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Secondary education

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

GCSEs 2012 support thread

891 replies

Kez100 · 06/05/2012 13:34

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

OP posts:
bruffin · 09/05/2012 18:50

I can hug as well, but we live 7 miles from school in a culdesac.

MaureenMLove · 09/05/2012 18:59

Being supervised for clashes in lunchbreaks is pretty common though, I think it's fair to expect the schools have got it covered by now.

Ha ha ha ha!! Grin Hilarious! That's my job and I can assure you all that it may appear to be under control and calm from the point of view of the student sitting the exam, but I'm a nervous wreck and I'm sitting here right now, at 7pm, trying to work out how the hell I can arrange both Yr10 and Yr11 sitting the same RE exam to be kept apart at lunch time!

I positively hate this time of year at work! I'm knackered and it hasn't even started yet! Loads of teachers are just now telling me that they are planning revision classes before their exams, so that's even more stressiness happening! Grin

BrigitBigKnickers · 09/05/2012 19:09

My DD has left school today to start study leave and has her first exams next week. Not too worried about the french ones as she seems to be doing well at those, but has iGCSE Biology which is causing major headaches and slightly less so for Physics and Chemistry (which DH and I have revised with her from start to finish.)

Its a one off, two hour make or break exam for each of her three sciences (double award) No course work (which she does brilliantly at- mainly As and A*s in most of her subjects) and no modules that can be retaken endlessly like her friends doing double GCSE in others schools.

She had panic attacks at the weekend- hope she can hold it together for the actual exams... She is desperate to get back into her current school (very high requirements to get back in) as she absolutely loves it there.

I really feel for her.

ArcticRain · 09/05/2012 20:17

DSS doesn't have a clue about what exam is what , or what he needs to do in each exam . We have just completed a revision timetable with him and set him off on the bitesize science subjects . Will be downloading past papers tomorrow .

However I'm not confident he understands what each English Literature exam is for . He has two in the second week on Tuesday and Thursday . He thinks its one book one day and one book the next, but im not convinced . Any ideas ? He also doesn't have a clue about format or even what he may be asked .

MaureenMLove · 09/05/2012 21:50

This might be quite long, but it might help some of you. It certain has helped DD over her melt down earlier!

She has written her current timetable down on an A4 peice of paper for the next 3 weeks (until half term). On each day, she has gaps in her timetable, because she as already completely Maths, English Language and has given up doing PE. So she has crossed out those lessons.

For each those gaps, in a different colour she has written where she needs to be picking up another subject which needs extra work. For example, the art deadline is next Friday, so for every Maths or English lesson next week, she will go to Art.

Her French exam is on Monday and Wednesday, so she has noted that she needs to get an extra lesson in French too.

(I think it's pointless trying to cram a bit of everything and just concentrate on the exams she has in that week. If she doesn't know it now, she never will!)

With each week that we've looked at, there are less and less lessons that she needs to go to and more and more opportunity for revision lessons. This, of course, is all dependant of whether there is a teacher willing to take them in, but in my experience in secondary schools, Yr11's are number one priority right now.

Finally, she has written a list of things that she has to do, including finishing coursework or doing some revision. I even made her write down a couple of things that she's already finished this week, just so that she could cross them out. Physologically it's good to cross things out!

(Sorry, this is ridiculously long!!)

The summary is, she has it clear in her head what she's doing. I made her understand that it's OK to forget things, because the only thing she has to remember is 'where is that bit of paper that I wrote everything on!' It's just one less thing to remember! God knows I do it every day! Grin

Ultimately, she's gone to bed relaxed and focused on what she's doing. - Mainly going to Rae's party on Saturday, but hey, I tried! Grin

BringBack1996 · 09/05/2012 22:21

Brigit is you DSS on AQA? If so it'll be the same as my DS. AFAIK on one day it's a poetry paper and the other is the two books. The slightly shorter one is for poetry.

I wish we were as organised as you, Maureen!

MaureenMLove · 09/05/2012 22:26

I had to do it. I couldn't bear the tears again. They are, afterall, only GCSE's. She's got AS and A2's after this!

She's a good kid and frankly, she is going to be fine and succeed whether she gets the golden 5 A* - C or not!

She needed mummy to show that she felt her pain and was there to organise her.

IdontknowwhyIcare · 10/05/2012 07:06

Aww thats lovely MaureenMlove. Ds had a melt down about maths according to DH last night. Apparantly he got a B in a maths practice paperHmm. In our world B is great for maths. He already knows for maths C would be good but if it doesnt happen well then there is always November. Not sure what happened but he went to the teacher and they covered it in class and he was happy. maybe its just overtired and stress starting. Prom was last week and its leavers assembly and last day today. Gulp, my little baby all grown up ;-)

TheOneWithTheHair · 10/05/2012 08:18

Ds managed to shock me yesterday by arranging an extra session with his French teacher in two of his frees today. Considering he says he doesn't care and will only do an hour a day at home I feel it may be starting to sink in. I hope it's not too late

ArcticRain · 10/05/2012 10:20

BringBack , he doesn't even know the exam boards . I've googled it and nothing , however looking on edexcel its split the same . It's 42010001 english literature.

maddiemostmerry · 10/05/2012 11:00

@brigit, my ds is also on study leave as of yesterday. All the other local schools seem to keep them in until the very end. I wonder if it is a better way as maybe they study more.

