Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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

Average (or lower) acheivers exam thread time?

299 replies

yolofish · 27/04/2015 00:57

Is it time for this? I mean those of us with kids who will not get 11 As in their GCSEs, or 4 As at A level.

I know most mumsnetters will not be in this particular boat Wink but quite frankly in this house we just have fingers crossed for a C at GCSE English language for DD2, so she can get into 6th form and dance to her heart's content, and for DD1 good enough results to get into Y14 to finish off her media studies A level (started too late in Y11 to finish this time round).

They are not knuckle draggers, or indeed thick as pig shit (both comments I have read on here). They work hard, are good kids - but a row of A*s will not be on the agenda.

Join me please if you feel the same!

OP posts:
KittiesInsane · 25/05/2015 21:58

I'm not sure this thread is really the abode of the bright but idle future Oxbridge candidate, Skinna!

DS loves what he does. He's just not quite got the hang of doing it well.

Original poster
yolofish · 26/05/2015 08:40

kitties - snorting with laughter at your post!
no, Oxbridge not on the menu here, as mine are neither idle nor bright (academically).
revision apparently starts again today after 3 days off. I may have to crack the whip to get them started...

OP posts:
thunderbird69 · 26/05/2015 09:41

yolo - revision seems to have been put on hold here too. He said he will do some today, he reckons he forgets it all if he revises too far ahead of the exam!

don't know if anyone else has been using Mr Bruff for English revision, but he is meant to be very good. Lots of videos on youtube and an ebook you can get for 99p (I think)

Original poster
yolofish · 26/05/2015 12:15

DD1 has done some. DD2 is supposed to be finishing dance coursework but has not started yet. they both at school tomorrow for a maths session (god bless those teachers)

OP posts:
TeenAndTween · 26/05/2015 18:33

Day off today to go on a trip on the Thames. Lots of grebes, swans and red kites.

Otherwise, lots of focus on English Lang and maths; science gets whatever time is left over which is late afternoon or not at all.

My DD is also so not a bright but idle future Oxbridge candidate!

SugarPlumTree · 26/05/2015 20:19

DD did a Maths paper today, without me mentioning the word revision. She's counted the number of days left and looks a bit more cheerful as think she can see the end now whereas before it felt endless.

I just hope it all gets a bit easier in the 6th form (assuming she gets there).

Original poster
yolofish · 26/05/2015 23:21

T&T your Thames day out sounds cool - where, what, how etc?

OP posts:
TeenAndTween · 27/05/2015 08:31

yolo Probably not as cool as I made it sound. Smile

On a small motor boat (with cabin, toilet etc) my Dad designed and built (though that's pretty skilled). So we started just upstream from Windsor, pottered through a couple of locks, moored up, at lunch, and pottered back down again. Relaxing. Plus 90mins drive each way (not so relaxing).

My youngest age 10 did most of the steering and DD1 just sat upfront and relaxed.

Original poster
yolofish · 27/05/2015 11:38

oh that sounds lovely! keep meaning to hire a rowboat and go out on the local canal, but I've been saying that for 16 years and never got round to it...

OP posts:
Original poster
yolofish · 28/05/2015 22:49

well mine have done sod all work today; trip to IKEA this morning took hours and hours and was an explosive minefield of sulky/cross DDs! so tomorrow I WILL be beating them into some work...

OP posts:
thunderbird69 · 29/05/2015 08:33

My DS has done maybe an hour a day this week. I'm hoping he has no plans for today as I think he needs to get back in serious revision mode (4 subjects next week) and don't want to get in an argument over it! Will gently wake him soon.

extrachilled · 29/05/2015 13:25

baycrest don't know if someone else has already said this (haven't read all posts), but I had some answers about sixth form admissions on another thread and it seems that catchment areas aren't so important so you should be able to apply before you move.

TeenAndTween · 29/05/2015 17:01

DD1 is working hard, but English language is going right to the wire.

She needs to be persuaded she can see what is in a picture (e.g. teenage boy, holding ball, with bionic arm), and also to actually just get on and write rather than sit trying to finely craft sentences and thus only producing 2 sentences in 10 minutes.

It's OK really, we do have 3 whole days before the exam, that's ages to sort out such fundamental techniques, isn't it?

MyballsareSandy · 30/05/2015 11:02

Blimey just read through this whole thread and it's making me nervous.

I have two DDs in year 9 and getting them to revise for their end of year tests has been a struggle this half term, let alone GCSEs.

There seems to be so much more pressure on these year 11 kids. I can't remember me or my friends stressing much about exams .... it was 1984 though!

Horsemad · 30/05/2015 16:00

It is a bit of a minefield, Sandy! At least you will be informed if you keep reading here!

TeenAndTween · 01/06/2015 18:09

Anyone else really worried about English Lang tomorrow?
Despite having extra time due to dyspraxia DD is still really tight for time, and then also struggles to think of things to say when they ask her to 'describe your best holiday' or whatever.
And she cannot plan to save her life ...

SugarPlumTree · 01/06/2015 19:40

DD has done hers. Is it all on the exam or do CA's play a part ? FlowersWine

TeenAndTween · 01/06/2015 19:51

The CAs play a part, but the first mock was dire.
Second mock was good enough though, so just keeping fingers crossed.

SugarPlumTree · 01/06/2015 20:11

She's shown she can do it with the second mock which hopefully will have boosted her confidence and that's good that there are CA's. Fingers firmly crossed for you both, really frays the nerves all this. Think I've said before, DD has Dyspraxia too.

DD has two Japanese papers tomorrow and did do a practice listening paper earlie which was encouraging.

TeenAndTween · 01/06/2015 20:17

I keep telling her she can do it, but tbh I'm not confident inwardly. And a 2hr45 min exam with poor upper back strength and an already aching back isn't ideal. Oh well, what will be will be.

Japanese - very impressive! How does that work with the dyspraxia? DD would be useless as she doesn't really 'do' pictures so the characters would blow her mind!

SugarPlumTree · 01/06/2015 20:57

It is really difficult but she may well pull it off. Can see why you are worried though and totally get it Flowers

To be honest I have no idea how it works ! The writing is her weakest bit but she is very creative at good at art these days (not when she was little). Really struggled with French and Spanish but clicked with speaking Japanese when she started teaching herself from YouTube quite bizarrely.

SugarPlumTree · 02/06/2015 07:04

Good luck to all those with English Language today.

thunderbird69 · 02/06/2015 08:43

DS taking foundation English language today. He should be ok to get a clear pass, but still feeling a bit nervous (me not him!) His effort in English throughout secondary school has been minimal, being put in the bottom set didn't help as he hasn't been pushed at all.

Good luck to everyone else taking it today

SugarPlumTree · 02/06/2015 15:58

How did the English go?

TeenAndTween · 02/06/2015 16:42

Better than first mock, not as good as second. Hopefully good enough. (Please ...).
How was Japanese?