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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:
bigTillyMint · 11/02/2015 07:15

Lynette, that sounds harsh - can he catch up in time to get to go?
DD put in a lot of extra hours to get her ICT done. Too late to realise that the teachers advising them to do it in Y10 were right!

DD is nearly halfway through her mocks. She said they have been hard but maths was really hard. But she's keeping going, thank God.

Good Luck to those with Parents Evenings - DD's was before Christmas. I have to say that the school has a very effective system although everyone is squashed in together. I can't believe anyone really tries to listen in - I am just trying to hear/focus on what they are saying about mine!

Fingers crossed you can find a good tutor SugarPlum.

CrazyTights · 11/02/2015 07:23

Parents evening is quite good at our high school, in and out in an hour usually with appointments being kept to quite well. Getting the appointments is like gold dust though :(

CrazyTights · 11/02/2015 07:24

Lynette that's too harsh as he's been putting the effort in after all. Make him miss something but not the prom, it's such a big deal for them nowadays. It's not like they are in the school hall dancing to YMCA after all like we did in my day

SugarPlumTree · 11/02/2015 07:45

Glad the Mocks going well BTM. I'm going to ask her Maths teacher tomorrow at parents evening. The one friend is asking was recommended by her DD'S school but specifically for A level maths mechanics. I need someone who can cope with Maths mental blocks.

Talking of the other school , One of the science teachers has been off ill for 12 weeks leaving the A2 pupils totally minus a teacher. My heart sank when I heard that as it is our catchment school and DS is supposed to be going. It has a new Head and seemed to be doing well but gives me no confidence hearing that. The girl's Mother has had to get a tutor. We thought DS would do better there than at Grammar but think we might have messed up. He failed by half a mark after deciding last minute to enter and only a minute bit of preperation. Think I might need to start a thread about that one.

bigTillyMint · 11/02/2015 08:04

Crazy, we didn't even have a school prom!Hmm

SugarPlum, I'm not sure they are going well, but they are going!
Good plan to ask the Maths teacher. Sorry about the other school. DH says it is incredibly hard to recruit science teachers.

Original poster
Littleham · 11/02/2015 09:07

There seems to be a shortage of science teachers. One of my children is taught science by a drama teacher!

It is always a nightmare when a teacher goes sick prior to the exams and is not replaced. It has happened at our school too.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 11/02/2015 09:48

Yes, there definitely is a shortage of science teachers. DD's chemistry teacher left on maternity leave sometime last term, and I think they juggled the teachers around to give the A-level and GCSE classes an actual chemstry teacher - lower years mixed science covered by the biology/physics and that was ok. But then the replacement teacher became ill - somethign serious, in and out of hospital Sad with the result that for the last half term, half of DD's chemistry lessons have been taught by a retired maths teacher who really wasn't up to it. They sent out an appeal to parents for whether they knew any teachers and seem to have found one to fill in after half term. This is the sort of school which rarely has a problem filling vacancies (nice school in the sort of area people want to live for lifestyle reasons) so if they struggle it must be really grim elsewhere. Having no teacher for A2 is appalling - at DD's school, nearly all the A-level classes are taught by two teachers which I guess is some insurance against total disaster.

SugarPlumTree · 11/02/2015 10:19

I think at DD'S school all A levels taught by 2 teachers too. DD'S tutor who is one of the science teachers has recently gone on maternity leave and there has been faffing around. But I was really shocked to hear there has been literally no teacher for A level for that length of time. Wonder if a bit of Chinese whispers has gone on. Two pupils killed themselves at that school last year Sad Very glad DD didn't go.

I agree that missing the Prom is harsh and think you are wise Lynette to have a word. We had a 6th form ball in the school hall, first year they did one.

BTM, I think going is good !

CrazyTights · 11/02/2015 12:26

DS has a 6th form place, no idea what grades are needed as I just got a text.

I just heard that they are all getting new tutors after half term according to whether they need extra maths or English help. DS is getting either the head or deputy head so is the group that doesn't need extra help but he says he wants extra maths support.

Sparklingbrook · 11/02/2015 16:21

Parents Evening in 2 hours.

