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.

DD's last one is the 16th June.
I don't know whether they get study leave or not! DD would be better studying at home I think.

DD starts on 11th May and finishes on 12th June.

DS starts on 5th May and finishes on 23rd June (actually I need to check that as it looks late).

Word, does your DS do Latin? According to the timetable I've got (which is mainly AQA) there's 'Sources for Latin' on June 23rd. So far your DS seems to have the earliest and the latest dates.

(My DD's are 12th May - 19th June)

Yes errol he does. Maybe that's it.

Thanks. I know we're getting our timetable in March, but wanted a vague idea.

Well, that's two days of mocks down. The first biology was apparently the easiest exam she's ever had , the geography sounded like a bit of a mess; then today the electronics was 'quite fun', the second biology she finished quickly, checked over a couple of times, twiddled her thumbs a bit and then found she'd missed a page (but still finished apparently. I'm guessing the answers won't have been detailed enough). The English 'was English' (so I got to use my 'well at least it was English not Chaucer' line yet again - almost makes it worth having had to do it. )

Tomorrow maths, physics and chemistry.

Got the exam timetable. 11th may - 12th June.

I'd like an exam timetable soon, can but hope.

DD thinks if she attends a revision class after school getting home at 4.15 or so (a ridiculously late time in her opinion) then she has done loads of revision for the day and doesn't need to do any work Any suggestion that this might not cut it is met with huge indignation and her telling me she will make her anxious. Her school have failed to appoint a new Head after first advert, science teachers seem to be on a revolving door, a Maths teacher off with stress. They are top 25 % nationally for AS results but bottom 40% for A2 - how on earth do they manage such a discrepancy?

Meanwhile I think we have screwed up with DS and the 11 plus as he hates his current school. Most of our local schools seem pretty crap at the moment and I bitterly regret letting him sit 11 plus pretty much totally unprepared. He failed by half a mark. I still don't think Grammar the right place for him but right now I wish he had the option of a fresh start next year. There are a few schools that start in Year 7 around but chances of getting him in zero unless we move and and appeal.

I feel very disillusioned with the schools here, it was fine when we moved here but not at the moment.

Friday's mocks - maths was 'easy' because it didn't include the section which is supposed to be easier but which is where DD usually makes silly mistakes, but she's been kicking herself at intervals for belatedly realising that 60x60 does not equal 360.

She's revising again now - she's got another physics (which should be fine) and german on monday, then on Tues a rather killer combination of drama, Eng lit, more chemistry and computing - having two essay-type exams in one morning sounds like a hand-killer. I don't think I could do that nowadays!

SugarPlumTree - does the Grammar let them do a 12+ exam? Ours does and I know of one boy (yr below my DS) who took it after not achieving the pass mark at 11. He settled in fine, even though he joined a year later.

Sugarplum - My DD's GS had girls join in yrs 8 and 9 - one or two who'd moved into the area, but also some others who were for one reason or another wanting to join from local schools. Places can become available because (a) one or two may drop out because they were over-tutored and probably shouldn't have been in the GS in the first place or (b) have moved out of area. If your DS only missed by half a mark it might be worth finding out if there are any such possibilities for him. As to your DDs hometime... 4:40 is normal for mine, after 6pm if she's had her FM class, and she'll do some work after that. Don't tell your DD that, it won't help at all! What might is to check if her school has some suggestions for recommended amounts of revision time at this stage. (DD's is a couple of hours, but to have time to do other things as well not overdo it).

Your poor DD Erroll, Tuesday sounds like a very heavy day

Horsemad I don't think it does 12 plus. I'm not totally convinced he would enjoy Grammar school and would do better top sets in another school which was a big part of why he wasn't going to be doing it. That plus FIL nearly died and my Mother became psychotic plus DH had to job hunt so it all got a bit lost in the stress and because his school goes up to year 8 he could stay where he is. I think a couple of VR and NVR practice papers and he would have been fine. Never mind, done now.

DD has asked me start a thread about her Maths so I have. I am hoping she will listen to other adults who aren't us ! Had to say to DS earlier that if he wanted to get decent grades at GCSE he will have to put in a fair few more hours than DD is doing at the moment at this stage before the exams.

I am being very unfair about DD, she has done a lot this afternoon

That's good. Thinking about it, the after school revision session may be quite a bit more intense than doing whatever they do by themselves, so she really may feel that she's had enough for the day after that. Mine was working earlier, but at about 4pm emerged and said nothing else was going in any more so she was stopping - which is pretty sensible!

SugarPlum I looked for thread regarding your DD's maths but must be blind as can't see it. Can you post a link?

Feeling very guilty because we all escaped the house today & they took a day off from revision. Was developing cabin fever.

Littleham - don't feel guilty, if you were all feeling like that then it was probably a really good idea to have a day off! There's still more than a couple of months to go, they can't spend all their time with their nose to the grindstone.

T&T, sugar's maths thread is here

Thanks, I was looking on the education pages.

Littleham on ds's timetable he has every Friday evening off and every Sunday off. They do need to rest and just lift the pressure every now and again. When it gets a bit closer he will probably cram a bit more revision in but this is like a marathon, they have to keep a steady pace quite a loong time and save the sprint for the end, imo.

That is a fair point Erroll. T&T, I think it is good to get a break. DD could probably do with one right now. Lots of tears about how school are counting down and lots of pressure and she is very upset about where we are going for this year's holiday I have just booked.

Are her holiday objections justified? I sometimes think at this stage any little thing sets them off. My DS had a bit of a whinge about our holiday destination too; God knows why, as they weren't bothered where we went - until I booked it...

Thanks Errol and Fairnuff. Good idea to take breaks. It is such a difficult balance especially when I have one that wants to revise too much and one who faffs around a bit too much!

Yesterday she said it looked OK so I sympathise Horsemad. She is going to Japan for 2 weeks so this holiday maybe does cater a bit less for her as it has the needs of the rest of us to consider. Still things to do, just not Paris and Disneyland like last year.

Basically the realisation of the fact these exams are fairly close has just hit her like a sledgehammer plus the fact that not soon after she is going away on her own - something she had fought long and hard to do, combined with the uncertainty of where she will end up next year.

Rescue Remedy has been deployed, chocolate is out and she is in the bath. Oh the joys of being a parent to a Year 11.

Yes SugarPlumTree - DS1 has a trip to S Africa with school in July,so I've chosen a holiday that appeals more to myself, DH and DS2!