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Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

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Original poster

Nat 5/Highers etc - Anyone getting ready with their S4 - S6 dc?

862 replies

weegiemum · 05/04/2016 15:39

My dd1 is in s4 and about to sit 8 Nat5s. I don't know who is more wound up about it - her or me! (and I'm a teacher!!).

Wondered if there's anyone else out there to hold hands with?

DD is sitting English, Maths, Ghaidlig (Gaelic native speaker), French, History, Art & Design, Physics and Design & Manufacture. First is English on 5th May.

OP posts:

hidingwithwine · 03/05/2016 20:15

Glad the pukka pad turned up . DS had his last day in S5 today and is on exam leave now until 7th June. He won't know which classrooms/teachers he has until the first day of S6 although he can hazard a pretty good guess. Next year at this time I'll have DS and DD going on exam leave together stress city

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 20:42

hiding I'll have one in s5 and one in s4 this year so the next couple of years will be fun. DS1 has no idea who he has after the exam leave and DS2 just got his timetable today starting today.

prettybird · 03/05/2016 21:15

Not sure when ds will be getting his S5 timetable: just know it starts on 6 June.

hidingwithwine · 03/05/2016 21:36

Yeah OneMagnum - I think we discussed that earlier in this thread

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 21:37

I'm losing the plot - that'll be why you are "hiding with the wine" :o

rogueantimatter · 03/05/2016 21:40

Thank you Tondelaya

DS hasn't learned any quotes for set text q. Didn't think he needed to apparently. Also objected to the notion of an english exam involving memorising something -' how does that demonstrate understanding? it's ridiculous blah blah'. fortunately his monthly tutor came round today and told him to. He wanted to go round to a friend's at 9pm. I said no.

English on thurs, geog on Friday then music activity thing nearly all weekend. In school today. Yesterday he appeared to be doing quite a bit but had only done 2.5 hours by dinner time. Not good at all. I don't know how much is aspergers/laziness/rebelliousness. He almost missed part of his music performance exam as he'd written down the time wrong and was out of school when the school phoned asking where he was. I hope he knows where the geog exam is. Last year he was nearly late for it as he went to three incorrect rooms first.

hidingwithwine · 03/05/2016 21:49

Magnum, I was Tilliebob back then

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 22:00

ha ha - I like the new identity :)

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 03/05/2016 22:04

def raise your teacher concerns sooner rather than later. magnum ...we have a serious issue with one of ds's subject teachers, we got fobbed off, and am qute angry about it tbh.

crux of it is, massive shortage of graphics teachers, timetabling issues, meaning the one shoddy specimen they do have is head of department, and covering two classes at the same time......complaints have been made, since before christmas.... promises were not followed through and suddenly we are exams looming, there's been no mock exam, little or no coursework and Teach prefers to devote his time to the less challenging younger class.
Other dept teachers are leaving hand over fist and a whole class of Graphics pupils are hangin by a thread, Rector is tearing his hair out and has been pulling in all the favours he can since before Easter.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/05/2016 22:09

Oh dear Tondelaya that sounds really grim, your poor DS :(

DS1 is hoping to crash higher Graph comm next year - smallish school so only one teacher too - no idea how good he is.

I will raise it as soon as poss for DS2. I'm not going to slag the teacher off - he may be excellent, but he isn't excellent for my son and that's what i care about. DS likes feels sorry for him as a person but just doesn't understand a word he says to him. He's not foreign, just Glaswegian! I think he is one of those really clever folk that just isn't good at explaining stuff. Ds then missed something and then got himself in a hole and tried to forget about it.

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 03/05/2016 23:21

that's what we thought about the graphics teacher, personality clash, and this is a crash higher too....

but this class also has some repeat students from the year before, aiming to up their grades, maybe we should have seen it coming?

rogueantimatter · 04/05/2016 10:13

Very good luck for your DS' graphics exam.