CrazyTights · 11/02/2015 18:17

Good luck. We had the school reports today, I think we're OK so far.

bigTillyMint · 11/02/2015 19:06

Sparkling, hope it's going OK!

Crazy, that's great news about the place and report. So will your DS get the support that he wants?

Apparently DD "flopped" Biology today. However, she has gone back to her friends to revise for Physics tomorrow and he is relentlessly positive, which is a very good thing for DD. Only 2 more days and then "dread-the-results" time!

Sparklingbrook · 11/02/2015 21:17

Hi all. I am back and relatively unscathed. Very hot, very busy, long queues etc....

Every teacher was very nice, very positive, said as long as he keeps at this level, and does the necessary revision etc he will do very well in the exams.

Sounds simple when put like that doesn't it?

Wine
ErrolTheDragon · 11/02/2015 21:27

Smile that's good!

Sparklingbrook · 11/02/2015 21:28

Yes, it is good, and I am very pleased. I just hope he can hold it all together when it matters......

HSMMaCM · 11/02/2015 21:34

DD is having a complete meltdown about her written french controlled assessment tomorrow. Parents evening tomorrow night, so maybe her teacher can reassure her.

bigTillyMint · 11/02/2015 21:41

Sparkling, that sounds great. And doableWink

HSMM, MFL CA's are the worst. Has she done her speaking ones yet?

Horsemad · 11/02/2015 22:28

Pleased you received good reports Sparkling. Ours tomorrow - just wondering what we'll hear. He had an afterschool detention tonight, Shock first one ever!
It's his own fault - he was being a sheep and not thinking for himself. Hopefully it will teach him a lesson

bigTillyMint · 12/02/2015 06:50

Horsemad, I am very impressed that your DS got to Y11 for his first detention!
Although I guess it varies a lot depending on the school's behaviour policy on when to hand out detentions....

Horsemad · 12/02/2015 06:58

bigTillyMint -are you from Liverpool btw? My Mum (Liverpudlian) always called me TM when I was a child!

His school is fairly strict, I can only imagine he's behaved for most of his time there!! Either that, or he never got caught! Grin

CrazyTights · 12/02/2015 07:19

Tilly I think it'll be OK with the support. He's got a good plan in place. We're obviously pleased about the place as it's the only one he applied to! Good luck to your DD with her revision, the biology and the physics.

Sparkling piece of cake then! Grin I'm sure he'll be fine.

DS came home and said that his report said he was impetuous and was asking in the car what it meant, it turned out it was saying that if he kept up the impetus he was showing now then it'd be fine.

I was a bit Shock when he asked as he's not had that sort of stuff in his reports yet. Plenty of other stuff but not that!

bigTillyMint · 12/02/2015 08:07

Horsemad, yes - it was my fathers pet name for me!

Crazy, that's very encouraging - keeping up the impetus, not being impetuous!

SugarPlumTree · 12/02/2015 08:07

Grin Crazytights. DD'S school give out after school detentions if they forget homework so she has had 4 since year 9.

Glad end of Mocks in sight BTM. Sparkling that sounds like the kind of parents evening I would like tonight but am kit confident I will get !

My friend's DD who is doing A level maths has offered to help DD. I had thought of asking as I think DD will relate to her well but thought she was too busy. We've all decided to give it a trial and see if everyone happy with how it goes. She stayed at the after school maths revision last night and came home more positive. Having seen her on action with equations .

DD has yet to do her MFL speaking exam. Her snd her tutor have decided to do it either just before or after Easter . Can they do it twice if it goes wrong the first time ?

Sparklingbrook · 12/02/2015 08:14

Ds1 has woken up all worried at the months ahead. I think he is feeling the pressure and expectation after last night's Parents' Evening. Hearing them say he was capable and wondering if he can do it.

He has just asked me to order a revision guide from Amazon for English.

There's a German speaking after Half Term, sounds like there's three and this is the last chance. First one was ok, last one was very good so he needs another at least very good. No pressure.

Wine
Sparklingbrook · 12/02/2015 08:20

Just had a text saying he's forgotten his planner. No I don't fancy a 24 mile round trip to get it to him strangely. Hmm