Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread 2

Oh dear, DD is predicted A/A She was predicted A for Chemistry, but got a B.

There again, she was predicted B for RE and got A*

DD did CA's for it. Definitely Speaking - big issues here too.

Dingit, there were different exam boards for O levels too!

Miss clever clogs is predicted an A*, so that will be interesting!
I wonder if it will all change again for ds in two years.
I'm sure she also did a CA, but I could be wrong, I know she did speaking / listening, me or her form tutor won't forget that meltdown in a hurry.

dingit IGCSE is easier to get a C/B.

No controlled assessments and the exam is rather straightforward. But the grade boundaries for an A* are higher so trickier at that end.

I have twins so see it from both sides; one doing IGCSE, one doing GCSE.

Word, DD is doing Eng IGCSE, but obviously not the same board as her Eng Lang isn't till after half-term!

Yes indeed word.
I have to say I find the mixing up of exam boards and qualifications quite confusing. Apparently, according to dd, IGCSE english is easier?
Back in the olden days we just used to do O level and the same exam board, if I remember correctly?

DD's first exam is called Preparation for Working Life. Have not come across this one before with my older dc's.

So if you fail it you must enter 'working life' sooner and if you pass it you must delay working life.

Good news AuntP. Glad the cast is off.

Good news on hand-gate!

Reasonably good day here. Both DC went in to school and had some useful sessions.

DS starts exams proper on Tuesday. English Lang. I think mini ding it is also on for that? IGCSE right?

Really glad to hear that your ds's hand is so much better AuntP

• Sounds like it's healing wonderfully well

First day of art for dd seems to have gone fine. I think second day on Tuesday should be OK now too as long as she copes with timing and gets it finished OK. Has done most of foreground and "only" the background to do now - so I'm thinking should be OK even if that's slightly less detailed. Hope she manages to put all her interesting details in though as she's chosen the "fantasy landscape" brief - so putting the little strange details in will make a difference I feel
dh has been finding first day stressful too in his own way - I think he was less prepared for any change in our routine than I was

AuntP, DD is a stress-head, but she finds Art relaxing, which is just as well! Plus she had a hyper-organised teacher who ensured everything was done in time

Glad to see your DS can still play games!

hope all the artists did ok today, my dd year 8 wants to do art I'm seriously now hoping she changes her mind. She is Mrs stressy to DS'S laid back.

And on the good news front DS has had his dressings removed at Alder Hey this morning. I am amazed at how good everything looks, he has a cracking scar around the back of his hand which has 2 small deep wounds only mm wide. His palm is completely healed again great scar but no open wounds. His little finger tip is black and blue where the blood vessels have all burst, he's got no feeling in the finger tip but dr didn't think that was a problem, nothing is broken definitely which is brilliant news. While he's got no bandages he still can't write as the bruising is extensive he can hardly move his fingers. still practising with his scribe for maths as holding a pen for any length of time is near impossible. not stopping him playing on games again, first thing he did at the hospital was see if he could use a mouse!

DD managed to finish her Art piece! That's one subject done and dusted And she even stayed back for Physics revision, though was complaining they didn't cover the difficult stuff

Every time I ask DS2 what he's revising, he answers 'Sports Studies'. I do hope he's been revising the other subjects.

Then waft them over here please BTM

It is a stressful time isn't it ? My friend was in tears on the phone this morning, she has the double whammy of A levels with her DD being very anxious about University and it all felt a bit much. My garden has never been so well fed and watered as I keep going out to get a bit of breathing space and as a diversion tactic.

Juggling and Littleham, could your DD's send their chilled-out vibes over here please?

winging it a great skill to have Littleham
Thanks for all the good wishes for dd
Hopefully we'll get better at this!

Good luck to all the artists today ( slightly smug that dd has already done hers ), but yes we had the last minute panics here too, leaving her printing until last, which given how temperamental our printer is, was very silly.
Dd has English language next Tuesday then a bit of a gap, but at least we can start crossing off the list!

Slightly anxious that when I checked that dd was ok she said 'don't worry Mum, if I don't know something I can wing it'.

So if she is working I worry about her stress levels. If she is not working I worry about her winging it. Can't win can you?

We had a slightly stressy (do you spot understatement?!) morning today as dd wanted to send some photos to school for art prep and I couldn't quite believe she was leaving things so late in the day and hadn't at least done it last night. She said "well you told me to go to bed Mum" Argghhh! You just can't win can you?! Then she forgot her swipe card which she probably needs for ID purposes so we had to come back for that (fortunately we'd only got to the end of the road. We made it to school with about 5 mins to spare if that (for half hour early deadline)
dd was much too relaxed I feel - especially about actually getting there on time. But maybe artists need a certain amount of laid back attitude to help with the creativity?! Maybe it's just how life is when you're 16
And dh just wanted us out the house at usual time so he could have his coffee
This is all going to take some adjusting to!
Hopefully other subjects more straight-forward than art, with all it's time consuming prep
A really good thing that they are getting it out of the way first I agree Tilly

• Some serious re-grouping and revision needed here I think - and one week to do it!

Fingers firmly crossed for Juggling and BTM's DD's with the Art. Worringly little time till English Language GCSE next Tuesday.

Juggling, good luck to your DD!
It's my DD's second day of Art and she seems quite upbeat, am crossing my fingers tightly! Am so glad that she isn't in the other half of the Art cohort who aren't starting on it till next Wed - she needs time to regroup and prepare for the 11th onwards!

dingit and T&T, DD had the opposite - essay after essay in Y9/10 which involved a lot of moaning!

dingit It's worrying isn't it! I just wish she had had an occasional exam essay writing h/w for English to learn the skills. She should get there but I could do without it all being so close to the wire. I think the CAs seem to take too much time and attention.

Teen, just seen your post on another thread. Dd has hardly done any eng lit either, and she is taught by head, who you would think knows what they are doing!

dd has her first GCSE exam tomorrow - a day of art
She quite enjoyed the opportunity of two days of art for mocks and seems well prepared and happy enough - full of ideas!
Fortunately it's just the full day of art and then we get the long weekend to recover before second art day on Tuesday
Hopefully they are breaking me in to the idea gently - and dd too of course!

Then we have about a week to think a bit about other - much neglected due to art - subjects. And the rest kick off here on the 11th

We're having a nice healthy tea - simple pasta but with added tofu for extra energy. DH and I have a bottle of wine Not too much - have to get the show on the road in the morning!

Good luck with the guinea pigs. I fell for that one & ended clearing them out for years. They are very intelligent little creatures but eat like horses & poo for England!

Clear pencil cases purchased today. I feel organised. The exams are so close now & I don't want to turn over the page on my calendar. I am in serious denial.

Well done for all the Art dc - very early exam isn't it?