GCSEs 2019 - support thread part 2

School have refused leave until after half-term so DS will be going in - he is ok with this but I will pick him up if it becomes too much.

Biology, Chemistry, French and the dreaded English Literature is on the cards today. He is having the odd panic but generally keeping calm....nights are the worst as all his fears start to surface about what if he doesn't get the grades he needs. I am stressed too and am not looking forward to the next 5 weeks !!!

Good luck to everyone today

Chemistry and biology today.
There are SO many formulas to remember for physics.
Baffling.

Ds is revising some English lit, some biology and RE today. He seems all over the place and stressed which is unusual because he's never stressed! I've told him to have breaks and not try and revise too many subjects. He has exams Mon- thurs so it's pretty full on. The atmosphere has definitely changed this weekend and it must be hard for them to realise that's exams are literally round the corner.

We're struggling to get dd motivated to revise. If we put pressure on she collapses in a huge panic, if we say nothing she mooches around grumpily achieving nothing

This is where we are too. DD will pass all of them but could have done so much better. Difficult to know what to do other than lower my expectations!

DD2 is revising Biology. Had the morning off to go out and is now diligently working away. She's also having the period from hell, which is good in one way - she won't be having it next week - but she feels like shit so I'm going to make sure she takes time for a shower and a bit more downtime.

DD1 is revising History - they had an extra set of mocks and she got a borderline A on both Stuarts and Witchcraze, which is encouraging, but she's still pushing the study.

@oddboots its useful alongside other methods I think. The hardest thing is finding a revision method that suits people. We sell the revision books, produce guidance on revision maps and clocks, direct to YouTube clips etc. It just gets harder ever year!! I'm dreading when my own gets to GCSEs!!

Good luck to everyone

Thanks Maud. Phew fingers crossed.

Thank you oddboots!

Life yes English Language is the one she needs more. Best of luck to her!

@Lifeandbeans yes, passing language is fine and will stop her needing to do a retake, lit is a bonus.

DD has found Seneca to be great over the past year or so @whatonearthmother - I think she has used it a little too much and should have looked at books and done more writing but at this stage I can only advise and let her decide for herself.

'MaudBaileysGreenTurban

Sorry, too many 'reallys' in that post - I have an English degree and wouldn't pass English GCSE these days'

DD who has dyslexia , dyspraxia, processing disorder and other things was getting a C previously. On these new exams she got a U. She can't remember 18 poems and can't understand people's intentions so can't say why Romeo is acting a certain way.

She was one off a 4 in English Language though.

If she passes one that still counts as an English pass right?

Not sure if this revision site has been mentioned. It's called Seneca Learning.

Based on meta cognition etc, some of my Year 11 and 10 have used it and found it good.

Sorry, too many 'reallys' in that post - I have an English degree and wouldn't pass English GCSE these days

Yes, ds is also doing Eng. Lit today - revising quotes really. I feel for him - it's a huge ask really to expect them to remember all of them! I am someone who finds it relatively easy to 'learn lines' but even I would struggle with the expectation of this exam. He had History scheduled today as well but as the next exam is a sources exam he reckons he'd be better off focusing on Eng. Lit all day...

There are just not enough hours in the day really...I do feel as if we've left everything to the last minute even though revision started months ago!

Ds exams start Monday. I emailed school last week telling them he's only going in for exams. His school don't do study leacve but he feels what's on offer isn't targeted enough and wants to work at home. I haven't had a response from School so assume it's fine. Ds isn't too stressed and just wants them to stay so he can start ticking them off. Re and history are his 2 favourite subjects but the ones he's recused for least. I'm glad they have half term in between. I think three fittest 2 weeks are going to be very intense. Not to mention all the emotions around them saying goodbyes to friends s who are not staying in at 6th form. Some of ds friends have been in his class since reception. Lots going on emotionally and physically!

If a DC is stressed or anxious, or ill, or just plain knackered, I don't see what schools can do at this point in the year. If you call in as a parent, and confirm your child will be absent due to these circumstances, but also confirm you will make sure they are there for the exams, surely this just goes down as authorised absence. Or am I being naive??

Ds1 is doing maths and eng lit today.

He seems ok. Bit nervous.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7006547/Tutors-advice-students-revise-REALLY-ace-exams.html

I know it is the Daily Mail but..... I liked the bit about no timetables, (so much bloody stress about timetables from school, and then never used it) and short, intense periods of revision followed by down time. The "don't stress if you are a parent" also hit the nail on the head.

Bit late for us, but maybe useful for A Level's (aghhhhh).

I would ask for study leave if it's not on offer. DD has been off since 5th April and I think she's the only child who is off. It's only because we asked.

srilankadreaming Most of the schools here have now finished for study leave and are only in for exams too. Last year DDs school had study leave. This year the kids were told if they didn't finish their coursework they couldn't go on study leave, then told study leave only started in 2 weeks, then they aren't going at all. I'm baffled.
Not that we've had any letters ot communication about exams at all.

DD has been falling asleep at 1pm in the afternoons too so I feel your pain.
I'm also slightly worried about her having to navigate all the kids who are now off school for study leave on the buses who she wouldn't usually bump into when she is in if I'm honest.

Thanks everyone. Will have a chat with them.

Apart from the head and his assemblies giving them the impression their whole life is over if they don't get 9s I haven't noticed too much pressure in most subjects.
Although we have had one teacher who is in a subject which still has coursework who threatened to bring them in every day until the rest of the school finish in July which made DD a total wreck.
He threatened to bring kids back off booked holidays or void their whole scores apparently and refuse to sign them off if they didn't at one point if DD is accurate.
I think the legal leaving date for year 11 is the last Friday in June so not sure how he thought he would enforce it but he had DD in a right state.
One of my friends children starts a course (specialist college) on the 1st July!

Infuriating, isnt it?

Totally agree with Lambuffy, contact school on Monday life and say your dd will only be in for exams. It just makes no sense for her to have to do a longer day than she normally does.
DD's school also making kids miserable, no study leave here - I thought until half term. Had an email this morning saying that in the second set of exams after half term, they will need to be in ONLY (!!) when they have a subject for which there hasn't yet been the exam. Well, er ok.. but when I checked dd's timetable, in practice this means she will be in every sodding day!! Maybe this would be fine if virtually all the other schools around here hadn't already finished for study leave. DD who works better on her own is going to have an almighty meltdown when she finds out as she/I had sort of worked out that she could just about cope with the exam stress by just going in for the exams after half term. She needs a lot of sleep and already has an anxiety diagnosis so she needs this like a hole in the head. Am fuming. Why the hell do they do this? Why is there no consistency between schools?!! Sorry, rant over.

life
I agree a chat with pastoral care at your dds school would be a good idea.
Ds1s school are making all the kids so miserable with their attitude to the exams.