Prelims coming up

[prettybird]

How are the fellow Scottish MNers getting on with their offspring as their prelims approach?

Ds is in S4 and sitting 8 Nat 5s this year, so it is his first experience of exams and mine as a concerned mum.

He seems to have his head screwed on though: he told me that his school said that if they got a written request for study leave, he could get it - but admitted he didn't need it.

Prelims start on Friday 4th (with PE) and finish on Monday 21st. He's most pissed off that 2 of his exams (French and Geography) are on the same day but got no sympathy from us

He is also extremely pissed off that I'm going to force him to go to school on the 22nd, even though it's only a short day and hardly anyone will be in

According to the red book he should have had Tb testing and BCG at age 10-14 and Tetanus, Polio and Diptheria at age 15-18

He has now brought home his Nat 5 prelim timetable and left it facedown on the kitchen counter shown it to us. I didn't tell him I'd already found it on the school website

One day off in the "main" week, but that is the day before he has two exams, so he'll have his head down studying. Starts on Friday 11th with PE and finishes on Monday 21st with Chemistry.

The Higher prelims are on at the same time.

How is everyone else doing - especially those whose kids have already started their exams?

He's just come downstairs and complained about how hard and boring it is to learn all the facts. Then he tried to recite to me the written bit of French he's been practising. Let's just say that even though I have a French degree, I struggled at times to understand what he was saying . He'll take the correction ok, so he knows how he should be pronouncing the words but just doesn't

Monday was English which "went well". Tuesday was Maths which was "okay" and further pushing elicited "I think i will have done pretty well".

I won't believe any of it until I see the results as very little studying has taken place :o

Had today with no exam and same tomorrow, he was up and on-line playing games before he is usually up for school. He managed to fit in breakfast and lunch but not a shower. Says he went out to get fresh air...bet it was 10 minutes...

I'm expecting same again tomorrow - I've only seen him when he came down for dinner.

Exam Friday pm and then 4 next week. He has Tuesday off.

Our Higher prelims aren't until next year.

Aaaaargh!

Yesterday evening ds asked me if I was going to the shops today and if so, were there book shops there (answer was Yes and No as I'm popping to Silverburn). "Why?" I asked. "I was wanting you to get the English past papers" he said.

Now, I got him a complete set of past papers with the exception of English because he insisted said he didn't need English as his teacher was going through things so thoroughly.

He now says he wants more practice with close reading.

"No problem", I said, "I'll get you the past papers revision book on Monday. When is your English prelim?"

"Monday" he says

To give him his due, he then said he would just work off the SQA website.

I'll get him the Hodder and Gibson anyway, so that he's got it for the "real" exams.

Prettybird there are 2 years of past papers and a specimen on SQA website but if he needs help with specific question types/skills Google Nat 5 reading skills. St Rochs have on their site a very full power point - I put it on Edmodo for my troops just before their Mocks and they liked it. Sorry for not linking but I'm using my (shite) phone.

DS1 had his S4 prelims last December but his S5 prelims are in January, which I am glad about as he has more time to procrastinate study. Some might remember the upset in August when something went spectacularly wrong with his best subject. I feel that he might pull the finger out more this year, we had a parents evening a few weeks ago and he's upped his game in all 5 subjects this year.nwe have another parents evening after the prelims in Feb so we'll see what they story is then.

Dd is S4. She's got her Nat5 prelims in January. Her drama one is on the 14th, then English starts a week later on her birthday. She has a couple of days in between each one.

At parents night, most of the teachers were happy with her A&B scores so far. But she had a C in drama. The teacher started ripping her to shreds about it and I wasn't too impressed until the stupid woman say "well it's expected for this stage as we've only assessed one half and we start the next part next week!" So you haven't taught an important part of the course and it's not been assessed so her mark will be higher come the prelim? The teacher started back tracking at that point. Spoke to other parents and they said something similar. Teacher is barking in our opinions and we have to hope for the best.

Dd is fine just now, but after the NABS fiasco where she melted down in stress, I feel we need to worki on relaxing and her being calmer.

Prettybird don't fret. There's no point in doing all of the past papers now and not having a fresh set for the spring, when he'll really be gearing up for The Big Day.

Anyone know how long it usually takes for the results? DS just finished his last one on Friday but seems to think he will get results next week?

He tells me nothing though - I have no idea about NABs etc

Thanks Liflfix - I'll look that up and then send him the link via email (he'd get pissed off at me if I said it can via Mumsnet ).

I'll find out soon enough how it went: exam finishes at 16.10.

He went off to school early at 12 as he said he couldn't revise any more, so better to be with his friends and go to the library. I told him to make sure just to stay in the company of positive friends!

He was doing mind maps last night (having asked me for A3 paper) and seemed comfortable. A bit more apprehensive though than before his PE Prelim on Friday - but that wasn't a proper exam (you could take notes in). This is his first ever proper exam.

Got two results back today, Maths and Physics - 78 for one and 82 for the other - forget which order. He says that should be equivalent to an A so seems happy despite the lack of proper study! Maybe I am worrying for nothing but I was expecting him to get a fright - 5 more results to go though...

Those are good and quick!

Although maybe not if you wanted him to get a fright and become more focussed in his studying

Thanks prettybird, I think the issue is that these exams are the first indication of how he is doing as the focus in reports has always been on effort. As a consequence, I have no idea of his abilities or what he is capable of. It's a combination of his personality and the CofE and the school I think. Though tbf, younger DS is much more forthcoming in general but I equally have no clue about him either! Both cruised through primary with very little effort and glowing feedback from the teacher. Reading assessments always put them 4 years about their actual age, but i am not sure whether that actually equates into anything in terms of exam results.

Hope your DS got on okay today and wish him luck for the rest to come.

4 years above their age..