Page 23 | GCSE 2018 no. 6: stress, struggles and success (hopefully) *Title Edited by MNHQ*

TheSecondOfHerName · 01/05/2018 10:59

As an undergraduate, I had to memorise an unusual amount of information and then reproduce this in exams. We used a lot of mnemonics, but many of them were quite rude. I always felt a bit self-conscious about writing 'SOD OFF' or 'Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Victor's Goolies, Vast and Hard'* in the margins of the exam booklet, but I expect the examiners were used to it.

Points for anyone who can guess what either of those stand for.

Original poster

mmzz · 01/05/2018 10:39

I used to disagree that the current year 11s have been disadvantaged, but I think you are all right. I didn't have a problem as the curriculum was being taught but, now at the end, when the revision resources are patchy, when some teachers underestimated the workload and therefore finished late / not at all, when past papers are either non-existent or a scare resource and when no one really knows the ball parks for the grade boundaries, then yes, its clear that this year do not have a level playing field with subsequent years.

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JufusMum · 01/05/2018 10:38

beenrumbled that is awful and looks like poor organisation to me!

DD STILL does not know when her German speaking exam is, but yesterday they had a visit from the examiner who did a mock with them. DD was picked along with two other girls to represent the class as apparently they are the three most high achieving students.DD got a 5 on her mock in February - if that's high achieving I do worry! She's hoping to get a 6 on the real thing. Whenever it is !

BlueBelle123 · 01/05/2018 10:34

Loose I agree, interestingly/worryingly DS has said that a number of pupils in his classes (top set) have abandoned even trying for some GCSE's ie doing next to no revision as they can't cope with the volume....I really do feel that our year will have a disproportionate amount of pupils who will be disadvantaged by these changes as there just hasn't been the time to teach the material effectively and obviously teachers will learn an awful lot from our guinea pigs!!!!!!!!

Original poster

mmzz · 01/05/2018 10:19

Loose, in that case, they need to provide spare paper so the incorporating the techniques that have been drummed in to them isn;t so obvious!

I'm in a bad mood today. Went to the GP's nurse yesterday. She was running late - i was the first patient - and she was showing off a bit to trainee nurse. Upshot was she was so distracted with speaking to the trainee that she didn't do the test properly, then realised her mistake two hours later and wants me to come back to do it again now. She keeps saying that its her mistake (and it was) but I am the one who has to go through it twice. Its uncomfortable and I'm irritated.

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LooseAtTheSeams · 01/05/2018 09:45

Mmzz - that's interesting. I think they do need evidence of writing about senses in the descriptive writing but what they're saying is they don't want it signposted like it is in that example! If you make it too obvious that you're ticking off a list it doesn't read well.they got very annoyed a couple of years ago by students writing DAFOREST on their papers and then ticking off the techniques as they used them!
Bluebelle I feel your pain but I also agree that there are GCSEs it's sometimes better to decide not to worry about as they are taking so many! I can see how PE could be problematic.

Original poster

mmzz · 01/05/2018 09:24

Thanks, Thesecond
[http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-papers-and-mark-schemes/2017/june/AQA-87001-WRE-JUN17.PDF]]

Most of it meant nothing to me, but this criticism jumped out as it seems to be exactly what both my DC have been encouraged to do for several years:-
... a tendency to produce formulaic responses with a contrived use of senses: I can see/I can hear/I can smell, usually with reference to nostrils; and secondly, the inclusion of over-ambitious vocabulary that sounded sophisticated but was frequently misused and obscured meaning: lugubrious, jocular or bellicose buses driving past sycophantic streetlights, or crossing out the word ‘phone’ and replacing it with ‘brick of technology’, does not make for a fluent and engaging piece of writing

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BlueBelle123 · 01/05/2018 09:09

for Loose we have all felt your pain

Now that DS has received all his unmoderated marks for his PE which makes up 40% he has worked out from last years grade boundaries (I know its now all changed!) that he has a grade 3 levels below his predicted!! Unfortunately I'm not too surprised as not only has PE been a shambles from the start but he has been plagued with injuries which has drastically effected his performance........one GCSE to forget I think as he reckons he needs 90+% in the exam to get back on target!!!

TheSecondOfHerName · 01/05/2018 09:08

If anyone is interested, the examiners' reports for last year's AQA English Language are available to the general public.

LooseAtTheSeams · 01/05/2018 09:01

I don't know why on earth DS said he wanted to do a drawing for the final bit of his GCSE art because he doesn't appear to have done one! There's quite a nice unfinished sketch but I doubt he's going to be able to finish it today. He also forgot to stick in the final piece of project 1. Anyway, he has at least got a project 2 to hand in so that's the first gcse out of the way!

