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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 · 14/03/2015 15:38

I think DD is both resigned to it and reassured by it - if she is there doing it she must be learning something!

She is worried that they haven't covered all the science yet, despite it being a 3 year course FFSConfused

SugarPlumTree · 14/03/2015 17:14

That sounds like a pretty good attitude to it BTM. Is she doing triple science ? DD isn't even trying with science and I found myself agreeing that is for the best in the circumstances.

Went to see my Mum today who was telling me how tough she found it when I did O Levels and how she sorted tutors. She must have me muddled with my Brother, I think I was actually pretty well prepared by school overall for the exam. She might be remembering the stress that was Home Economics and the issue of obtaining passion fruit in 1986.

bigTillyMint · 14/03/2015 18:13

She is doing triple, but wishing she had done double (and so am I!)
There is also a lot of drama and moaning about revisionWink

Oh yes, Home Economics was by far my hardest subject (in 1981) and I didn't even have any passion fruit in my practicalGrin

LynetteScavo · 15/03/2015 17:52

Just having a bit of a panic (again!) after looking closely at his exam time table.

DS did really badly in his English Lit mock (Unclassified) but got an A for his course work. He has now been entered for the Foundation exam for English Lit and English. He says it's because he doesn't know how to answer the exam questions. He says if he gets a C on the exam paper, he should end up with a B over all, and seems happy with that.

Does this sound right? Do you have to do Foundation in both or could he have done Higher in English but Foundation in English Lit?

Is it too late to do anything?

TeenAndTween · 15/03/2015 18:02

Lyn
My understanding is that you can be entered for any combination of higher and foundation papers (this is what I have been told for MFL and science at least).
Changes to entries can be made quite late, so should not be too late to change.

At least you had an English Lit mock! I don't think DD has even practiced any English Lit questions at all Shock . It's only in the last couple of weeks they've been trying the English Lang questions and she is massively struggling with those.

ErrolTheDragon · 15/03/2015 22:30

Going back to fairenuffs question about why they don't have the exams right at the end of term - they've got to be marked and moderated, that must take quite a while and the results need to be published a bit before the start of the new term so that students who don't make the grades needed for what they'd planned can sort something else out. I don't really think they could be much later than they are.

SugarPlumTree · 17/03/2015 18:14

How's everyone bearing up ? DD hard at work with her photography at the table. There was a dog poo related melt down earlier. I'd like to say it was her but it was me too Blush All sorted now though. A definite shift in attitude which is brilliant.

HSMMaCM · 17/03/2015 18:40

Spotted an easter holiday timetable on DDs bedroom wall. Suspect there is a revision plan beginning.

ErrolTheDragon · 17/03/2015 20:04

I shouldn't laugh at the 'dog poo related meltdown', but having had them myself on occasion I enjoyed your turn of phrase, and sympathise.

DD is on track - all mocks results in, pretty much what she was expecting. Except the last one today which she'd been most dubious about, Eng. Lit - one mark short of A*. She says this means she can officially write bullshit. But apparently it was only the poetry paper which she says is the easier one and that An Inspector Calls is much harder. Anyway, the one Easter revision session she's going to do at school is the English lit/lang day, reckons that's worthwhile as it's technique whereas the others she'd prefer to revise at home.

bigTillyMint · 17/03/2015 20:06

Poor DD has gone into a decline - got 2 MFL Speaking CA's to do, a Biology ISA to retake and now the English "teacher" has said that she does need to do an English CA as they do count for 10% of the marksSad

SugarPlum, glad to hear your DD has had a shift in attitude the right way! And a revision timetable on your DD's wall HSM!

TeenAndTween · 17/03/2015 20:08

Not too bad here except English. Sad
Every English lesson DD gets stressed by teacher who thinks she doesn't listen and isn't trying. It's not that, it's that teacher doesn't 'get' how dyspraxia is affecting her .... (teacher also thinks I'm an interfering pain pushy Mum, whereas I think I'm helping DD to actually have some chance of passing the exam). Hmm
otoh By virtue of going to revision sessions by other teachers, she is finally making some progress (I think) Smile

SugarPlumTree · 17/03/2015 20:10

Excellent result Erroll Smile that will hopefully give her a good confidence boost. The bullshit comment has made me Grin

Something that is kind of like amexam timetable has appeared but no sign of English Language - anyone got details of the Cambridge IGCSE ? I did try and Google but not effectively.

