Year 11 GCSE support thread 5 - finishing off the exams

Next week DS has got Further Maths, General Studies ... Crikey my mind's gone blank

Slightly paranoid about all these exams next week. What are they(subject / boards)? Just checking whether we have missed something. DD adamant that she finishes on Friday.

DS said History (Edexcel, American West) was OK.

His last exam is on 16/6 and then he's off until his four day Sixth Form Induction on 22/6 at the same school he's already at and a week of compulsory work exp on 29/6 but after that he's done.

DD now revising for rs by listening to Yusuf Islam on YouTube

She has rs tomorrow, last exam is physics on Friday. Then a celebratory family meal with her favourite cousin, who has just finished her first year of university.
She will be going back to school for a meeting next week about the DofE expedition and prom the week after. That's it.

There wouldn't be much point in them going back, unless they were running some sort of lifeskills classes I suppose. The yr12s do have to go back and start on their A2 work straight away, apparently (which seems reasonable).

I think DD said that there was some work they could do over the summer for the subjects they were hoping to take for A2 but that must be optional. She was thinking of doing the geography as well as the comp sci as she's not at all sure she wants to do the latter. I guess this is one of the things they sort out on the induction day.

OK so no-one seems to have to go back in properly. And it's not just me who's in the dark!

switch, I bet that school is popular with the teachers and pupils

Like others, DD has to return books/locker key - that's on the 19th which is the day of her last exam. Then 6th form induction is 22/23 I think. Apart from that, she has to go in one day to pick up some DofE kit.

Actually i think it is Kanji, I do listen to DD, honestly.

Didn't see you there Erroll. The Japanese writing is the Katakana (?) so she will have to really concentrate. Great tip for the water, will sort that.

Haven't seen the program on Japan as slightly in denial about her being there shortly. Just driven up to get DS with 'Big in Japan' on radio, made me smile !

BTM - No, DS does not need to go back into school once his exams are over (on Friday!!) In fact, he has been on study leave since the end of April, so hasn't been required in school since then apart from to sit the exams. There's a Sixth Form Induction in a couple of weeks' time but that's it. No Prom, no Leavers' Assembly etc. All very low key.

The school is an academy GS though, which means they don't need to follow all the rules that apply to LA-controlled schools. For example we've just had notification of another INSET day being inserted into the 15/16 school year (so that the teachers can prepare for all the GCSE and A-level changes). Consequently they won't be in school for 190 days - which I always thought was a legal requirement. Another academy round here has increased the summer holidays by one week, meaning their children will only be in school for 185 days!

Tilly DD's school finishes at y11, no 6th form. Definitely no going in after exams.
In fact DD has only been going in for exams since half term. She should be in school for lessons in subjects not yet completed, but they were going too fast for her so she's stayed at home doing revision with me instead. No one's complained yet.
She's just wandered off to school try to get the last signature on her leavers form (showing all books returned), and to discover when/how to get her leavers hoodie as she seems clueless (no surprise there).

SugarPlum I'd go for the longer break too, just to relax and recover and look over a bit of Japanese too is needed.

DD impressed me in a café this morning. The owner was checking reviews for something on a website and there was a negative one in Spanish and he was discussing with the manager what it might mean. I offered up DD's GCSE Spanish and she was able to translate!

Thank you. Went back to Exams Lady (first name terms now over this, she has been great).

She is the only one taking anything after Philosophy so they can be very flexible. Hour currently scheduled but if DD goes in in the morning and wants longer that is fine , it's ok to change her mind after the exam too.

Now we just need the flipping dictionary to arrive. Another hour and DH will have to get the one by the till round the corner from him.

Sugar, I guess your DD would be the only one in isolation? I think if it was my DD she'd prefer to do the exams back to back, but I'm inclined to think as they're both writing (though is the Japanese more like calligraphy?) the gap would be better. Send her with a nice packed lunch and plenty to drink - the first isolation my DD had she got thirsty because she couldn't go out to refill one of her two water bottles. The second time she had 3x500 mls.

I would suggest taking the 2 hour break SugarPlum The two hour philosophy is quite a long exam itself isn't it? (my dd has the same)
Just one opinion for her! Hope the Japanese goes well - as I think I mentioned before I once had a fab year in Japan teaching English. I'm enjoying the new series on Japan's natural world - Enchanted Islands. Did you catch the first of these the other night?

BTM We've not had any communication from DDs school either. I've just asked DD what happens after her last exam on Friday and whether she's then finished and she doesn't think she has to go in until 25th June, when it's A-level preparation day.

They go in one day next week to hand back books and hear about the sixth form. There are some voluntary other sessions on other days on certain A level subjects they are not going to. I think they are choosing not to go to sports day or prize giving so basically they finished today. In fact we've already filled 3 large plastic crates with the GCSE books and papers of one of the twins which are now in the garage. he wants to keep none for sentimental value but we are going to leave them there for a bit in case needed for resits or A level work.

Sugar Plum, I think a break would be good so she can clear Philosophy out of her mind, look at her Japanese notes and rest her hand. And maybe have a snack? What about an hour or even 45mins if they can do that?

I'll ask dd about whether she's going in at all after the exams. Have a feeling there is an induction day for Sixth Form but like most of you don't think there's been much said. Might be able to ask/ find out from others at parents evening for my Y8 this week.

Dingit it was a bad one - not the results I know DD is hoping for. We had been talking about Maths not going so well and what she will take at A level if she doesn't get the grade she needs to do A level Maths , think it got my brain thinking about what if it all goes wrong on results day.

Just got to take back books and locker key then go for Leavers breakfast day of Prom.

Could I ask you all your thoughts please ? Exam lady just emailed about clash tomorrow. Originally scheduled Philosophy 9-11, isolation then Japanese writing at 1pm for an hour.

New option on table if DD wants it of only short break for between them. DD has been dreading this as and would love to just get it out of way but lots of writing in Philosophy (she is not well prepared) and suspect she will be tired.

Japanese writing her weakest bit of Japanese which doesn't help.

She's asked to put it here for some thoughts on it.

Sidge, I am hoping this is the case for my DD's school, but no communications at all.

Good to know we are not the only ones in the dark!

Keep the answers coming please!

No. My dd doesn't have to go back into school apart from -

1. One morning to return books
2. One day at sixth form (Learn about sixth form day)

Juggling I never quite know how to deal with such exuberance over certain exams; I worry that she is overly confident and would hate for her to have a poor result and knock her confidence, but conversely I'm pleased she's happy with her performance!

BTM I heard nothing from the school about leaving and ended up emailing her tutor who then called me back. They can 'leave' after their last exam and as long as all library books and resources are returned, any outstanding monies paid and locker keys returned they don't need to go into school again. They've had Leavers Assembly and will just go to Prom (if attending) and then Results Day on August 20th

(I dreamed that she got her results last night, she failed RS and I woke up in a panic, which is daft as she doesn't need RS and it's one of her better subjects )

No idea, Tilly. The school has been mysteriously quiet.