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

Today is a working from home day for me, so I switched on Radio 4 only to hear a feature on dealing with GCSE stress as a parent. I can't escape!

I honestly think that the post exam period will be more stressful than the exams themselves. DD obviously has school leaving day & prom, followed by college taster days, a cruise, NCS and somehow fitting in work. There are a few (expensive) concert tickets she has set her heart on and she needs to find a way of paying for them.

Thanks for the birthday wishes - my football team played last night and avoided relegation from the premiership so it was a good day.

Good luck to all dc doing English language and Art today. My dd has English language this pm and is quite relaxed about it (which is unnerving me). Cherryburn - I am sure after your ds' mistiming in his practice paper yesterday he will be properly on the ball with it today. During mocks my dd answered a question beautifully - on the wrong paragraph

After reading all the comments regarding Art departments I have resolved to get dd's Art teacher a gift! She was on the ball and arranged extra studio days in the October half term, Christmas holidays and Easter holidays and was an expert at nagging, hence all students were ready for their final pieces. Sympathies for those dc who have had a more chaotic experience - not good.

Sostenueto that sounds like a brilliant start to the day for you and pup!
I’m off to the gym for the first time in ages and not thinking about the pile of work waiting for me when I get back!

Good luck to everyone doing exams today ...it sounds like Art has been a nightmare with every school...I think DD's school Art exams were yesterday and today.

DD had a good day yesterday but I don't think she's in the blinkered revision zone (although she probably did 7hrs). I cant work out whether it's good or bad ...she's still fairly chilled (although gets if I talk too much about exams. The plan is to get outdoors for a couple of hours at lunch today so she can do some photography just to have a bit of fun.

Sost - good that you can get some rest and take a step back ..I think once the DC;s start exams it will be easier (hopefully).

Sost my daughter has had the same problem with her art department not being ready! They even lost her book last eeek and told her if she didn’t find it she’d get a 0 Following a prompt phone call from me it magically appeared again. Dd picked up art halfway through yr10 and also took photography so it’s been a nightmare!!! Good luck to you dgd and anyone else taking exams this week!

Just been on the beach with pup what another glorious day. And the pup is asleep and exhausted! Oh to be a dog, no worries, no exams, eat, sleep and lots of fun

Sticker

DS still asleep! I'll give him a while longer then give him a prod.

He has a week's work experience lined up, then a holiday with us in July. Also going abroad for a week with friends (and one of friend's parents) and to the south coast (also with friends/parents). Then there's Reading Festival long weekend. So loads of trips.

Clearly, watching the World Cup also features heavily in his post-exam plans. And playing lots of sport.

Dgd awaiting confirmation of work experience in nuerology dept at local hospital for the summer. Also she needs to get a summer job to earn some money and for her to realise how hard working is

Apologies stickerocks

DS1 up and about - in a surprisingly good mood. Fortunately I reminded him last night that his English Language exam is this afternoon not this morning. I don't think he'd have been amused to turn up 5 hours early!

He probably has a couple of weeks work experience lined up. Add to that two weeks holiday with us, week holiday with DGPs, mountain climb weekend with DH and pre-season rugby training. I think that's plenty!

DH is also going to take him to a Uni Open Day in June - probably overnight.

Bluebelle I’m not expecting masses from DS after the exams but he’s got several music things lined up in July, I need to prod him to do something in August although hopefully we’ll actually get round to booking a week away!
Meant to say good luck to all the exam-takers and revisers today!

Sostenueto hope it all goes well with art today - I’m sure it will. If it’s any consolation it was quite chaotic at ds’s School. He didn’t have 3 books unless you count the exam prep book (which was admittedly a lot of work!) but there was a third piece - ‘sculpture’. I think it’s quite late to do the exam now, though, and I was glad it was out of the way in April. Part of the problem for us was that the teachers didn’t seem to realise how much more there was to the assessments this year until quite late into the course.

Good luck to those with exams today....art and Eng lang

What have your DC got planned for after the exams? I have lined up DS to paint the fence and if he makes a good job of it he can paint his bedroom He will be doing lots of his usual sport and also reckons he is going to try and get some voluntary work (won't hold by breath on that one!)

Sost that was me not loose. I imagine you running around like Spongebob Squarepants at the moment, trying to absorb everything going on around you! Your DGD has shown a great deal of maturity so far & I'm sure art will not phase her.

Teenmum my dgd an expert on excuses for getting out of p.e! last one was " miss I had hospital appointment and didn't think I would get back in time for lesson"

Thanks for comments all on patio
loose still maintaining silence but very hard. Thankfully dd is on holiday for 10 days next week so DgD will be able to revise at home which is better for her and a much needed break for me. So all will turn out OK. I can have a few lie ins too!

Good luck to all doing exams today. Dgd has 2 days of art exam starting today. The art teacher must be proud to know that not a single student is ready for their final piece ( so dgd informed me last night) in tears as she stayed on for 2 hours after school along with most of class to try and get things ready before today. on top of that they have to have 3 books full of artwork ready by end of may.. They only have 2 books complete. There will be an email sent to art teacher after exam from me asking why the children were not prepared in time. I spoke to another parent last night who said her ds confirmed what dgd said.

On the subject of PE, DS3's teacher didn't turn up on Friday, last lesson. The whole class just kept very quiet for the whole time. They are bottom set and none of them are that keen.

DS3 finally brought home his official exam timetable yesterday, back from his weekend with his dad. All fine except Chinese, the bane of his life. The teacher had put him down for foundation for the listening test. He got a B in his mock... sigh. Hopefully sorted with his teacher today but I'll be ringing the exams officer to double check tomorrow.

alwayshiding I hope your DD isn't too stressed out by the GCSEs. They seem so important at the time, but are soon forgotten. As long as her next stage placement is aware, she'll be OK. It puts all our worries into sharp perspective, though. I hope she's better soon.

mmzz - I would give DS a letter saying he cannot do PE due to an ankle sprain or whatever other reason you can think of ...

I dont understand such a policy although I assume the school must think it works - but maybe just for some.

Thanks for the word count sympathy/tips. I think he just needs to get clear in his head what, say, 100 words looks like on average and go from there. That's a good idea to start with the last questions kingscote but I think it might throw him at this stage. Plus, if he motors through them it leaves him more time to go way over the word count in Q1!

One of DS's teachers in particular has been saying how they will not be allowed to revise other subjects in her lessons and this has been re-iterated today in the assembly by the HT. Personally I think all departments are now panicking about the amount of content in the exams and so want to utilise every second they have with their classes, I think it's bonkers but I'm sure he'll cope, infact he doesn't seem too bothered by it unlike me

Good luck for those in exams this week. DS school is much like yours mmzz and bluebelle (ie default is to be in all lessons/games/music commitments even on the morning of an exam) but a quick email from me will get him out of things as long as housemaster and tutor know where he is - ds realises he s reaping some reward for being relativybharf working and well behaved up to now with being given more flexibility. You could try asking. Can see I’m going to have to plan each day with ds tho and may be sending lots of emails !

DD is in the top sets for everything, so her teachers seem to trust them to be in the room but study whatever is their current priority if they feel the structured session won't be beneficial. DD is trying to use the lessons to keep on top of things this week, then focus on RS, biology and chemistry next week before the relevant exam and so on. That means she can top up with things like English Lit quotes in the evenings without feeling that she is neglecting the later subjects.