Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread 2

QOD. They are very cute HSM.

DD redoing bits of her photography so yesterday we went to a bluebell wood. Lots of muttering about the light not being right but the rest of us enjoyed it, I had forgotten how calming it is to be surrounded by a carpet of blue and taking in the wafts of fragrance. She was a bit touchy as wanted the beach at sunset but there clearly (well to DH and I) wasn't going to be one. I was bracing myself for a request to get up early and go to the New Forest but I think the idea of sleep was more appealing than an improved photography grade!

Dd has her reward ... she just caught me singing and has snap chatted it to all her friends ... made her laugh until she cried

So cute!

I know, very fair play. I hope someone turned up!

We don't pay for exam results either as it would be a nightmare with four so close in age. There is enough sibling rivalry already. Mini treats along the way to boost morale - we did a take away last week where everyone picked favourites.

Trip with friends at the end (condition is working hard, not results).

Fair play to the teachers, 10am on a Sunday . We are off to a bluebell wood if a) it doesn't rain ad b) I can remember where it is, she's redoing bits of a photography assignment.Tomorrow hopefully she's hopefully doing an English paper.

53 hours? Eeek! 200 is bad enough!

DD came home very late last night (but before us!) and is still in bed, having decided not to go to History revision - 10am on a Sunday Hopefully she will get up before too long and get started on something as she is out again tonight - friends 16th birthday weekend!

That sounds like a good plan Horsemad and WF.

53 hours till first exam here.

Definitely not pay-per-grade here. I did consider a pay-per-target-met but then discarded it for reasons as stated above.

We are massively focussing on doing your best and then there won't be 'if only' moments on results day. We will do a celebration when she finishes, and she is off to Spain for 3 weeks in July which she is looking forward to.

Heard on the radio today 100 hours until the election. I guess that means its only about 200 hours until first exam, (but I've not said that to DD!)

I think that might be the ticket horse DD loves a Chinese takeaway.

I have the same problem Word - am considering takeaway when DS2 finishes, (he loves takeaway!) then a nice meal out a week later.

I'd like us all to go out to dinner to celebrate The End.

But DD finished on 16th June and DS dribbles on for another week until 23rd.

I feel that we should wait for DS bit that the moment will be over for DD. Oh well.

I also agree with Errol. We'll do a family meal to celebrate new beginnings and transition to 6th firm whatever the grades. DD said sadly the other night that most people say it's hard being the youngest as you have to live up to the eldest but DS has nothing to live up to as she doesn't get good grades and he's going to get good grades anyway. Felt sad hearing this and I want her to feel supported by us all.

She will get money for 6th form clothes shopping on her Japan trip and has just received a very generous amount towards the trip costs from my Dad so I think she is doing very well at the moment.

I had something funny with my Physics where I got an O level grade and a CSE grade, something to do with moving towards GCSE.

I think that's right BTM.

Someone could miss a deserved Grade through misreading a question etc.

I think there will be treats and celebrations here when the exams finish. We will all deserve it!

We aren't paying for grades here - working hard and trying your best is what we feel is important. The results themselves should reflect that and so be the reward (but as grade boundaries and marking seems to change by the minute, it is entirely possible that the grade they "should" get might not be achieved, despite working hard)

Instead I am taking DD to NY in October - partly a belated 50th present for me and partly a reward for working hard towards her GCSE's. No doubt we will go out for a meal at the time and she will definitely need some new clothes for sixth form!

No rewards here either. We will probably go out for a family meal, then a big shopping trip for sixth form. Once there, we may possibly purchase an iPad ( although I think they may get a school one) or a graphics tablet.

We're not rewarding on grades either. Instead, once the exams are over we're giving some money as a reward for all of their hard work.
I had a lot of pressure put on me to get high exam grades and I ended up in hospital as a result of it, consequently I'm trying not to do the same.

We wouldn't pay per grade here as with twins it's almost certain that one will best the other and they have both put in Herculean efforts.

I'm not going down the road if who did 'best'.

We've talked (endlessly) about who would like to get what on which subject and I have tried to impress upon them that close to that will be magnificent and even outright disaster is not infixable at this stage .

Completely agree on the rewards thing Errol - here we'll have some small celebration when exams are over - maybe go out for a family meal - and we have that Uni visit planned. Perhaps dd and I can do a few other nice things together in June/July. Then we'll try to be as happy and positive as possible on results day. I agree if there were any disappointing results you wouldn't want to add insult to injury by missing out on any reward too. If anything all the more need for a distracting unconditional treat
My DP's (the DGP's) may be slightly inclined to give some rewards for success/good grades but I will discourage any mention of them before-hand and try to moderate the conditionality/reward aspect even afterwards. But you have to let them have their own DGP/GC relationship too. I think it's maybe not quite so pressurising coming from grandparents? Nice that they take an interest, send good luck cards, and are generally encouraging I think

We haven't had any discussion of payments per grade, but we'll definitely be funding some clothes shopping ahead of sixth form and I think I've promised her a windsurfing harness. Paying for grades doesn't seem like a great idea to me - a good grade is its own reward and conversely if a kid gets a disappointing grade then being 'paid' less for it rather adds insult to injury imo.

Glad you were wrong about the number of GCSEs your dd is doing, QOD!

What rotten luck for someone to get chickenpox just now. DD has never had it so last year we got her vaccinated. She has something of a needle phobia but liked the idea of being ill during the exam years even less.

I've just remembered my biology o-level was actually a "16+" - they were trialling a one-size fits all course ahead of GCSEs (1977) . I got a cse certificate for it as well as a gce one, annoyingly separate to the others.

Fab idea woolly. Hmm.

QOD when DD1 got her GCSE results (5 years ago - mostly As and Bs) we gave her a £100 voucher for New Look. She spent it on office wear style clothes for 6th form. There were pupils at her school who were on £50/100 per A/A*.

If DD2 is aware of the possibility of a similar reward scheme we will be hearing about it soon

Sorry sorry all wrong ... Dd tells me I don't listen. ... 15 including the 3 she took last year and now 14 as pe dropped .... so 11 to take this year.
My bad!
Still ridiculous.
She should 'only' be doing 8/9

She's weirdly unstressed

I hate the reward thing that's going on. Friends getting told £50/£100 per Å or A*
We're going to take her shopping for a watch after exams and before results. She doesn't know

What do you, your kids cohorts do?