Any tips from those who’s kids got great GCSE grades?

I never, ever tested my children, or looked at past papers with them but did buy study guides and let them get on with it.

And not micromanaging was what I was going to add!
It is a really hard couple if years, so be their mate and supporter not their overseer and supervisor, let the school do that.

I have 4 DC, between them they have racked up 42 A and A* s ( sorry cant recall the breakdown) and 2Bs.
The main feature was reassuring them that it was really hard juggling all those balls and deadlines, that it was one if the most difficult challenges and school years they could face, keeping calm , and providing cake, kindness and

"Parents are really important in testing basic knowledge and marking practise past papers impartially"

I think that depends on your child - my practical input with dd never went beyond providing cups of tea / regular meals & encouraging a sensible bedtime. She definitely wouldn't have wanted me anywhere near her past papers or doing any testing. (The one exception being that she practiced her English speech on me as she wanted an audience & a bit of feedback on presentation/intelligibility - we're in Wales so still some coursework including a speech/debate thing)

Understanding what the examiner is looking for in each subject especially humanities and know how to construct an answer in the expected format
Practise lots of past papers and know which topics/questions are almost definitely going to come up
Take a calculated risk revise 4 topics really well and 2 superficially you’ll never have time, brain space to do it all
Practise your timing so you always finish the paper on time
Parents are really important in testing basic knowledge and marking practise past papers impartially

What do you think helped your kids achieve good results?

Huge confidence, huge Ambition, relentless hard work, fairly good brains. I did nothing special to make DD like that. It came from within herself. My other DC aren't like that.

My actual tip is to support them in whatever (honest, legal, responsible) path they can find most enthusiasm for. Whether or not it's something academic or involves getting good grades.

Based on my most successful students over the years (range of abilities).

Successful students:

1. Make the most of each lesson. They see each lesson as a building block over time.
2. Complete homework to a decent standard and treat it as an opportunity to consolidate knowledge and skills rather than something to be rushed and thrown together
3. They revise for assessments and mock exams. By doing this they reduce their work later.
4. Read feedback and listen to feedback. If the teacher is telling you what makes as good/less good answer, take it on board. (Don't do what one of mine did one year and spend 2 years trying to argue with me about why you at 14/15 know more about how to examine GCSE papers and teach)
5. Ask questions if confused or want extra help. Sure some teachers can be arseholes but most of us aren't and are more than happy to reexplain if we've not made it clear first time.
6. Avoid buying into competitive who is working least (one of my biggest surprises this year was a boy who got sucked into this last year but this year removed himself from it. He jumped 2 grades. I could tell he'd started working. I'm sure he was still giving the impression to friends of chilling).
7. Revise early. I always say start early and revise little and often. Last minute revision is a risky strategy which suits some but isn't as effective as the slow and steady approach.

Then the usual, keep hobbies, see friends and have a general sense of balance in life.
(And ignore any teacher who starts going down the route of you should be revising my subject for 2 hours a night. They're chatting shite.)

Hail For clarity when did you do your GCSEs?

Was there coursework? Were they modular? If it wasn't in the last 4 years it is of pretty limited relevance given the recent changes.

Here's a very simple tip - buy all the revision guides right at the start of yr 10. Then if the student doesnt get it in the classroom, the guides usually explain it in detail. Useful back-up and most people buy the books too late at Christmas of year 11. They are useful throughout the course

It really is. Best discovery of my entire schooling!

I didn't even read the books for English, I just watched the films, on 2x speed

Great advice .

hailsatan with all due respect, it ain't like that now.

Back when I did GCSEs I honestly just messed around, did nothing, swapped options 6 months before exams, and even forgot about one of my exams until I got in that morning and everyone asked me how much prep I did last night (obviously 0). I got 10 GCSEs at A/A* grade. I'm also dyslexic and have ADHD. I think the fact the school just let me do my thing with no pressure meant I was able to pick up what I need. You probably know how your kid learns best so just advocate for that. I didn't even read the books for English, I just watched the films, on 2x speed

DS got 12 A * at GCSE and 4 at A level and all A at AS Level.

