GCSEs 2018 (5 & a puppy, but no kittens)

Oddsocks after all that it looks like your dd has come up with a great combination for A levels!
I'm waiting for a letter from the preferred sixth form - I think they were starting to post them yesterday but given Easter it could be soon or quite some time!
Oratory although we have another preferred school I know DS will be absolutely fine if he does decide to stay on at his current school. It sounds like your DS is in the right place! For English language I think it's important to try to answer every question as all attempts get some marks - and definitely push for the rest breaks.

Thanks teenmum yes for a very dyslexic, sport hating boy who has struggled with confidence in the past to look forward to going to school each day they must be doing something right so can’t ask for much more really. Just got to get through the next three months.

@Oratory - your DS's school sounds lovely....I am sure he will be fine because it sounds like you are doing all the right things ...
I was having second thoughts about DD staying on at current school but the teachers have shown that they really care and I know they will support DD and nudge her if she looses focus..so feeling happy that she will be in the right environment ...DD's Eng teacher made them all (just 5 of them) tea/coffee on Wednesday and popped out to get biscuits too.....I'd misjudged how important it is to be in the right environment when they take that next step up...

We re fortunate though as staying at same school for sixth form (he loves it) and it’s not highly selective so that takes some of the stress away. They seem to love him too so even if he slipped up in a big way it shouldn’t be too much of an issue - just would be a real shame to have to repeat the English next year

Hmmm may be worth a thought. The thing I’ve tried for is to leave spell check on and forgo spag marks as a lot of his work is gobbledygook without auto correct and spell check but it seems we can’t opt for that. Thanks teen that’s a useful reminder - he left out a full 15 mark question in both history and rs and only did one para for transactional writing in English Lang - so he just needs to get on with it as he only needs half marks in those subjects.

I was half offered those rest breaks for DS. It was a hint-hint conversation but I was clear at the end that all I needed to do was ask (DS didn't want them, so I didn't take up the offer). Apparently they do not need exam board approval.

Oratory You probably know this, but it is easier to get half marks on all the questions than full marks on half the questions, so generally he needs to sort the timing so that no questions are left undone.
For history if push comes to shove then bullet points may be better than nothing.

DD1 also had extra time (dyspraxia) and timing was massive for her too for the same reason.

Now there's a thought - but probably not as he already gets extra time so stopping the clock to think would be like extra extra time :)
He can't really claim the need for rest breaks. I think he'll just have to do the best he can and hope familiarity and practise in the next few weeks will be enough. The annoying thing is its all there in his head - just doesn't come out. If you ask him what he wants for dinner he sometimes takes an age to answer - not because he cant decide, he just cant find the words to answer the question.

Oratory would the school allow stop-the-clock breaks during the exams that could give your DS the thinking time he needs?

Oddsocks those are the same A levels my dd is doing. I think they are a good mix too.

The other thing I've found is that having picked her A levels has spurred her on to focus on those subjects and her grades have jumped up in those three.

She's on a bit of a mission to try to get 9s in those three (and a 5 in eng Lang.) I don't think she cares about the other subjects now. She'll probably get 6s without much effort. I'm not sure I agree with her approach but I don't get much say in it and it could be worse!

I think the best advice for timing is just practice practice practice. If you don't have time to do full papers just practise specific questions under timed conditions. Also familiarity with the type of questions on each section - as with my DS (very dyslexic) it was reading and thinking time that led to timing issues as much as the writing. He spent a lot of time reading the instructions and working out what was required. If they can be prepared for what's on each paper, have seen lots of question types and practised it will get quicker. History teacher suggested practising lots of the same type of question at a time so it starts to flow naturally eg do five 8 mark source questions, then do five 4 markers etc etc Also in sciences the same types of questions keep coming up so if they can prepare and practise standard answers they will get quicker. In other words revise answers to common questions not just learn the facts then they don't need so much thinking time. Hope that makes sense

Oddsocks15 - That's great news !

