GCSE 2019 support thread 6

Thanks Frugalkitty I didn’t think schools could do this but obviously they can and do. Good luck to all tomorrow.

Another one delurking to wish everyone the best of luck for tomorrow. Have a DS about to start Y11 but his school gets them to take Eng Lit and some science modules early so we are just getting a taste of exam and results stress this year. Hats off to all of you supporting and encouraging your DC through it - they are lucky to have you.

Marks not maths.

Please reassure me that I'm not the only one who genuinely has absolutely no idea what maths to expect for by boy tomorrow? I mean none at all.

Pre-mocks were dire, mocks slightly less so, and the real things ? God only knows.

He's nervous as hell and so am I. Don't remember being this anxious for DD who , despite being much less academic than her brother, did spectacularly well.

Everything crossed for my ever so little but 6 foot tall boy.

And good luck to all of your lovely kids too.

Thelma my friends son had a call from his college last week to go on early but I think that was on the morning, I don't think it was the night before. So they had the heads up he'd done well. I'm not sure about schools doing it though.

*your

I was on one of these threads last year and just wanted to wish you all very good luck. Hope you all get some sleep. Whatever happens tomorrow tour children are all stars and will forge their path ahead.

I need a drink but I’m on bloody antibiotics

I keep seeing dd2 running in crying saying 'they are awful'

I feel like I'm cracking up. A levels, disappointment, clearing for dd1, ill family members, money worries aaaargh. I might have a brandy.

Social media not some media!

Apparently some kids are putting on some media that they’ve had calls to go in early for pics and are insinuating that they’ve done really well. Surely schools are not allowed to let the kids know yet are they? My daughter is even more stressed now. I’ve told her to keep off social media. (Even though I’m on MM!)

Whatever results your lovely Children get tomorrow will be a vague memory in a few weeks time !! I have been there three times . My first two didn’t really work and got only 4As and the rest were Bs my third got 9As and 4 Bs but he was bitterly disappointed that he didn’t get A* . They all stepped up and went to RG universities !! They are very level headed ,happy people. My youngest is at Leeds in his 2 nd year .My oldest has a great job and is expecting a baby at Christmas..unplanned and my middle child is an ecologist..lifetime ambition and earning rubbish money...so in a long winded way ...don’t worry. Their mental health and well-being is so much more important than academic achievements !!

Good evening all

Just wanted to wish everyone best of luck tomorrow. I’ve been lurking for a few days. For us it’s next year that Ds2 does his GCSE’s but he did one (RE) a year early. Everyone in the year does it, not just selected kids. Ds2 did a lot of revision and so I’m super proud no matter what. Not least because his grandad was dying during his 3 exams and it was touch and go if he would have to miss an exam as due to grandfathers religion he needed to be buried immediately. As it happened a coroner ordering PM meant funeral ended up being on a Saturday. His school put in for special consideration (I believe it’s up to 5%). He was predicted an 8 but obviously with everything going on not sure what his grade will be. It’s been good practice though knowing how the exams work etc. In terrifed though seeing how much revision he did for one GCSE, how on earth do they manage with so many?!

Hoping we can delay any girlfriends until end of A levels at least! Lol.

Financial incentives - Ds2’s dad has offered him £500 for any 9’s 😮😮

I didn’t go down the cash route, mainly because I don’t have any but also because I have one gifted and talented child and one at a special school.

Anyway, I’ve kept busy all day doing jobs I’d put off in the allotment, cleaning, cooking and put to my sister’s for tea.

Going to bed now!

So just eating dinner. Ds asks his Dad EVERY DAY to get a matching goat tattoo ( don't ask , it's been months - even when Dh & I were away for a couple nights : he got daily texts ' when are we getting matching goat tattoos ?'
Family joke now.
Ds asked Dh the question... Dd pipes up ' Dad - if I get my target grades tomorrow, will you get the matching goat tattoo' .... He agreed
So funny .

Good luck everyone. I'm new to the thread but about to collapse through nerves. I've had A level results last week with dd which were a disappointment. Really can't face another load of disappointment and for some reason dd2 is expecting really high grades. She's at independent school and they do iGCSE English lit and lang. She got a 6 in the lang and a 9 in the lit. She wants 8s in RS, Classics and Drama. 7s in Science 1 and 2. She'll be ok with 6s in maths and Spanish but would really like 7s.

I thought my Uni career was over because I failed to get a C in Maths. 4 times! But they accepted my 2 sciences so it was all ok. Many years ago but there is still a lot of flexibility in the system.

It’s nice to read all the positive stories from people who didn’t do so well on the day, but have still had fulfilling / successful lives and/or took up education again later.

Myrtle lovely to have you back :) Really wishing your Dd well tomorrow, pleased she handled it so maturely it must have been very worrying for you. Hope your sister is staying positive & Sending you good thoughts.
No money bribes here either. I don’t think it would have made any difference. Tbh I think my Dd just wants to hear we are proud of her and the effort she made.
FAQs same happened to my Dd but she got back on track and her grades recovered. She is still with her boyfriend ( just about) but it really became a positive. He was talking about deferring Uni until they could go together .The temptation is to jump in but staying in the wings really works well as long as it is a healthy relationship.
Dds camped at Reading tonight and we are driving back to London at 7am so it’s a G&T for me now.
Thanks to everyone for sharing and making this thread a true hand hold, will be thinking of you all tomorrow.

I’m afraid I did go down the cash route as I hoped that it might be an incentive as nothing else served to motivate DS. I offered £20 for a 6, £50 for a 7 or higher (but £50 for a 6 in French, as that is his worst subject and he hates it with a passion, so I feel my money’s safe . Actually, I’ll be surprised if I have to cough up more than £100 tomorrow, which is a good job really as I haven’t really got the money!

Thanks DrM - you're right it was a relief and I think we did the best we could with the situation...

Lovely post flying - Dh was a 'late bloomer' re education..smart but didn't really find his groove until midway through degree - he went onto get a PhD and now is an academic so performance at GCSE definitely isn't a door open/door closed scenario (although I do wonder if it seems more that way now).

solitude am sorry to hear about your mom, but welcome - and indeed to all new joiners.

Am on party pick up duty so wine off limits till that taxi light is switched off!

It is, slingthegin.

Thank you for the welcomes, and thank you to those sharing stories of their DC whose GCSE results day did not define them.

From personal experience, at 16 I had one GCSE pass to my name. I had a successful career and when the time was right went back to FE and onto a professional degree in my 40s. A good attitude, work ethic and kindness is what matters most.