Exam stress

6 replies

Lonnie · 14/12/2011 08:17

My dd1 is in year 9 and was fast tracked in French so took her GCSE French this year. She is petrified of exams We knew this from her SAT's in year 6 where she threw up every day the sats were on. She goes blank and unable to remember anything. We had hoped 3 years onshe would have matured a bit and be more able to do so. She does well at school not exceptional but either on target or slightly above (apart from in Georgraphy where she is doing really well - weirdly as she doesnt like the subject laughs)

She got a U in spoken and E and D in (oh gosh Iforget is it presentation and written? Ido know this but early in the morning) DH and I have several times expressed our concern she was in the fast tracked French class but were reassured she was coping and yes finding it hard but they felt would manage a C grade ok.

Now I am not worried she has a U and E I know she has tried her very hardest (That is what i ask of them to do their best) but like with the SATS we had her home sick the day before the school temperature and sore stomach she looked very ill (I really need this one very sick before I allow her home as she is a bit of a hypochondriac this was not put on) She went in to do her exam and explains it like her mind went blank and she couldnt see the words. When trying to speak she can hear it in her head but cant make her mouth say so.

I am concerned what will happen next year when she has a lot of exams to sort out. (year 10) I dontknow how to teach her to deal with exams as I am the sort of person whom preforms better inexam situations. DH however reports he was similar. Are there courses you can go on to help students with this sort of thing?

All in all the teachers when we do Parent teacher evenings tell me she is alovely girl with a good work ethic and a pleasure to teach. So I really do not belive she is not capable but her fear of exam situations appears to really make it hard for her.

Any suggestions?

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Original poster

Lonnie · 14/12/2011 08:18

I should just say that I meant she will be in year 10 NEXT year (read like I meant she was now)

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happygardening · 14/12/2011 09:17

This is a surprisingly common problem the children I work with who suffer from similar problems receive CBT and it really helps. Most need no more than six sessions.

goinggetstough · 14/12/2011 10:55

I hope you can get it sorted. Surely taking a GCSE 2 years early compounds your DD's problem.
Slightly off the thread but it might be worth asking again why your daughter is being fast tracked if she only going to scrap a C grade. This makes it look like she is taking the GCSE for the school's benefit and not her own! e.g. another grade C for the school's statistics. Whereas if she took the exam at the usual time year 11 or even year 10 then she may have got an A or an A*.
Hope you manage to get it sorted out.

amerryscot · 14/12/2011 16:23

There are lot of problems with pupils taking GCSEs early. It is usually much better to take them in Year 11 when they are more likely to get top grades.

Original poster

Lonnie · 14/12/2011 17:36

Happy Gardening what is CBT please?

I had no experience of the fast track and to be honest 2nd languages doesnt come natural to her so I am not kidding myself that she would have managed a A or A* in this However I would have liked her first attempt at exams to be a possitive one. This however is to late now and I am trying to manage what we are dealign with now. From what I have understood she cant resit it but I am still trying to find out what this all means.

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happygardening · 14/12/2011 17:42

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy it works really well teaching children how to deal with stressful situations.

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