Confusion over everything GCSE related

In pretty much the same boat here, raised concerns with school many times, told all is fine. My ds was predicted mostly 6/7s and a few 5s, mock results have been 2/3/4s with a couple of 5s. He did work for the exams but not as much as he should, it seems exam technique has let him down.

I wouldn't make any decisions about dropping subjects yet until you have had a chance to talk to the teachers.

1. For RE do they have a good amount of teaching time or are they attempting it on just an hour a week. If the former dd increased her grade (old system) from E to B between mocks and the real exams and the difference was exam technique.
2. for the new 9-1 GCSE Sciences the general verdict across the whole country is that the second set of specimen papers were hard. So the type of grade you are seeing is unusual. No-one is completely sure whether the actual exams will be like this (or not) and what the marks for each grade will be, so try not to panic.
3. Is it too late to obtain a tutor. Possibly not (depending on where you are). But you need to find one with experience of the new syllabus.

In which case looking at example questions and mark schemes to see how to get the marks may help.
This. It's not just knowing the stuff. It's regurgitating it in the approved manner, jumping through hoops.

Are there any Easter crammers you can sign up for? Does the school run such things?

I'm a parents who's DD did GCSEs a couple of years ago under the old system. A few random points.

• how much work did your DS actually do for the mocks?

• in science do you think he knew the content but failed on the harder questions due to detail/analysis? In which case looking at example questions and mark schemes to see how to get the marks may help.

• Spanish, was it the written or the listening (or everything?). Has the oral already been done? There is stuff online for listening practice, the more he does the better he will probably get. The reading comprehensions is about knowing the vocab and the grammar, writing similar, but starting with simple sentences and making them more complex.

• English language paper is quite technical. They have to know what they are looking for and find it / write about it. So again, can he talk through a question paper knowing what he is trying to do?

• Generally is he doing enough useful work? Learning facts, practice questions, reviewing against mark schemes?

• you said '6, 7s and 8s was enough for the next level'. Make sure you have a plan B that covers getting 4, 5, 6. (eg A levels elsewhere, BTEC or apprenticeships). 4s and 5s are 'pretty average' so all would not be lost.

What does his school say about the mock results? And crucially - did he actually work hard for his mocks? If not, does he know that he does need to work hard now? And does he know how to revise?

For comparison, my friend's son has just had a similarly disappointing set of mock results, was gutted, and has now admitted that he just thought he could wing it. Hopefully, it will be a wake-up call and he can put the work in between now and the real thing. Which is, after all, the point of doing mock exams.

In terms of whether he has to sit a subject, I believe the entry date is in February. So there is still time to ask the school that question.