Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

All going pretty well here, DD is getting a huge amount of homework which she is managing to get though. She is doing really well in some of her tests and also struggling with biology and chemistry but excelling in physics.

She had a bit of a wobble on Wednesday as I think she felt a bit overwhelmed with the pressure the teachers are putting on her and also found out the amazing head will be leaving in the summer. She had a good cry and felt better after.

Still trying to encourage her to do little bits of revision regularly, not sure how well that going

She has a big test next week before they break up on An Inspector Calls, I think she's a bit worried about remembering quotes.

Ah Teen I went back and realised you changed your username! Hope you enjoy Macbeth.

DS seems to be getting quite a bit of homework, particularly Science and History.

Not just in terms of frequency, but also depth.
On educake for Science previously they were doing quizzes with 20 questions. At the moment, it's about 50 - 100.
History they do on seneca, and they have about 7 tasks to complete a week, and reading all the information and answering the questions can take a good 2 hours.

I did read on here in some previous threads that the history content is huge though.

Hello You didn't get confused at all, you very cleverly used my previous name. . The AIC was fab though there was some stuff we didn't get the point of (in terms of extras acting, not main script). A nice traditional Macbeth is what I need so hopefully it will be OK. Will be nice to compare with the David Tennant RSC version.

DD is still relative low on homework load which is a mixed blessing. It might be that lower sets get less homework.

indy69 Chemistry is DS's weakest science too and I was hopeless at it too many years ago so i can't help much. There seems to be a lot of homework so far this year but he's coping with it at the moment.

One child has already expelled from his year plus another one asked to leave!

Sorry I think I've got confused here with my Teen poster names! Thank god its Friday

@TeenTimesTwo... I've just googled Macbeth in Chichester, looks like your Macbeth will be more traditional. We went in Manchester last month, Macbeth was female and they came out with machine guns 😮
They stuck to the original text (apart from changing the "hims" to "hers") but it was all very bizarre and not at all what I expected.
Looks like An Inspector Calls is the same company you saw though, so looking forward to that in January.

This has got so far behind all the school application threads.

DD is pottering on OK but missed 3 days school last week due to illness so that got her out of routine somewhat. Off to see Macbeth at the w/e in preparation for whenever she does it.

DD1 seems happy but we were a bit shocked that she will be sitting her first GCSE exam early January.

It's because they are going English Lit in just one year -year 10- but she’s a late August birthday so seems really young not even 14 and a half.

English department was also only one that seem to be chaotic in first week many including DD1 were put in different sets told they were doing mixed sets with no effect on papers sat then week later told it was admin error and she was moved up to set she was expecting to be in.

She seems happy though and I went and bought everything I could find for the sections – Mice and Men and Unseen poetry section so she has them and trying to get her to use.

I wouldn't say she was enjoying the Welsh either but she says it's going okay.

DS cruising along like he usually does. Enjoying all his subjects apart from the obligatory Welsh!

Glad the nights are drawing in so might be in with a chance of getting him to stay home and buckle down a bit. Change in weather has meant big wave action so he's been surfing straight from school every night this week.

Hi Teen, all good here, DD is very happy, she's working hard, doing all her homework/revision and getting some good test results.

She's very happy with her teachers although the teachers are amazing at her school, she's very lucky. She's really enjoying her new subjects.

She is most definitely feeling the pressure a bit but to be expected.

How are we all getting on 3 weeks in?

definitely not bumping above all the school choosing threads

DD seems pretty happy so far, and is doing homework after school without fussing! We saw An inspector Calls at the theatre the other day - ace production.

DD sorted her English issue . She had a word with the teacher , and mentioned her 'pupil passport' (for SEN pupils), teacher was fine. All happy.

A levels and GCSEs together sounds like a tough year. But at least you can go off on holiday before the end of term and peak prices!

Hello all. My DD has just started yr 10, taking 2 English, maths, separate sciences, Spanish, DT, computer science and history. So far going well, she’s so pleased to have dropped the subjects she didn’t like!

