Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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:
TheWordFactory · 19/03/2015 09:08

Errol I am getting frustrated with school who have continued with the usual round of clubs/practice sessions etc but DD must also bear some responsibility in that she is over committed (always has been) and needs to bow out of some things now.

I keep repeating that there will be no sanctions if she misses lacrosse/netball/tennis/drama/choir etc but she doesn't want to let anyone down.

Sigh.

I am in complete denial that she has two Duke of Edinburgh expeditions over Easter!!!!!

ErrolTheDragon · 19/03/2015 10:42

Word - sounds like you need to lay it on the line to her that if she spends too much time playing games etc right now, she will be letting herself down.

Two DofE expeditions this easter? Blimey. That sounds like poor planning by whoever is organising it. DD's school times them with the exam schedules in mind - so for the girls doing silver (mainly yr 11, some yr12s) the practice is after GCSEs (either before or during the summer hols) and the assessed is at the start of next autumn term. Last year with bronze they were (IIRC) also scheduled not to interfere with the yr10 exams, with practice/assessed not too close together.

HSMMaCM · 19/03/2015 11:02

Conversation with DD by text this morning:

DD: Can I go to extra French revision class after school today?

ME: Thinking, I'll have to leave work early and collect you, because you'll miss your bus. Of course DD, that'll be fine. Any time you want.

bigTillyMint · 19/03/2015 11:13

TWF, my DD has suspended nearly all of her coaching now until after the exams as she knows that she needs some time to herself at least - even if she doesn't spend it all revising. Thank God she never wanted to do DofE!

I know HSMM, we have to grit our teeth and try to support as much as poss. Without moaningWink

TeenAndTween · 19/03/2015 11:45

DD has just finished her Silver DofE volunteering 3 weeks earlier than planned (but having done 6 months) due to after school revision classes.
Luckily she's not doing any other DofE this year - no way would she have coped with missing weekends for practice expeditions. In fact she may not finish it at all, we kind of signed her up 'just in case'!

TheWordFactory · 19/03/2015 12:43

I know I'm going to have to put my foot down with DD.

She's just text to say she will be late tonight as she's got a lacrosse match. So another night coming in tired and hungry, with barely any time to revise!

Thank God she breaks up next Friday. But then there are those bloody DofE expeditions. 3 days each. And she'll be fit for nowt when she gets back....

HSMMaCM · 19/03/2015 13:12

Physical exercise is supposed to be good for stress, so maybe d of e is not all bad.

bigTillyMint · 19/03/2015 13:25

Yes, physical exercise is very important! We are very keen for DD to do a bit as often as possible!

DD is not revising ATM - she is trying to keep up with her homework and get her CA's finished, plus Saturday revision classes. DH says that is fine as we don't want her to burn out on revision too early. She couldn't cope with trying to do any more anyway.

TeenAndTween · 19/03/2015 13:30

Same here Tilly. By the time DD has done Homework, CAs, Drama rehearsals, and English practice she's pretty much full up. otoh She has already done 3.5 GCSEs equivalent by marks, and by 2 days into next term she will have done nearly another whole one.

TheWordFactory · 19/03/2015 13:34

Yes, exercise and singing all good. Just a bit too much of it!

ErrolTheDragon · 19/03/2015 18:38

Mine will be doing her DofE volunteering this saturday - usually some pretty serious stake-bashing, digging or sawing at the wildlife reserve. Exercise and fresh air, but it's only one afternoon every other week and it's not got a schoolday after it. Her big physical activity is windsurfing/sailing, which doesn't start till May but - in common with every other GCSE/A level year junior member we've ever known - she won't be doing any till after her last exam.
(She was lucky that she could use her after-school FM as her 'skill'.)

dingit · 19/03/2015 20:07

My problem is dds boyfriend. He keeps rocking up after school, and tonight I kicked him out at 6.15. I feel like the bad guy, but he has exams too. They will have all the time in the world in the summer.

Original poster
Littleham · 20/03/2015 09:22

Ahhh. Young love.

I'm just hoping that my dd is revising. She says she is doing it and her grades are ok (or at least she says they are ok), but who knows? Roll on summer.

Have paused work to look for an eclipse & all I can see is cloud!

