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

[Milliways]

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

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?

[Milliways]

Welcome MegMog & Springlamb :)

Megmog: They are not totally different careers - they both need a vocation! My DS wants to teach - what age range would your DS choose? He has definately chosen tough A levels, s good luck to him. No real advice re the revision. Small goals at a time & focussing on what they need to get where they want is easier said than done I suppose. Good luck trying though :)

Springlamb: You must be extra proud of your DS to be doing so well. Does his CP restrict his mobility much? We have a fantastic Agricultural college near here, there are so many opportunities these days (if they can get a job in a few years).

On board we now have:

FeelingOld (DD)
Frumpyinthefrost (DS2)
Greenshadow (DS2)
Herbietea (DS)
Megmog2000 (DS)
Milliways (DS)
Mumblechum (DS)
PixieOnALeaf (DD)
SpringLamb (DS)
TheCarrotCake (DS)

Hope I haven't forgotten anyone!

[Thecarrotcake]

Okay we got our exam dates now.. Last one is 22nd June... May looks hectic 8 exams in two weeks..:(

4 in June and one in April.

He has now sorted out his revision plan on his planner.. And has actually started in earnest on his Art sketch book and artist studies.

[Loshad]

I'll join too folks - DS2 is 15, not 16 until the summer. works quite hard and is hoping to do biol, chem, maths and then either politics or psychology in sixth form. He's done some biology GCSe modules so far, but that's all as he's doing IGCSE chemistry. He wants to go into the armed forces as well.

[Milliways]

Hello A2363 & Loshad :)

A2363 - we have just had an A level Options evening. It is all quite boggling but at least the school works hard to keep us informed - and they email us re Parents evenings like this. I also just had an email informing me of a Mock Exam DS is due to sit, subjects he is supposed to have revised & revision books he should have got! Maybe you should pester your school for better communication?

DS is feeling a bit pressured by the Maths Dept almost insisting he at least does AS Further Maths alongside normal Maths. Apparently 90 boys are taking some sort of Further Maths this year and it is almost expected. DS is not top set (they are elite) and just wants a decent Maths A2 grade, without the pressure of trying to do addtional papers.

[balia]

Hi - me too - DD taking GCSE's this summer (although already took her English in November and got an A) and has her college interview next Tuesday - she wants to do Politics, Philosophy, Economics and Art.

She's very organised, works hard - just can get a bit hysterical and drama queen-y when the pressure is on.

[Milliways]

Hi Balia - Welcome Aboard :)
(Good to have another girl in the mix as well, most of us have boys this year!)

[Beamur]

Hello - I've got DSD taking hers this summer too! Another scary clever kid. But so far looking very cool and laid back, but determined to do better than her brother (did his last year).

[Milliways]

Welcome Beamur!

Sibling rivalry can be a wonderful thing

Train is growing - updated list:

A2363 (DS1)
Balia (DD)
Beamur (DSD)
FeelingOld (DD)
Frumpyinthefrost (DS2)
Greenshadow (DS2)
Herbietea (DS)
Megmog2000 (DS)
Loshad (DS2)
Milliways (DS)
Mumblechum (DS)
PixieOnALeaf (DD)
SpringLamb (DS)
TheCarrotCake (DS)

10 Boys + 4 Girls :)

[Lucycat]

If I can help with GCSE Geography or advice for A level then please shout. We teach AQA for both levels.

[Milliways]

Thanks Lucycat :)

DS has his mock Geography next week!

[Lucycat]

Case Studies! Make sure they are accurate and relevant

China - One Child Policy & Globalisation / growth of industry.
France - ageing population.
Kielder Water - management of water resources etc etc


oh and read the questions carefully to make sure that he answers the question that is being asked not the one he wants to be asked iyswim

[Milliways]

Will pass it on to DS.

He has decided not to take A level Geography though - had a poor teacher lower down the school and feels he is not as confident (even though he enjoys it) as he is in his other choices.

[aVinddallusions]

Can i join in? I recognise a few names from the thread that we did when they all started secndary school. (used to be hennipenni)

DD1 taking the rest of hers this year (she did some last year and passed), she's done really well considering she's been ill and had a lot of time away from school recently, plus she's at a "failing" school which is threatened with closure so she's had a lot to contend with.

She's applied to do animal sciences at college and she's already got her required grades!

