GCSE 2018 no. 6: stress, struggles and success (hopefully) *Title Edited by MNHQ*

Eek! we are at 956 posts (including this one) - don't we need a new thread? Who normally does the honours?

Loose hopefully the 6th form thing should be sorted quite easily if he is remaining at the same school? - it would have given me a fright though too...although I am sure its just that they need to have their paperwork all completed and up to speed

mmzz - you may have already answered this before, but is your ds staying at his present school for sixth form or moving on elsewhere?

Dd is irrationally tearful today. We've had tears over wasted paper of all things! I shouldn't laugh. I let her have a lie in today and will do the same tomorrow. Going to the theatre to see Macbeth tonight ahead of next weeks Eng lit paper

mmzz that's poor form of the school.
DS2 has received his certificate and the marked paper, and got a mention (first name only) from the maths department twitter account for getting through to that stage.

mmzz - sounds to me like all the school care about is results and not the students ...sad that they don't duly reward achievement with appropriate recognition. If a pupil at DD's school had reached the Olympiad it would be in the weekly edit which goes out to the parents/on the website and on Twitter..positive recognition where it is due should come naturally within a school environment.

mmzz at DS's school its more about whether your face fits as regards the fuss that is made, I just wish they were consistent.........personally I think some teachers take DS's laid back attitude as not caring, which if they actually knew him they would realise its the opposite.

DS2 has planned his long summer quite carefully:

• 1 week work experience (required by school)
• Orchestra rehearsals, concerts then tour in Germany
• Volunteering at the library (Reading Hack)
• 10 day family holiday
• 1 week Physics summer school
• Dungeons & Dragons campaign with his friends
• Bridging the Gap Maths course (home learning) and practising for the Maths A-level entry tests in early September.

DS2 finishes school tomorrow, which feels a bit weird. After that he just goes in for exams. There's a sixth form induction day in early July, then that's it until September.

He is small for his age and a bit socially delayed due to his ASD, so it feels too soon for him to finish compulsory schooling.

Sandy - My daughter also does DT and will take it at A Level too - totally agree with @Astronotus that it is a nice break away from academic subjects and 60% of the exam is coursework. Just ensure that he tries to keep to timescales with the coursework - the grade boundaries for the coursework also appear high and fixed so it's important that he knows this from day 1 (Graphic Products had a grade boundary of 92% for its coursework for A*)

sandybayley
Yes, DT is time consuming but if he loves it let him take it. It's a nice break from all the academic subjects. Do make sure he takes lots of photos of his work as he goes along - he will need them!

I am so glad DS1 didn't do art. From what you've all said I will probably discourage DS2 from it - he likes DT though and I think that may be equally time consuming?

DS1 has headed to school for a history revision session. Selfishly I hope he hurries home as DDog has the runs and I'm worried about him. Note to self - don't feed DDog chilli 😳

Sostenueto good luck with day 2 of art - hopefully things will calm down a bit.
We have a 'celebration evening' for Y11 at school - it sounds a bit like an assembly rather than a party!
DS looks calmer than I feel at the moment. School texted me to say they haven't got his sixth form acceptance form - he's adamant he handed it in!

Just cleared the dining room which is nearly looking as bad as DD's bedroom in terms of mess everywhere - stationery lying all over the table - The area of the table she was working on was getting smaller and smaller.

I;ve been at home with DD all this week but she's at her DF's tomorrow (so I can do some work appointments) but back to me for the weekend..

Whoops yes I did means whatches not phones way back (phones on desks 😀). DS is staying on though a couple of his friends are leaving. We commented that there s a big celebration and loads of thing to mark the upper sixth leavers but those leaving after year 11 seem to be expected to just slink off even though they may have made a big contribution to the school.

DS planning to go in for some of the post exam leave for music commitments etc and then hoping to find a job which would be good I think as much for the experience as for the money

Superdoodle I hope your DS is starting to feel better today.

hmcAsWas so glad that's sorted, I don't even know all the exam boards of DS's exams (I'm sure he's told me I keep forgetting)

DS has a leavers assembly on 25th May, then a trip to a theme park and prom. Most doing A levels stay at school a few go elsewhere but as school only does A levels everybody doing anything else will leave. Then there is a celebration/awards ceremony in October.

mmzz sorry I missed your query. Yes it will be on GCSE performance the prize giving I should think being its in October. There are so many really bright children in dgds school I doubt she will get anything apart from maybe the geography prize if there is one. There are some amazing really high ability children. I will be happy if dgd survives the GCSEs let alone what grades she gets as its horrible seeing dcs so stressed!

Cheers Ellen - I'm off to bed. Think I am a bit overwrought and tired (like dd)

I only really know the AQA science stuff, lucky that that's the one DS is doing! Glad the panic is over.

Just checked in syllabus and yes the coursework accounts for why she isn't doing a second paper.

Doh! - got into a flap over nothing. Sorry! Normal service resumed

(I think I should be more familiar with the syllabus for each subject)

Link not working sorry

Oh phew - yes she did coursework. That would explain it? I will double check with exam officer tomorrow

Its CIE though

Will look on website too in interim

www.cambridgeinternational.org/images/422451-june-2018-timetable-uk.pdf

Anything on here?

HMC - Did your DD do any coursework? My DD is doing IGCSE Edexcel so not CIE but she only sits one Eng Lang and one Eng Lit exam.

Hmc, can you find anything on the CIE website?