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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

Should I let DD sit grade 5 theory exam

41 replies

FiveHoursSleep · 29/02/2016 18:47

on Wednesday?
She did two papers this weekend and got 61 and 67% .
She's going to do another paper over the next couple of days and do some corrections for these papers but it's obvious she is at risk of failing.
She is booked in to sit the exam this Wednesday. Should I let her try or shall we take another 3 months to get her up to speed?

OP posts:

Original poster

FiveHoursSleep · 03/03/2016 09:18

How did they all find it?
We had a disaster as we were 10 minutes late due to parking difficulties and getting lost.
DD is autistic so this really threw her but she did say she went back over the questions and 'fixed' one.
She still was only in there for an hour though...

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Wafflenose · 03/03/2016 10:29

We screeched in bang on time... and everyone else was sitting in the room in silence! Oh well, DD managed to start on time. She's not very good at checking, but had little choice - I physically couldn't be there to collect her until 6.40, so she had to stay put. In fact, she came out with only five minutes to spare. She thought it went fine and said there weren't any surprises.

Witchend · 04/03/2016 10:17

Dd1 did it on Wednesday and came out after an hour, and wasn't the first out.
Don't know how she's done, she should really have done more practice but gets so much homework, cramming extra papers to practice on is difficult. She was getting similar scores in practices.

Original poster

FiveHoursSleep · 14/07/2017 20:55

Update on this 17 months later.
DD failed this exam three times- she got 45, 55 and 61. Her teacher got upset and told her she'd never had anyone fail before.
We moved her to another teacher, she sat it for the 4th time and we got her results today. She passed-and got 83%
We are so relieved!!!! And thankful to her new piano teacher.
I know that most people pass this first time but DD found it difficult and now knows that it's not the end of the world if something doesn't go right the first time.

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Wafflenose · 14/07/2017 21:18

I remember this well, and am SO thrilled for her! I just felt that she needed some decent, methodical teaching, and maybe taking a step or two back, in order to go forward. Most of my pupils do pass it quite easily (I'm very thorough, and don't enter them until they're getting 80-90% on practice papers) but one young man with SEN failed with 59% a few years ago. We had to unpick the mistakes, sort out his composition and work harder. The following term, he got 76%, and a year or two later, he passed his Grade 6 Theory with 67%. Not many have the determination to get that far!

Anyhow, she's learned a really valuable life lesson. The world doesn't stop turning when we fail at something. I had to take my driving test four times, but got there in the end.

TheSecondOfHerName · 14/07/2017 21:20

Well done to your DD for her perseverance.

Original poster

FiveHoursSleep · 14/07/2017 21:33

Wafflenose, you were so helpful and positive about it. I knew she could do it with the right help. She's not stupid, her brain just works differently to other peoples and I'm trying my hardest to make sure she knows she can do anything anyone else can.

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Ferguson2 · 15/07/2017 18:38

Just as some people think they can't do Maths, music Theory is similar in that a student really needs to UNDERSTAND pretty much everything about the appropriate Theory level; it often isn't enough just learn facts without having the understanding.

Moominmammacat · 17/07/2017 09:19

You know she can get special help with ASD? One of my friend's dyslexic pupils had extra time and a quiet room.

Wafflenose · 17/07/2017 09:30

She has just passed with Merit!

Original poster

FiveHoursSleep · 17/07/2017 21:41

Thanks MoominMammacat but I updated a few messages up to say that she had to sit it 4 times before she passed it. But when she did pass it, she did it well:)
The frustrating thing was that extra time didn't help her, as she only ever stayed just over an hour.

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TheBalefulGroke · 17/07/2017 21:46

Just seen your update via active convos- so glad she smashed it this time!
The teacher can make such a huge difference, can't they?
So glad we found my DD's, she's worth her weight in gold.

teaandakitkat · 17/07/2017 21:56

Tell her a huge congratulations from me. She went back and did it 3 more times? Man, that is amazing determination.
And 83%, brilliant. You must be mega happy (and relieved).

Original poster

FiveHoursSleep · 17/07/2017 23:15

I am SO relieved. I'm not sure I could get her into the exam a 5th time.
The teacher made all the difference, she believed DD could do it, communicated well with me and set clear guidelines.
The previous teacher was trying to tack it on the end of a half-hour practical lesson, I felt nothing was fully explained and I was never made aware of what homework had been set.

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Isadora2007 · 17/07/2017 23:20

Awww that's fab. And what a star to keep on trying as that's so very hard indeed. Fantastic! So pleased for her.

MrsMozart · 17/07/2017 23:24

Very well done the lass

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