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Secondary education

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Original poster

Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread

967 replies

Littleham · 23/11/2014 12:17

Is anyone else fed up with GCSE's and the stress they create? Thought I would start a support thread for the following few months. Mocks start next week at my dd3's school.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 17/12/2014 09:03

Tilly - in this instance it's more horror at being forced to participate in some daft game which was what this teacher did last end of term. DH and I told her it would be good practice for the sort of corporate teamwork training things that she'll probably have to endure in the future. Grin

HSMMaCM · 17/12/2014 18:08

DD came home grumpy. Physics and chemistry apparently didn't go well today.

arlagirl · 17/12/2014 18:23

Sons last exam today...off now till January.
Seems quite confident.

dingit · 17/12/2014 18:24

Just Art left for dd, but she has already made a new revision timetable. I'm impressed. ( clearly doesn't take after her mother)

bigTillyMint · 17/12/2014 19:52

DingitShock How fantastic!

Parents Evening couldn't have gone better - everyone was very positive and complimentary and the current grades didn't seem to be too much of a problem. Phew!

Still got the MFL CA to do tomorrow, but the teacher was very kind!

dingit · 17/12/2014 19:57

Great news Tilly, hopefully you will stop worrying for now. And a t least with B grade predictions she can exceed them.
I'm worried dd won't make hers, despite the revision timetable, she is currently juggling two relationships!

dingit · 17/12/2014 20:05

Tilly, I think I got you muddled with teenandtween on the other thread. Apologies if I'm talking nonsense ( no change there then)

bigTillyMint · 17/12/2014 21:39

Grin I do need to stop worrying!

Juggling two relationships? Eeeek! It makes me almost glad that DD had a relationship in Y9 from which the fall-out was horrendous, but at least she hasn't been interested since. I think!

Yes, Sparkling, I foolishly clicked on that one too!

IrianofWay · 18/12/2014 11:51

So far so good.

DD hasn't got any official grades but has been told she was 3rd in her chemistry mock and in the top 3 for her physics. Best of all her geog teacher approached DH at school (they work in adjoining schools) to tell him that DD got maximum marks in both papers (first time in his career).

Of course I know why she did so well. It was the 20 mins I spent testing her on plate tectonics and volcanoes Wink

bigTillyMint · 18/12/2014 15:26

Well done Irians DD, and your testing, of course!

HSMMaCM · 18/12/2014 16:56

DD finished her last two today. She was stressing a lot about these as they're the ones she wants to do really well in and anything less than an A• will be a fail to her.

dingit · 19/12/2014 10:37

Feeling relieved as dd headed to school dressed in mufti and text Santa hat for the end of term.
Have high but nervous hopes for mock results. Loved her final piece for Art, and it looks like she got A for French speaking and listening, despite a predicted B next year.

bigTillyMint · 19/12/2014 10:50

dingit, well done to you DD. Has she got any tips for how to learn the speaking? DD is OK on the listening and reading but she said she flopped the speaking yesterday. Apparently the CA's are 60% of the final markShock

ErrolTheDragon · 19/12/2014 11:07

I think my DD learns her German speaking just by saying it through enough times. I guess it helps if they can make sure that the sense of it flows ie once you've said the first bit then the next part logically follows IYSWIM.

Her problem is the pronunciation, so she really doesn't like the speaking or reading. But she caught an upside-down look at the grades for the last written CA and it was A so we reckon that gives her some leeway to just go for it next time (she has one more life left on the speaking having totally* clammed last time) and not worry too much that she can't pronounce 'ich' the right way to save her life.

arlagirl · 19/12/2014 11:11

Ds got A for German speaking.. But will be getting extra revision classes after school for his written work. He's not impressed .

SugarPlumTree · 20/12/2014 11:14

We're a third of the way through the year now, mulled Wine for us all.

Term finished with letter from the Geography department to say DD has a U (she said D) so there are revision classes organised. Haven't seen her since it arrived as she went straight from school to sleepover. But I am trying not to worry, will chill over Christmas then before she goes back sit down and talk.

Clearly we need to focus on her gettjng what she needs to get onto a level 3 course so I'm going to work out the 4 most hopeful plus Maths and take it from there. But for now I am not going to worry and enjoy Christmas.

Wish I could give advice on learning the German speaking but not sure what to say. I think a lot of people struggle with 'Ich' though. Would taping herself help at all maybe or just make it worse ? My logic being that if she heard herself say it enough the pattern of words will become associated in her head ?

SugarPlumTree · 20/12/2014 12:01

Seems she hasn't got a U and it was a D as they went through it in class) She's not the only one to get the letter and one of her friend's Mum's went mad reading it.

homework · 20/12/2014 13:48

We have mocks again after holidays towards end of January , he at present not feeling great finished on Thursday with sore throat , that's developing into a cold with nasty cough and temperature , making him feel miserable, although not that miserable that he can't watch his iPad .
Trying to get him to look at some books , there sat on bottom of his bed open but not actually being looked at .

TeenAndTween · 20/12/2014 16:25

First proper day revising for mocks here.
Out of 5 hours revision I have been needed for about 3 hours.
I hope that once quality revision cards are made for history and science that will die down a bit. I can't keep the pace up!

homework · 20/12/2014 18:03

Poor you teen , that's hard going and well don't to your child to complete five hours , that's really good going .

homework · 20/12/2014 18:15

iPad changing words that should have said well done

TeenAndTween · 20/12/2014 18:43

homework - is 5 hours good going? I've really no idea how much other kids do. We've scheduled 4 days, then 5 off for Christmas, then another 7. Don't know whether this is achievable for her (or me!).
But this is with revision not started before the end of term, and mocks second week back. Luckily they are only needing to revise 2/6 science papers.

SugarPlumTree · 22/12/2014 07:53

5 hours seems like a bloody miracle in our house - well done to you and DD Tween!

Presented DD with letter from Geography depth. Saying she has a U in her mocks and she is adamant that she got a D as they went over the papers in class. She said 4 of her friends got letters too, all saying U, when they got D or E. One of her friend's Mum went ballistic.

You know how people count sheep to sleep? I count potential GCSE passes.

bigTillyMint · 22/12/2014 12:43

Yes 5 hours sounds like loads!

SugarPlum, poor DD and you. But still a few months till the real thing.

I realised last night that DD will have 5 weeks after Christmas to her mocks and needs to do more CAs too - need to get her to make a plan, but she desperately needs some downtime first.