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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:
homework · 25/11/2014 20:34

Yes we found an ideal course for him , but he needs these gcse to get onto it , the course then has lots of practical elements but the academics of it also play towards his strengths , the college sounds very supportive when we looked around .

The only down side is that we need these gcse to get onto it in the first place , so it's a catch 22 situation .
He's doing triple sciences his strong point , maths , English ? If doing both language and literature , history , geography . Btech health and social care and btech or some equivalent in laboratory skills / microbiology .

motherstongue · 25/11/2014 20:35

Aw Homework, that's so upsetting. I feel so sorry for your DS and you too. Grades are important but not so important that someone's health should be affected whether it is physical or mental. I really hope he gets the support to see him through this.

My DS finished his mocks last week. Lots and lots of revision, he really has put the hours in so I hope it translates to good grades for him.

Does anyone know when they find out what date each of their GCSE exams takes place? It would be helpful to know this to organise the study leave/travel thing.

eae123 · 25/11/2014 20:43

My DD is in year 11 and is taking 26 exams this summer.....

Her mocks start on Monday and shes also thinking about moving to an independent sixth form from her state high school

There is a lot of decisions to be made!

Sparklingbrook · 25/11/2014 20:48

Calendars have been compared. Week one of the mocks there are 3 days when he will be done early, and week 2 he has a 50 minute history Mock at 9am on the Wednesday and that's it. Confused

TheWordFactory · 26/11/2014 08:30

Revision is underway in earnest at Casa Wordfactory.

DD has made a good start because she had entrance exams in her A level options for her preferred sixth form, so did some work for those.

At the time she was not overly happyWink. But is now grateful.

DS is very relaxed as always. He says he's revising. He says he has his work 'under control'. Let's hope so.

Daltec · 26/11/2014 08:30

Motherstongue I looked at the various exam board websites for the dates of the summer exams.

DD's mocks start today. She's still very relaxed about the whole thing and spending every evening on Facebook instead of revising. I'm worried sick and feel as though I've failed as a mother.All my friends tell me their Year 11s are working too hard, and I just keep thinking 'where did I go wrong'? Perhaps as a SAHM, she thinks that I'm not working, so why should she?

Daltec · 26/11/2014 08:33

Out of interest, have your DC's schools offered any advice to parents about revision and GCSEs (e.g. different and effective ways to revise, revision timetables etc)?

TheWordFactory · 26/11/2014 08:40

DDs school has been excellent.

Each teacher has provided checklists for the girls so they make sure they cover everything.

Homework has all been tasks designed to refresh memory. And there have been maths clinics on Saturday afternoons.

DS school takes a more hands off approach! Which I suppose is better in the long run, but less comforting for the parent.

Original poster
Littleham · 26/11/2014 08:58

Daltec You are working! Flowers I've done both...... worked in job and SAHM - believe me it doesn't make a bit of difference to dc's revision tactics. It tends to go with dc's character traits. DD3 started learning quotes for English mock at breakfast this morning! Shock

Glad you have found a course that suits your son Homework. Fingers crossed for this year. The only other thing I can think of is to drop one of the GCSE's he likes least to take pressure off.

OP posts:
homework · 26/11/2014 10:39

He would wish to drop English as this is where he struggles the most , his biggest problem is getting what's in his head down onto paper .
He's also a visual, kinetic learner , he seems to have a love of science ,and although struggles with written aspect of history / geography can tell you so much detail when you ask him to answer questions , but struggles to formalise answers , even in this formate.

He said there getting results of mocks today , so was feeling very nervous as he said everyone's going to want to discuss there results and he doesn't . Let's hope he's done not too badly , so stressful this , don't remember being so much pressure with o levels , school didn't make such a big deal back then either .

skylark2 · 26/11/2014 11:31

homework, how many c grades does he need and does it matter which subjects they are in?

