GCSE supporting - to half term, and beyond!

For anyone concerned about what their dc wrote about; dd recalls that for hers, in 2017, she wrote about someone on a train and there was a murder (reffing Agatha Christie I gather, hence it had to be on a train) and the storyline was “write about a journey on a bus.

They want you to write, but the actual topic is not so very vital, as long as you write engagingly and perhaps loosely to the task. Dd got a 9 btw.

Just told DD that, they said "that sounds epic, they'd definitely be mates with my group if they went to my school"

They wrote about a nightmare where the character has been watching too much Netflix and their dreams are disturbed by characters from Stranger Things, amongst others.

DS2 said he wrote a creative piece about a man and a bull.
I said, that sounds interesting, like a matador?
He just stared at me blankly 🤣

No idea how DS did for today's Eng Lang - he just said it was "good", which is his stock response to every exam so far. He has however finally been given his AQA Drama NEA mark for his revised performance and portfolio - 77/80. Obviously this is subject to moderation but he is cautiously very pleased. Hopefully the news will lift his flagging spirits.

DS said he ran out of things to say for Q4. Was that the life of Pi one?

Not the best day for DD, she only managed to type a page and a bit for the creative writing even though she used all her extra time. She didn't finish the paper either. Just couldn't get the words out. I wouldn't worry so much except she is set on doing essay subjects for A level.

Great that kids are getting the opportunity to do FM, however it's delivered. It's run as a twilight session at ours, which I think is amazing.

I feel for those young people affected by illness in exams. I had terrible migraines as a teen - so debilitating. And stress definitely makes it worse so I can totally see how 2 exams in a day would have been a classic trigger. I used to find if I could ‘catch’ mine early enough and drink cold water and painkillers before it took hold properly that could stave it off. But everyone is different and it took me years to get to the point of being able to spot when one was on its way.

Dd messaged me after English to tell me it went surprisingly OK.
If she fails anything it will be English.

She's also been sent her photography mark, 71 out of 96, but as she can't remember the exam board she doesn't know what grade it relates to.

Thanks MrsHamlet ( sorry no idea how to post the comment I’m replying to) good to know you don’t lose marks either way. And interesting that your DS Whatisitn0w was also told to agree.

Ds said he agreed in the main but then also put some contrasting points to disagree.

Yes, DS has also now finished EDT (Electronics) and Greek for ever! He thought that today's Odyssey paper was better than the Herodotus one before half term.

He's another one doing maths/further maths all together. Top two sets get taught FM once they've finished M, which for him was a couple of months. Hmm.

I've not seen the paper, but the question is always worded in the same way and there are always things that candidates can agree with. That's not to say they'll be penalised for not agreeing - that's not how the mark scheme works.

DS has also been told to always agree.

Mmm well there’s a few things online saying better to always agree as it’s often worded ‘A student thought blah blah blah… how far do you agree etc. and the teacher told all the students during mocks and lessons etc. V frustrating if they have been told this and it’s wrong. Sure she would have found lots of evidence to disagree but was scouting for anything to back up the agree argument. I hate this secret code for answering question that they are told. Hopefully she has made a convincing argument.

Ds apparently wrote about a mass escape in a zoo and animals eating people's faces 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I got a text from DD after English language
They went in this morning, absolutely wetting their pants they would fail/it would be stupidly hard etc.
The text?

"Omg, the actual test that lot blessed us with, the prompts, OMG the prompts, I wrote like 6 pages, it was giving me horror realness, and I think I did well but ahhhh!"

So I reckon they've done OK.

DD said absolutely should have disagreed.

English was ok here apparently & we now have a dog as it featured in her descriptive writing.
Greek was apparently ok too and also finished for ever!

I have never heard anyone say before its best to agree with the statement. DD said she disagreed also. Was something along the lines of do you agree with the statement that the writer presented the hyena as funny. DD was a bit garbled so I may have it wrong too. The invigilator should never read a question also.

I can understand that. Maybe, sometime in the future, they'll be glad to to impress someone with their knowledge on a starlit night 😀

Oh well, I guess 2% is better then nothing 🙄

Hope he is ok though, he needs at least a 6 to do A'levels at his school so it would be a real shame if this scuppers him. Roll on August 24th!

Unfortunately I think 5% is only for things like death of a parent etc. I googled when DS got Shingles and its normally 1 to 2% for illness as far as I could see.

I asked DD if she did a story or a description for the creative writing piece and she said a bit of both 🤦‍♀️.

I will double check about the invigilator- maybe I misunderstood but she has definitely been told to always agree with the statement. How annoying if this time she was supposed to disagree! Hopefully the rest of the paper went well. She enjoys creative writing although is dyslexic so hoping she has actually written in full, correctly punctuated sentences!!