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Original poster

Is it too late to start cramming for GCSES in May?

29 replies

BonnesVacances · 07/01/2018 12:53

DD (16) has been off school for 2 years with ME/CFS, since Y9. She's not been able to do any schoolwork in that time and still isn't at this stage so this may be moot anyway.

She's currently still being entered for all her GCSES but we're just wondering which ones we should scratch off the list and which ones she still has a chance at if she is able to start studying at home.

The school says the teachers can't give us any guidance as they've not seen her for 2 years but surely the teachers know the exam spec and how big a task it would be?

DD's SATS were L6 and she had a CAT score of 124 on entering Y7 so is capable of a lot when not ill. In Y9 before she went off after just one term she had a NC achievement level of 7H in her core subjects and 6H in the others. She'd have been targeting grades 7-9 if she'd been at school. All her reports mention that she was hard-working, conscientious and gave her the top level effort grade.

So are there any subjects you think she could still manage to scrape a pass in if she were able to spend the next 4-5 months cramming?

We think that it is most likely too late to start studying for Maths now as she has missed so much content but maybe a Maths teacher could confirm that? If so, we'd rather spend the time focussing on another subject that she could get a pass in.

We also figure Computer Science is out of the running as she won't have done any of the project work. She's also supposed to be doing Spanish, Geography and RS. We asked her Spanish teacher directly who said there's a lot for DD to cover but it's not too late for her to do the foundation paper and get a 4 or 5. Not sure about Geography and RS.

Any ideas about English? She's read 2 of the set books already but still needs to look at a Shakespeare and the poetry. And she definitely won't make the speaking component test so that would be unclassified.

Just to be clear, we're only looking for bare passes, not grades 7-9. And we're only looking at the practical side of things at this stage. We know we have to juggle this with her health etc.

Thanks.

OP posts:
Aducknotallama · 07/01/2018 14:45

She could just do English Literature in which case there would be no spoken element. The new spec is very hard though and she will have to know the texts and the poetry very well.

Fineganbeginagain · 07/01/2018 14:28

This sounds really hard.

I honestly don’t think it would be possible with the new specs. It might have been possible under the previous specs. Sorry.

noblegiraffe · 07/01/2018 14:27

She was already at the standard of a GCSE pass in maths when she stopped attending school in Y9 (level 7 was roughly equivalent to a GCSE grade C, which is now a grade 4). To pass maths she would really just need to brush up on the maths that she has already done. She could sit a couple of past papers to see what she can remember and then there are lots of resources on the internet to help with the rest.
I think maths would be one of the easiest for her to pass because she has already covered the content needed and she is obviously talented at it.

Agree with the PP that Maths, English and Science would be the best ones to focus on. If she has maths and english then if she is well enough for sixth form that will open up more options for her and she won't need to resit them (there are compulsory resits for sixth formers without maths or English).

ReinettePompadour · 07/01/2018 13:08

It is possible with a good timetable set up to cover all the subjects. The most important ones to concentrate on are English, Maths and Science. Anything else is a bonus.

Some employers and higher education institutions require these to be passed first time so prioritising these would be useful.

I would aim for a definite 4-5 hours revision per subject a week as a minimum.

DDs school is suggesting 2-3 hours per subject a week starting this week but thats for students doing 8 gcses having been in school.

The school should be able to recommend revision websites and books. Also many private tutors will be able to help bring your dd up to date with the curriculum.