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

Good luck again everyone today!

Well, we have a different type of stress today - first date after school..I think the timing of this COULD and WOULD have been better after exams..but at least the boy is also taking GCSE and has high expectations ..(so hopefully they can motivate each other ). Just crossing fingers that it goes well.

I can confirm that DS1 has left the house! He was in a surprisingly good mood.

He says he is probably coming home after the exam but it depends on what is on offer for lunch at school.

Geography tomorrow. Used to be one of his favourite subjects but the joy has long gone.

Cherrybuns have a nice coffee and you'll feel better. I'm thinking today is definitely a coffee on the way to work day....

So the day of the first exam dawns! I've been awake since 4.30-am hoping that DS has slept better than me. His parting words as he went up to bed were 'I can't believe my actual GCSEs start tomorrow'. In some ways I'm glad it's History which is his favourite subject and an
A Level and probably degree choice, but the stakes must feel very high to him. I'll be glad when it's over.

mmzz I don't blame you for asking the question re RS. I asked the same about revision resources at DS's last parents evening and got a similar response. I know it's a new spec for you but would it be worth having a look at past papers and mark schemes on the old spec? There must be a lot of overlap on the material surely? DD did this a lot when she was doing the gcse and it seemed to work. I think DS and I are going to do a lot of RS revision verbally ie in the form of Q&A from the past papers/mark schemes, but I'll get him to answer in the right format for the question IYSWIM. No idea if it'll work but worth a try I think.

Good luck to all the historians today.

Whatsforteaa - Sorry for missing your post - this must be so tough on your DS....hope the school are receptive and deal with this transphobic child...

Thanks Myrtle, that's really nice of you.

The only adverts I'm seeing are for clothing I couldn't squeeze myself into in a million years. What does that say about my search history?!

Anyway, German oral went well here. I heard DD telling her grandma that it was much easier than their mocks, so that's encouraging. Her MFL teacher is one of those rare teachers who really inspires and there's no chance of them getting away with "magic formula" answers. So she's prepared them well.

Good to hear that beenrumbled junior has identified a potential sixth form. Hope the application goes smoothly.

Hi all. Just had a quick read through to see how it's all going as exams begin.
Dd has had her French speaking, which she felt went quite well, and has her Photography tomorrow and Thursday.
Then it's her leaver's ball on Friday and then knuckle down for the exams to begin for her on May 14th.

just popping in to send best wishes to all Yr11's and their parents and guardians. My dd is in yr 10 so watching with fear and trepidation!

Kingscote ...NO (or at least not yet) - It's probably a company sponsoring Mumsnet whose analytic keywords includes words you may have used in your posts.

rumbled glad it's starting to fall into place.
Whatsforteaa don't worry, revenge is a dish best served cold - vile child will regret those words!
I'm very impressed by the Marlene Dietrich/ Fritz Lang tributes. This is what history is all about! (and a damn sight more exciting than my O level...)

Does anyone else keep getting the ‘Need to re-sit your exams?’ ad under this thread? A bit disconcerting... What do they know that we don’t?

I'm not sure its just the new exams - I think too many schools teach DC to pass exams - rather than educate them - same applies to SATS.

There was a situation in yesterday's French Oral where some of the top set would appear to have been unnerved - the girls had learned the questions and answers but when the questions were rephrased by the teacher in the Oral they were completely thrown .. I'm quite surprised the teacher did rephrase the questions but in my mind she was actually doing what I would expect of a good teacher...rather than thinking of obtaining the best results.

DD was fortunate to have a tutor who hasn't taught GCSE so conversed more on the topics rather than ask DD to memorize questions and answers...a tutor that was passionate about her language rather than having to think about exam results.

Beenrumbled glad you have a plan now. Really disappointing that the school have messed up so spectacularly. I do think all state schools are under huge financial
pressure at the moment and heads are finding it increasingly difficult to plan.

On the subject of whether this cohort will be disadvantaged by the change in grading I'm really not concerned. DS1 will have a mix of letters and grades but so will lots of other DC who he'll be competing against for uni places and jobs.

The only problem I can see is that some DC have not been prepared well enough for new exams by their schools. That's clearly not fair.

Apologies for more terrible typos...

been I think we can all understand why you were jumping up & down with rage. It's so hard trying to remain calm & reassure DC that all will be well and something positive can come out of the disruption. See if DS can try some subjects which the larger 6th form offers at their 5aster days if they run them, alongside the maths & physics which he already familiar with. Evennifbhe decides to stick with Account I g, that will open h8s eyes to the opportunities a larger 6th form can offer. We only have colleges with an annual intake of 2000-2500 here. There are typically 800 in each year group taking A level maths in DD'S first choice.

rumbled glad things look like they are falling into place.

DS also does some exercise in between revising he reckons it clears his brain.....hopefully not totally

Good luck to all those with exams tomorrow I hope they all get a restful nights sleep!!

Thanks everyone. I have calmed down a little.

DS has applied for Physics, Maths and Accounting at the next closest 6th form college. School have said with his predicted graded they will snap him up. The college will get back to him ASAP.

His school is an Academy, not a chain. They said it comes down to funding. But they must have known it was not going to be viable when they sorted the applications at the start of February.

DS has said he did ok in his oral exam, fingers crossed he did.

I hope everyone with exams this week does well!

cherryburn I was waxing lyrical on Fritz Lang earlier! Let’s hope that question comes up for both of their sakes!

Korean War and Vietnam here, interspersed with press-ups and planking on the kitchen floor (not sure why it helps, but apparently it does...)

Yep, 1930's Germany. Culture and all that. Thought I'd bring her to life. It was like she was in the room. Not.

stickerrocks good question about new vs old grades. I've been mulling that over myself. On the one hand, there is no doubt in my mind that teacher familiarity and having multiple past papers to practice with on the old specs is an advantage.However, at the top end, there is no 9 to identify the really high scorers. And I think the grade boundaries on the new specs will be much lower (quite rightly).
I would hope that colleges/employers would recognise that this year is one of massive change. But who knows?

stickerrocks I suspect employers may think my DD failed her English and Maths and re-took them because apart from Computer Science those will be the only numbered grades.

BRAIN

Good luck to all dc with exams!

Marlene Dietrich
sandy may the good luck continue.