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Secondary education

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Year 11 support thread - keep on keeping on!

867 replies

AtiaoftheJulii · 09/06/2017 06:36

Just getting this ready!

Following on from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2936097-Yr-11-support-thread-the-scaffolding-is-holding-up-well

Good luck to those with exams today 🍀

OP posts:
errorofjudgement · 04/08/2017 14:22

I don't blame any parent or school requesting a re-mark, it says a lot about the lack of confidence we have in the exam system and in the staff recruited to mark the papers.
A re-mark resulted in DS1 getting his first choice university place, based on the re-mark just 1 paper over the 18 or so papers that he took. How many errors weren't picked up? !
Frankly I'm angry that the exam boards have moved the goal posts on re-marks. It takes away the oversight and reassurance that you can have a paper re-marked by a skilled and experienced exam marker.

noblegiraffe · 04/08/2017 12:36

Given the utter shambles around recruiting markers this year and stories like this www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/markers-disagree-correct-grades-half-english-literature-exam-papers I wouldn't be put off asking for a remark if results are unexpectedly low.

tiggytape · 04/08/2017 11:39

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Laniakea · 04/08/2017 10:04

yeah dd's school have been ... erm ... aggressive (?!) in suggesting remarks in the past (I have last year's advice letter somewhere - they wanted to get all the remarks sorted on the day so had BRING YOUR CHEQUE BOOK in all caps!). I'm not sure how they will advise this year - we don't even have a cheque book with our bank account!

tiggytape · 03/08/2017 19:16

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Mumteadumpty · 03/08/2017 19:05

Laniakea this is new to me, I had expected some period of reflection. Would we be expected to ask on the actual day for remarking?

Laniakea · 03/08/2017 17:59

yeah, dd's is over 20 miles from us with no public transport out of term time so no option but driving her.

Quadratilla · 03/08/2017 17:16

I will have to find a play date for the littlest - the 14 year old can find her own (she refuses to be left alone or with the 10 year old Hmm). I think parents are expected at DD's school in case they fail to get the required grades for 6th form (7 x A and 1 x A* in old money). It's ten miles away anyway, so I am required as chaffeur!

Laniakea · 03/08/2017 15:32

Quadratilla my mum is going to look after my younger children for the morning ... I imagine it will be fairly chaotic & not much fun for anyone with lots of siblings around.

DD's school expects parents to come (with their cheque books) in case they want to get anything remarked. It is always absolutely heaving.

gazzalw · 03/08/2017 11:09

One of us will probably do the journey with DS but wait in a nearby coffee shop. He has to go into school to collect the 'envelope' ostensibly to find out whether he's done well enough to get into the sixth form - another massive thing quite apart from the results themselves.

Not entirely convinced that schools will want siblings (and possibly not even parents) hanging around on site? I am not under the impression that DS's school is expecting parents to show up in school on the 24 August, although I guess there might be a caveat for DCs whose results are not sufficient to get into the sixth form - but that might be later on? The only exception would seem to be if a pupil has give his parents written permission to collect results on his behalf but even then I doubt parents would hang around?

Quadratilla · 03/08/2017 10:47

DD want me to take her - school opens at 8.30am. She is undecided whether I can go in. I suspect what will happen is that I will hang around at one end of the school hall with her friends mums whilst the children get the results. Teachers will be lurking for those with 'unexpected' results.
My main problem is what to do with the younger dc. DD is adamant she doesn't want them there, but DH is at work and the whole process will take at least a couple of hours so I can't really leave them home alone.

Laniakea · 02/08/2017 19:44

dd wants me to go in with her & open the envelope for her (dh has to wait in the car though). She's actually pretty nervous - I have instructions not to pretend that her results are okay if they are lower than her mocks but I am supposed to say 'it'll be okay, we'll figure something out' if it is a complete disaster. She should get her AS result the week before, but I'm still not sure of the arrangements for that. Gah.

We're driving to collect her cousin & delivering them to Reading festival straight afterwards (four hours stuck in the car will give her ample time for the post mortem Hmm )

AtiaoftheJulii · 02/08/2017 17:49

With my older two we (dh and I) drove them and waited in the car each year. (Actually for dd2's A level results, she asked me to come into school with her and then didn't want to open the envelope, and her favourite teacher just told her her grades!)

Ds however is insisting he's going by himself, doesn't want any company on the way to school, etc. So at the moment that's the plan. Will feel very strange going off to work and waiting to hear from him.

OP posts:
ifonly4 · 02/08/2017 16:10

We are about 5 mins away from the school. Parents can't go in with them to collect results. DD says we have to wait until she gets home to know how she's done, but knowing her she'll get chatting to friends and go off to Costa with not a thought for us.

No signs of DD being bored. She's been away with friends and abroad with us. We have a camping trip planned and she also has five days away with a club. Inbetween she's happily reading, seeing friends, playing her musical instruments and the odd bit of tidying!

errorofjudgement · 02/08/2017 13:19

I've just realised that I was feeling quite smug that DDs 6th form uniform is ordered and awaiting collection (hopefully) on results day, but I have completely forgotten that she will need new school shoes. Her current pair are falling apart, and she got away with some cheap ballerina pumps through the exams, but will need some proper shoes for the autumn/winter.
I hate shoe shopping at this time of year!

LIZS · 01/08/2017 11:38

Clavinvova, dd was asked to call later than y11s, think it was after 12 , for her y10 result. We were on holiday, on a mountain walk, an hour ahead and it took several calls to locate the right person when they were not on lunch! In person I think it was after 2pm.

Ontopofthesunset · 01/08/2017 11:24

DS gets his all on the school portal - available from 6am. No one goes in though there are teachers available if you want to discuss any results.

pointythings · 31/07/2017 18:40

DD wants all of us in there with her and has said she may ask me to open her envelope. School if 5 mins walk away.

She hasn't been bored, she's been vegetating and fighting off a horrific eczema flareup. We're off to Devon for a fortnight on Saturday, really looking forward to it.

Clavinova · 31/07/2017 17:52

Thank you Danglingmod and tiggytape - I'm not sure I will be able to wait until September, even if it is only one result.

errorofjudgement · 31/07/2017 12:16

I remember that a couple of DS friends didn't quite get the grades needed for their A level choices. They were given an appointment to come back later/next day to discuss their options going forward with head of 6th form.

BertrandRussell · 31/07/2017 11:45

Ds wants us to it in the car while he goes in. He hasn't decided whether to open the envelope at once or bring it back to the car. Either way, it's straight on to posh brunch at his favourite place. He can make any necessary begging calls to the Head of 6th from there.......

TeenAndTween · 31/07/2017 11:41

2 years ago DD walked to school to get her results.
I had to give her very strict instructions what to say on the phone as she isn't very good at giving a clear picture.

She had to say 'I passed everything' or 'I passed everything except XYZ' not something unhelpful/misleading like 'I'm really pleased' (which could have meant unexpected B for Drama whilst failing Eng Lang & Science).

tiggytape · 31/07/2017 10:51

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tiggytape · 31/07/2017 10:48

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Danglingmod · 31/07/2017 10:18

Oh, and we will go with him. Independent school - kids come from up to 50 miles...there will be other parents there!