Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread 2

Well done to your ds AuntP, he sounds talented

Juggling ds has to hand his art coursework in tomorrow too. He says it's the deadline. His is all done but I need to buy some ink so he can print out his evaluations. He's happy to print it at school tomorrow but I think that's cutting it a bit fine and would rather have it all sorted today.

At least that will be Art done and dusted. RE tomorrow too. Is it a two hour paper?

Bit worried about Gove re-writing the Human Rights Act tbh

Do not risk being late. Far better to get her to the school early and with a magazine or something not work related to sit with quietly for a while.
I have invigilated --too- many local schools for GCSE. AS, A level. The rules say that latecomers should not be admitted. If the school is audited by the exam board - and they do turn up unannounced - they can lose their exam centre status for any breach of the very strict rules.
Before the exam starts, all the regulations are read out. If a person was admitted late, they would not hear these and could make a mistake that will invalidate their paper, or claim that they were disadvantaged. Also, it would disruptive for others with people shuffling in etc.
You cannot set a sided a separate room and invigilator for every child - what would be the limit?
Not only that, but a latecomer could have got the questions from someone who left an exam early elsewhere. ( This is also not permitted, for that reason, but if schools were prepared to 'bend the rules' for latecomers they could as easily 'bend the rules' for people leaving early.)
DC and parents really do need to take the rules seriously, and understand why they are necessary. At least with the roadworks. there is known delay that DC can takes steps to avoid.

Not sure about entering exam room if late, but they'd possibly let latecomers sit in another room to do the exam?

Road closure. Well the people in charge of highways are still going to close the road between my house and the school for an entire week. However they have now agreed to let the school bus and residents gain access, so whilst I have to allow for up to half an hour delay (!!!) I will still be allowed through the block. Apparently I have to ask the permission of the workmen.

I can see this going horribly wrong.

Does anyone know the position if the worst comes to the worst and we are late for the exam. Will dd still be allowed in?

(Will also post this on YR13 thread.)

dd is feeling nervous today before her exams start tomorrow - though we thankfully have art out of the way now apart from a portfolio of work to hand in hopefully tomorrow

Tomorrow she has RS and I'm hoping now that she will mostly focus on the (mostly) one subject she has the next day. However she also wants to finish some biology notes today and revise some French vocab for other exams next week.

Hopefully that sounds a manageable plan for today, but I do hope she will get to bed at a sensible time tonight too - and just be able to get done what she plans for today without too much worry

Good luck to all for the week ahead x

Yes, let Gove cock up Justice now he's buggered up Education!!

I'd be delighted if DD was texting GCSE related stuff, she still isn't revising. whatever she does next year has to be continuous assessment.

Sorry to hear about the work stuff AP but glad to hear about drama. BTM A&E and heart palpitations sounds immensely stressful.

I'm tryng to chill out today before everything properly starts tomorrow. Been sorting DS with bits he needs next week as he has SATS in the morning then activities in the afternoon and is away with school the week after so lots of shopping for various bits.

Personally I was very pleased to wake up and find Gove is off to Justice and not back to Education.

Littleham, a break from doing no revision? She really thinks she can cram everything in the day before each exam. Oh well.

Testing each other via text messages is probably a very good thing! Good to fill all those gaps the other revision methods have not revealed yet. If she doesn't get too panicky. Could send you some of DD's chilled vibes, we've got too many.

You don't have to write down the answers to past papers when you do them IYSWIM - testing each other probably is just as effective.

My dd went out to music club this morning as well Coffee. Probably a good idea to have a bit of a break.

I was slightly at her being glued to her phone, but on closer questioning she has joined a network of friends and they are testing each other with exam questions. At least it is connected to the exams next week - just hope it helps. She seems to think it is more effective than a pen and a past paper. What do you all think?

No weekend classes at school.

Well done to your DS on his drama AuntP! Sorry to hear about your work dramas though. I have considerable experience of difficult parents if I can offer any words of wisdom or a shoulder to cry on?

DD is at the library revising with mates apparently. And the mini - drama of DS complaining of heart palpitations seems to be over at least for the moment, after a visit to a+e.

Aunt P that all sounds very stressful, but your DS sounds like Drama has given him a great boost, and hopefully Monday will go just as well. It's now nice just ticking them off the timetable, then I can get my dd back and enjoy summer.
Dd is stressed today as next door are having a very loud party. It's kids with a bouncy castle and loud music, unfortunately the adults will continue partying into the small hours

The last weekend before exams start is upon us, and DD is out most of today rehearsing with orchestra and playing in a concert. She left at 8.30, came back 1, out at 3 again and will be back at 9.30

She's still very relaxed, I'm still not, but putting on a brave face.

RS on Monday, French L&R on Tuesday. At least her least favourite subjects are out of the way then.

so glad everyone's drama and English seemed to go ok. DS did his performance segment of drama yesterday and mid morning I got a text "done the drama thing, it was cool" very laid back. But when he came home he was jumping about as he'd been told he got the highest score in the class. Top of tier 1, and the examiner wants to use his monologue as his example of the standard he expects for future years. Apparently this is well cool, and he only needs 20 marks on the written to get an A*.

He's been to school today for science and rs, oh my god it's Monday. I need to get my head sorted, couldn't be a worse time for me as having big problems in work with a parent and the head not backing me, so don't feel I'm giving him enough attention or worrying that he's worrying about me and not working when he should.

Thanks for all your comments, you can't help but worry, can you.
The ICT exam is on Wednesday. One of dds friends parents stormed into school on Friday afternoon, and I can't say I blame them.

Dingit that is awful, sorry your DD has that to contend with.

DD'S grades have been in a downwards trajectory did the last year according to the reports. I hope we don'tdon't get another report now.

Agree with how it all keeps changing. I'm not going to be dealing with letter grades with DS, he'll get number ones.

Hope she does get them Tilly. As the system is tinkered with every single year by politicians nobody ever really knows for sure how it will pan out.

I keep thinking that I'll know what to expect for my younger children and then they go and change it again.

Littleham, if DD gets her predicted grades she/we will be ecstatically happy

Dingit, no idea - thankfully we haven't had any of that predicted grades crap since before the mocks. How is that helpful at this late stage?

And the ICT fiasco is completely Your poor DD. When is the exam? Can you/do you know anyone who could gee her up a bit with a bit of revision? It'd be such a shame for all that coursework to go to waste.
FWIW, I think GCSE ICT teaching/organisation is a shambles and the course/GCSE is a waste of space (they do the full GCSE at the DC's school) but if she has got this far...

My experience with predicted grades with my older two (one at university, one in year 13) was that the predicted grades for their GCSE were quite accurate. DD1's results matched the predictions and DD2 exceeded her predictions, but she absolutely slaved her guts out.

DD3 (current year 11) is more like dd1 so I'm expecting the predicted grades to be about right (possibly with an odd slip up for a nasty paper). It might be lower though because they are having to learn two years worth of work.

with the ICT situation dingit.

Could I ask you lovely people about predicted grades? Received a predicted grades report just this morning ( I'm assuming the last one!), and with a couple of exceptions, all her grades have slid back a little. There's nothing that can be done now, but it has rattled dd a little. Do you think it's done for that last little 'kick up the arse'. To be honest, after the week she's had, it was the last thing she needed.
Had a phone call from head of ICT at 7.30 last night, trying to blame the whole thing on his predecessor! Apparently our email was sent in error, dd has indeed completed her coursework. The problem is she now has no confidence in taking the exam. When I asked him if he thought her capable, his reply was, I dunno, I'm not her teacher! Words failed me!