Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread 2

DD has been given 3 individualised formal timetables so far. One in about Feb, one soon after she dropped a subject, and another just before Easter. She has been asked to check each time

• is her name correct (must be legal name as on birth certificate, not a 'known as')
• are the exams as she is expecting
• are the Higher/Foundation tiers correct.
• special considerations listed correctly

dingit The main thing that can still change is the tiers. I know DD's school did initial entering prior to mocks, so would expect some tier changing after mocks. We're still pondering regarding tier for DD's physics papers, she's entered for Higher, but is finding P2 very hard.

We cancelled revision at 11am this morning and she's gone into town instead. She's in danger of burn out, and a day out seemed a better idea than looking at stuff that won't be examined until after half term.

Dd has had a provisional timetable for a while. I'm not sure what provisional means, one would assume they will not change now.
However it's about as clear as mud. It's not individual, so has every exam, and all the revision sessions too. However dd seems to have deciphered it, and has also used it to do a revision timetable using the app someone mentioned up thread, thanks to whoever that was.

That HSM is a very bad piece of scheduling., how annoying. Fingers crossed her book turns up.

A swan is exactly how I have been Fairenuff ! I've just been through the AQA timetable on line and think I do have the right dates for Science and Geography so have now got a complete timetable for her. She'll be finishing 11 June.

What's the dance thing? Seems odd to schedule a competition for this sort of age in exam season.

I think the aqa sciences its unit 1 in each subject is core, U2 is additional. These are done on the same day for each of the three subjects and that makes "double science". Then U3 makes it triple.

Have a good evening, it's good to let it all out. We are like swans, gliding serenely on the surface and paddling like mad underneath

That's what I keep saying to DD and I do hide my annoyance from school from her as don't think it will do her any good so you are all getting the brunt of my annoyance, apologies. I think I probably say in my sleep'You have the JLPT which counts as one, with English, English, Photography and Japanese you are sorted and in 6th form, you'll be fine'

Additional Science is different to Triple. I think friend's DSs did them last year and did 9 papers in total. As I understand it Core is 3 (one in each), then Additional is 3 more. So you could do Core amd Additional in Year 11 and have 6 papers, or split the, over two years as DD has done. What the school did with current year 12s was the ones that failed Core in year 10 resat it in Year 11 . This time round they didn't bother and made them go on to cover the work for Additonal instead.

I'm off out with Friend I was at school with next Friday, we have both moved away from Home to same place. This time last year we were drunkenly trying to count to 5 GCSE's for her DS after a few too many gins. Did tell her at the time we would be repeating it for my DD this year !

I think it helps to just focus on what they need to get to the next stage. They don't need to excel at everthing, they don't even need to pass everything, as long as they meet requirements for 6th form/college/apprenticeship/whatever they want to do next.

Is Additional Science different to Triple Science? Maybe they are different papers but they seem to all be sitting them at the same time.

Thanks so much Fairenuff. That has confirmed Philosphy and Ethics. Just had a look on school website and it does seem to be AQA science (thought I might be wrong).

I have to try and focus on the fact that until stressed recently by the exams DD has been happy and they have supported her Japanese. But I am very cross about late timetable, change of English teacher in year 11 to two new to the School, 5 science teachers in year 11, Maths being an issue not flagged up sooner, putting her in for Additional Science instead of resitting Core she got a D in last year. I was sadly very busy with Mum and her Dementia etc and took eye off the ball.

It is very depressing that I have another child to get through Upper School yet. We've about a year and a half until we need to apply for him. Starting to regret not having pushed him more towards Grammar now but he really didn't want to even consider it till last minute then didn't want us to appeal. I did see today that our local Independent has a bit in the paper today promoting the fact they have received several bequests recently and have up to 100% bursaries available plus a Scholarship of up to 120% of fees. I'm starting to wonder if we should go to the open day and have just have a look.

Philosophy on 11th June, that should say.

Ds has Biology 1 12th May, Biology 2 5th June and Biology 3 15th June

Chemistry 1 14th May, Chemistry 2 9th June, Chemistry 3 17 June

Physics 1 20th May, Physics 2 12th June, Physics 3 19th June

But they are all Excel, not AQQ

Ds doesn't do Geography.

He has OCR Ethics on 11th June and Philosophy on 11th.

So it sounds like you have most of them worked out

Good to see you back Word, glad you had a good trip. Great outcome for everyone, result !

Thanks Fairenuff. She's doing the AQA English lit and you've confirmed the dates I thought for that but seem to have 15 May too so will scrub that.. That wasn't very clear as they put English Lit on the A level one above it but didn't label the GCSE. I found the IGCSE on the Cambridge board website eventually and someone else has confirmed those are the right dates ie. 5 and 8 May. Japanese I have found on Edexcel site.

Photography I now feel a bit of a doughnut with as have just read the course description properly and there is a final practical assessment rather than an exam, which she has been doing. So I have scrabbled together a timetable I think. Actually can I check AQQ additional science please ? I think Biology 12 May, Chemistry 14 May and Physics 20 May?

Geography DD doesn't know which board but I think it is AQA -19 May and 3 June ? Ethics and Philosohy (don't know board) 11 May and 11 June ?

Thanks so much for this.

Hey guys, am back home.

Had such a great trip (don't know if the project will come off though), and have arrived back to a lovely tidy house (housekeeper's work not DC) and everyone reasonably calm and organised.

My niece has been a star and says she's managed to get loads of revision done too. So win, win.

Can't believe you still don't have a time table sugar. That's absurd!!!!

Oh BTM your poor dd that's ridiculous on behalf of the teacher. Can't believe people haven't had an individual exam Plan, we had ours before Easter. So I know it's about 27 days to first exam on 11th May.

SugarPlum do you know exam boards and subjects/dates? We might be able to help you out.

Ds has AQA English Literature Unit 1 on 18th May, Unit 2 on 22nd May and AQA English Lang Unit 1 on 2nd June if that's any help to you.

Definitely crap re the timetable, SugarPlum. You are obviously very intelligent and can't work it out, heaven help some of the families!

Oh for goodness sake BTM, am cross on behalf of you and your DD

It's not me being unreasonable about the individual timetable then? I just don't think 2 weeks before the first exam is acceptable,

She's now come home, furious, having spent a couple of hours redoing a spreadsheet, only to be told there's other stuff to do as well. Trying to get in touch with someone now, but it is Friday evening...

Ah, OK SugarPlum - at least DD came home with an individual one a while ago, clearly not drawn up by the ICT teacher

Ah that's poor planning on behalf of the teacher Tilly but at least she will have it done by the time she gets home. Get a nice plate of biscuits ready for her.

Your poor DD BTM There seems to be so much variation amongst teachers - some go the extra mile and others seem to make things more difficult.

It is her individual exam timetable. They have what they call a summer exam timetable we have been given but it lists all GCSEs, AS and A2 lumped together. It is unclear and doesn't always say what subject it is (eg. Tye English Language doesn't say it is actually English Language) and isn't fully comprehensive, her Japanese isn't on there for example and I have no idea when her Photography exam is from it. Friend with children doing AS is not any clearer.

SugarPlum, that's great news for your DD
Is the timetable the actual exams? Surely that should have been given out a while ago?