If he gets his triple sciences since that's his strong point, and focuses like mad on maths and English since those are so crucial generally, would those five be enough for the course he wants? He's probably better off with 5 Cs and the rest very low than 10 Ds.

skylark2 · 26/11/2014 11:32

(DS has had his French oral controlled assessment today, hence me nervously browsing mumsnet when I'm supposed to be working...)

homework · 26/11/2014 20:52

Well mock results are in , mostly c 's and d's , so not dire , some work to do , so hopefully with some more work we get there.
Going to ask for us to look though papers with his teachers to see where he's gone wrong and what we need to look at to improve .
He said a few kids did really badly , or maybe that's what there telling everyone else . You just don't know , anyway I'm hoping that it helps his mental health slightly that he's not done too badly and that we can now work together over the next few months to get him though this difficult time.

bigTillyMint · 26/11/2014 20:57

Glad it's looking hopeful, homework. I have to say that Educating the East End programme was quite reassuring - showing children pulling their socks up in the last few weeks. I am afraid I have to admit that I did my best revision for my O'levels the night before the examsBlush

I have not and will not tell my DC (especially DS) this!

Sparklingbrook · 27/11/2014 06:47

Hi all. We have the Open Evening tonight at DS1's school, the one he actually want to go to.
What should my strategy be? I am imagining it will be chaos there, bit like parents evening but worse. What am I going to achieve?

I can see DS1 mucking about with his mates leaving me wandering around the school and talking to nobody. Sad

bigTillyMint · 27/11/2014 06:53

Well, it could be very much like that IMHO!:DD and her mates were so mature at the ones where they didn't know a soul - asking the teachers and students really pertinent questions, but at the local one (which would be DD"s first choice) they spent the whole time more interested in who else was there. And it was horribly rammed. A rather unpleasant evening!

Sparklingbrook · 27/11/2014 07:04

That's what I am thinking Tilly and the chances of speaking to any teachers probably nil. Then there's the worry of 'Mrs Sparkling your DS wants to do my subject at A Level-do you think that's wise?' Sad if I do get to speak.

He never said a word at the one last week either. Angry

Sparklingbrook · 27/11/2014 07:07

Another daft question. Does the fact he goes to the school now have any bearing on getting into the 6th form there?
There is talk of a lot of his footie mates who go to lots of different schools trying to get in.

bigTillyMint · 27/11/2014 07:13

I think it is easier for students to get into their own sixth form (most of them seem to be at least 3/4 full of internals), providing they are predicted to/get the necessary grades. I think students get either conditional/unconditional offers from schools - based on what happened in the last couple of years with friends DC - and there is a little wiggle-room for those who don't quite get the predictions but their own school think they will be capable of doing the A'level.

Sparklingbrook · 27/11/2014 07:17

I am hoping if I do get to speak to the teachers I will come out all positive. I do struggle in situations where there are a lot of people and then when I finally get to say anything I can't think what to say.
Driving home thinking 'What did you say that for?' Blush

bigTillyMint · 27/11/2014 07:34

I know what you mean! I have been around a couple with DD's friends dad who is brilliant at asking the right questions, and then that leads onto me thinking of some tooSmile

I think now, what DD needs to tie down is exactly what A'level Eng lit and Art are like because she is going to have to choose between the two!

TheWordFactory · 27/11/2014 07:52

One thing I would ask is what their policy is via a vis AS levels.

Some schools will continue with them, some schools will not.

Sparklingbrook · 27/11/2014 08:22

Thanks Word I will add it to my list. I think rather than try and get to speak to specific teachers I will find someone to tell me about how it actually all works.

bigTillyMint · 27/11/2014 09:28

Sparkling, they may do that in the talk - all the ones I've visited have had the Head of Sixth Form do a talkWink

Sparklingbrook · 27/11/2014 13:03

Ah, yes The Talk. In the hall at 7.15.

just having a thorough read of the prospectus. Entry requirements are 6 GCSEs Grade C and above including at least one B. Then many subjects have an additional requirement of a GCSE at a certain grade, so sounds pretty straightforward for people with crystal balls.