Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

Joining in this group. DS is starting year10 this year and along with the usual maths, english, sciences will be doing history, CS, Latin and French. I have serious doubts about him taking history and Latin that are quite heavy essay based as I don't think this is his strength

Year 9 seems to be the 'Year of the Mean Girls', my DD has a completely new set of friends from last year and has removed herself from nearly all of the WhatsApp chat groups she was part of as she couldn't bear all the drama anymore. I too an hoping for a more settled year.

Signing in with a dd starting yr10. She had a good first day back yesterday and seems happy with her timetable/teachers. I haven’t had a look at it yet.

I’ve also spent quite a bit on stationery but she seems more keen to study now after a difficult yr9 (mean girls).

Happy That does sound draconian! The only restriction where DD goes is that only private patients are seen after 3pm - the NHS patients have to suck up going in school hours (not a hardship when it gets you out of something you are happy to miss).

I'm so impressed that you all have a choice when you can make orthodontist appointments. My DDs orthodontist states on a BIG sign that the only kids who can choose their appointments are kids in year 11 and year 13 - otherwise you have to accept the next available appointment regardless of the time. It's like a draconian cult in there!

Thusday afternoon Orthodontist appointment for DS!

Teen I've eyed the double PE on a Wednesday as potential Orthodontist appointment times too

TeenPlus it was LGBT Rights so very controversial.

What What was the problem, too 'babyish' or too controversial?

DD's come home with her timetable. We are happy with the teachers she has got (those we know anyway). PE and core ICT are nicely timed so they can be used for orthodontist appointments. Per fortnight she has 6 hours maths + 1 extra, and the same for English. 10 hours science and 5 for each of the options.

She had English today and said there is a compulsory speaking part to it which doesn't go towards the GCSE but she will be graded formally for

I remember that from DD. I would advise your DC to pick their topic carefully if they want to avoid bullying

Goodness knows how DS will do as he's very reluctant to speak in public.

Happy to join - my DD seems to be in the unusual position of already completing her first year of GCSEs in Y9. At her school they take the courses over 3 years and I must say it is allowing more in-depth study and less pressure to fit everything in so far. My DS did his GCSEs over 2 years and it was a long, hard slog.She is taking English Lit and Lang, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, RS, History, Music and Statistics. All students have to take compulsory Statistics as the school feels the skills learned can be useful for A levels. My DD starts back tomorrow and hopes for a good timetable. I am just hoping that she cracks on with her homework and I don't have to nag her not to leave it until the last minute!

DD has already worked out there's no way of 'failing' it

DD had to prepare a speech lasting 4-6 minutes (?) and then deliver it with prompt cards. She then had to answer one unprepared question. They were filmed (for moderation purposes). (DD said half the class did speeches on saving the planet.)

I did wonder whether 'not reading the whole thing' was a criteria for getting higher than a Pass, but I didn't actually check because we're only generally aiming for grade 4/5s and DD would never get a distinction for speaking anyway.

(I'm kind of assuming that it is designed so more or less anyone will pass and thus decided not to worry too much about it.)

Thanks Teen, had no idea about this, she said they can get a pass, merit or distinction and it's a stand alone thing.

She had English today and said there is a compulsory speaking part to it which doesn't go towards the GCSE but she will be graded formally for

Yup that's right. It used to be 20% of the GCSE but about 5 years ago they just put it as a separate grade alongside. I think DD2 did hers right at the end of last term, end y9. Unless it was a practice. Seemed a good idea to get it out of the way.

DD was back today, very happy with her timetable and teachers.

She had English today and said there is a compulsory speaking part to it which doesn't go towards the GCSE but she will be graded formally for 🤔

She's currently upstairs organising and labelling her folders and seems very enthusiastic, praying this lasts

Sorry not clear on re-reading.

DS now has a history, geography and drama lesson every week where DD1 had no drama ever before this year and both had one lesson a week slot but half the year it was history and half geography.

DD1 loves history is it was quite the blow and they were very late telling us though she should do okay with geography.

No that small - overall 1800 ish - not sure how many each year but small sixth form.

It's smaller than schools DH and I went to but not by much.

They've had an odd system in DD1 y7-9 only half year doing geography then switch to history and not always with subject teachers. They also had free choice at GCSE for first time - so no streams just list and they had to pick with some limitations then try and timetable. I think it all led to very low take up.

There's a new head and top team and child in year 8 came back with a much more usual timetable - though still over 2 weeks but has history and geography one a week as well as new subject drama. I was trying to work out what had gone from previous year to have more time for these and couldn't.

The lack of foreign language option was teacher shortages apparently.

Tri How small a school is it that it can't run a History GCSE? I'm really shocked!

My eldest is just starting.

The core subjects are:

English Lit and Lang, Maths, Numeracy, RE, Welsh and Welsh Baccalaureate. The RE and Welsh Bac course are already started in yr9.

She chose Triple Science, Drama and Geography

She still disappointed as she wanted History -but last minute they said it wasn't running she still hopes she might be able to do A-level- and there was no foregin language option right from the start.

In some subjects half the exams are to be sat end of this year which seems very soon especially as she very late summer born child.

Haven't got all the guides yet - I did thanks to seeing this thread earlier keep an eye out over summer in second hand shops or sales but no luck. Oddly the two book shops who have revision guide sections don't have many for main welsh board and having overhead some conversation in summer the staff aren't very clued up about their stock or local exams.

I posted towards the start of this thread, but have a new name, so thought I'd repost and bump for the start of term.

DD2 has gone back today to help the new y7s, and starts back properly tomorrow. It doesn't seem like 3 years ago that she was starting herself.

We are hoping for a few particular teachers that have taught her before and 'got' her, but she knows it's luck of the draw really. A couple of teachers she really didn't want have left since last teaching her.

We have installed a new 'Billy' bookcase with a shelf per subject to try to keep things organised!

Take their phones off them when they work and when they sleep. You will increase their chances of good grades by 10!!

I'll only do that if DD1 is not doing as well as she ought to be. She has done really well in Y7-Y9 without ever having to regulate her computer or phone use. My approach is always to trust them to be sensible about things first and to not try to fix what isn't broken.

Joining in too please! Eldest ds starting next week in Year 10 - no idea yet as to timetable, teachers or classmates.
He’s doing 11 gcse’s which scares me, but doesn’t seem to phase him as yet.
2 English
Maths and Further Maths
Geography
German
3 sciences separate
Computer Science
Graphics

No homework during the holidays which is good.

cauliflower very good point re phones. And the laptop...