Year 11 GCSE support thread 5 - finishing off the exams

Errol, thanks for the reassurance that universities should be used to seeing anomalies in the grades.

Littleham, he wants to do Maths at A Level and had maybe something biomedical at university.

The latest blip is that the school has set up a final revision session for their last history paper - at the same time as the Further Maths exam!

One of my sons has a friend doing statistics. My son said he, my son, was so lucky he chose not to move from 2nd to 1st maths set as it means he did not have to do statistics and had finished exams last week. What a short sighted attitude.

DDs school only sets for maths (it's a GS) and has a set 1, 2x set 2 and a 3 and 4. Set 1 covered FM in class time, and then any of the others predicted A/A* could do it as an after school extra, once a week. This is what DD does, which is good as because it's extra curricular she can use it as DofE skill. But here's the thing - they only do the exam if they want to. I'm not sure whether they can drop out at the 11th hour but this approach seems like the right way to do it - encourage them to learn but not focus on the exam. It's a shame not all schools do likewise but it's probably common enough for kids to be entered but not really taught that unis are used to seeing anomalies in the grades.

She says the grade boundaries are much lower than for other subjects (as indicated up thread) so it may not be too bad if they can do some of it well.

Our school has changed the system for the first time this year for dd3, so Advanced Maths is now taught after school as a voluntary club. Much better than trying to squeeze it into a crammed timetable. Wish they had done it for the older ones.

The Further Maths stuff sounds stressful, I wonder why so many schools seem t do this?

I am stunned at the schools that put kids in for FMaths and then don't teach them for it properly. It's just not fair on the students. Especial good luck wishes for them.

Thank you dingit and thanks to all. It is just a grim final hurdle. Good to know it's not just us, though, in a crap way.

Linerunner, I've pmd you.

Is it the AQA Further Maths?

DS1 is sitting this. He says the lowest grade is C and that you needed 36/175 to get it last year with 60 for a B and and 85 for an A. There's also an A* and A^ but he couldn't remember the boundaries for those.

They also haven't had any real formal teaching, just a Further Maths study session where they work together. He said concentrate on the questions where it's just applying a formula to a situation as those are the most straightforward and you can pick up lots of marks doing those.

A similar situation happened at our school Linerunner and the students involved still got their university offers. Does he want to take maths at university?

It would annoy me too LR. Think a couple of friends' children got stuck in for it at the last minute at another school locally, even if they don't want to do it (I know it is Maths and last paper Friday). Is causing issues.

If that does happen with a D (and hopefully not) I would be having a go at the School to say on the UCAS reference that he was not taught the course due to staffing issues. Am sure they will be very reluctant to do so though and you would have to push. Others who know more than me may be along with wiser words .

Sugar, Monday and Friday for Further Maths.

I can see where the teacher was coming from, but it's just not been taught because of staffing issues.

It's pissing me off that he could end up with an A or A* in Maths, lovely, but a D in Further Maths. Won't that look a bit odd to university admissions tutors?

Sorry, first world problems.

Oh Linerunner, that sounds tough going Which day is it on ? It really annoys me when things like this happen , unnecessary stress.

And the prize for the most unexpected comment of the day goes to my DS, who finished his exams yesterday. This morning (i.e. the FIRST day of the summer holidays) he said:

"Ohhhhhh.... .... I'm really missing school"

We are pretty worried about Further Maths next week tbh. He is in a small group that were put forward and they have had barely any classes after Christmas for some reason.

He has found some online resources, is very good at Maths, but the whole thing is now turning into a complete nightmare.

Just wanted to wish everyone good luck for the exams next week. It will be over soon.

Shock, horror, faint ..... I went upstairs today and dd3 has cleared & tidied her bedroom. Seven very large rubbish bags were filled!

No one has mentioned rewards here so I certainly won't. They seem happy enough. I bought a thing which projects earlier this year and a big stand alone screen which is having quite a bit of use; one seem to be going out of a run in the woods every day which is very good; both are doing reasonably interesting cooking - one made himself mackerel in the oven for lunch and cooked 3 lots of veg plus some onions so he seems to be trying new foods and then an absolutely vast mixed salad and the other made himself steak and chips. They are considering ways to avoid the September induction weekend away. The letter doesn't look at though it's compulsory so I think they'll be okay. As with a lot of my lot their principal ability is to avoid any wonderful opportunity on offer....sigh.m Mind you I'm not a great joiner and the ability to be happy alone and never bored is probably one of my greatest traits so if they inherit that they are not doing too badly.

DD has been to a free book place today and picked up 5 Agatha Christie books, she's book mad and has decided to try and read some classics over the holidays. She said that her and her friends were on FB chat the other night and spent hours talking about whether to curl their hair, she said they have forgotten what they used to enjoy doing before exams!

BTM yeah phone/ iPod, iPad etc.

I will check our famille reading records for this year ( not as geeky as it sounds - I can claims lot of my reading materials against tax) and post some recommends.

TWF, that's worth a try - we have a very long flight ahead and a road trip so maybe I could get something for that. I guess you can download them onto gadgets like a phone?

DD seems to have quite a few post-GCSE celebrations lined up. Not sure if we will get a look-in to help her celebrate

Hang not gang!

Congrats to all finishers!
Gang on in there if you've still a few to go......It's great on the other side!

DD had some friends round for a pizza, burnt all their old notes on a bonfires and camped in our little summer house/ fancy she'd. They've gone to some giant water slide today.......so pleased they can enjoy life again!

BTM does your DD like audio books.

I kept my DS reading alive through talking books, especially during car journeys together.

He has just read three books back to back! Unheard of! Though I wish he hadn't chosen the revision period to rediscover the love .

We have an official Prom letter, woo hoo!