This thread is inspiring me to change my name to something better

unlucky83 · 04/05/2016 11:09

DD1 went off this morning for her first exam this afternoon ...Classics. She didn't do any revision she said she would do practice questions if I printed out past papers yesterday. So I did and she had she had done it...in her head ...
She did really well in the prelim and was bragging she hadn't studied for that...I hope she doesn't get a nasty shock this afternoon - or worse in August.
She didn't want to go on the school bus but has gone on the service bus - which will get her there about 9ish. I did put her notes in her bag and her English for tomorrow but she says she is meeting a friend and they are going to the book store to look at books...
I'm relieved she has gone early - we only have one bus an hour anyway and I could see her missing it and it being stressful and I didn't fancy a 22 mile round trip to take her in! Don't know how she is getting home - she could get the normal school bus but none of her friends on it will be on it and she has been bullied on there in the past (although the ones she had problems with should be off on study leave too)
She is doing them with everyone else and without extra time because she wants to but if she struggles this afternoon I will be pushing for her to do them in learning support. I think (hope) in a quiet exam room, blank walls and windows they can't see out there aren't many distractions so she should be ok.
(Although I think I have ADHD too and I recall realising during an exam at school that the walls had been touched up with paint that was a slightly different shade of pale green and in random places, like near the ceiling and trying to work out why it had needed touching up there etc ...so I guess anything could distract her...)
The only sign of stress she has shown is saying she can't wait for the exams to be over and things to get back to normal. It is me that is on edge...

OneMagnumisneverenough · 04/05/2016 11:28

Good luck for this afternoon for your DD.

I'm having to work at home for the next couple of days so I can take DS in for his afternoon exams since we can't rely on public transport - and it is a faff involving about 3 miles walk if he gets the train. He doesn't fancy going in with his brother at 9am for an exam starting at 1.30. He is using the laptop so will be in a smaller room with a couple of others in the same position. It means his exam is a slightly different time and he'll finish an hour and a half later than school.....so that will an extra trip for pick up too! there is actually a reasonably convenient bus around that time but it leaves two minutes before his exam is due to end. :(

rogueantimatter · 04/05/2016 12:01

Oh my goodness - the trials and tribulations of rural life!

Very good luck to your DD unlucky

If it's any consolation I know a bright child who underperformed in their Nat 5s - he did ok but not what you could describe as well. In S5 he picked his subjects very carefully including 2 from the school's 'arty' column ie art, music, drama etc and crashed a subject (don't think the school offers it at Nat 5 anyway) and is predicted to do well in his highers. He got a very manageable offer for a uni he's keen to go to and has now left school. Finding something he really wants to do has made such a difference to him. I hope your DD finds something she wants to do to motivate her too.

DS claims he has now memorised some quotes for English. I told him I'll test him on them later. I didn't meet any resistance so that's encouraging . He didn't actually say anything at all in reply

Has anyone heard the rumour about the Higher English paper being leaked and new papers having to be sent to the schools? I don't know what to make of that rumour...

PurpleFrog · 04/05/2016 12:16

Don't think it's a rumour... it was on the BBC News last night!

Groovee · 04/05/2016 12:24

Good luck to your Dd Unlucky.

The news were reporting the higher paper leak on Monday night. Dd started questioning me on how the exam papers arrive at the school and who deals with them.

hidingwithwine · 04/05/2016 13:15

I texted DS about 11.30 to ask what he was doing. "Making food" was the reply. I fear that will be the reply whenever I text him during this study leave he's home alone with the fridge

Groovee · 04/05/2016 13:21

Dd has been told if she makes anything she must do her dishes X

YoScience · 04/05/2016 20:56

DD is currently throwing herself about moaning that she knows nothing.

She then sat down and rhymed off about 30 quotes, word perfectly and said 'See! I know nothing!!'

Hope everyone's study is going well!

hidingwithwine · 04/05/2016 20:59

DS is obviously turning into an emotional eater. He's worn a path between his room and the fridge all day it seems he's off until the 7th June FFS

English is his best subject, I think it's echoes from last year's results day that's freaking him out.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 04/05/2016 21:07

DS1 is driving me mental. I have no idea if he knows anything or what he has been doing. He asked me if I know what he is supposed to do with his school bag, apparently there was an announcement in class - so how would I know what that was then?!

I asked him to look up some info today and I asked if he had when I got home, he says he did but can't remember what the answer is - I truly want to smother him with his pillow tonight...

In the meantime I am googling to see what would be best for him to eat tomorrow - I think I am over invested in this!!

YoScience · 04/05/2016 21:12

Food seems to be a theme!

DD has decided that she is getting up at 7 and having a tomato cuppa soup and bread for breakfast. Then picking up a lunch meal deal in tesco to have before her exam. She's put more thought into this than the exam I think! Not exactly brain food, possible more like comfort food!

hidingwithwine · 04/05/2016 21:16

DS will have his usual 4 weetabix for breakfast. Mum is taking him into school since the damn school is on inset so no buses - and I've got to go to my school in the opposite direction. Afterwards he's heading down the high street to Subway with his mates. Food all organised here too

prettybird · 04/05/2016 21:33

Ds is making himself porridge for breakfast. He also remembers to soak the pot afterwards

He hasn't decided yet what to do for lunch: whether to make a sandwich or to buy one close to the school.

He seems happy with his revision - both for English tomorrow and Geography the following day.

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