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Secondary education

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Original poster

Jan GCSE modules

86 replies

creamteas · 05/01/2013 18:35

Anyone else have DC with January modules? How is the revision going? My DD has 4 papers (English Lang & 3 Science).

The science is not a problem, has always achieved As, so no worries there. But but the English is a real worry. As she is ASD she really struggles with interpretation and imagination.

It is not helped by the fact that it is not really possible to have any certainly about where the grade boundaries are anymore.....

OP posts:
bruffin · 05/01/2013 19:43

My DS has AS levels to do. He has physics on friday and maths later in January. My kitchen is covered with post it notes with formula on themGrin

Original poster
creamteas · 05/01/2013 20:07

Well at least there is evidence of revision Grin

OP posts:
bruffin · 05/01/2013 20:10

Yes he is being good, he is doing an exam paper every day this week, although started a bit late really.

webwiz · 05/01/2013 21:39

DS has English Language and English Literature. He's been working through a revision guide for English Language but hasn't done anything for English lit yet. I think he finds the literature easier though and tends to make the language harder than it actually is!

IDontKnowWhereMyMedalsAre · 06/01/2013 02:44

AS levels here for ds. Philosophy and govt & politics. He has been mega revising but is just blown away by philosophy. It's just so huge a subject requiring real specifics but sometimes abstract concepts. Good luck to everyone's DC.

bruffin · 06/01/2013 08:13

You have me worried Idontknowwheremymedalsare . Ds is taking AS Philosophy but there is no mention of any exams at the moment.

Kez100 · 06/01/2013 09:43

Lots of revision going on here for Science. When my daughter did here I helped by marking past papers. This is proving impossible to do for my son, who is severly dyslexic and dyspraxic. He gets extra time allowance but school insist he isnt entitled to a scribe. However, I can't read his writing so I cannot mark them. I don't dare tell him that as it would, understandably, kill any confidence he still has. So I am caught between a rock and a hard place showing him online tests (which he is doing - but some of the answers are wrong!!!) ..... It's a very difficult time for me but he seems to be working like Trojan, for which I am very proud.

bruffin · 06/01/2013 09:59

Ds gets extra time Kez. But he has 2 maths exams on the same day with half an hour between them, but because of extra time DS gets just 7 minutes break.

glaurung · 06/01/2013 10:42

Kez, probably too late for this exam series, but instead of a scribe could he use a computer to type his answers? I know several dc who have done this.

Dd has AS exams this week - all 4 subjects in just 3 days. Not good for a last minute cramming type. She can't seem to get in the mood for revision and keeps going to sleep instead (not being 100% well isn't helping and neither is being a lazy moo).

I will be glad when the week is over and am fully expecting she will get a wake up call whenever the results come out.

Original poster
creamteas · 06/01/2013 11:52

bruffin that is ridiculous. My DC have extra time and they have always had the same length break as everyone else.

As they are not starting the second exam at the same time they might have to isolate, but it's not for that long so the school should accommodate this.

OP posts:
ShipwreckedAndComatose · 06/01/2013 11:54

Bluffing, that strikes me as unfair.

He should have adequate break for food and toilet. how long is each exam?

bruffin · 06/01/2013 12:23

Just spoke to ds as he has finally got up. It turns out the exams clash for every one and they all only get 7 minutes. He will still be doing first exam when others start the second.
Need to look at it a bit more as it still doesnt really make sense. Its ocr maths 1, then decision maths.

glaurung · 06/01/2013 12:43

The maths exams are often done back to back. They aren't very long - not more than 1.5hr as I recall, so no more than 3hrs without extra time. max 3hr 45min with. (assuming 25% extra). It's still a long time to concentrate though.

glaurung · 06/01/2013 12:44

Some of the essay based subjects have 3hr exams, so it's not really any different from that.

ShipwreckedAndComatose · 06/01/2013 12:53

That does make more sense

Startail · 06/01/2013 12:58

DDs doing science modules and English CAs.

I don't understand the science, as she is Y10 and I thought they'd been abolished.

She's done a fair bit of revision and lives in a very sciency house.

DH and her have found all manner of conflicting interpretations of her poem.

bruffin · 06/01/2013 12:59

The exams are 1.5 and ds gets 23minutes extra.

Original poster
creamteas · 06/01/2013 13:09

Star is she doing double science? If so the usual pattern is to do Core science one year and Additional Science the next (so one GCSE each year rather than two in the second year). This would mean that her Core science is completed this year so modules still possible.

OP posts:
Original poster
creamteas · 06/01/2013 13:10

bruffin I would ask for a longer break if your DS will struggle with the timing

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glaurung · 06/01/2013 13:22

It can still be done that way fro triple too with some exam boards creamteas and startail. As long as they do all the modules for each GCSE at the same time. Triple can be done as cor, additional and further additional instead of physics, chem and bio.

bruffin · 06/01/2013 13:29

Thanks Creamteas
To be honest i think he will be ok, as long as he has a good lunch. As it is the exam wont finish until nearly 5 so he wont get home until 6.

glaurung · 06/01/2013 13:32

An energy drink to keep him going might be an idea too?

Startail · 06/01/2013 16:06

Yes combined science so that makes sense.

I am very very angry about this as she could easily have done triple science.

School have changed the set cut off to make their combined results look less crap.

They can justify it by her being dyslexic, but some of her group are so useless they are really winding her up.

IDontKnowWhereMyMedalsAre · 07/01/2013 02:49

Bruffin, ds is currently doing AS levels and has AQA philiosophy this Wednesday afternoon (he isn't sure but he does think it is possible some schools are doing everything in June) and gov & pol next Monday afternoon. This is the first time our school has offered this subject so I am a bit worried but the lovely LadyLetch on here has been marking essays for him as she is an examiner. I love MN. Thank you LL.

He has a convergence issue which means he can't see the paper properly esp grids. For GCSE he has extra Time (as he does this time 25%). He also had a reader, use of a laptop and a scribe. He used the scribe for science and other multiple choice questions because he can't see patterns, ie the numbers going in lines so she just circled the correct answer. The biggest problem is for A levels apparently getting a reader is nigh on impossible, so he is struggling a bit as he just can't read all the source material fast enough. As for a computer he has been using one in lessons and exams since year 9 (the year he was diagnosed). All I did was pay for an Ed psych and her report was sent by the school to the exam board and all was ok? We did need a new Ed psych report for a levels as it only lasts 2 years.

bruffin · 07/01/2013 06:07

Thanks
Ds confirmed he hasnt any modules for phylosophy and wont have exam until june.