Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread 2

Always best to get teenage boys in the habit of washing their own bedding, I find

Goodness, fairnuff, that sounds too good to be true! of a teen who cleans their room and washes their bedding unbidden.

My DD did go outside for a few minutes but has retreated to her pit room. She came into my office briefly to check I wasn't on the phone before testing The Box (it plays the Star Wars theme tune for 2 minutes as its audible alarm - that's a long 2 minutes). Then I suggested another test she should do with it, which worked... but then it apparently stopped (which she clearly thought was my fault, obviously). After a bit of taking it apart and checking she realised the problem was that it doesn't work in high ambient light levels and she was sat by a sunny window. Well, better to know that before she has to demonstrate it tomorrow so I was let out of the doghouse. Whew.

I think it's 33 days til ds's first exam so I don't think he will burn out before then. He's been sticking to his timetable so had the Easter weekend off which was lovely for all of us. We visited family and had an egg hunt and just generally relaxed.

He went for another run yesterday afternoon too which helps break it up, give him some fresh air and re-energise. He's also cleaned his room and washed his bedding so that it could dry in the sunshine. My main role is just keeping him supplied with food

He's up there now with the windows open, fresh air and sunlight shining through onto his lovely, clean room. Sitting on his bed surrounded by books with a plate of hot cross buns and cup of tea

I don't worry that mine are working too hard - a bit of graft never killed anyone.

I do however, worry that they'll become bored before the exams IYSWIM That by the time it matters they'll be quite flat.

But I concede that this is probably a non-problem in the scheme of things .

Well she is up! I left her but she made an appearance half an hour ago.

She says she will start at 10am! I am not sure this child can be mine? Such a contrast to myself at her age! Hence - why i was back in college at age 40!

Lynette

Swazza, working too hard? Let her lie in - she deserves a rest

DD is off to school again...

DS1 has reassured me everything will be OK because he will pay attention in the exam. He just hasn't been paying attention in class because it was boring.

I had to bite my tongue to prevent myself saying "It will be a little bit late by the time you are in the exam!"

DD has been very good with her revision this holiday but I am now worried she is doing too much and not enough down time.

She had made herself a timetable starting at 8amevery week day. 1 hour for each subject with half hour breaks and a 2 hour lunch.

She is not awake yet this morning so not started.Have sat here wondering if I should leave her - she obviously needs her sleep as she is naturally an early riser or if she will be annoyed that she is late making a start today.

I know that yesterday she spent an hour of her revision time helping her younger sister with some science and maths homework so mentioned she hadnt filled her aimed quota of revision.

She is naturally a very laid back person but I just worry if she does not have enough down time she will burn out.

Sadly - we moved house here in January and she is now boarding at school. We know absolutely no one her age here and all her friends are away/also at home miles and miles away,so she has zero social life here and little down time distraction, which is both a good and bad thing.

Wondering if I should wake her in a mo or not?

I think the whole target grade culture is a bit off.

Teachers are, I assume, being asked what pupil X could achieve at the top of their game. Teach, I assume thinks, well with a good paper, plenty of revision behind them and a bit of luck on the day, an A.

But as we all know those things might not come together, particularly as Pupil X is not just taking that exam. Pupil X has 9 others to worry about and juggle.

I've never heard of Fischer family trust grades. But DD's school seems to have done a reasonable job of predicting grades so far - though of course won't know till August 20th!

Spud, that's exactly how DD was/is feeling - targets have been set very high and they have been compared to them throughout Y10 and 11, so basically failing every time they do an exam/piece of marked work. It's very harsh.

No idea- all we have is the predicted grades and what she got in the mocks (bit of disparity there......)
I just did a quick google and it looks like it's a school tracking thing for setting ambitious targets for children, but that would be more use in Year 9 I would think. Not much can be done in the final few weeks before the exams. It seems a bit de motivating if kids know they are hurtling towards failure because of aspirational targets. I know my DD thinks she's going to fail before she's even begun- all that aim for the moon and if you fall you'll land in the starts rubbish- just equates to a failure to her if she doesn't meet the target.

I have no idea what DD's FFTD grades are. Unless they are the Target Grade, as opposed to the Predicted Grade

8th May...so a couple of weeks before half term.

Too many distractions at home I think. When are they proposing study leave starts?
I am pleased that DDs starts after half Whitsun term........which is when her exams start!

Well DS is doing no revision. Zero, zilch, nothing at all.

I am not nagging, as I know it would be pointless, and even counterproductive. He did go to his maths tutor today, but hadn't completed the paper the tutor had left with him. TBH, I'm more embarrassed and frustrated than cross.

I've just re-read the paper work which came with his end of term report, and unless they have reached their FFTD (Fisher Family Trust) grade in 5 subjects including English, Maths and Science, then they won't be allowed exam leave.

I'm trying to figure out if the if the FFTD grade is the same as the teacher target. (Does anyone know?) If so DS will have to be in school (Mwahahahahah!) which I'm really pleased about, as he'd only be sitting at home staring at a screen otherwise.

Tilly that looks like a good read. Carol Dweck has some interesting chapters about sports people in her Mindset book- some great stuff about John McEnroe that makes his behaviour make perfect sense. Good stuff about Tiger Woods too.

What I found with DD was that some she said were 'too hard'. So I suggested she needed to listen over and over with, if needed, the transcript and/or translation to help until she could identify the words properly. So she slowly tuned in to the different accents.

DD's had 5 days off (we've been away), revision starts tomorrow ...

Yes, T&T. the teacher recommended them, but DD doesn't seem to rate them. Will try to get her to have another go.

Spud, I am liking them! I read the autobiography of Chrissie Wellington at half-term - was going cheap on Kindle, and found it completely inspirational - just a "normal" woman whose determination and drive led her to amazing achievements.

Tilly There are MFL listening (and reading) things on BBC bitesize. My DD used them for mocks.

I'm finding growth mindset theories useful in talking to DD. Cheesy, but the subtle shift in focus does seem to be making her feel less hopeless and more in control
www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/217172.Carol_S_Dweck

Mummi, would he be better doing a past paper (or a question or two)?

Just how are they supposed to revise for MFL listening exams? Practising vocab is the needle-in-a-haystack approach!

DD said her English revision sessions were boring but sort of admitted they might have been useful. It was a good day for her to be out though, a tree was being felled in the house behind us, chainsaws and woodchipper, nearest her room.