So sorry been quiet over last days, it has been pretty intense here. After quite a few secret emails to the school, DD has finally handed in her 6th form acceptance form and chosen her subjects: Maths, Geography and IT. I think that is a good combination but to honest after spending 5 hours, yes FIVE hours looking at the prospectus last night, I think I would have agreed to any suggestions

stickerrocks so sorry to hear your news. Hopefully your DM will get sorted soon

sost hope you are okay

oratory my DD has struggled with timing in her mocks. Any advice?

Maybe its the same school, spababe? (PM me if you want to name the school!)

mmzz - I think your DC might be mine - we need an 8 in maths as well as a couple of other things for a selective 6th form. It's a worry as we have no idea if the school has guessed the grade boundaries correctly and if my DS is on target.

stickerrocks - hope it's going well for your DM and sorry for your family having extra worry at this time

Sosten - hope it goes well for you.

Sostenueto I didn't mean you to tell me. I'm sorry if you felt obliged. I was just responding to someone else's suggestion of how we map on our own experiences onto your hospital stay.

However, I hope the biopsies go well and prove/ disprove whatever you want them to.

Mmzz Am in for lots of biopsies that have to be done under anaesthetic and I react badly to anaesthetic. Don't worry all will be fine see you all soon.
Stickerocks hope DM gets better soon.

Daily - don't think I'd have been happy with EPQ taking up year 11 study time - ours were done in year 10. But sounds like yours is more academic cohort so may be not an issue. Year 10 the subjects they picked weren't really related to uni plans but definitely reflected their interests & agree should have been a word limit (tho not an issue for DS who normally struggles to get a paragraph from his brain onto paper)

Ha Ha re PE. Not through choice (normally doesn't stick his nose outside the front door unless he has too) but did agree that a run occasionally may be a good idea. And he realised that he gets evenings off so the holidays may be marginally better than a school day. Thinking of you Stickerrocks and Sos

Is the objective of the GCSE EPQs to learn how to independently research and write up a long report? EPQs are like a mini-thesis, right??

I don't know what objective is, but it is relevant topic to DD's likely Uni course. DD couldn't think of another GCSE she wanted to do, though, so it was lifesaver for her ,and now it's submitted, she can use most of that scheduled time for revision & social sessions (fine by me). She has loved the adult atmosphere, they bring own tea/coffee & snacks to share during the sessions. Yes result is like a minithesis, DD's is 42 pages (+references) about whether Xdrug should be legalised for medicinal purposes. She has to do a 5 minute presentation which she thinks is absurdly too little time; I said just show a title slide & results/conclusions.

There is no word limit, which I disapprove of. They should be encouraged to be concise, too. There are very real word limits in university essays.

One of the others did his EPQ in a physics question (whether X-method or Y-method resulted in better proof for Z-theory). I wonder if they'll find a marker for that one!

@Stickerrocks I'm sorry to read that. Am I right in thinking that the main benefit to it being done today is that otherwise your DM will worry herself sick over the weekend, and that that additional stress could bring on another heart attack?
I expect you have already, but maybe if you made that clear to the doctors, they might re-prioritise her? Perhaps, they are not focussed on her PTSD (maybe exaggerating a bit here) about what happened last time she had a heart op?

Oratory I actually think following the school timetable as a way of revising is a good ideal as psychologically they do this at school so know it is achievable, will he still have PE?

@ Oratory1 just hoping that if he keeps plodding away he ll get a decent set of results to take to the next level even if not what his intelligence deserves. So I ve moved away from trying to maximise each grade to just make sure you get what you need then we’ll be happy
That is exactly the same stance I have taken - DD is also keen to go on a school trip with current school to Japan in 2019 so there is a big incentive ...

DS not SS !!
DS has a fair amount of homework set but because it’s all revision he doesn’t mind as it saves him having to decide what to do on some days at least. Also decided to follow school timetable so less planning required and more structure. We ll see if it lasts !! Third time round (two older DD s) I’m trying not to stress about what’s he s actually doing with the time and to be positive with lots of praise - just hoping that if he keeps plodding away he ll get a decent set of results to take to the next level even if not what his intelligence deserves. So I ve moved away from trying to maximise each grade to just make sure you get what you need then we’ll be happy