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?

[kangers]

Anyone else's child in a foul mood??
DS has music tomorrow and insists he can work better whilst watching Eastenders!
Glugging the

[balia]

Yes, DD in a foul mood and she didn't even have English today (took it in November) but she has RE tomorrow and it really isn't her favourite.

[Tortu]

And so the exam season kicks off........

Here is a revision aid for Wednesday's exam, in video form, that I filmed mainly for my own students: www.o2learn.co.uk/o2_video.php?vid=1179
Erm, it's targetted at the reluctant student. Literary terms in six and a half minutes, along with relevant examples from the poetry anthology. Oh and puppets (we were a little desperate!).

[Terrificteens]

Thanks Tortu. I will pass this on to DS and friends.
As an Eng teacher do you have any thoughts on my previous post?

[Tortu]

Terrificteens, it's difficult to tell without seeing your child's paper. However, the triplets only apply to the second half of today's paper (and he should only have been focussing on one, not all three!). The assessment criteria for that section are fairly rigid, but also formulaic. They are divided into two parts in which roughly a third are awarded for grammar/ spelling/ sentence structure. The other two thirds are awarded for style and content (and answering the question).
If he has messed up on that section, there are still two more to go on Wednesday AND he should have completed all of his coursework. Thus each section of the exam is only worth 15% of his overall grade. It is fully possible to miss out one section completely and still end up with a C.

[kangers]

yes- I discovered DS1 has Music AND RE tomorrow. Now shifted away from Eastenders and gone upstairs to do a bit more.

[Terrificteens]

Thanks Tortu,
DS tends to judge himself quite harshly and he was working at A grade standard. I guess that a bad result for him is a B. I just hate the way that exams can squeeze out creativity in him.

[Milliways]

DS thought the Daily Mail article he had to comment on was amusing - made me read it this evening!

He gets tomorrow off but back for more English on Wednesday.

[balia]

I'm guessing that by triplets Terrificteens' teen may have meant rule of three, as a writing technique, rather than the purpose triplets? Writing for exams is so false sometimes, it is hard to get a balance between technique and creativity. He sounds like he knows what he is talking about - a student with that level of self-evaluation skill is unlikely to have gone very far wrong, IME.

[kangers]

Eggs for breakfast again. He's had a good night's sleep at least. Lets hope all goes smoothly today.
DS1 says he wrote 6 sides for section 3 yesterday? No idea if this is good or not- he also says he finished the paper and answered all the questions. A good result for him is a C grade as he really struggles with it.
He also said the info on here really helped- so thanks again for that. I will show him the above revision aid- thanks Tortu.
Good luck to all on board.

[kangers]

Oh and I went upstairs and he was listening to classical music- must have been preparing for his music listening exam I guess- that is pleasing at least.

[mumblechum1]

DS answered the wrong question on the first paper but recovered, he thinks - wasted the first 20 mins till he realised then says he wrote like crazy

His coursework has been all A/A* so I'm hoping he can afford a small cockup, but who knows...

[kangers]

Tortu have shown O2 film to DS- it made us laugh and he found it a useful reminder- thank you for that.
DS1 had music and RE today and he said it went well.
He's going out roller skating now!!!!!!!

[kangers]

Mumble- I bet he will still do fine despite the small mistake- especially if he got A/A* so far- thats 55% of language isn't it and they just need to pass- C or above ultimately. Anything else is a bonus.

[MABS]

so glad to have found this thread ! DD had English monday, said very good but i didnt quite finish! Now, forgive me but that sounds bad to me :( Said French listening was very good except last question her French teacher said was particularly hard. None today. Tomorrow is English in pm so i just hope she finishes it!

No study leave thank God, all revision and lessons done at school, I would kill her if she were home....I just know it.

[Milliways]

Hi Mabs :)

What board is your DD with? DS did OCR English & Edexel French (he struggles at French but it is compulsory).

[mumblechum1]

DS was on study leave today. He called me at work at noon, immediately after he woke.

When I got home at 5 and asked how he'd got on, he said great, he's downloaded loads of pirate stuff onto his ipad.

No revision whatsoever, and has now gone to karate.

[Cupawoman]

Hello

Better late than never. DS2 started his GCSEs today too (Music and RE). He's very chilled about it all and I'm trying to believe that this is a good sign. Have been through it all before with DS1 who was also too very relaxed about it all but still managed to bag 13 A/B grades. Both went to local, ordinary comprehensive school so no particular pressure from school or home.

[NotaMopsa]

ARRRRRGGGHHHHH

Am I the only one whose child is completely bereft of any adrenaline??

She informed us tonight that she 'somehow' got an E for a piece of course work for her exam tomorrow. A for one piece E for the other ???? Cannot even fave her sitting the paper now as she needs an A for it to be worth the bother

She also has english language which she says she 'can't do' and

[kangers]

tomorrow is poems isn't it?

[NotaMopsa]

yes allegedly

[kangers]

My DS said today 'no more music ever'. And I think he will be very relieved after Eng Lang is over. He is working a bit, but is extremely cool. I am proud of him after all that's happened with his friend. But I just hope to God he gets the grades he needs as he want to do A levels and I honestly have no idea if he will get the A grades he needs in maths and science to be accepted in Sixth Form.
I'll be glad when its over- but it was lovely laughing over the film totu posted- it really is funny- and he recognised the poems referred to.

[Megmog2000]

I think Im finding this whole exam lark more stressful than DS, he is so laid back about it, its driving me insane. I really wish he would do more at home (I think if he can do 20 minutes he thinks its a lot ). English is definately his weakest subject and whilst his coursework is B/C grade, I suspect he might struggle with the exams - but I may be wrong. He did say it went OK and was happy with what he did yesterday, I guess only time will tell.

He isnt on exam leave (thankfully), although his lessons at school will decrease as he doesnt need to attend lessons when all exams are complete. English paper tomorrow, followed by english and drama assessment next week.

Sadly I cant sit the exams for him, although if I could Im sure he would gladly let me LOL!

I will be relieved when 28th June has arrived and no more exams left to do. Just a case of hoping for the best results in order to ensure he gets his choice of subjects at 6th form. Then its time to start all over again when DS2 starts Year 10 in September....... (in two years time, one will be taking a-levels, the other GCSE's.....Oh dear!!!)

[kangers]

Oh My GOD meg mog- I never thought of that- so will my DS and DD- she is in Y9.
Shittifer.
Buggeringarseholes.