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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:
MissScatterbrain · 19/05/2014 17:02

German wasn't too great but that's not surprising.

Physics (Edexel) was "easy" though.

LIZS · 19/05/2014 17:07

Biology ok but obscure questions. Foodchain q about size seemed to flummox him .

yourlittlesecret · 19/05/2014 17:19

Two Physics papers today for DS. He seemed happy with them both.

eatyourveg · 19/05/2014 17:23

tried ringing the numbers for school office, exam officer, senco and head's PA everyone has gone home, no-one answering. Any complaint or request for it to be taken into consideration (asd, very anxious - not sure how I would phrase it other than it made him cross and pissed him off an awful lot that she was on her phone - and didn't even apologise or turn it off after the first ping - pinged 6 or 7 times apparently) probably has to go in today so it is sent off with the paper so I may have missed the boat.

Will draft an email and try to find any regs Sad

FidelineandFumblin · 19/05/2014 17:27

Don't you just want to shake adults who flout rules in front of DC with ASD? How unsettling for him, particularly as exam condition rules are absolutely drummed into the students. Does he also have sensitivities to noise?

eatyourveg · 19/05/2014 17:35

yes he does! fuming doesn't go near how i feel but I'm worried anything I do now is too late as the script will have gone off. have emailed the exam officer and cc'd the senco and deputy head

still can't find invigilator rules concerning mobiles - anyone know where they might be?

MorvahRising · 19/05/2014 17:36

eatyourveg that's appalling! I can't see how your DS could be in any way liable for what happens on the invgilator's phone although I understand your concern. Can you email so it is at least picked up first thing tomorrow and someone could sspeak to you before school? Your poor DS.

sunshinecity17 · 19/05/2014 17:41

AQA Physics this afternoon went ok, all though there was a question on static electricity he wasn't sure about, but only a 2 marker

FidelineandFumblin · 19/05/2014 17:45

Are they not on exam board website?

LowCloudsForming · 19/05/2014 17:59

eat your veg - big hug…that must be so upsetting for him and you. As long as you send email now, the time and date of your email will be registered I should think.

LIZS - my son loves Biology normally but he found today's paper really hard. He came out exhausted and very stressed.

antimatter · 19/05/2014 18:02

My dd found physics hard and both German exams easy today.
Eng Lit tomorrow.

Needmoresleep · 19/05/2014 18:36

LowCloud and LIZS, a third report of obscure questions in biology. Something about heart disease. Luckily DD is a keen fan of House, Grays Anatomy and 24 Hours in A&E. Lets hope TV medicine is sufficiently realistic.

Leeds2 · 19/05/2014 18:42

Are you all talking about today's IGCSE biology?

LIZS · 19/05/2014 19:02

yes igcse Biology. ds recalls a 5 marker about coronary heart disease and how it can lead to death. Sounds like he mentioned fatty deposits and heart attack. Foodchain pyramid was a 4 marker The eye didn't come up.

LIZS · 19/05/2014 19:04

Also glucose and the kidney .

Best1sWest · 19/05/2014 19:12

DS is doing Media Studies Coconutty. It is far and away his favourite subject (and his best). There has been a lot of coursework but nowhere near as much as Art. He is also dyslexic and chose Art, Music, Media and History. He has enjoyed the history but will be lucky to get a C.

Best1sWest · 19/05/2014 19:15

EYV, that's appalling. Email them now.

Leeds2 · 19/05/2014 19:51

I am learning more about what was on the papers here than from DD! Have asked her about the heart disease question, and was told "I didn't know. I made something up." Will not now ask about foodchain pyramid!

MrsMaturin · 19/05/2014 20:46

Dd seems ok about the physics papers. She said everybody was saying paper 2 was hard and 3 was easy but she thought it was other way round (oh BLOODY HELL! Grin)

Those doing AQA German today - dd thinks her school is complaining about both the listening and reading paper. In one of the listening questions apparently the picture wasn't clear as to what it was supposed to be. Then one of the conversations featured to very similar sounding female voices - which is not how they usually do it and of course makes it very hard. In the reading paper they had to put a place name in translated in to English - Koln/Cologne. That is NOT on the syllabus. They aren't expected to be taught German place names. dd knew it because they went there on a school trip. I know it because it's one of those things you just pick up. That's not a fair question imo.

crazymum53 · 19/05/2014 20:49

Hi eatyourveg I work as an exam invigilator. Have just checked my copy of the JCQ exam regulations.
This states that no mobile phones, mp3 players etc are allowed in the exam room and invigilators should remind candidates of this before the exam starts.
It doesn't specifically say this, but my interpretation (and the schools) is that this rule also applies to all staff in the exam room whether teachers, TAs, invigilators or exams officers.

SupportManager · 19/05/2014 20:50

EatYourVeg - Angry that he and you have more to deal with as if exam wasnt enough to start with. Did you send an email? If he has to resit because of a stupid invigilator that's outrageous.

LowCloudsForming · 19/05/2014 20:55

LIZS Apparently food chain q was only worth 3 marks - since my dearest treasure did not answer it, ….!

eatyourveg · 19/05/2014 20:56

Well inbetween me being sick and having to go to bed for an hour (too much going on and this was just the tipping point in a skyscraper high pile of autism related issues (mainly ds2 not this ds) that seem to be hitting me this week) the deputy head emailed apologising profusely and promising he will meet with the exam officer in the morning and then the head and take appropriate action. Feel happy that they are taking it seriously and feel reassured by his promise that it will not happen again.

Thanks for that info crazymum I have spoken to a friend of mine who is an exam officer at another local secondary. They, like my FE college interpret the regs as invigilators can have their phones with them but must be switched to silent. Deputy head in his email said all staff would be reminded tomorrow that this was the procedure to be followed at the school.

On a plus note, science was much better than expected - especially P1 Smile
English lit tmrw

crazymum53 · 19/05/2014 21:09

In practice staff are allowed phones provided they are switched off. My family know that if I am invigilating, I can be contacted via the school phone number in an emergency.
This isn't a problem just for invigilators though - potentially it's all staff present in the exam room.

AtiaoftheJulii · 19/05/2014 21:42

eatyourveg that's just shocking. Glad the school seem to be taking it seriously though. Hope your son isn't too rattled for the rest of the week.

Dd2 was happy with hers today, phew. Probably toughest day tomorrow - Eng Lit (OMAM and Journey's End) and RS - and then things ease up over the next weeks.