Year 11 GCSE countdown. Revision angst begins.

[Fastenurseatbelts]

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!!!!!

*best" and "coco" glad I'm not alone here! I'm enjoying the Geography - just waiting for a UKIP candidate to knock on our door so I can tell him/her about the problems of the ageing population in the UK - 25% over 65's by the year 2046 isn't it?! One of the reasons not to cut all immigration according to CGP. All good fun - but looking forward to going to work for a rest tomorrow.

should have been best and coco!

It's been the pros and cons of GM crops here tonight. Game of Thrones time now though.

No can do, DD would take no notice and her final piece is in school.

She'll just stay after school and I'll have to fetch her (no public transport of anykind)

MrsM - mind maps and revision sheets, all up on the walls of her room and she walks around sometimes lecturing herself on them. ha ha, yes, that's us - all our walls are covered in notes and facts, we are all learning every time we go in a room or sit in the loo :)
Back to school tomorrow and hardly feel she's had a break at all!

DD is out with her boyfriend tonight. OH just been summoned to pick her up.

Finally got my username back after the heartbleed hassle and need to ask a question. ds has had a second lot of mocks and been getting the results through and one of the subjects has come back as a U! The whole class have found it hard going and in the mock last November he got an E and was top of the class! The exam last week was just one unit which makes up half of one paper, so his total marks for paper 2 are an E and a U. Not had an exam on paper 1 for some reason. The total marks are split equally between the two papers.

One of the teachers who has him for a subject where he has got an A for his mocks has suggested concentrating on other subjects for his exams and letting the E/U subject go. Not sure whether to agree to abandon it (not an Ebacc or core subject) and concentrate on getting good grades in the other 9 subjects all of which are A* A or B apart from double science where he will probably end up with a C. He likes the subject but it is definitely the heaviest in terms of how much material there is to remember. Has anyone else had a similar dilemma?

I'm having similar thoughts about Music EYV. I need to speak to the music teacher tomorrow to find out what is achievable as it seems one piece of coursework was not very good. I need to find out what he needs to do in the exam to achieve a C. If it's impossible I'd rather he let it go and concentrate on History which is on the same day.

ds is very loyal to his teacher and says he won't drop the subject - very frustrating as CGP, Letts and Collins don't cover it and neither do bitesize or other revision sites so we're left solely with past papers, handouts and notes made in class. School have only offered it for the last 3 years and are dropping it as an option next year so it doesn't bode well. I think I will email the teacher today and see what advice she can offer

Good for him though EYV. I can see why you're frustrated.

Music teacher says DS could achieve a B grade if he tries as the course work wasn't as bad as DS thought.

Have also spoken to the school about his back and they will apply for special circumstances but I need a letter from the GP, so have made an appointment for after school. Will cost £30 though.

whew, scribe and 25% extra time sorted (and a best of luck message from head of exams office ) so DD is a lot happier.

It must be such a relief for you leaping. It's such rotten luck for them isn't it? Such bad timing.

I was thinking a language too, Mandarin?

Leaping that's great.
DD1 gets extra time for being dyslexic, sadly not a scribe (she'd get A in everything except music if she did.

She got L5 in her English SAT with a scribe, but her primary rather bent the rules and arranged it at the last minute.

If possible get her to practice dictating and be sure she knows the rules about dictating spellings and punctuation if she needs to.

DD1 says there are specific evil, unnecessary, mean Geog. questions with marks for grammar and spelling.

Dd is tucked in bed with her textiles revision and her whiteboard. Mock tomorrow. She seems ok. I am starting to feel quite nervous and I have no idea why. I think it's sympathetic anxiety.

Dd thinks that there's only 4 spag marks in geography, but will get her to check. Lovely SN coordinator rang tonight to suggest that she not have a scribe for English as you don't get any spag marks if you do that, so she's typing the English.

What board is the 5% in geography please, and I'll get her to check tomorrow (am on phone so difficult to scroll up to see posters names, sorry )

DD1 wants to ask about having an iPad to take notes in a level classes when auto correct can help her, even if she wouldn't qualify to have a keyboard in exams.

Her righting is legible, it's just so painfully slow.

She types a lot on her iPod and wants to try and see if an iPad would help.

I think she'll get some hilarious errors (I'm mildly dyslexic) and you lot see the rubbish I generate on my phone.

DS1 has his first exam today, CIE igcse English Language.

same here Phaedra, good luck all!