First exam is Music on Mon.

Good luck all.

BrigitBigKnickers · 10/05/2012 12:59

DD is much calmer now she is on study leave- she has the time to devote to her weaker subjects (she said yesterday that she has no need to revise for the RE exam as she knows all the material- so RE lessons have been a waste of revision time she could have been devoting to Sciences.)

She is able to e-mail her teachers and request revision classes at any time when her lessons would normally be.

The first day of study leave today and whilst all her friends were enjoying a lie in, she was back in school at 8.30 for a PE theory session. She got A* in her practical and needs a ridiculously high mark to keep it with the theory combined.

SO detemined- I am very proud of her.

glaurung · 10/05/2012 19:03

Good luck to everyone doing maths tomorrow...

TheOneWithTheHair · 10/05/2012 19:48

Yes good luck.

We don't have this one but I hope all your dcs do to the best of their ability. I'm sure they'll be fine. :)

Kez100 · 10/05/2012 20:55

My daughter has come home after a stressful day being pulled in two for revision sessions on two separate subjects. In the end she compromised with one teacher and agreed to stay until 5. I picked her up and she seemed virtually in tears but it really was just pure tiredness from such a long, intensive, day.

She says you can cut the air with a knife in year 11 at the moment.

OP posts:
MaureenMLove · 10/05/2012 21:50

Oh Kez, it's not fair on them, is it? Sad

Sadly the teachers have much to lose too, because poor results in their subject, refects on them. It's very emotional at my school atm. We are having to be very careful how we word things with 11's, as the slightest thing sets them off.

I took a yr11 class today and tbh, we packed up 10mins before the end of the lesson. It was last lesson and I could see they'd all had enough. I just told them to pack up, put the radio on and I chatted to the girls about prom dresses! Grin

I would prefer DD to be in school, than on study leave. I think she's doing far more there, than she would do here. DH and I are both out all day and I just couldn't trust her (and nether could she!) to do the right thing.

She's massively more positive today. I had a text at about 2.30 from her. I opened it with dread, but instead it said, 'sorted Eng Lit and Science and I'm staying back for Geography until 4.30!' We are happy again!

gettingalifenow · 11/05/2012 08:03

Maths IGCSE for my DD today. This afternoon - although my greatest fear is that I assume it's an afternoon exam and it's actually in the morning!

You'd think that as DC3 I'd have got it sorted out by now, but no, I have to look at the timetable first thing every morning just to check myself. And that's me! It's not even my exam! (I'd get a 'U')

SecretSquirrels · 11/05/2012 10:19

The pace in Year 11 has been relentless since September and it's true that for staff Y11 are the number one priority. Am I being a tiny bit cynical to think they should have upped the pace further down the school years and avoided some of this cramming? Or is it that the kids themselves are generally more motivated when the GCSEs are round the corner?

DS has English revision class after school today then his first exam is on Monday - French. I haven't noticed much French revision going on but he says every lesson for months has been revision and practice papers.

BringBack1996 · 11/05/2012 10:22

No school for DS today. He's having a day off so he can get back to the revision first thing tomorrow! First exam not until the 21st so we're quite a chilled household at the moment, sure we won't be next week though!

onadifferentplanet · 11/05/2012 10:27

Maths for Ds this afternoon. Study leave started today. very quiet here at the moment as he is sitting working through old papers with no prompting I thought my morning would be spent battling to get him off the x box!!

bruffin · 11/05/2012 10:28

DS is off to Thorpe Park today with the school, He has taken his morph suit Shock

His first exam is RE on tuesday, his RE teacher has challenged him to get 100% she said she has seen a few 99% papers and hasn't worked out where they dropped the 1%. No pressure there then.

BackforGood · 11/05/2012 10:58

SecretSquirrels I was having the same conversation with the Mum of one of ds's friends yesterday. I can't fault the work the staff are putting in now with the Yr 11s (and over last couple of months) but I too commented that perhaps that is only needed because of the lapsidaisical (I know that can't be the right spelling! Grin) attitude in Yrs 8, 9, and 10.

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 11/05/2012 11:27

My dd did Thorpe Park yesterday bruffin - 'twas wet but they didn't queue for more than 20 mins for any ride. Swarm was fab, apparently Grin

Leavers assembly this afternoon. She's staying on for 6th form but most friends are going to other 6th forms so rather an end of an era. Have been so many farewells/celebrations this week I don't think she's had any time for revision!

bruffin · 11/05/2012 11:33

Looks like the weather may be a bit better today Grungebob
I don't know when they are having an official leavers assembly. They did have an assembly yesterday when they gave out a few certificates. They all decorated their school shirts for yesterday and spent all day getting them signed. Some of the girls went to town with beading and sequins and DS had his designed by a friend.

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 11/05/2012 11:40

The assembly today is I think presenting every student with their 'accomplishment folder' - for all Y11's whether staying on or not, parents invited. I think there's then a separate assembly in the autumn for GCSE cert presentation. Muck-up day or wahtever it's called was meant to be on Weds but the weather was so vile it didn't happen. So suspect once assembly is over the kids will hit the town/park etc Grin