[Milliways]

Welcome Aboard! (I remember your old name) :)

Well done to your DD - especially if the school is under threat, that must be so unsettlimng for them. I do hope she's fully recovered now?

[Milliways]

Hope you all have a good Half-Term :)

[PaulaYatesbiggestfan]

Hello Milliways and all and thanks so much for setting this up

I have DD who is DC2 sitting her GCSEs this summer. She is bright but awfully, dreadfully not telling us it's parent's evening styled lazy.

She has just said she is going to pull her socks up and 'get to it' a bit so fingers crossed> Not sure I believe it but I am great at giving her the benefit of the doubt and then regretting it!

She is taking a few ( not as many as school wanted her to as we stuck our neck out and said she didn't have the 'drive' for 16 or whatever) GCSEs although with modules I am not sure just how much is left.

She too took a couple last year and got 2 A's two A and has just taken her maths and got A which is nice for her.

She is ,however, doing some Free Standing maths module which slightly counters the relief of her having maths already.

She has NO idea what she wants to do and NO idea at what school she wishes to do it. I am sure she will have a eureka moment sometime soon

Hope to get to know you all better .

Pixie my dc6 was July 14th birthday!

[parred]

Can I join?

DS2 isn't 16 until the end of May. He wants to stay on at the school 6th form and I want him to move to the 6th form college. He has an unconditional offer from the college so for now, I'm happy with that.

We have agreed a financial reward scheme (actually he approached us) whereby we pay him for every A* - C grade he gets and he pays us for anything less! He will do better than DS1 but he needs to work a bit harder. Wants to to to Uni but not sure what to study yet.

[magnolia74]

Marking my place (remember you hennipenni from when they started secondary )

Dd1 is 16 in August. Taking her gcse's april-june.
Predidicted a/b's in all so fingers crossed.
She already has her place for sixth form A levels in Psycology, Sociology, German and Performing Arts....A right mixture but its what she wants

Prom in july too but Exams come firts.

She is very non fussed by it, I'm doing the worrying for her

[frogs]

Hi Milliways, I remember you from the Y6 secondary applications support thread!

Dd1 is doing 11 subjects:

Maths
Engl lang
Eng lit
Double science
French
German
Latin
History
Geography
RE

Some modular, but some not. She's going on a two-day maths revision course at Easter. I suspect she's secretly hoping to get a full house of A*s, but I have no idea how realistic that is. She's been working very hard though. She has mocks immediately after Feb halfterm, ie in a week's time. The whole coursework and controlled assessment thing feels like it's been going on since this time last year - it does drag on, doesn't it?

[wibble]

[Milliways]

Hello Paula, Parred, Magnolia & Frogs! :)

Paula - 4 A+ results already is amazing.

Parred - I like the idea of your child paying you for anything less than a C if you are offering monetary rewards!

Magnolia - I bump into you on many such threads as DS is also an August 'baby' - good to have you on board. (DS is at a boys school so no prom until 6th form).

Hello Frogs! Another Latin candidate :) Latin is the ONLY subject DS has taken a modular exam in so far! Apart from coursework all modules of all science/Maths etc will be taken in the the summer - which is a huge pressure but more like we did in the "good old days"!

Updated List:

A2363 (DS1)
aVinddallusions (DD)
Balia (DD)
Beamur (DSD)
FeelingOld (DD)
Frogs (DD1)
Frumpyinthefrost (DS2)
Greenshadow (DS2)
Herbietea (DS)
Magnolia74 (DD1)
Megmog2000 (DS)
Loshad (DS2)
Milliways (DS)
Mumblechum (DS)
Parred (DS2)
PaulaYatesbiggestfan (DD)
PixieOnALeaf (DD)
SpringLamb (DS)
TheCarrotCake (DS)

(11 Boys + 8 Girls)

[alice15]

Can I join, please? I have a very stressy DD1 who has done 1/2 a GSCE in RE last year (A*), is awaiting the results of a science GSCE done in January at the moment, and is doing

2 x English
Maths
rest of dual award science
History
rest of RE
Latin
French
Spanish

in the summer (10 altogether), plus French AS. No exam timetable issued as yet, which she is very angry about. Her main coping technique seems to be to spread the misery around, so I may be glad of some support...
thank you!

[Milliways]

Alice, of Course you are very welcome to come and stress with us. :)

I was here a few years back with an extremely stressed DD myself! DS is a lot more laid back.