DS sat his GCSEs this year, under the 9-1 system, so it’s not all new for us although her subject choices are a bit different from his. He used a great revision system from thestudybuddy.com, which I found through Mumsnet! It made a huge difference. Planning to get it much earlier for DD so we can track how they’re doing against the syllabus and use it for revision for yr 10 exams as well as in yr11.

2021 will be A-levels and GCSEs in our house. Planning a great holiday afterwards to recover!!

We got all the cgp flash cards for science in time for his end of year exams in June - my ds hates reading lots, but really liked these cards, found them really helpful. I’m going to look and see if his texts for english have them too as that’s where he really struggles.

I'll have a nose through them this weekend. I got the maths, science and english ones (they do ones for each text including the poetry). I'm also trying to persuade DD to do flashcards for each topic as she does them (particularly maths and science) although I doubt she'll listen to me and will just do her own thing

Titsy Would love to know what you think of the CGP cards, as I've seen them in Smiths, but sealed boxes so I couldn't look through them.

That's annoying teenplus. My younger DC has to use a laptop but of course certain subjects like maths aren't possible so his books in those subjects are a mess! Hopefully the teacher will be understanding when she speaks to them about it but you might need to step in as teachers often seem to think kids are making stuff up.

DD has settled back in nicely and is much happier now she is away from her form as she never got on with any of them and was bullied a fair bit in years 7 and 8. Virtually none of them are in her classes as she is doing more academic subjects and most of them aren't. She likes most of her teachers and is loving certain subjects now where the class numbers are low and there are no kids mucking around! History and french in particular I think she will now thrive in.

She leaves on her french exchange in 9 days. It's a whole week and she is going to have to catch up on all class and homework missed which is going to be tough. It sounds great though - they are going to Bordeaux and there are only 10 of them. They do have to stay with their families on their own which sounds a bit terrifying! When I did my exchange there were 4 of us staying with one family which was easy really.

Currently buying all the revision guides and CGP Revision cards so she is fully prepared. She seems very organised and motivated which is great - 2 years ago she was floating a bit so I'm glad she has gotten over that!

Grrrr. Just what I didn't need.

DD has been reluctant to write up a short h/w for one subject.
It turns out the teacher has threatened to make them redo stuff if it isn't neat enough, and actually tore something out of on pupil's book.

DD has motor skills issues, and was told in y7 she could use a laptop, but found using one too slow and returned to handwriting...

I've said either she needs to talk to her teacher or class tutor, or I need to, or something. I've suggested she take in last term's exam to show the teacher what is reasonable to expect (she can maintain neatness for 5 minutes with slow writing, but not when taking notes in class.)

School has just sent out loads of info about science units and assessments. DS2 is not going to be happy that I have this information although in reality all I can do is remind him to revise.

DD is happy with her teachers, a lot of whom she has had before.
We are also very happy with her set texts for English (Macbeth, AIC & Jekyll&Hyde).

Another late joiner. DS taking English Language, English Literature, Maths, 3 x Sciences, French, History, Art and Technology. Good luck all!

A bit late joining, but DS has started back in yr10. He’s doing both English, maths, 3 science, history, computer science, PE and a Cambridge National in ICT.

His timetable looks like my worst nightmare!

Apart from getting a detention for being late, DS2 seems pretty happy with his return to school. He's feeling pretty confident about music because he does a lot outside school but I hope he realises there's a written paper that takes up a lot of time and it's not just performing! Also it's only one subject - he needs to pay attention to the rest!
No homework so far apart from covering a DT book in sticky-back plastic...

DS has had a good start to the year, likes his teachers and seems relaxed about everything. Despite being a grammar school, the attitude from teachers is supportive about helping the pupils prepare for the exams - not like the local private school that my friend sends her kids to, first day back and the pressure is on - insisting on them starting to study now, studying through the holidays, a day off for Christmas if they’re lucky. Scaring the kids on the first day back is not great really.