Original poster

mmzz · 01/05/2018 08:22

beenrumbled I know being in a large school can seem intimidating, like moving to a large city from a small town. But the analogy isn't too different because in a large city, you establish a small area that you know well and develop a network of friends and acquaintances, and somehow you don't think the the size of the city/ institution that you are in.

Your DS will feel daunted at first, but after a while, the 1900 students that he has no dealings with, and the sections of the building that he has no reason to visit will barely register in his consciousness.

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LooseAtTheSeams · 01/05/2018 07:51

rumbled that's awful - your poor DS. It's very odd for a school to change its plans at this stage - I assume this isn't an LEA school. Hopefully you can get a place quite quickly at one of the other schools - large sixth forms have some advantages but I totally understand if you're not used to a large school it would be off-putting.
Good luck with German oral, Korma!

AChickenCalledKorma · 01/05/2018 07:36

100 isn't even that small! DD1s sixth form will be more like 70 (wonders whether she should worry). That's outrageous and the timing is totally inconsiderate.

German oral here today. And moodiness. Better stop hiding with coffee and make her a packed lunch.

Original poster

mmzz · 01/05/2018 06:36

It's a state school? LA controlled or an academy?
Is this a funding issue - too many small classes because they were offering too many A levels?

I guess it hardly matters to you now.

Sorry if this sounds a bit mercenary but there's going to be a lot of competition for any decent sixth form with spaces remaining, so you really want to get in there quick.

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beenrumbled · 01/05/2018 06:11

School have led us to believe all along that 6th form was going ahead.

They talked about it at parents evening in March, and then last week all the boys who had applied had a meeting to go through choices again - they never gave us a heads up at all.

Teenmum60 · 01/05/2018 05:27

@beenrumbled - That is a really poor show by the school! The sixth form college in our area has a cut off date of the 31st May so you may find there are a few colleges with applications still open but like you say they tend to be the very large colleges which may not suit your DS. Good luck...I would be making very unwelcome noises to the school!

Original poster

mmzz · 01/05/2018 04:53

I agree with TheSecond, BeenRumbled. You had no idea that the school was not fully committed to running a 6th form?

I guess your DS is going to have to apply to all the local 6th forms, you'll fill the forms and find out for him which A level combinations each allow whilst he revises and sits exams, and then on 23/8, he will see what he's got and choose the least bad option.

The problem is that your DS isn't the only one. There are 99 others who are also seeking last minute local late-availability places.

Good luck. I'm sure it will work out in the end. Extremely unwelcome, and timed for maximum effect though.

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AlexanderHamilton · 30/04/2018 23:18

That’s bad. Several schools in this area are closing 6th forms but many have only been open a few years anyway (most schools in our area don’t have 6th form) & it’s because les than 20-30 applied.

TheSecondOfHerName · 30/04/2018 23:01

beenrumbled that's really rubbish of them to announce this after sixth form application season and so close to their exams.

Most sixth forms don't know exact numbers, as they don't know how many of their applicants will actually get the grades, so they might be willing to consider a late application, especially as these are unusual circumstances.

I feel quite cross with the current school on your DS's behalf.

beenrumbled · 30/04/2018 22:25

mmrz there are a few others but hey all have over 2000 students, and when we looked round them he felt they were huge and uncomfortable.

About 100 students at his school had only applied for the school 6th form.

beenrumbled · 30/04/2018 22:19

Thanks HesMyLobster School are helping? now with applications to other colleges but there is no guarantee and its rubbish. There are about 100 lads who just applied to school.

I'm furious. Or in MN tradition incandescent with rage!

Original poster

mmzz · 30/04/2018 22:17

Is there a reasonable selection of alternative 6th forms in your area, Beenrumbled?

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HesMyLobster · 30/04/2018 22:08

Oh rumbled! That's terrible, your poor ds!
Were there many in the same boat?
It seems extremely late notice to be announcing that now!
and and for you!

I imagine the other local schools will be aware of what has happened so should be expecting possible applications over the next few days at least.

What a shame though.

beenrumbled · 30/04/2018 21:52

I think i am going to be sick

DS1 only applied to his school 6th form - it was small, focused and he likes his school.

Today DH gets a call to say they are not offering 6th form now (uptake) and DS has been spoken to and needs to find another college. All the boys were told this morning

We now have to make late applications to colleges.

This was made worse by school telling DS1 this on the morning of his French GCSE Oral

I have raged to DH (not DS) and drunk lots of

brainmelt · 30/04/2018 21:01

mmzz your memory should be studied. Stunning. Again and again.