MOCK GCSEs

In parallel to looking at his revision techniques, I think he also needs a Plan B and a Plan C:

Plan A: A levels at current 6th form if he gets 2As and 3Bs
Plan B: A levels elsewhere if he gets string of Bs with only a few lower
Plan C: BTEC/Apprenticeship if results show he's not up to A levels.

Revision

• have a plan where all units are covered and revisited
• active revision, eg test questions, making notes etc
• you test him to check revision is being effective
• use any school revision sessions

sounds like he is working, don't be too hard on him.

also sounds like very poor exam technique, which schools will be working on quite hard now.

Also sounds like he doesn't quite have the maturity to do this on his own, so I suggest you help him.

Download all the specificatations for all his subjects - check at parents evening you know which exam board and which syllabus for every subject.

divide each subject up into a certain amount per week, and then subdivide those amount into two or three chunks to revise one day at a time.

draw up a timetable, with two or three subjects a day, and allocate those chunks to specific days.

allow plenty of time on the time table to review

Make sure the time table is finished weeks before the actual exams, so he can move on to constant exam paper practice.

For a maximum of TWO ( ideally only ONE topic per subject) - drop it altogether if he finds it too hard - some topics would take so much time to understand for some children that it is nt worth it.

Chemistry is a concern, because it is a very low grade, and most of the topics fit together, so it is difficult to leave one out without that impacting on understanding of the others. Chemistry needs to be worked through slowly and carefully, it is better to understand three quarters of it than rush through it and understand less.

maths and English have to be priorities.

Geography is a funny one, because it is easy to understand, but not revised very well on the whole, partly because students over estimate how easy it actually is.

i would seriously consider asking if he can drop French

Can you afford a tutor? Pick one or two subjects to prioritise with a weekly tutor if you can. I would suggest maths. That is likely to improve physics grade as well, in fact a maths tutor might be able to spend some time on physics calculations too.

Good luck.

Just remember, its important but not THAT important - if smeone can't actually do it, the most important thing for them to understand is that in the end, it is NOT the most important thing about them.

xx

Is he doing past papers for you in timed
Exam conditions?

Either every teacher has got it waaaaaay off the mark here or DS really let himself down with lack of revision.
When he's revising is he upstairs? On his own? iPhone/iPad to hand? Social media to distract? Does he really know how to revise effectively? So many students have no idea.. they have a past paper and will work through the questions they know and skip any they don't!
Revision is a skill and often schools just hope for the best
Let's hope this was a real wake up call!

He needs better revision methods. The french result is telling as it is not something he can bluff his way through at all. He will need to learn it. He hasnt. Makes me wonder if they are maybe over estimating his effort as he is faking it enough in class but doing very little effoctively at home. Where is he tevalising? Do you see him?

I reckon there's sometimes harsh marking of mocks to give pupils a wake-up call. Anyway, see what they say at parents' evening.

Ah. Sounds like a lack of effective revision then. Maybe this will give him the shock he needs to turn it around.

It depends on what grades he is actually capable of, and why he got the grades he did. Some kids do not have the ability to get above D or E. Others do, but don't put the effort in.

DS reckons that his teachers say most kids get 2 grades above their mock grades at GCSE. I think he is kidding himself if he thinks that will miraculously happen without any input from him.
I have no idea if this is true or how much revision they are supposed to do before May but I would imagine your DS can get the grades he needs if he works his socks off for the next 3 months.

Good news is he has plenty of time to turn it round and pull his finger out.
What were the subjects though? If he got a F grade in maths, for example, he may end up being put in for the foundation exam and therefore no chance of getting a B!

It depends really. Are these grades a shock? Are his targets much higher? Yes it can be turned around if he has achieved below expected, or if it is a blip, but if he is consistently working at his absolute best then probably not.

Is he doing all his homework every night, priperly and on time? Has he started a serious revision programme?

It can but he will need to put the effort in between now and may. Did he revise for mocks? What are his target grades?