GCSEs 2012 support thread

[Kez100]

Here we go........hold on tight!

That's a very long exam window yellow, almost as long as it's possible to be (27 June is the last day for GCSE exams, but they started on 10 May I think). Have you anything nice planned for 28th?

Ds doesn't finish until 27th June either, it caught one school out as they scheduled the 6th form induction day then. He started 15th may, but this was his worst week.

Well, History is now history.

DD is another with exams right up until the bitter end. She has Stats and German on Monday then German a week on Friday.

I can't remember if this was discussed at the beginning of the thread, but is anyone else doing 'rewards'? I'm thinking of giving DS £50 no matter what grades he gets just as a congratulations for all of his hard work, but do others tend to do it based on grades achieved?

I haven't ever given cash (or any other tangible) rewards. I know parents who have. I think I knew at the outset it would be invidious beteen the DC (I also haven't had sufficient spare cash).

Not as such, but DD is keen to take an underwater course in photography. She's a scuba diver and is taking photography at 6th form. Plan is to let her take the course as a gift when we're on holiday. Not sure if it's a gift really, we'd have let her do it anyway to give her a good start to 6th form.

No rewards here.

We will do a celebration type thing though, as a family. A breakfast (like Cardi) or maybe a takeaway in the evening. That will be irrespective of results. My daughters already a winner in my eyes because of the work she put in.

Coincidentally, my daughters off to Art College to study photography full time if she gets the grades and she is (weather permitting!) on a NT course later today and has a good camera (bought for her a few years ago). So, she has plenty of 'rewards' for her effort over the years, but they've never been results based.

we don't do rewards either, but we will celebrate the end of exams with a meal out (a sort of reward for effort I suppose). On results day we may well get a celebratory take away or go out for dinner again as the mood takes us.

DD ( yr10) has worked her socks off for these exams I have bought her the hoodie she has been admiring for a couple of weeks now. This will be given to her the morning of her last exam. DD has sat 10 exams this time - I don't want you lot thinking I was a soft touch and dishing out rewards for one or two exams! If no resits etc DD worked out that in June of yr11 she will have less exams then this time! As for results day where she will know if she's passed at least one complete GCSE she is planning to go out with friends so I'll stand her a pizza. Her Gran will more than likely hand over some cash but isn't that what Gran's are supposed to do?

My mum will also give some cash.

We will do the pizza/ meal out stuff. We have four kids and I jsut couldn't afford to do cash!

DS last exam is on the 27th too.

We bought DD an expensive dress for her prom in recognition of all her hard work. She knows that is her big present.

On results day we will be drinking champagne whatever the outcome.

We took DD out for a pizza last night, all her exams are over. (year 10)

I think that a take away would be a good idea for the last day of exams. It's ridiculous what some of his friends seem to be getting, for one boy he's friends with his parents have offered £20 for a C up to £50 for an A*. So there's a niggle at the back of my mind that DS might not think we're proud of him if we don't give him some recognition, IYSWIM? Obviously we've been saying how proud we are, but when his friends are getting considerable financial incentives that might not be enough

If people want to give rewards that's fine, I just think it doesn't work for my two. My daughter worked her socks off on the borderline C/D trying to get the C. It would be cruel for us to give her more for getting a C and less for a D as she will feel crushed with D's anyway, after all that work. With C's she will be so elated, money will be irrelevant.

I like rewards in recognition of hard work. That's more like real life. My two do OK when they need something they rarely don't get it even if it means waiting until a birthday or christmas. They do OK, and I think they know that.

Oh yes he'll get the same whatever grades he gets!

BringBack1996 with DC1 we knew a contemporary was told ahead that he was getting £100 for each A* awarded. My own DC scored identical grades but I really wasn't in a position to give that amount. She didn't mind at all, in fact I don't think she thought much of the £100 thing. I could see a financial incentive or promise as storing up future problems and being ultra divisive between siblings if awarded pro rata on either grades or application. DC6 has worked really hard after a slow start in Y7, 8 and 9 (he's taking all his exams in Y10). I can't imagine he'll equal the others but I couldn't possibly be less pleased with his effort, whatever the grades. I'm very glad I didn't make a noose for my neck at the start, it would be cruel in this situation. Even if one rewarded for effort, that would have been impossible too as between my lot - very hard to quantify. I suppose it's ok to give a set amount regardless of grades or effort and I can see it works if there's only a single DC.

I meant more pleased, not less!

Does anyone go with their DC to collect their results? I assumed my DD did not want to be seen with me; but she just said she would like me to go along and open the envelope for her. Don't think she was being sarcastic!

BeingFluffy* I'm going to wait in the school car park while she goes into the school to collect the results and see her friends. When DD1 got her a few years ago, I burst into (happy) tears which DD1 found funny but DD2 would be embarrassed by.

With the two eldest DC for GCSE results, they went to school with their friends, and I had to wait until they could be bothered to call me. In one case, it was several hours later because the last friend to be collected was still in bed !!

It was a similar slow process in collecting A level results, but probably because they already new from the UCAS website that uni places were confirmed so the results were going to be fine.

I got mine a small present, and gave it to them the night before results day, in recognition of work rather than attainment

I really want to go with DD, but I don't think it's the done thing. I'll be going to my own school anyway, to see our Yr11's open their envelopes.

DD doesn't get hers until after 1pm though and my school will be done by mid day. I'll be an emotional wreck by then!

DD's school has staggered times the Yr11 can go from 10am, yr9&10 from 12 noon till 1pm. You can see the school from the top of our road so I don't think DD would wear me giving her a lift and sitting in the car outside some how!

Last year I stayed in the car park which wasn't far, as it happens, from the envelopes being given out as they didn't use the main school they used a large annexed hall which is right on the car park and lots of teachers were milling in the car park anyway as the weather was so good.

A lot of my daughter's friends parents did the same. That was year 10 and results in History and Science modules and they collected them an hour after year 11, so I don't know what most year 11 parents did. I will just follow my orders!

Hmm. I've always done rewards, I try to reward effort rather than achievement as the two DCs are obviously different.
They don't get a lot of stuff or cash from us on a regular basis and so I don't feel it's too much. Generally I try to reward when they have put the effort in rather than when they get the results.
In the case of the GCSEs I have done it a little differently. I have promised cash for good grades in the 2 or 3 subjects that DS1 needed to work at. He is very good at Maths and sciences and was happy to work on them at the expense of, for example English and French which he hated.
When it comes to DS2 it will be different. He will need much more hand holding and no pressure from me, although I wouldn't be surprised if he got very similar results as DS1.