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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Sign in here if your child is in Yr11 - taking GCSE's this Summer.

527 replies

Milliways · 18/01/2011 18:48

Hi
Apologies if this has been done this year, but I found a similar thread very supportive when DD started the exam treadmill (not at Uni) and we are about to start again with DS.

Milliboy is 15, late Summer baby so cannot get a job until the end of the Summer hols, when they will have all gone. Good news is - this gives him more revision time Grin

He is at a boys selective Grammar school, so the pressure is on to achieve. He also wants to aim for a decent Uni so understands that good GCSE grades are vital.

Still doesn't make the whole process any easier for him or me :)

Who else has boarded the 2011 Exam Express?

OP posts:
balia · 31/05/2011 10:04

Oh dear, frostyfingers - maybe they could see it as an opportunity to do better? (I know that's weak but tiny silver lining).

On the subject of how much time spent revising...DD had the weekend off, partying, out with friends, etc, came home yesterday and did about 3 hours, with regular breaks. I'm certainly hoping she'll do 3 hours a day - she only has Maths still to do, History, statistics, RE...I think that's it. Then she could have the weekend off if she needs it. It'll be over soon...it'll be over soon...it'll be over soon...

frostyfingers · 31/05/2011 12:03

That's what they've been told, and what I've been saying to them. What is more annoying is having thought they'd finished that bit they have to do it again. Two more sessions to get worked up about, grrrr.

3 hours a day....god I wish I could get that into them! They've done one this morning, spent an hour flying a kite and I'm going to get them to do another 1 this afternoon (after they've walked the dogs, made their own lunch, and made some bread) - I'm working after all.....!

morethanlikely · 31/05/2011 14:20

Hi I've been reading this thread with interest and can identify with virtually everything.
Mumblechum which exam boards are these that allow most of the work to have already been completed via course work? The most I know is 25%.

mumblechum1 · 31/05/2011 16:26

All the sciences. DS away now so not sure which board it is, but for example in Chemistry he's done 4 or 5 pieces of coursework worth 12.5% each and three modules over the last 2 years each work something like 12.5% each as well. So as his Chemistry has always been A* or A, even if he completely messed up the one last week, he'd still get borderline B/A.

It doesn't apply to all subjects, though, there's been no coursework or modules for Maths.

Original poster
Milliways · 31/05/2011 16:30

DS had a fairly relaxing weekend but has been revising today and says has no plans to meet up with mates at all this half-term! (Apparently his mates are all panicking now re lack of earlier revision!)

OP posts:
Capiche · 31/05/2011 21:59

yes mumblechum - dd physics and chem are

mumblechum1 · 31/05/2011 22:22

Grin I have never even seen a Geography book in this house and he has an exam in two weeks. He's back from Devon on Thurs night so I'll have to try to get him to get some work done over the weeknd but he'll be training on Sat then out at a party on Sat night so who knows? Maths on Monday morning...

emmspemms · 01/06/2011 22:14

Maths on Monday , it's a nightmare !
He's revising History and Geography ( because he likes these subjects ) but not so keen on Maths , and he's only doing foundation level so needs top marks ( but it's okay, it's easy ,)
See what I have to put up with ?

Cupawoman · 02/06/2011 07:31

My son has maths Monday and Friday, physics Tuesday and Astronomy on Thursday. Not a whole lot of revision going on it must be said.

mumblechum1 · 02/06/2011 07:41

DS must get A* in Maths or he won't get onto the Uni course he wants. I hope he at least does a couple of hours revision on the train home today.

Good luck to everyone doing Maths on Monday. Just thinking about how horrible I thought Maths was when I was sixteen brings me out in a cold sweat all these years later.

Original poster
Milliways · 02/06/2011 16:20

Next weeks DS has Maths x 2, History, Biology, Latin & RE!

The worst though is Add.Maths the following week, along with Geography, History, Chemistry, Latin & Physics. Think that is his worst week.

OP posts:
alice15 · 02/06/2011 18:48

How come he's still got the science to do, Milliways? Is it IGCSE? I thought DD's after-half-term load was bad (or she did) - Maths, RE, Latin, History and AS French - but science as well is really grim!
DD has kept at it pretty well this week, especially today, but we are all counting the minutes till it's all over; especially Maths.

balia · 02/06/2011 19:03

DD has Maths, History and Science next week, not too bad - the only one left that she is stressing about is the final maths module. We've had quite a good day chez Balia, and tomorrow DH is taking the boys away for the weekend so she has perfect peace and quiet for revision. I've said I'd better stay because it is the best excuse possible to avoid horrible caravans and have a lovely girly weekend with lie-ins and make sure she eats well and gets plenty of sleep.

Original poster
Milliways · 02/06/2011 19:24

Alice - DS's school do not do ANY modules in yr10 or 11 until the final exams! They believe in learning the entire syllabus and not doing a bit then forgetting it. That way they can progress at their own pace. seems fine until he sees all his mates at other schools with less stress.

(His school was "state school of the year" in the Sunday imes poll this year, so this method seems to get the results.)

OP posts:
Capiche · 02/06/2011 20:58

Milliways i think in retrospect i prefer it

DS did most of his without modules and i thought modules would suit dd better ( lazy) BUT she jumps to attention when under a bit of pressure

last septmeber her school decided to enter half the year for maths GCSE in november. We debated and debated and a lot of pupils pulled out but dd did it and did really well getting the top mark in her year in one paper..... I think the pressure does bring out he best in some children

MABS · 04/06/2011 12:24

modules, not modules,contolled assesments etc, Am i the only one who is not thoughly confused!!??

Rather shocking but dd does seem to have done quite a bit of work this week, tho 3 of her friends were in car accident so there has been a fair bit of distraction :(

Maths Mon and Fri this week which she hates.

Capiche · 04/06/2011 20:59

mabs 'tis second time for me so I feel pretty much au fait with much of it

sad thing about all this is that come

  1. August more stress results
  2. AS levels next year
  3. UCAS TORTURE following september
  4. A levels May
5 results August

ie it's all down hill from here

MABS · 05/06/2011 09:56

you are so right Capiche :(

Merrylegs · 05/06/2011 10:07

Yeah cheers for that capiche Grin and there was me thinking it was nearly over!

emmspemms · 05/06/2011 10:57

Thanks Capiche,
We have a daughter in year 9 , so it seems we have some torturous summers ahead .
Note to self, make sure we have supplies of wine in to help sooth my stress levels .

MABS · 05/06/2011 11:23

wine good but I have been driven to Gin i afraid :(

Original poster
Milliways · 05/06/2011 19:46

Deep breaths everyone, it will all be over in another (approx) 3 weeks :)

As DS said today, 10 down, 15 to go, then a Looooong summer holiday Grin

OP posts:
jgbmum · 05/06/2011 20:36

Capiche - not to mention 2 sets of January modules (Y12 & Y13), followed by results day in March.

DS has Maths tomorrow, hopefully no mistakes in the questions unlike the AS students who sat maths exams last week!

slartybartfast · 06/06/2011 08:49

maths

nervous

ds is sleeping as it isnt until the afternoon.

IdontknowwhyIcare · 06/06/2011 08:57

We are in yr 10 but should have just finished Business Studies. Everything Ds has completed to date has been modular and coursework but today appears to be the real thing along with some others this week and next. History, eng and ecconomics. gulp. Didnt board the train earlier as I had no idea we were doing the real thing this year!!!