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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Year 11 GCSE countdown. Revision angst begins.

999 replies

Fastenurseatbelts · 01/04/2014 13:55

Ok. DS1 has broken up for Easter and we now have to all accept that this is it. He has been doing dribs and drabs since mocks in February and an hour- ish in the evenings of stuff set by teachers.

Nowhere near what I remember doing for my o'levels a million miles ago. Friends tell me their kids are doing nothing yet. Not sure I believe them though!

Waiting for reality to kick in with him but he still seems to be treating it all like an end of topic test in class!

What's happening in your house? Are you staying well out of it or like me walking round waving a CGP guide 24/7!!!!!

OP posts:
MrsMaturin · 17/05/2014 09:30

Oh dear Schilke. I think it is very contagious. I would take her to the out of hours GP today and get them to treat her as 'suspected'. I know we don't want to overtreat etc but unless she's had a lot of antibiotics one course won't make any difference to her and SF is unpleasant. Once she is on antibiotics then she won't be contagious herself for long. Then on Monday make school aware and have a chat with them about the procedure if ds DOES become unwell. That's about all you can do.

pigsinmud · 17/05/2014 09:50

Phew! Panic over for now. The rash has gone. It must have been a viral rash. She's still feeling pretty rubbish, but I've isolated her upstairs away from ds1! I'm watching her for any signs of the rash returning though.

We got a letter from her primary school a couple of days ago saying that scarlet fever was about, so last night I was worrying that's what it was.

Katymac - hope your dd is feeling better today.
Thanks for the advice MrsMaturin - fingers crossed I won't need the GP now.

MrsMaturin · 17/05/2014 10:18

Oh thank goodness! :)
There was another mumsnetter whose child came out in a viral rash all over him last week. Must be in the air........

Dd has gone to do her regular Saturday morning babysit. She asked somewhat panic-stricken should she take revision with her? I said NO very firmly. She can just play with the little one Grin

I think we're in for a stressful weekend as she seems to be getting anxious about physics. It is her weakest science (according to her anyway, teacher was begging her to do A-level at parents evening so I'm not convinced Hmm). I am hopeless but dh is very good on science side. She's got to fit German prep in too. I have been sent to buy her more large paper for mind mapping.

Bouncingbeans · 17/05/2014 11:25

MrsM, I have to say I completely understand the stress of having a DC with high expectations on herself with high predictions across the board. My oldest DD was the same (8 years ago) and she ended up doing very well indeed with a mix of As and A*'s but she got As in the subjects she went on to do for A level.

This was very difficult for me to tell anyone in real life as she was disappointed with her results and I remember feeling hopeless as I couldnt get her to understand what a fantastic achievement it was. I did actually mention it to one friend who bit my head off and made me feel like the worse pushy mother ever but of course I was proud, and it wasnt me that made her feel like that, it was her own expectations and perfectionism.

She was particularly skilled in two of her A level subjects, and had won awards for them during her school life which didnt help when she didnt get the coveted A*. DD2 would give her right arm for a couple of As so I just know results day for her will be a different experience.

DD1 went on to get top grades at A level, and a first class degree and has told her sister GCSEs are just a means to get to the next level and that she shouldnt worry too much (think she has forgotten her own feelings at the time thankfully!).

Good luck to your DD, sounds like she has had a good start.

Coconutty · 17/05/2014 12:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsMaturin · 17/05/2014 14:39

Coconutty if you google Jekyll and hyde revision the second hit that comes up is for a PDF from a school (think it's a private school) - looks pretty good. www.google.co.uk/#q=jekyll+and+hyde+revision

Has he seen that?

Dd hasn't done J&H so can't help further sorry.

SupportManager · 17/05/2014 16:50

And the revision goes on....DD was at school for 4 hours today, and has another 4 hour session at school tomorrow. So she's now at school 7 days a week! I'm not sure whether this is a sign that the school is fantastically supportive or that the school is panicking. I like to think its the first one.

Nocomet · 17/05/2014 17:03

DDs been in school today and I've started a thread on that very subject. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2082396-Revision-Classes-and-no-study-leave

MorvahRising · 17/05/2014 17:10

Goodness, supportmanager that seems excessive. DS really needed a bit of a lie in today and after the stresses of the week I would have thought two more days of class revision would be major overkill.

Also, how are they meant to learn how to revise for themselves if they are in classes all the time?

DS did a practice maths paper this morning and went blank! And so the angst goes on . . . he's actually fine at maths, he's going to be doing it for A level, but keeps getting a confidence crisis!

MrsMaturin · 17/05/2014 17:12

Crikey I wouldn't accept Saturday revision classes. The kids need a break and to work at their own pace. Dd upstairs now - v quiet. Might stick my head in......

