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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:
Sparklingbrook · 15/12/2014 17:22

We get the colour coded reports too Tilly. Bit like traffic lights. Grin DS1 has his final and only exam this week on Wednesday morning for one whole hour.

bigTillyMint · 15/12/2014 17:24

It makes me mad that they can make teens feel like they are failing, based on some spurious grade that came from what?

We never had this pressure. It's the bloody league tables and the constant pressure from government to improve. GrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrAngry

Sparklingbrook · 15/12/2014 17:25

Not forgetting the 'attitude to learning' scores graded 1-5.

dingit · 15/12/2014 18:14

Of Ffs. Dd has just come home to say their mock paper was the real one she sat last summer that she got a u for. ( further maths). she said she still struggles with the topics on that paper, due to a total cock up at their school, they only got a teacher just before their mocks, so no one went over it with them. Looks like another u then Hmm

Sparklingbrook · 15/12/2014 18:15

Wine dingit

dingit · 15/12/2014 18:15

Oh

bigTillyMint · 15/12/2014 18:35

Ho yes Sparkling.

Dingit, that sounds bad about the teacher and the cock-up. Is there any chance of her getting any special support?

dingit · 15/12/2014 18:43

Yes Tilly, I think we will get her a tutor if the results are bad.

HSMMaCM · 15/12/2014 18:51

Oh dingit we had that trouble with statistics last year. DD passed after a lot of revision with me, but many failed.

Only 6 more mocks to go this week.

TheFirstOfHerName · 15/12/2014 18:54

DS1 is only in Y10, but GCSE targets all A or A*. If he gets one grade below, it comes up as orange on his report, and two grades below comes up as red. Last report looked very... Autumnal. Sad

He had a German CA a few weeks ago, and English CA today, but the only actual GCSE he is doing in 2015 is Latin Language. He got 42% in the most recent test. Shock

OddBoots · 15/12/2014 18:58

How frustrating TheFirstOfHerName. I strongly object to any child being set a target of A*, A is the highest target grade that should be set. They should be able to get above their target rather than only being able to achieve or get below it.

TheFirstOfHerName · 15/12/2014 19:02

I strongly object to any child being set a target of A, A is the highest target grade that should be set. They should be able to get above their target rather than only being able to achieve or get below it.*

Totally agree.

TheFirstOfHerName · 15/12/2014 19:03

The in the A messed up my formatting! Grin

Sparklingbrook · 15/12/2014 19:04

DS2 is in Year 8. he will be in the first year to test the grades 1-9 when he does GCSEs. What joy,

dingit · 15/12/2014 19:13

And our year 11s will be doing the messed about A/ As levels sparkling.

noblegiraffe · 15/12/2014 19:16

Current Y9 will be doing grade 9-1 GCSEs in English and Maths.

bigTillyMint · 15/12/2014 19:23

OddBoots and TheFirst, my sentiments exactly.

Sparkling, DS is in Y9 and doing as nobleG says. But I'm not worrying about him till DD gets through Y11 and onto the messed up A/AS levelsConfused

motherstongue · 15/12/2014 19:24

We get the report and results on Friday 19th.

DS currently away camping doing Duke of Edinburgh. He is not the outdoorsy type so my phone has been going ding dong with grumpy texts from him. It's been freezing and he has aching feet, poor soul!
Get him home tomorrow and that's him done until the New Year.

bigTillyMint · 15/12/2014 19:29

Camping in this weather? Brrrrrr!

LynetteScavo · 15/12/2014 19:32

Mocks are after Christmas here. DS will not revise.

Tonight he asked me what will happen if they don't let him in to 6th form. I don't have a plan B.

OddBoots · 15/12/2014 19:34

Is it up to you to have a plan B Lynette? Isn't that up to him?

LynetteScavo · 15/12/2014 19:35

At parents evening I discovered he'd only got Cs in most of his course work Shock.....one teacher said that means what ever he gets in the exam next summer will be his overall grade...I think....is that right?

LynetteScavo · 15/12/2014 19:48

OddBoots - DS1 is very much like my brother - my parents let him have his own plan B....which was doing nothing for over a decade. That won't be happening here. But none of the Btec courses really appeal to DS. I think there is an applied science course which is equal to 2 A levels...but not sure if DS would cope at the places which offer it.

bigTillyMint · 15/12/2014 19:52

Lynette, re the overall grade, I don't know, but DD was getting A's for all her Chemistry last year and got an A for her ISA and then got a B overallConfusedSad

OddBoots · 15/12/2014 19:53

Ahh, Lynette. A tricky one.