How did everyone's dc find today then?
Dd was a little nervous but also a bit excited this morning, she quite likes tests usually as she tends to do well in them.
She said she thought she did well in the level 3-5 paper, and feels quite happy with the level 6 paper - although she did get a bit stuck on the first question it got better after that. She said she didn't enjoy the texts very much on the level 6 paper but retold me one from the 3-5 paper that she liked.
Revision wise they've been revising in school but haven't done a lot of past papers, and homework has been revision but hasn't increased in quantity. The focus seems to have largely been on maths.
Dd has been entered for the level 6 papers (there's probably about 10/40 doing the maths and 4/40 doing the English, so her school does seem to enter a lot of children), she's looking quite likely to achieve a level 6 in maths and has really enjoyed the new content she's been taught this year; a lot of it by an external teacher, including a term of 1 hour a week after school at the beginning of the year. Since then she has done no extra after-school revision although the school have had booster classes for some children (? those on the 4/5 border).
There has been much less focus on the English for dd (not sure if its been the same for all of the children), she's been a secure level 5 since last year and I almost feel like the school have decided they have very little chance of a child achieving level 6 on the reading paper so have not put too much effort into it. She's only done one level 6 practice reading paper in school.
I have found that a little frustrating and gone through a couple of past level 6 reading papers at home with her myself. I don't think they should be put under too much pressure but at the same time I want dd to meet her potential. She's going into a large secondary school and I want them to encourage her, as opposed to viewing her as a secure A/B GCSE student and letting her spend the next 5 years coasting. She's not a child who will misbehave or complain if she isn't been challenged so I feel like she could end up flying under the radar a bit, if she achieves well now then hopefully that would be less likely (a lot of this is based on my own experience at school).
Frustratingly at the weekend she came home with 3 (3-5) past papers! Completely stupid, what is the point in giving them the weekend before the tests? She'll have sat the actual tests by the time the teacher marks them and gives any feedback. They've had months to practice surely this weekend should have been about rest and relaxation? I don't know what the teacher was thinking, maybe there's method to her madness but I'm struggling to see it. Dd did do them but spent most of the weekend having fun with her grandparents while I was work.
She's got another one tonight - one she's already done at school anyway. I've told her not to bother doing it but she's a rule follower so she probably will!