Beginnings of a revision plan encouraging HSM.

TeenAndTween · 17/03/2015 20:11

Tilly xpost with you. Sorry your DD is fighting English too. DD also has 2 speaking MFL CAs left - talk about leaving everything until the last minute!

SugarPlumTree · 17/03/2015 20:44

Sorry BTM, didn't see your post, really sorry to hear that Sad All those extra bits are a lt to cope with.

Tween I have ceased to care what teachers think of me and I am sure you are doing the right thing. Good the other teacher is helping.

ErrolTheDragon · 17/03/2015 21:08

Sorry yours are having such woes, BTM and T&T. Why they have to leave CAs till now I don't know. (DD only has one MFL speaking left AFAIK)

She did the first part of her physics ISA retake today - not stressful because the first attempt was good, just not as good as she thought she could do, and she really cares about physics. She refused to redo the biology ISA because the teacher is the one who really winds her up and was being stressy about it even at parents' evening, essentially saying DD shouldn't do it because it would be a lot of work (TBH not sure it is) - but then last week in class was apparently badgering DD to do it after all. Grr... if the teacher had just been calm and supportive in the first place (like the physics teacher) DD would have done it. It's a shame, because I think it will cost her a grade overall.

bigTillyMint · 17/03/2015 21:08

Yes, I am sure the teachers/school hate us too!

SugarPlum, I had some success googling the AQA iGCSE which DH says is the one for DD - put in the name of the board, etc plus mark scheme?

SugarPlumTree · 18/03/2015 11:52

Think I am being a bit stupid and can't find it but her tutor coming Friday and will know. Just emailed the examinations officer to check what it is DD says she has lost, whether she should have something g more like an exam timetable and when study leave starts.

bigTillyMint · 18/03/2015 11:56

SugarPlum is this any help? Or this?

TeenAndTween · 18/03/2015 12:08

Sugar - ah yes Study leave.
I'm expecting um contact with the school regarding that, as I believe they won't go on leave until half term, which is half way through exams.
But I'm waiting until the official announcement, which I think we may not get until after Easter.

bigTillyMint · 18/03/2015 12:56

DD isn't sure whether they get any study leave, but hopefully they will let us know!

SugarPlumTree · 18/03/2015 16:43

Yes it does help thank you, I was beginning to think there were no exam papers!

Apparently study leave starts 15 May and exam timetable coming after Easter. If one doesn't appear then I can email and exam officer will email me one Smile

TheWordFactory · 18/03/2015 17:03

We've been given dates for study leave.

TBH, with regards to DD, I'm considering adding to it (unofficially). She's knackered. They've finished their courses. And she does too many clubs! If she doesn't go in, she can avoid them, if she does go in, she kinda has to go to them.

Last night she wasn't home til 9.30pm. Tonight it will be 7.30pm. She needs to rest, sleep and revise!

HSMMaCM · 18/03/2015 20:50

Counted 23 exams on DD's list. Still stressing about final french controlled assessment and rehearsing a drama piece.

ErrolTheDragon · 18/03/2015 21:58

Word - Shock surely they shouldn't be keeping kids that late in clubs at this stage - what on earth are they that are deemed to take priority over revision/sleep? Confused I thought my DD was pretty late tonight - about 6:15 - but that was after Further Maths, not exactly a 'club' (and the bus was late).

MEgirl · 18/03/2015 23:35

We got our exam timetable today. The first exam is on 11 May, the last is on 12 June. 18 exams in total. There's also a whole week gap in the middle where there are no exams. All in all, not a bad timetable. There is still some syllabus to finish in English. We've been having a really bad time with the teacher but despite numerous complaints to the school nothing has improved. DCs will scrape through due to a very good tutor, not the school's efforts. All the teachers are running numerous revision sessions and have high hopes for the DCs.