are exams in the last week of christmas term usual?

[gymboywalton]

ds has got a shedload of tests next week-including a gcse speaking assesmnet for his mfl. This seems bnkers to me-3 days before they break up for christmas. I work in a primary school and i know how hyper ans tired all the kids are now-surely ks3 isn't that much different?

is this normal though for secondary?

he is in year8

Yes, it is pretty normal. Schools try to space out exams between year groups so the lower years tend to get exams before Christmas, and year 10 and above after Christmas. The school probably wants to include results on reports. At least he won't have to have his Christmas holiday ruined by revision. But they shouldn't be doing GCSE assessment in Yr 8 in my opinion, especially in a MFL for which the GCSE syllabus is designed for Yrs 10 and 11.

apparently he'll take the exam in year 9?

ok -will try and chill out a bit!

ds has had plenty of tests this past week and has exams the first 2 days at beginning next term (Year10), dd (Year 7) had exams and tests about 2 weeks ago.

Lots of AS mocks this week and next, plus lots of GCSE components, controlled assessments etc. Real AS exams are first two weeks in January, so lots of Christmas revising (again!). These kids never get a break and are on their knees with tiredness - a few lie ins and lazier days should help over Christmas hols, but it is hard to keep momentum going then, nagging about revision etc....

DS1 has AS mocks and DS2 has two controlled assessments. Year 12 and 10 though, year 8 is a bit young.
There are several threads about the problems of early entry GCSE.

yeah, you have to have the mocks in December in order for them to be prepared for the exams in january.

Think of us teachers too who have to get them marked before the end of term. With years 10, 11, 12 and 13 all preparing for january modules...that's a serious pile of marking I have now!!

No more January modules from next year - we'll all get a bit of a rest (kids included).

Yes common here too - my year 11s do their mock exam on Wednesday afternoon, we finish for Christmas on Thursday afternoon but they don't have to come in for the last day.I then have 10 days after we go back to write their reports...

yes next year the students will probably be doing them after the Christmas holidays as there are no January modules - I'll expect them all to be revisng over the holidays instead of now....

Yes, DD1 (Y11) has had loads of mocks over the past couple of weeks and is sitting a 'real' controlled assessment today. She will come back in January to a couple more mocks and some real exams. Marking hell for the teachers over Christmas. It did make me laugh though when the teacher in charge of the Christmas production apparently complained that pupils were missing rehearsals to sit exams!

Dd has had mocks last week, and 2 more this week.

She seems to have coped ok, she's very much looking forward to the Christmas break though.

Yes