Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread

[Littleham]

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.

Thanks Tillymint. You're right, there is still time to go yet and I think the mock results will make her work (fingers crossed). I've made an active decision to not worry and not to let the jump to A level thread freak me out. What will be will be.

I think they are all knackered and desperately need some down time which definitely needs factoring in somehow.

We've not had mock results back here apparently they're doing an official hand out with them in an envelope first Friday back!! So font what DS should be focusing on. Though came home on last day to congratulations cards from Head for biology & tech so assuming they went ok. Am letting him have this week off completely then going to start nagging.

English language: Why doesn't DD answer the question that was actually asked rather than any old random one? (Wanders off banging head against brick wall.)

Because she psychically channels my DD ? Her English teacher said the same !

Let's look on the bright side that we have a fair bit of time to focus them .

That sounds very hopeful Auntpetunia. There is so much variations as to how the different schools handle things, this thread shows it well.

5 hrs of revision in a single day! :-o
No chance of that in this house.

Ds1 did 5 hrs revision per WEEK - 10 half hour slots - for about 2 months for his GCSEs, that worked well for him.

ds2 (yr11) was keen to do some revision for his mocks after Christmas, so he's planned a timetable of 15 hrs (in total) over these holidays.

If they work hard all year and have good attendance, there really should be no need to do that amount of study.

roisin you may be right for your child, but not for mine.

15 hours in total for mocks wouldn't cut it for DD1. She couldn't learn the science in that time let alone anything else.

DD1 works very hard but doesn't find work comes easy. Broadly speaking she needs longer than average to understand stuff and learn it, but she is reasonably capable if she gets the time. During term time she has been so busy with CAs she has had no time to do any revision or make revision cards.

The science and maths is hard for her, so she may not understand it first time around, and it certainly doesn't stick. So I have been helping her with both revision cards and understanding.

As I mentioned earlier, she has problems answering the asked question for English (and History), so needs extra practice to get the technique into her head.

On the plus side, prom dress is bought and shoes identified, need to order via ebay.

It wouldn't be enough time for DD either, despite her being a "good" students in lessons.

at prom dress bought already!
However, we have ordered the year book and hoody. Even 6 months ago she would have refused to order them - she is a much better place now, though I am still very watchful!

DD needs more than that, especially given her ability to procrastinate.

Very impressed on the Prom dress front. DD and friends not decided if going but I hope they do. They are a lovely group and make me smile when I think of them. DD was bullied quite badly at Middie school and if I stress too much about these exams I remind myself that being happy and having learned to fit in is worth a lot.

Well I men revision yesterday and got told the Mr Headteacher said enjoy the break completely recharge as we'll start the hard work in January. DS then produced a letter from school listing extra lessons the school are putting on and also as they normally finish at 2 alternate Monday's that's been scrapped for yr 11s.
Am going to leave him to it until we get mock results then we'll know what to work on.
Am impressed at the prom dress purchase as well. DS curre laughs at the idea but Im hoping he'll go.

Currently laughs ^

As a secondary teacher I advise strongly a realistic revision timetable and somewhere quiet for studying.

Parents really can help with revision, one key thing that I recommend to my own students (for all of their subjects) is simply to explain a concept to their parent. You can then ask questions - it doesn't matter if it's not something you know about, "layperson" questions are perfect, e.g. in science, if they use a term you don't understand, ask what it means. When they start to run out of steam in their explanation you will both have identified the next area to study.

Also during the mock exam. period encourage students to sleep and eat properly, to take water and snacks for during the school day and to get fresh air between exams. Often the mock exam. period is more stressful than when the real exams. come around so attacked with the correct level of seriousness and energy it is a very useful experience overall.

Good luck to all!

With ds1 we/he found that a focused, determined 30 min session, was more effective than 3 hrs sitting aimlessly at his desk, prevaricating, and often checking Facebook every 5 seconds...

roisin I agree with you regarding short slots.

DD has slots of 45 minutes, usually with a 15 minute break between each of them. I am asking her to tell me what she wants to achieve in each session, so not just 'learn history', but 'learn about Galen and Roman Public health'.

(Facebook is also blocked on her upstairs laptop)

We are enjoying the break, but she aims to be back to work on Monday (which will be hard I think).

Yes, 20 to 30 mins. is the perfect length of study time! What is studied at the start and end of the session is remembered most deeply. Ideally get fresh air between bursts of study: singing is a nice distraction too for those who enjoy it.

We doing short burst at moment due to fact he's still suffering with this cold / ? Flu type bug , finds it difficult to concentrate for more than thirty minutes at a time .
I also in the camp where he's got to put a lot of work in to get average results , he knows this himself and is generally willen to work , although struggling at minute .
Wish this bug would go and give him a bit of rest .

I am that your teens are managing to study at Christmas. DD hasn't done anything other than attempt some art and get frustrated And we are really busy, so not much chance till after NY.

Mine has been doing a bit of revision today despite a cold. TBH given that her mocks aren't till after half term it's up to her what she does at the moment. (I'm pretty sure when I was at this stage I'd have done any specifically set homework but revision for mocks would have been left to the half term hols.)

We've had quite a few Christmas/relatives/travelling days, with little opportunity for homework. But ds2 did quite a bit today and has plans for more tomorrow :D

He has mocks w/c 12 Jan for 2 weeks, pretty crammed with exams.

Does anyone know when the GCSE exam results come out in August 2015? (Trying to make sure we are close to home on that particular day!)

Can't remember at the moment but we did find it (I think on the AQA website) before booking our summer hols. Now I've got my calendar for next year I could do with finding it again too.

I am not certain, but it is usually about the 20th August (DH has to go in for them every year!)

DD has done just about nothing so far!

Thursday 20th August is lasered onto my brain!

Thanks everyone. Very helpful.

I'm feeling quite inadequate here, I haven't made a timetable for revision for my DD and I'm leaving her to get on with it. She seems to be managing it well and says she will ask for help if she needs it. Am I being irresponsible here?