Coconutty · 17/05/2014 17:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

eatyourveg · 17/05/2014 17:19

ds watching the FA cup final and getting very excited - he's had a tough morning learning seemingly endless pages of case law. Lovely to see him so happy and relaxed - albeit shouting rather loudly at the telly.

SupportManager · 17/05/2014 17:24

Thanks Nocomet, i hadn't seen that. Agree with everything tht other ppl have said. Ironically DD's school seem to have spent lots of time earlier in the year teaching study skills - but obviously aren't convinced that the students are going to use them!
Weekend sessions at her school are "optional" but they get letters sent home beforehand `'strongly recommending attendance". So yes perhaps they are paniking a bit - those league tables must be looming.
in the short term however, if it gets the students the grades they need for A level, hopefully in sixth form they'll take the study skills more seriously Hmm

SupportManager · 17/05/2014 17:28

MorvahRising - DD would give anything for a decent lie in and so would I , but it seems too mean to stay in bed when she has to get up early to go to school, so i got up and made her breakfast.
on the plus side she's spent the rest of the day lazing about and is out to a party tonight - the early start tomorrow will put a bit of a damper on that though Smile

Ohwhatfuckeryisthis · 17/05/2014 17:37

Dd did first history. The "flu" vanished after an afternoon in bed. Bio Monday, been at it all morning, but gone for a walk with friend this afternoon.
Our school is having an event Wednesday lunch, then only have to come for revision, lessons that haven't had exams and of course the exams themselves. They can use 6th firm area for study or library. Some will come in, some won't. Dds mates all get buses in, so they will be in most days.
Roll on 19 June.

MrsMaturin · 17/05/2014 17:47

Glad she was ok.

Nocomet · 17/05/2014 18:00

Actually DD1 was OK about going in as she's revised quietly on the sofa the last two days, because she had a virus too.

Definitely not putting it on as DD2 was really miserable at the beginning of the week with the same thing and DD1 came out of school on Wednesday looking like a ghost.

littlewhitebag · 18/05/2014 09:49

My DD has a weekend job so she spent all day yesterday in a park getting people on and off boats. She was so relieved to not be studying for a whole day and she looks better for a day of exercise in the fresh air.

They need breaks and a bit of exercise to get the blood moving and to de stress. I don't think weekend study in school is a good idea at all and may be counter productive.

Coconutty · 18/05/2014 09:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MorvahRising · 18/05/2014 10:27

Ditto English and geography! With a bit of maths and physics thrown in!

pigsinmud · 18/05/2014 10:30

Physics & German today for ds1. Not sure this weekend will be that productive...spent yesterday with his girlfriend apparently revising - she is an A* girl so hopefully she might have helped him! Today he has end of season football awards.

Nocomet · 18/05/2014 13:16

DD1 is tidying her room to look for the bottom half of her retainer.

In a minute she'll decide to help with lunch.

Her exams are nicely spread out, which is great in one sense, but a pain in another. She gets to the point where she just can't stand the sight of the next subjects notes, but it doesn't seem worth picking up science for three weeks away.

Maths and music are probably what she needs to do, but there is a revision day for music and maths WILL give them compulsory practice sheets (DMaths teacher does believe in hard work).

Bouncingbeans · 18/05/2014 14:46

Lovely calm day yesterday, physics and german revision but lots of nice breaks and books were put away for her to enjoy some evening sun.

Today, another story as she has been panicking this morning and didnt want to have a proper break to eat lunch.

Two factors that appear to have worked against her (one of which completely out of our control, the other I am kicking myself for as I should have intervened in year 9) are all of her A level choice exams being on top of each other so mostly in the week ahead, and taking triple science when she is not really at a high enough standard and will never do science again anyway. So much time spent on science revision to the detriment of other subjects but she could easily have got 2 B's in double, with half of them done in year 10, rather than the whole lot now.

Havent said this to her obviously but enjoying an offload on this thread!

eatyourveg · 18/05/2014 15:00

Hoping that there's some English and Geography going on here too but Law and first part of double Science to get out of the way tomorrow first. ds says tomorrow is the worst day of all.

He's asked for a new PS3 controller as an end of exam present Hmm Is this a new custom?

Had intended getting him some yet to be decided but not money treat come August but I think he may be pushing it asking for something any earlier

LowCloudsForming · 18/05/2014 15:02

Hideous grumpiness and revision avoidance going on here. For every 10 minutes supposedly reading a text book (with a glazed look of bored panic), there is another 45 minutes of distraction therapy e.g. playing guitar, drumming, making super sized omelettes, taking 101 showers, quick breaks on the sofa, change of clothes to suit the weather, checking phone, checking FB, annoying siblings, inane questions…..irritating his MOTHER!