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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Disastrous end of year exam results

51 replies

dingit · 14/07/2014 19:34

I'm going to ban screen time/ x box during week days going into year 9. Tell me I'm not evil please.

OP posts:

TheReluctantCountess · 14/07/2014 19:40

You are not evil at all. You are a sensible parent.

Zimtschnecke · 14/07/2014 19:40

No, you're not evil, you are parenting a teen.

Screen time limits is just one step, your dc may need help to catch up on the stuff that wasn't understood.
Easily done in year 8, I assume it's a boy. I have one of those and it was very obvious this year that his brain is under reconstruction.

slalomsuki · 14/07/2014 19:44

I could have written this post and the replies. Year 8 in to year 9 boy and he needs to buck up his ideas a lot and stop messing around.

I will be joining the evil mothers club then too.

Original poster

dingit · 14/07/2014 19:46

So will he transform into the perfect student in year 9 then? ( clutching at straws).
Is it a boy thing then? I never had to worry about dd who has just finished year 10.

OP posts:

TeenAndTween · 14/07/2014 20:02

This was exams. What does his report say about effort during the year?

PennyPepper · 14/07/2014 20:03

No, not just a boy thing. My DD got pretty terrible marks too, nothing like what she should be getting.

Limiting screen time might make him understand that failing is not ok, but IME it probably won't make him work. Only he can decide to do that.

Is he disappointed with his results?

microcosmia · 14/07/2014 22:58

Can you get him to do revision over the long summer hols?

DS is big into gaming and Xbox and wants to trade up next to PS4. He has to be peeled off screens. He is going into an exam year (GCSE equivalent) in Sept. He did OK in everything but maths in his end of year exams. He was very disappointed as he wants to do higher level and likes maths. His tutor suggested revision over the summer. We would be doing it anyway as we normally have July tuition (for ASD). This summer we gave him a break in June, are doing 2 weeks tuition in July and he will do a weeks intensive preparation course for next year in August. If that sounds evil it's not that bad. He has 12 weeks hols and 3 weeks tuition spread out won't kill him. The Dept of Ed pays for his July tuition, and we cover the intensive and he can fit in summer camps and plenty of down time into it all. I feel no guilt

queenofthemountain · 15/07/2014 00:34

The thing with boys, is that they often tend to 'come to education' natuarally when the 'real exams come around whereas they are a bit 'meh what's in it for me?' about end of year exams and then pull the stops out for GCSEs
The very real danger is that you can put them off for good if you put on too much pressure.
Why can't he relax with the x box when he has done his homework?

Happy36 · 15/07/2014 02:21

You are being very sensible. Would add a max. of 2 hours per day on Sat. and Sun. to be taken between the hours of 10am and 8pm.

JustAShopGirl · 15/07/2014 08:20

I would be looking at his effort marks on his report not just results - if his effort marks are good, then he is putting in the work at school, if not then you need to get him to buck his ideas up

Oh, and it IS all right to fail..... people do, and have to learn how to handle it - how much better to learn in Y8 when it is not so important as exam year (or a job you really want, or a driving test, or a marriage)

Don't be exam results based - effort is a much better marker...

I got a B once.. my dad's words were "Oh, what went wrong?" that was 40 years ago and I remember it like yesterday.

MyballsareSandy · 15/07/2014 08:32

I'm interested to hear what his results were.

I have two DDs reaching the end of year 8 and I'm disappointed in one of them for effort and results. She's obsessed with her phone and iPad and I think I'm going to have to confiscate in year 9.

Original poster

dingit · 15/07/2014 11:53

My balls, he got

5a maths, target 5a
6b science. Target 5a
5c English target 6a ( but it's says his overall level is 6a, and teacher said she was disappointed with class results)

His English and maths results are barely above his year 6 levels

Oh and he goes to a bog standard academy if there is such a thing.

What did your dd get?

OP posts:

MyballsareSandy · 15/07/2014 12:42

Are you going to meet with teachers before end of term? I saw your other thread about his maths, doesn't sound right.

