2019 Scottish Exam Support Thread

[Groovee]

Just getting started on this year's thread.

Only got Ds sitting 5 exams this year in S5. 🤞🏻 but Dd will be home most of the time as she's on placement.

dontfluff It's mad isn't it? DS goes back on Monday, he has one Uni offer on the table and he needs the results to in order to go, he says he wants to go but I've not seen much in the way of studying either. he seems happy and unworried which is not like him either. Not sure if I'm ready for my baby to be leaving school though :(

Our school doesn't offer revision classes - is this a common thing?

It wasn't a thing at all when I was at school - although that was in the 80s and the teachers were striking.

It is a "thing" here, there was structured revision during the first week of the Easter holidays. 2 hourly sessions per subject, allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Offered for the first time at DSs school but was 1st week of hols when we were away and none of the sessions were for stuff he's doing anyway. Very good opportunity for the kids I think though and well done for the teachers offering them.

It sounds like a great idea and yes, good on the teachers for giving up their time

Its been offered at our school for a number of years. Dd went to a few on her exams and Ds has been going in last week and going to a few this week. Dd said she felt for Ds as the holidays are late this year and he only gets 4 days back before exam leave.

Spoke to my friend who works there and she says she was giving up a day but that she was offering some for her DD's friends as her school wasn't offering any.

It's been a thing here for a while, I can't thank the teachers enough for giving up a part of their holidays. The children seem to get a lot from it too (even if the complaining about getting up before midday sounds the opposite!)

I fear ds will muck them up again. He's got shocking results the last 2 years but has a college course in his sights. Was offered a place for another course but has decided on something totally different. First interview in a couple of weeks.

My elder DS is sitting three Advanced Highers in Music, Mods and RMPS. Music is his first exam on 26 April. RMPS is his last at the end of May so it'll be a long haul.

He's been working pretty hard this holiday as he needs AAB to get into his firm choice uni for law.

His school has not been particularly supportive and in fact he's been waiting weeks to get feedback for one of his dissertations which needs to be submitted in the next few days. Also, one of his subjects has been without a teacher for the past few weeks.

Fingers crossed all goes well for all.

My friends school in Glasgow has done Easter school for many years, they've also had after school sessions and Saturday school on for the last few months and extra support for pupils doing 5 highers too. They clearly have ambitions on increasing their scores/places in the tables.

Ds' old school (state school in Glasgow) has done holiday study sessions, after school revision and Saturday revision sessions for as long as I've known what was going on at the school (which was when he started there in 2011).

As far as I am aware, there is no compulsion to go - but I'm sure the teachers encourage those that they think need them to go Ds only went to a few - but he was good at studying on his own (as stood him in good stead so far at Uni) and pretty much on top of his subjects. Might have been different if he'd been struggling.

My dd has just had a bit of an emotional meltdown. Wee lamb in floods of tears. She admits she has put so much pressure on herself and has lost her confidence a bit as doing past papers and making in her words silly mistakes.
We have always said that there are lots of ways to achieve in life and exams don’t define you. She works so hard and has always been an A girl and that is the issue.( Me I was never an all A anything!!🤣). She got it all off her chest and has had a big mum hug. She wanted a bit of space so is tucked up in bed with the cat and a cup of tea. I feel so helpless and am trying to strike the balance between keeping her self belief high but managing her expectations. Any advice ladies??x

Shame . I think you've already said it, exam results don't define you. I guess it's also about saying that you learn better from making mistakes and it's good that she is making them now. so instead of focusing on it as a disaster, it's about thinking about what she's learned from that, is it to read the question better? have a checklist in her head to tick off when she is reading over the questions? Making sure she's timed it properly? etc. To me it's 50% technique and 50% knowledge so if she knows the stuff then it's just about getting the technique right and that's something that's easy to fix.

Thank you Wax, you are absolutely right re the technique part and reading the question carefully is one of them!! She has mild dyslexia which can make mis reading a question a common occurrence. It’s true what you say about the questions she is getting wrong and learning from those.As I said to her you are getting the majority of questions right so the revision must be doing something! She has come downstairs and is much more cheerful. Thanks so much for your response it’s made me feel better too. Wish my own mum was still alive I could sure do with one of her hugs tonight.x

You and me both Alittle :( Fist anniversary of my mum passing was last week..

Glad to have helped. I think just trying to be calm yourself so they have somewhere to feel grounded is the most you can do. Would it help to look at what the band gradings were last year so she has an idea of what actually gets an A?

Maybe get her to step away from past papers till after the weekend and focus on revision- takes away the pressure of marks and being correct. Create her own flash cards, quizlets (online resource) ,character profiles etc. I have seen soo many of my lovely pupils come back after the break looking like they need a holiday because they have worked flat out.

