Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let DD go on camp mid GCSE exams?

60 replies

Onlygoingforward · 13/05/2019 09:04

Help! I genuinely don't know what to do.
Have NC.

To avoid drip feeding I have put as much info as possible.

DD starts her exams this week. She is not academic at all and is not predicted to pass most subjects at a 4.
She MAY scrape a couple.

She attends an activity which she intends to persue related jobs when she leaves school as a career.

However she has been invited on camp related to this activity on the weekend before the last week of her exams.
This is a training camp which is for those who will be promoted. As far as I know they need to attend to be tick off part of the section towards promotion. She COULD wait but it is likely to be over 6 months possibly longer.

The camp would be Friday after school travelling and away Saturday and Sunday and would be quite intense.
She IS in school Monday as they don't have study leave but she does not have an exam that day.

Over to Mumsnet!

OP posts:
lastqueenofscotland · 13/05/2019 09:34

I have a friend who is my age (late twenties) and STILL struggles with work due to not having a C in maths.
I’d personally make her concentrate on getting maths and English out of the way and then go on this camp at a later date. 6 months is fuck all.

Nicpem1982 · 13/05/2019 09:35

Id let her go

It's sound like it will be really beneficial to her. Gcses arent the be all and end all it sounds like she has already made some headway in forging an early career path.

Letting her go will show her that you support her and her chosen career

Original poster
Onlygoingforward · 13/05/2019 09:36

'But obviously that will depend on the set up of the camp and how it is run.'

The camp is run very well but they are up late doing activities and having checked which type of camp it is they will be outside overnight both nights and unlikely to get much sleep Confused

She will if it's like last time be home by around 6.30pm on the Sunday so could be in bed early but...

OP posts:
Seeline · 13/05/2019 09:38

Hmm - little/no sleep, two of the papers she could pass that week, as well as maths which she will really need.

What are her plans for September?

Seeline · 13/05/2019 09:39

Would is be possible to just do the Friday/Saturday and come home early on the Sunday as a compromise?

Original poster
Onlygoingforward · 13/05/2019 09:40

lastqueenofscotland she's not going to pass her maths.
We already have a place to restudy and retake it for September.
We've had an awful year Maths wise for a variety of reasons. We are going to be lucky to get a 2.

She was 1 mark off a 4 in English Language and I think 3 off a 4 in one of the sciences.

We are down for a BTEC level 2 in her related subject with maths and English for September.

OP posts:
Seeline · 13/05/2019 09:45

OK - if her BTEC place isn't reliant on her passing her science, then I would let her go.

MereDintofPandiculation · 13/05/2019 09:47

the question is - will not going increase the number of exams she will pass. It looks like the answer is no. She has Monday to recover, maths on Tuesday is a lost cause, and she can spend the rest of Tuesday mugging up for Weds exams.

Last minute revision isn't particularly helpful for maths - it's not really a facts-based subject.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 13/05/2019 09:47

Does she have English that week? It sounds like the weekend won’t make any difference to her maths, but a 4 in English might just be possible.

lisalocketlostherpocket · 13/05/2019 09:53

I would let her go too. It sounds like the experience she will get will be more useful for her future than GCSEs anyway. And she can (and may need to) resit her Maths and English any time in the future.

My ds is still going to his sports sessions - not quite the same as a whole weekend out, but the kids need a break and can't revise all the time not that my son is likely to suffer burnout with the amount he doesn't do

RhubarbTea · 13/05/2019 09:55

I'd let her go. Cramming last minute won't help her anyway. But I would make her do a bit of extra revision before she heads off.

Original poster
Onlygoingforward · 13/05/2019 09:58

Her last English is Friday afternoon before she goes to camp..

The exams that week are
Maths, History, Geography and two sciences I think.

OP posts:
ChippyMinton · 13/05/2019 10:01

Looking at my DC timetable, English is completed the previous week.
Sound like you have contingency in place for September.

MyDcAreMarvel · 13/05/2019 10:07

What possessed the camp leaders to run it mid GCSE’s?

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 13/05/2019 10:08

In that case, just keeping the maths revision going over the summer (not hours worth per day) is probably going to be more beneficial than cramming for a weekend for an exam she hasn’t got a hope in hell of passing then doing nothing until September.

1tisILeClerc · 13/05/2019 10:09

Life is more than exams.
Those who really succeed in life are those that are 'driven' by their passion rather than a big pile of qualifications.
I am not saying these wouldn't help but so much in life depends on being at the right place and right time.
Let her go, opportunity awaits those that get 'out there' and having a string of 'mediocre' exam results put her well down the pile.

manicinsomniac · 13/05/2019 10:09

I would let her go. Because:

  1. She's obviously going to be on an alternative higher education/career path to the traditional academic one and this camp sounds like it plays a key role in that.

