GCSE preparations...how necessary is this...?

Amazon ladies, Amazon - can be much cheaper as well for the revision books.

I taught GCSE RE for 5 years. The exam board we used had revision guides written by the chief examiner and they were fab. They had everything in them you needed to revise from and get a C. They also had exemplars of how not to answer questions, and how to do it, including mark schemes and showing how the mark schemes are applied. For students who didn't want to revise they were invaluable; and as they weren't thick books, those who were less able weren't put off by them.

I mark for the exam board, and I've just ordered the revision guides for the new specifications as they are my quick reference guides if I need to check an answer from a candidate.

Tiffany - ask the school if they can post or email the parents eve information out to you. Our school werer happy to do this when I explained that we couln't get to a meeting.

"Our latest is they are insisting on some after school French lessons, apparently they are compulsory."

SDR, if it's a state school and the sessions are after school, they are not compulsory. They just say that to try and get pupils to go. It really bugs me when teachers lie to pupils/parents (and I am a teacher, so am allowed to say that!!) Something similar happened to a friend recently.

If it's a private school or an academy, the situation may be different.

( sorry. I only posted his results so it didn't read like 'we did no revision and he did fine with his F in geography'. It was for context but I realise it looks a bit pleased with itself )

My son got 6a*s and 4As and we never got revision books. He did test papers the school provided and didthat old fashioned, going through his books thing.
We did help him with revision thoough as in helping him set up a schedule from easter onwards and getting him to stick to it

This increased preparation is one reason why exam results have gone up. REvision guides are useful but I agree that it works out very expensive and a lot of pressure is put on students to buy them. Don't feel you have to.
I would ask for noted from preparation evening and not worry about it.

My DD is the same age as yours. She finds the revision books useful and they seem to be a bit cheaper through the school. However some children find websites work better for them.

As for the revision evening for parents - you're not sitting the exams. And I think we can all work out support for our DC's. I'd just call the school, explain you can't go and ask them to post out the notes.

Our latest is they are insisting on some after school French lessons, apparently they are compulsory. However they are on the same day/time as DD's physics/maths tutoring (out of school). She is doing well in French but borderline failing maths & physics. I know which is the priority, but try explaining that to the French teacher.

I don't remember this much pressure!

Well my DC's school does push the child/school/home triangle as being the key to success (makes life difficult when its the child that doesn't hold up their corner!) so these sorts of evenings are very common.

I found revision information evenings of limited use (6pm what are they thinking of!) but I went anyway just in case they were telling me something I didn't know. DCs school also went through the same stuff with the kids as well in PSHE - mind maps, past papers for maths, etc etc and telling the parents meant that kids couldn't swear blind that the best way to revise was with music blaring out and your facebook page up on the laptop.

I think we were offered some revision guides that the school could get cheaper than the shops but how useful they are depends on your child - DD1 loves a revision guide but DD2 hates them.