My DD3 and DD4 just need to get study leave started as at school they're all feeding off the stress frenzy.

Ladies thank you both for your wise words and support. Wax I am sending you virtual hugs anniversaries are hard.🤗 lid you are spot on re a break from the papers. Our holidays have been a bit potty she went back to school yesterday and the issue is she is far more productive at home than school. And there is no teenage girl drama at home either!!!! I would not normally condone it but I think she might have a headache on Thursday and be off school as it’s her light day and 2 of her teachers that day are off. She is super organised she has made her flash cards throughout the year and English quotes are in post it’s all over the house!!! Thanks again ladies for your support it really does mean a lot to know I am not alone!xx

I have no idea what DS is doing tbh. He knows what he needs and he's knows i'm here. His mood is pretty good at the moment and I'm trying to step back really as if/when he's at Uni I wont be there and he needs to self direct.

I had to cancel his important hospital appointment today as it was for next Tuesday and it's now been revealed that that is the last day of school with leavers assembly etc. Bit fucked off tbh as I called them before the holidays to asked when the last day was as DS had been saying they'd been told Wednesday and I was sure it would be earlier. They told me it was definitely Wednesday. I just feel after 13 years of school with a near perfect attendance record, it would a shame for him to miss the last day and all the celebrations. We now need to wait another 6 weeks for the next availability.

That’s a shame re the hospital appt but I know what you mean you only get one last day at school. Hope he enjoys it!

Despite all his issues, he loves school, I think it's going to be an emotional day all round. I'll get my last day photo though :)

Lidl I know you are a teacher so looking for a little bit of advice. he has one teacher in particular who has always been there for him and he's had her for one subject or another (she takes social science) since 1st year and he's (hopefully) going to do a related subject at uni so definitely close to his heart. he'd like to get her something. I've said flowers would be nice, he's not sure but can't suggest anything else. Do pupils ever take in something and would flowers go down well? I've met her at many parents nights and think they would be good but obviously our entire encounters will add up to less than an hour so maybe he knows better?

Wax - Ds asked me to make a batch of my excellent tablet which I put into a pretty tin for his pastoral care teacher as she had been so supportive in advising him for his personal statement. So it's not unheard of to give secondary teachers a token of thanks

Come to think of it, my mum ( by all accounts an inspirational English teacher ) used to get body lotion or nice soaps occasionally (that I can remember). But that was over 20 years ago

It will be 7 years ago on Saturday that she died - although she had her accident 12 years ago and it was 10 years ago that we realised we weren't ever going to get "her" back (although we got glimpses). I still miss her Especially for hugs and advice and sharing experiences (like when offspring leave home) But it was actually a relief when she died and with time you start to be able to remember the "real" person better - and to realise that they are still with you in tbd person that you have become

Alittlewornout - it sounds strange but in the exam it might help your dd to imagine/visualise how someone she respects/admires/aspires (eg a real teacher but it could be a fictional character) and think about how they would answer it. It might help calm her while she tries to imagine how that (more expert) person would answer. Of course it is still her own memories and work - but it could help her relax and access more of those memories in her brain. (It's a MindStore technique if you've ever come across Jack Black).

But it sounds like you have been giving her brilliant advice and support.

Thanks lidl I know what you mean and really sorry to hear about your Mum. It's at times like this that I feel so bad, all these life events happening and my DC have no grandparents to congratulate them etc. The others all died either before they were born or while they were babies so my mum was really all they had and she wasn't well for a while either. I just feel gutted for them.

That technique is really what I've used a lot of my life in interviews etc to mask my shyness. I just pretend that I am someone who is confident and visualise myself being successful and it's always worked for me.

'Tis me, prettybird (Should I say that in an Allo, Allo accent? )

I'm sure Lidlfix will be along soon to contribute her real teacher's advice and experience

Jeez, so it is! sorry pb I was distracted trying to find something to fix DHs glasses.

Wax flowers are lovely. Worth considering that unlike our primary peers we don't get bombarded with mugs, chocolates etc, a lovely class once had a wee whip round and bought me a literature related mug . It really cheers me up when I feel rubbish as I can look at it and know I am appreciated. Social Subjects (like my beloved English) are very marking heavy the funky jute bags can take a magnitude of jotters!

Don't doubt that if your DS feels that she has helped foster a love for Social Subjects and has taught him since S1 that she will have a genuine respect for and investment in him too- maybe something that will cheer her up when grotty S2s are grumbling about History being boring and pointless.

PB that’s a really good idea re imagining what the expert would write. I will tell her that today on the way to school. Lid you teachers do a wonderful job, Thank you.x