  2. Her English will be done and her Maths is going to need retaking anyway.

  3. Science is very revision heavy and presumably she and the school are cramming that endlessly already. The final weekend won't make much difference.

Quite surprised an organisation aimed at teens would put an important camp mid GCSEs though - poor planning on their part.

1tisILeClerc · 13/05/2019 10:11

{Let her go, opportunity awaits those that get 'out there' and having a string of 'mediocre' exam results put her well down the pile.}
Sorry, I meant to have added that for 'conventional' employment she will be at a disadvantage with less than sparkling grades, but you don't need them to find a happy niche in life.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 13/05/2019 10:11

What grades does she need for September and how would missing a grade in one of the subjects she is doing the week after camp affect her chances of getting a place. ?
If its not going to affect that, then maybe the camp is the way to go. Would it be possible to take her home a day early, to give her more time to rest/revise before the GCSE week. The camp people ought to know and expect that some kids have GCSEs and make allowances.

From my own experience, we've looked at half term and said, .. yes plenty of time for revision but in reality revision can be hit and miss unless someone is closely supervising and supporting, having the whole family around can be quite distracting. And if there is a lot of revision, she might need help with organising her notes, checking what she needs to revise, finding a place to start and organising how much to do each day. Often when time is short, we've ditched the sometimes muddled notes and focused on working through a revision guide for the up to date exam spec.

I would worry that she might be tired and stressed because a weekend off before exams is not really a break, the exams are there and she may be worrying on the Saturday that she is not revising.

As you've aaid she can re do the camp again in six months time and maybe get more out of it without the exam burden hanging over her - if it were me I would let the camp go and at least have a go at the last min revision. Last min revision should not just be discounted - if done right can give more confidence.

Having said all that. Only you know all the finer points and it is a very tricky decision which only you and your daughter can make . It does sound like you've already got the Maths element covered and you sound like a very thoughtful and supportive mum. As I tell my own DCs, if the exam doesn't go the way you want, there's always another option. I wish you both all the very best whatever you decide.

Itwouldtakemuchmorethanthis · 13/05/2019 10:13

No. Sit down with her and just do past papers together every day. You CAN hike a grade up considerably by just talking through question after question calmly, with kindness. Don’t waste the chance as though she’s already done badly. Have you got past papers?

Ihatemyseleffordoingthis · 13/05/2019 10:13

I'd let her go.
You are anticipating resitting Maths anyway - that is not to say she can throw it but if she revises between now and going away , and rests up Sunday night through till Tuesday I would think that would be fine.

TBH - and I know this will not be popular, I'd probably keep her off school on Monday if she was bloody exhausted rather than a pointless last minute revision crammer/diddle at school.

Especially if she is not likely to get good GCSE results overall, anything that progresses her future prospects, offers and alternative path or indeed gives her something to be proud of and celebrate would be a priority for me.

nowseeherefella · 13/05/2019 10:15

I would absolutely not be letting her go. That is a LOT of exams that week, even if she doesn't have one on the Monday.

I would also be contacting the organisers of this camp and letting them know that you feel it is putting your daughter at a disadvantage because obviously she cannot attend whilst the camp is during her GCSEs and asking why they did not have the foresight to arrange the camp outside of exam season. It's only a few weeks, it's not hard.

llangennith · 13/05/2019 10:20

Let her go. 27 May is a Bank Holiday for all so it's unlikely school will be open. Either way, keep her home that Monday.
Get her private maths tuition asap until she passes her maths GCSE. It doesn't sound as though you set much store by academic subjects but it really is worth her passing maths and English.

Original poster
Onlygoingforward · 13/05/2019 10:28

'What possessed the camp leaders to run it mid GCSE’s?'

It's a group that covers many different age teens from younger than DD up to A Level sort of age. But yes I agree somewhat!

'What grades does she need for September'

Five grade 2 and above .

She's looking at
2 in Maths
2 in Geography
2 in history
Possibly a 4.3 in double science. More likely a 3.2
Possibly a 4 in Language
1 in literature
A BTEC level 2 merit in her BTEC Tech award.

We have been doing revision and past papers at home and intervention in school for months.

OP posts:
DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 13/05/2019 10:28

Is it cadets? Cadets give out certificates etc that people put towards their applications for the forces, so if that's the case, could be a boon to go. The military puts more emphasis on qualifications than it used to, but more as in checking everyone has the basics and it sounds like you have a contingency plan for what you need. She might actually do better after a positive weekend than one spent sat at home, even if her exam load is heavy.

Also, to pp questioning the timing, I don't know for other activities but if it's a school cadet force on exercise, that possibly is crap timing. If it's a group going to a camp run by an area team- it'll be when they get use of a facility to run, and you bid for different trips & get what you're given to some extent, so unfortunate not deliberate.

Swipe left for the next trending thread