As well as above advice he read through the curriculum and checked for any gaps in his knowledge. He studied to fill the gaps (especially in computing) using text books from the central library and online. He did loads of past papers and checked the mark schemes so that he could understand what they were looking for.

He and a friend self taught an extra further maths A level mechanics module because they knew it would be important in their university courses.

The key is independent study and not expecting school to spoon feed you.

Oldbirdy, phew! I did think it was rather an extreme view, but then again, I've heard lots of those, regarding SEN pupils...
My daughter is about to start year 10 and has ADD, processing and working memory issues. I totally relate to your son's experience; we are bracing ourselves for the same. If I hear, " H's exam results do not reflect her ability in class" one more time, I may scream.
The current exam system doesn't cater for children like ours, and it sucks.

floottoot
Sorry, my sarcasm wasn't obvious enough.
My DS has just failed 4 GCSES because of his communication difficulties caused by autism. He passed with high grades (all 6 or above) the ones which didn't require extended answers.
His IQ has been measured at 96th percentile.

Place to study
Supportive parents/family
Desire to succeed
A bit of luck with exam questions
Hard work/ well organised

If one of these is missing, they are less likely to succeed

1. Always do the homework and any extra parts.
2. Have a private space with desk/computer to do work at.
3. Private tuition if necessary.

Oldbirdy
Go to a school with no children with memory/ processing issues? Seriously??

Mine did pre-reformed GCSEs. DD1 achieved 12 As at GCSE and all A/A at A level. DD2 managed A*/A in all but Drama, taking A levels next year.

Both are well-organised. Both have quiet places to work. Both know that revision starts when the course starts so have made notes, flashcards, revision sheets etc. Both revise for tests and use comments to help them to do better next time. They like to use colour so I bought stacks of coloured pens and post-it notes. They found revision guides really useful.

For English, they would listen to set texts whilst doing something else. DD2 is a really strong auditory learner so found this the best way for her. DD1 likes mind-maps/spider diagrams and postcards with bullet points on them.

During the courses they both found somethings tricky. They did some collaborative work (yes, via social media) with friends, especially character studies which they each uploaded to group chats, but more importantly, got into the habit of asking their teachers if they didn't understand. This has continued to uni where DD1 emails her supervisor for clarification if necessary.

As a parent, I laid off nagging about the state of their bedrooms, ensured they had regular nutritious meals and encouraged them to go to bed at a reasonable time. I also exempted them from chores if they went to revise/work but if they were found to have abused that privilege, they got double work the next time (only happened once!) We also talked about how they were doing, both things that were going well and those less so, and if they had an issue, they knew they could talk to us.

Mine got great GCSEs last year and has just got all A’s at AS. (No A* at AS).

His modus operandi seemed to be:

Staying on top of homework
Catching up after any absence: cover what was missed.
If something is not fully understood, do your own research. The internet has the curriculum.
In GCSE years, read over the week ‘s notes over the weekend.

I was quite hands off. I did book tickets for stage productions of the Eng Lit texts and we did a couple of days out that happened to suppprt history but aside from that I just made sure he packed his bag properly and shouted ‘have you done all your homework ‘ on a regular basis. I don’t know much about what he was actually studying.

I should add that point 1 is most crucial. Sadly meeting criterion 2 will not guard against failing point 1.

My tips:

1. Most important: Don't have any sen, including any processing, communication, or memory difficulties.
2. Have a supportive family where there is a private space to work and parents who value education
3. Go to a school where other kids confirm to 1 and 2.

What a great thread. Thanks for the helpful tips. My DS needs to put more effort in but still has three years so the advise of can't learn it all in the last few weeks will come in handy to remind him.

It's a marathon not a sprint. Right from the start of the GCSE course, they need to keep on top of it, do the homework properly, revise for tests, listen/concentrate in lessons. It's very easy for them to think they'll just cram their revision in the few weeks before the exams, but there's simply too many subjects and too much to learn when you're so close. My son kept up and got good marks/grades throughout years 10 and 11 and was very glad he did because he simply didn't have time to revise properly, even though he started just before Easter, plenty of topics weren't revised, but he muddled through because he could just about remember enough from when they were taught it a year or two earlier.