Gcse 2018 (10) The one with half term

DS2 found the French papers much easier than whatever they'd been given for the mock; everything else so far has been about the level he was expecting.

English Lit aside (which went terribly), DS seems fine with the exams in the sense that the papers he has sat so far were what he has been prepared for over the last two years. Which means that the exam board must have stuck to the specification.
Maybe those parents with older DC will see a difference, but DS has never known anything different.

I think they haven't been as horrendous as I was worried they would be. DS3 seems quite happy with them so far but that's maybe his personality rather than a good measure.

I'm still relieved DS2 didn't have to do them and that a C was a pass as he'd have failed to get a 5 in English but no one need know how closely he scraped that C.

Peggy - it was just a typo. My posts are full of them!

We are half way through the first sitting of the new GCSEs, and I'm wondering if there is a consensus view about whether they are what everyone was expecting, or there have been a few curve balls?
There was that AQA Biology question on calculating the calorific value of carrots (I think), but was that all?

Just spotted I chose a good name for Mr Persistent but couldn't spell it correctly

Except when they don’t sandy, speaking as the mum of a non-Maths musician...!

Wow this thread gets busier and busier.

Back from mini break and I can report that DS1 was absolutely fine home alone. He seems to have enjoyed himself and the house was quite tidy. He even brought me some flowers as it was my birthday while we were away. DH and I think this may be a turning point for him - so much more mature than a year ago.

He's been working away but at a slightly more leisurely pace than before. He's been doing quite a lots of Ad Maths (his weakest subject) but today it's geography ( next exam on Tuesday).

Sorry to hear that Mr Persistent is causing you problems @mmzz - what a pain. We've had similar issues with DD as the maths and music departments both want her to commit to things and can't compromise. Funny how Maths and Music ability seems to go together.

The way the school operates, if you're not in an exam you either have a free revision period or a subject revision lesson. To be fair I think it was pretty similar when I was at school although I'm sure we had study leave at some point!
It's really useful for some subjects, but wouldn't say it's useful for all of them. I think the school rightly assumes that for s significant number of students the revision at school is the only revision they'll do.
DS is revising geography and music today. Not sure much will get done tomorrow!

Mmzz I think you should go out for a nice treat this afternoon and leave DH and DS to it!

TheThird I think our DS's would get on. DS3 is spending a lot of time on Discord messaging his friends.

No after-party for him. He's 'anti-cool' apparently and his friends aren't invited to any parties except their own solely male birthday events. This half term has whizzed by and we only had two 'shopping days' available, one of which was taken up with a school revision day and the other visiting DS1 at uni, so I think he'll be wearing his school shoes to the prom. 👞👞

@TheThirdOfHerName Yes - although I suspect they will be planning that the party will be in the garden...

Mmzz your experience with maths revision lesson has brought back a memory from my A levels.

We had a nice but not good biology teacher. One of my friends got a tutor (unusual in my 1980s comp) and didn't attend revision sessions. The teacher was furious and told the class

"I have been to the head and told him I don't accept responsibility for her grade."

Of course tutored girl came top of class with a B. My friend and I came next with Ds and the rest of the class got lower. Dreadful.

The three of us that passed went on to do science degrees/careers. Fortunately our other grades were strong and some nice admissions tutors took pity on us. The rest of the class wouldn't have been so lucky.

Hamilton DD is still in school full time, it's a rural intake and the majority travel in by bus. Except DD who refuses the bus because they throw food at her so I drive her in. She's not happy as her best friend at another school has study leave.

Teenmum60 an after-party for the whole year group at their house? That's brave.

DS2 has definitely gone off the boil a bit. He is spending about 30% of his time revising and 70% playing computer games, watching funny videos on YouTube and chatting on Discord (although to be fair most of the chat is about GCSE subject content). He says he feels well-prepared for next week's exams. I'm trying to trust him and let him get on with it.

My biggest worry at the moment is Prom shoes...DD has tried on various shoes...she has a fixed idea of what she wants but the style she likes only seems to come in size 4 or 5 and she is a size 4.5...she hates things not fitting properly (OCD)...We were going to go away straight after exams but I have now booked holiday in July so at least we have 10 days to find something that she likes that fit.

I have a feeling that one family have NO IDEA what they have let themselves in for - agreeing to host an after Prom party with everyone
in the cohort invited including +1's (the cohort is around 85- 90 girls)...but its a lovely idea to be so inclusive.

Agree Teen, I keep reminding myself of that.

Email has come through from back up school about 3 day induction at beginning of July...DD will go along because it will give her an insight into the A levels she has chosen and they also explain the EPQ, do resilience workshops? set bridging homework tasks (although I have not informed them that DD would now like to do Chemistry).Thankfully they have waived the need to wear suits to the induction...

Oratory - at times I have also felt in need of a rocket...but seeing some of the posts about stressed out DC's I am happy that DD is in many respects is fairly chilled ...hopefully she will stay like this going forward...

Wow - no study leave???
DD has been on study leave since 7th May. No lessons, no workshops, no compulsory or voluntary classes. They do have the option to email teachers, past papers etc have been put on the school intranet and they can have Skype sessions on request. After exams it’s 2 weeks compulsory work experience then back in school for the last 3 days of school (prize giving, sports day, while school assembly etc).
How are your DD supposed to revise? At this stage in the game surely it can’t be a one size fits all approach to revision? They must all be on different stages on revision depending on priorities and exam timetable.

Mmzz - were it my DC there’s no way in the world I would make her go in unless either she saw a benefit or I didn’t trust her to revise!!

Sorry for long post but I am flabbergasted!

After the traumatic day trying to make some headway with English Language on Wednesday, DS has been back in his comfort zone for two days learning facts for History and Geography. He's exam ready for those now, and, English is the elephant in the room.
DH told me that he'd try to help him. I'm giving it to lunchtime and then I'm going to remind DH and find something to do out of the blast range!

Ha Ha I think both of those would go straight over his head though - wouldn't even notice !

He's just asked what day it is so I'm hoping the realisation that there are only two days before the dreaded history and English might wind him up.

Oratory my solution: don't say a word about studying, exams and wait for him to notice and then get nervous that it's up to him.
Or be vocally ultra-complacent that you have such an amazingly brilliant son and you are so glad he doesn't have to put his back into it but is still going to get straight 9s.

DS drinitely flagging. Has never been driven but worked really hard (for him) at Christmas, Easter and before the exams. Don’t know if it’s fatigue, or if he s bored with it all or complacency setting in now the novelty s worn off but I feel he s just going through the motions at the moment and in danger of undoing that hard work. Anyone got a rocket

We don't have study leave yet. DS has no exams on Monday but will still have to go in until they decide he doesn't have to.
On the other hand he hasn't been forced to do any revision sessions.
Next week isn't too bad. He has the two English language exams, maths paper 2, music and geography 2. The last week is very science heavy, though!