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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel defeated that dd has massively failed her mocks and I'm lost as to what to do.

37 replies

Schoolsoutearly · 20/07/2018 05:53

Dd is in year ten and has sen but is well supported.
Her predicted grades are all 4/5. Her achieved grades on internal school tests have been between a 4 and a 6. I was thrilled with this as she finds work difficult.

She has just done mock exams and got mostly 1 and 2s with one 3. Absolutely bottomed it out. She has processing issues and doesn't believe in herself so if she is not 100% she won't even try due to awful experiences elsewhere.

Aibu to think they have been over estimating her predicted grades?

Does a end year ten getting a 1/2 in mocks have any chance what so ever of getting a 4 by next year.

What hell do I do to help?

OP posts:

RaymondHolt · 20/07/2018 06:09

Don't panic at this point.

I can only talk for Maths but be aware that Maths and English are the only subjects that have been through the new exams. All other subjects are waiting for this years results to be able to forecast and grade more accurately. They maybe being cautious as they just don't know.

In Maths a lot comes down to exam technique and how much of the course they have covered so this might also apply. If your daughter is determined she can definitely improve on those grades.

Original poster

Schoolsoutearly · 20/07/2018 06:14

Thank you Raymond. She got a 2 in Maths, a 1 in English Literature and a 3 in English Language (which is ironically the thing she struggles with most )

She's going from set two to set four.

OP posts:

cuddlymunchkin · 20/07/2018 06:27

I would suggest getting a tutor - the one to one sessions are so incredibly helpful. I used Tutor Pages but there's also Tutorhunt. Well worth it for the boost in confidence and subsequent hike in results.

Broken11Girl · 20/07/2018 06:29

It's only mocks, she's got nearly another year to work and gain maturity. She has every chance.
I got something like A-Ds in my mocks, A*-Bs in the real thing. A year of growing up and being arsed, was bright but lazy did it.
I would make sure she has the support she needs, as she has SEN, maybe something isn't quite working, but I don't doubt she can improve hugely.

eggofmantumbi · 20/07/2018 06:33

Did she revise for the mocks. I bet if they've been done at the end of this academic year she'll have put in nowhere near the effort she needs to next Summer (through no real fault of her own). She'll be ok.

FrenchFancie · 20/07/2018 06:38

Don’t panic!
I got terrible grades at my a level mocks (an f, g and two Us) in the January before my final exams. To this day I still don’t know what went wrong with that set of exams because I got two As a B and a c in the final things.
As your daughter has Sen you may need to tread more carefully but can you find out fro m her what she thinks happened? Did she have bad nerves? Did she forget things, panic? Or is it exam technique that can be worked on? Or is it a total mystery.
What out for her being dropped down sets though - I don’t know how your school works or if it’s changed much since I went through but bottom set people were only entered into lower category of papers which meant even if they did brilliantly they could only get a maximum of a C. It’s all been ‘Gove’d since I was at school though, so it may well have changed!

KatieKat88 · 20/07/2018 06:43

Does she get extra time for processing or a smaller environment if the stress of formal mocks in the hall with everyone else is stressing her out? Lots of my SEND students have this but you have to have proof for exam boards that it's their normal way of working/ doing tests, so contact your school's SEND team asap if not.

Do also gently check if she's revised (and revised enough and in an effective way!) So many students don't realise that 30 mins of flicking through an exercise book won't cut it (no matter how many times I tell them!)

HugeAckmansWife · 20/07/2018 06:47

Don't panic. The run up to the real thing will involve lots and lots of focused revision in class and likely in extra sessions. If her school is good they will have lots of strategies in place to help students prepare and focus their own revision at home effectively. In a year's time she will have done loads more past papers and have much more practise at coping with the exam environment.
Give her a nice relaxed summer with maybe a bit of time to consolidate this year's work - not arduous but making topic summary posters or flashcards sort of thing and then see her form tutor and senco I the new term.

Itis6oclocksomewhere · 20/07/2018 06:51

Are you me? I could have written your exact post.

In our situation, my DD missed a lot of year 9 due to illness so there are gaps in her knowledge which we are working on.
My main priority at the moment is getting over the knocked confidence.

Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. It's helpful reading the tips and stories from others.

Phantommagic · 20/07/2018 06:52

It's not unusual to do well in end of unit tests but then do worse when a whole subject is tested. Almost all pupils underestimate the time needed for revision. I would help her make a plan from September, maybe 30 mind a day for revision.

Phantommagic · 20/07/2018 06:54

Posted early! Little and often will be better and won't lead to overload. Try not to panic. There is every chance to get it sorted in the next year.

TheZeppo · 20/07/2018 06:55

I’m an English teacher. It is entirely possible for her still to get the grades- she may have had a paper with a poem she hated, or a character she didn’t remember or even that she hadn’t revised.

Can you ask to see her papers? Agree with the tutor idea if you can afford to. Double check she’s getting everything she’s entitled to regarding her SEND needs.

