Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread 2

[HSMMaCM]

New thread ..... (DD not sure about the prom dress she has bought!!!!)

DD had a much needed day off today apart from running through MFL CA stuff for 15mins at the start and end of the day.

She's definitely flagging now and needs a break, but has the MFL CA, drama dress rehearsal and probably an ICT test to do before Easter. I will not be expecting any other work apart from prepping for those 3.

petunia I think there's a lot to be said for focussing on the subjects with lower grades - provided of course the other ones don't drop whilst they're not being given attention! It's a fine balancing act isn't it?

Bananas, sympathies. You are right - knowing that you have tried to do your best for her. And I agree with the others, now you have to try to step back and let her decide for herself whether she is going to go for it. Maybe she is petrified of failing and feels not trying would be getter. Or maybe it's because she knows it would be a huge effort and she doesn't feel she has it in her. Or maybe she needs tome to mature and really knuckle down - maybe not in time for this year. Whatever, it's not your fault

It is really hard to step back

Bananas, have you spoken to her maths teacher to explain the problem and find out the areas she really needs to focus on - you could say you only have to revise those areas instead of the whole syllabus, not idea I know but better than nothing and once she starts...... You could also suggest inviting a friend round so they both revise maths together might make it slightly more fun!

I do really feel for you but sometimes the only way to learn is by our mistakes! Try to stay calm you really have done everything you can to help DD - Happy Easter!

Argh. Dd and I have just had words. She was in France all weekend, and her boyfriend turned up at 10.30 this morning for the day, when she was still asleep.
I've just asked her plans for the rest of the week. She is seeing him tomorrow, going to school for a couple of hours Wednesday and Thursday, then Thursday afternoon going up to London with some friends. The revision time seems minimal!

Thanks all. I couldnt get to see her maths teacher at last parents evening as there were about 50 people waiting and we ran out of time. DD has told us previously that she struggles with algebra so DH could help her pick marks up with that. Just had another row with her about it. Apparently all I ever talk to her about is, in her words, "bastard maths!" and the more I go on about it the less she is going to do it. She is quite happy to spend hours texting etc on her phone but wont take time out from that to do maths for an hour.

My knee jerk reaction is to punish her in some way and force her to do some work. We could take the phone off her/cancel her contract but that might end up making things worse and I feel like I will be punishing her for not a very good reason. After all she is just bone idle and selfish etc but hasnt done anything wrong. I dont want to make things even worse now so close to the exams so I wont be doing that but once exams are over I am seriously going to consider this unless her attitude changes.

She has been doing extra maths lessons during school, instead of PE so thats something I suppose.

How do I stop going on about it all the time? Its so hard for me seeing her wasting so much time doing nothing. Even one single hour a day doing schoolwork would be marvelous in my eyes.

I NEED to leave it alone now! (but I know I wont)

Bananas, I've just told dd they are her results in August, not mine. I rest my case. ( although I may break in to a case of )

Bananas, DD got mighty fed up with DH banging on about maths all the time, and he finally took note and shut up. Things started looking up!
It's really hard to not keep going on. I have to weld my jaw shut on some occasions! I second the !

I realised today I know no other parents of y11s.

I know a fair number of y9 and y10 parents, but the only y11 parents are you lovely lot.

Sorry to hear from those of you struggling with no-workers. DD is in agreement with me - she wants to get to 20th August with no 'what ifs'.

We can keep each other company. I don't know about you but I hate the way it all drags on and on and on. It feels like it will never end. No wonder they find it hard to stay focussed.

I keep trying to break things up a bit, but I'm running out of ideas. Any good ideas for some treats? I'm not looking forward to study leave.

Just had DDs progress review. Targeted similar grades for all subjects, but predicted grades are threatening the grade below for nearly all of them. I don't mind as long as I know she's tried.

I have planned some treats for afterwards. We will be doing a spa day and going to see Wicked. Then we are all off to California for a once in a lifetime trip

I have promised to take DD out for a pizza at a new 0lace when I get back, a pedi for both of us and a night out with friend and her DD who is my DDs friend. Maybe we can go to the cinema too...

Dingit, I really really want to go to Cali! Can't complain though as we are going to NZ (where DH was brought up)

Just back from our scheduled day off shopping - not prom dresses (I love Littleham's DD's one in particular) but successfully aquired a good Goretex coat and classic black Docs. Not a cheap trip but they should last for years.

Oh, and also got the clear pencil case and a couple of new rulers. Pleasant lunch in the veggie cafe underneath the Manchester Buddhist centre, so it was a nice day out.

Slight when we were passing one of the theatres and DH and I were discussing whether to book to see something in the summer hols and she said something about never having to see another play again. Or read another novel. Though later when DH wanted something in waterstones she seemed up for some book-buying after the exams are over so I think the aversion currently induced by eng lit will pass soon enough.

I did try to help her revise some German vocab when we got home but my pronunciation is so clueless that it didn't really help.

T&T - I do know a few other people with yr11s, but TBH

..sorry, forgot I'd started that last sentence. Can be a bit awkward discussing all this stuff IRL.

Well dad has been up since 6 am re reading his maths course work, he's got maths and English 2nd mocks today. He seems happier about them than he was in December but we'll see , still no info from schoolabour easter revision. Hope holidays are going ok for everyone else.

DD got back from her expedition last night .

It was tough. Very high winds. But her group were troopers, physically and mentally fit. Hilarious videos of them on her phone, sheltering in their emergency cover for lunch, huddled together eating cold spaghetti hoops and Pringles!

She went to bed at 9pm and made me promise to get her up at 9am so she can start to 'get organised'. I don't now how much energy she will have for revision, but she can tidy her desk/room and make a timetable etc.

DS has now gone off on his expedition. He was a bit when DD told him they walked two hours in the wrong direction on Day 2, so walked almost ten hours that day. He tells me the navigator is the resident maths genius (though I'm not convinced that will be actually that helpful).

TWF, your DD is really driven, isn't she?!

And go Aunt's DS - poor thing still doing mocks

Gosh, word, that's a tough pair. The wind is even stronger where I am today than it was over the weekend. Best wishes for your DS, hope his navigator is good in practice not just theory.

DD's got a cold, was blowing nearly as loud as the wind throughout last night. Still, she's plugging on learning a geography case study at the moment. (dartmoor).

DD is indeed driven and tough.

We did her timetable, then she watched a movie I'd bought for her. She did a couple of hours of Chemistry revision this afternoon and is knackered now!

I've suggested a nap, because she won't want to go to bed too early as she'll get her Dad to herself this evening when he gets home from work (a very rare occurrence).

As of tomorrow she's planning on six hours a day. That seems optimistic to me. Maybe even counter productive? She doesn't want to be burnt out for the exams, does she?

Trouble is she's got just over two weeks, then back on the second DofE expedition.

errol studying with a cold is horrible! Your poor DD.

We drink hot Ribena in Casa WF for colds.

She's on hot lemon and honey.

We're not happy whatever are we? My DD is objecting to being expected to join us on two family days out in the holidays because she wants to revise. She's been getting up at 10am and revising all day. I'm letting her do pretty much what she wants to do basically because it seems to be working. I'll find out in August if that was right or not. It'll be different all over again when DD#2 has her turn though as there will need to be a lot of carrot dangling

DD has a maths mock on the school inset day on Thursday. They have been told to report to the tennis courts at 0845 in full uniform.