OP posts:
mushroom3 · 20/03/2015 10:19

DCs school are continuing lessons well into June and are having their leavers event one week before the end of their GCSEs (all have an exam the day following the event). I was stunned by this as I expected them to have study leave from May and not have the leavers event until after the exams. Does anyone else have this?

ErrolTheDragon · 20/03/2015 11:03

I've had no mention of study leave from DD or the school. They don't have an official leavers do, there's an unofficial 'prom' organised by the pupils but I don't think she or her friends are going. One less source of stress!

She said that today they'll finish the physics syllabus, and said she felt really sorry for all the people who were never going to learn any more physics (or maths).

HSMMaCM · 20/03/2015 11:10

No mention of study leave. Prom at the end of June.

HSMMaCM · 20/03/2015 11:11

Living Errol's DD feeling sorry for people not learning any more physics Grin

bigTillyMint · 20/03/2015 11:18

Mushroom, that's rubbish planning - prom the night before and exam?! Or is it a daytime event (when they should be revising!)

No idea when DD's prom is, or if she will want to go.

SugarPlumTree · 20/03/2015 11:55

Word I think Erroll is right with your DD and activities. Great that she throws herself into things fully but the time to learn the art of self regulation.

HSM I think DD will have a ceremony in the garden to burn her science and Maths books when no longer needed!

Mushroom that does sound like very poor organisation. I have been told exam leave 15 May and Prom 26 June, though there is nothing on school website to that effect.

Sun shining now but was walking back from dropping car to garage earlier and it was too cloudy to see anything, though maybe a bit darker. Thinking I'm rundown, have a spot on my chin so large it needs a name.

dingit · 20/03/2015 12:10

Our prom 26 June, meeting next week about study leave, timetable, intervention etc.

Not sure what will go on dds bonfire. history, English and RE at a guess.

mushroom3 · 20/03/2015 12:34

It's an evening event, I have suggested that it's moved a week, until after the exams.

bigTillyMint · 20/03/2015 12:57

Too right, mushroom! How can you celebrate when you still have an exam to go.

Science and Maths and MFLs will be on DD's bonfire, I think. Although perhaps I should hang onto them as DS is not as diligent at making notes!

TheWordFactory · 20/03/2015 13:01

sugar you're right of course.

She's always been hugely busy, loves a full life. But she's also highly ambitious when it comes to academics.

Last night she got back at 7pm and the first thing she did was ask her twin brother how much revision he'd done...

This morning she was telling DH and I that next week she's not going to any evening clubs and then it's the Easter break. She has a Master Plan Grin. We told her she could drop out of DofE if she wants, but she said no. Apparently the girls in her team plan to test one another as they hike!

ErrolTheDragon · 20/03/2015 13:11

Glad to hear that, Word. I think she's right not to drop out of DofE TBH, presumably she's already put time in on the volunteering,skill and physical activity (though hopefully some of the stuff at school has covered the latter two?). Hope the sibling rivalry works to motivate them both!

auntpetunia · 21/03/2015 14:52

Hope the DOE weekends go word fortunately DS doing scouts for so long meant he never got into DoE and his scouts do there last weekend at beginning of March so not getting in the at now.

We've had a bit of a battle getting him to take his revision seriously still a bit, I did ok in mocks ....god mum. so after a rollicking for being on his phone at 1 am texting some girl he has to give me his phone when he goes to bed and then we agreed that for the next few months his computer , proper desktop job with mega screens for gaming is in the dinning room so that we can see what he is doing. He's been telling us he's revised but I know the noises of revision and the noises of civ 5 or whatever else, one is gentle rhythmic typing type noises and one is continuous click click click the has definitely been more of the latter than the former. he's had a good moan about it but generally taken the better to not argue approach.

He's got more mocks starting 30th March, we don't break up here till Maundy Thursday 2nd April, and as yet he hasn't had an easter revision timetable. I've given up with school and geography and have bought him a revision guide and found soomeone who he can email about anything he doesn't know (it's my cousin) who did geography degree.

Anyway we've had a good morning I took him into town and he's got his prom suit shirt and tie he just needs shoes now, I'm hoping having that will give me some leverage over revision times Wink Wink