Try not to worry- a lot can change in a year.

gamerwidow · 20/07/2018 06:56

They are only mocks and hopefully they’ll serve as a wake up call that if she doesn’t do the work she wont get the grades. You can’t do the exams for her all you can do is encourage and support. It’s frustrating when you know they can do better but you can’t make them engage if they are not ready. My nephew is just about to bomb out of his GCSEs (he fell asleep in 2 exams ffs) but there are 6th form colleges where they can get a second chance and start again. He has an unconditional place to do a BTEC in Film and Media plus Maths and English next year.
It’s easier if your kids follow the standard route to qualifications but the opportunities don’t stop at 16 if they mess up there’s always another route.

Shambu · 20/07/2018 06:57

Talk to the school about what actually went wrong in the exam.

If they made her panic, she may need practise doing exams.

Original poster

Schoolsoutearly · 20/07/2018 06:59

Thank you so much!

To answer questions.

She is usually better in exams than coursework.
She seems to be struggling a lot with exam technique but also understanding what they want from the question.
She does get extra time in exams.
She did revise but I don't think effectively.
She did really well and was getting a merit in her Btech but then failed the coursework side which is done mostly on a computer in a noisy classroom where the teacher admitted people mess about. (She had sensory issues so this is a nightmare for her)
Yes she is going from set one and two to bottom set in most. Yes she is being given the foundation paper :(

Unmumsnetty hugs itis6oclocksomewhere it's bloody tough.

She wants to be a health visitor. I'm just worried she will get on ANYTHING in college at the moment!

OP posts:

Theycouldhavechoseneve · 20/07/2018 07:00

This is all great advice and it’s so hard not to worry or panic. Something else to remember though, success isn’t always achieved from a traditional path. I see the success and achievements of school peers who didn’t do well in exams, or even sit them in some cases. They each found their path. So yes help your girl in every way possible but also relax a bit for both your sakes. She’ll find her way x

monkeysox · 20/07/2018 07:04

Nothing wrong with foundation paper. She'll get what she needs

ChadwithaK · 20/07/2018 07:11

I have one who’s just done gcse after a horrific two years with lots of bad stuff. I’m trying to remember that they only need enough to do them. Dd is hoping to go to college - isn’t going back to school - and I’m hoping in a different environment she will thrive. Hugs.

37KAT · 20/07/2018 07:17

Stay calm and supportive and positive. My DD was the first cohort to sit the new English & Maths last year. There is huge pressure. Encourage her and if she applies herself and works hard from the beginning of year 11 she'll be fine.
My DD ended up with a 6 in maths & 7 in English last year. She was predicted 4's based on SATS from year 6.
Keep an eye on the progression she is making if she's been moved down sets. This happened to my DD and she ended up moving back up as the mocks didn't go well and the decision was based on this. It's a challenging year.

37KAT · 20/07/2018 07:19

Look at Mr Bruff for free online English tutorials. My DD planned her answers in English as he advised and credits part of this for the 7 she achieved...

Yogagirl123 · 20/07/2018 07:22

They are mocks, so as other poster said don’t panic. I know it’s tough OP.

I would recommend a tutor, we did this for DS1 who told me at Easter he was worried about his maths GCSE he was taking the higher paper, I did suggest taking the foundation, but he said no, as you need to answer more questions correctly to get a pass, than the higher paper, not sure if that’s true, but that’s what he said.

We hired a tutor twice a week to work one to one with him, and he did pass, he said he would never have passed without the tutors help.

It was well worth the cost as the college course DS1 had set his heart on he needed a pass in maths, eng, & science. Thank goodness he passed as we didn’t have a plan B!

Good luck to your DD, it’s a very stressful year, lots of pressure, make sure your DD also has fun time, time with friends etc.

Indigo89 · 20/07/2018 07:27

Having recipient finished marking this year's English Lit papers for one exam board, assuming she has actually answered the right questions about the right texts she has studied, to get a Level 1 is usually because:
a) candidates retell or paraphrase the plot rather than address the question
b) make no reference to the writers ideas /aims
c) don't refer to any quotes at allvto support their ideas; even one word quotes or 'the gist of it' quotes count and would warrant a level 2 at least, providing the question had been addressed.

NicoAndTheNiners · 20/07/2018 07:33

Dd did ok in her year 11 xmas mocks apart from English where she got a 2 and a 3. I panicked and we got a tutor once a week. She got a 7 and an 8 in the real thing. The tutor also saw her mock papers and said the school had marked them harshly and she thought they were more of a 5 standard. So not sure if it’s a thing where schools are quite harsh on marking mocks? Or maybe with us it was the first year of the new number system and maybe the teachers were unsure of boundaries?

Does she use her extra time? Going over, checking stuff even if she’s finished?

MustBeThursday · 20/07/2018 07:37

Oh no! Think of it as advance warning though - can you meet with her form teacher, school SENCO to discuss support or get advice for a tutor?

My brother was massively let down by his secondary school with regards to support both for academics and with bullying and failed all but 2 of his GCSEs (including English and maths). He went on to get a place at college doing a bakery course and was one of the best in his class. The environment and the type of work was much more suited to him.

There are always options - GCSE resits, access courses and the like. If it comes to it, you can make a new plan of action.

Aeroflotgirl · 20/07/2018 07:38

As others said, it is only mocks, she has time to improve, see where she went wrong and try in those areas. It is not the end of the world,

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