't remember all this angst when I did my O levels and I can't remember my parents being involved at all!

It is such a stressful time for them and us, isn't it? Lots of tears and tantrums here too and that's just me!

DD better not start wingeing about our summer holiday (that DH has finally booked) as she and DS have been campaigning for it for months!

16 weeks till it's all over!

Yes don't blame you Horsemad. I have just had a change of heart though as am worried about the moaning that will happen with DS and DD sharing a room and we've had a change of plan. I think though it is probably the better choice for DS though as well to be fair. BA have a 24 hour cooling off period if anyone ever needs to know !

Things a bit calmer thank goodness.She's found a couple of apps to play soothing sounds.

Yes SugarPlumTree - DS1 has a trip to S Africa with school in July,so I've chosen a holiday that appeals more to myself, DH and DS2!

Yesterday she said it looked OK so I sympathise Horsemad. She is going to Japan for 2 weeks so this holiday maybe does cater a bit less for her as it has the needs of the rest of us to consider. Still things to do, just not Paris and Disneyland like last year.

Basically the realisation of the fact these exams are fairly close has just hit her like a sledgehammer plus the fact that not soon after she is going away on her own - something she had fought long and hard to do, combined with the uncertainty of where she will end up next year.

Rescue Remedy has been deployed, chocolate is out and she is in the bath. Oh the joys of being a parent to a Year 11.

Are her holiday objections justified? I sometimes think at this stage any little thing sets them off. My DS had a bit of a whinge about our holiday destination too; God knows why, as they weren't bothered where we went - until I booked it...

That is a fair point Erroll. T&T, I think it is good to get a break. DD could probably do with one right now. Lots of tears about how school are counting down and lots of pressure and she is very upset about where we are going for this year's holiday I have just booked.

Littleham on ds's timetable he has every Friday evening off and every Sunday off. They do need to rest and just lift the pressure every now and again. When it gets a bit closer he will probably cram a bit more revision in but this is like a marathon, they have to keep a steady pace quite a loong time and save the sprint for the end, imo.

Thanks, I was looking on the education pages.

T&T, sugar's maths thread is here