My DDs maths, English and science isn't the problem, she has done ok in those -

English 6c, target 7c,
Maths 7c, target 6a
Science 7b, target 6a

Although English isn't great I'm not too worried about that as I think a target of 7c is a bit high for her.

It's all the other subjects I'm fretting about - low levels 5s in everything with poor grades for effort, mostly 3 meaning 'requires improvement'.

Interestingly the three subjects she is doing ok in are streamed, the others aren't and I think she spends the time chatting and doing the bare minimum.

This is a standard London academy. Let's hope a rest during the hols will help them go back to year 9 and buckle down.

Original poster

dingit · 15/07/2014 12:53

My balls, I think on the other thread I said that other subjects do have lower grade, so I wouldn't worry too much. Her other grades look amazing.
My dd had good grades in yr8, and is now predicted A in most subjects, except RE, which she can't be arsed, and always gets a low effort grade!

OP posts:

LewisNaiceHamilton · 15/07/2014 12:55

Those aren't disastrous results though, are they?

If, as you say, there's been little progress between years 6 and 8 then yes, talk to his teachers/HoY, give him a mild talking to, that kind of thing.

The science level is well over his target!

titchy · 15/07/2014 13:06

So he's either met or exceeded his targets, and you're going to ban screen time. Way to go....

titchy · 15/07/2014 13:08

And you do get that levels in primary schools are based on a very limited part of the curriculum, and tend to be inflated? So yeah, punish him for that too...

Hakluyt · 15/07/2014 13:11

Did you query his targets earlier in the year? What did they say?

Original poster

dingit · 15/07/2014 13:14

No I'm not punishing him. I'm limiting his screen time, my dh and I talked about it before his results. He does little or no homework, and going in to year 9 he really needs to focus more. At the moment he's on his xbox as soon as he gets home until bedtime.

I'm surprised that anyone thinks it's wrong, I've seen loads of threads where lots of dc get very little screen time.

I haven't said anything yet, which is why I was canvassing opinions.
He's been praised over his science result, but his maths one we are going to see the teacher, as his grade and target have been the same for two years. Something's not right there.

OP posts:

Original poster

dingit · 15/07/2014 13:16

I queried his results in January, and got a convoluted reply, so I thought I would wait to see if there was any improvement this summer. On paper, he has achieved nothing in maths for two years

OP posts:

MyballsareSandy · 15/07/2014 13:23

Not wrong at all to limit screen time. My DDs used to have to borrow my iPad as it was the only one in the house. We bought them mini iPads for xmas and with hindsight I think it was a mistake as DD2 is obsessed with it.

Last night she raced through her history homework to get back to her fave thing in the world - make up blogs on you tube. She would spend all day on it if we allowed it. She's done enough homework to avoid a detention but it's the absolute minimum and she's capable of so much more.

foxdongle · 15/07/2014 13:24

Are you sure those are disastrous?
I will omit posting my ds's then and he's at the end of year 9.
He's already been told (by us) he wont be taking his phone to school next year- one of the issues.

Goldmandra · 15/07/2014 13:27

Limiting his screen time will only help if screen time is what was stopping him doing the work.

I could have been shut in a room with just a chair and a desk for six hours a night and still done no more homework because (I have worked this out since my DDs were dxed with AS) I had problems with executive functioning and I simply couldn't get my head round the tasks. I desperately wanted to do my homework but just couldn't.

I did use displacement activities but taking them away wouldn't have changed anything. I was very, very bright but I also needed support.

So, yes, reducing screen time sounds like it could be a solution but you also need to listen very carefully to what he has to say and what he feels could help him too.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 15/07/2014 14:45

One suggestion I saw was not that you limit their screen time as such but that they have to earn it. e.g.. all homework completed and 10 mins reading = 30 -60 mins on the X box

If HW marks are poor due to rushing then screen time is lost etc.

It then makes them see screen time as a reward and a challenge to be earned rather than a right.

queenofthemountain · 15/07/2014 17:05

he has surpassed his targets , why do you need to change things?

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