Year 11 GCSE exam support thread 3 - the exam weeks

[HSMMaCM]

New thread for those of us starting the exams.

Keep calm everyone.

Ashbeee

I'm only in to help with Biology today so hope it goes well for everyone's DCs (and the French too.)
I know what y'all mean about getting emotional about the kids leaving school and being all grown up - I'm gonna cry my eyes out this year at leavers' assembly and I'm 'only' a TA!! (This is my first year group I've seen through since year 7.) God knows what I'll be like when it's my own son! (Cried enough at his Nursary 'graduation' 2 years ago.)

For those who want to know about the RE paper - it's seemed not too too bad - lots of questions where you needed to know about different religions (but you could pick which religions you wanted to talk about as it was not specified) and some where you had to write about your own opinion. (Not sure how much detail I'm allowed to go in to, but as it's now over......keeping it a bit vague just in case though!)

I had not expected to feel like this.

Anyway DS2 is home today due to the asbestos found in school. they have sent the work they need to do via the portal. I may have to take him out for lunch and give him a cuddle while the going's good.

for all.

Well Miss Stressy has got in on time for the French exam with Biology this afternoon. I could do nothing right this morning. She likes French a lot & finds it easy, so I think that it is the Biology causing the angst.

However before the exams she came home bearing one purple Quality Street & gave it to me with a hug (a teacher had given it to her & she knows they are my favourite). She said at the time that she might be stressed during exams so please remember the Quality Street.

Hope it goes well for your offspring today. 'Hi' to anyone who has just joined thread. xx

I feel like that too Sparkling, DD leaves next week too, for good, no sixth form. Some of her friends have been with her since nursery school

dingit. What's she going to be doing?

YY Hi to everyone new.

She has an unconditional offer for local sixth form college. And a conditional offer of all As in A Level options at selective academy.
GULP. I'm not thinking about it, honest

Sounds great dingit. YY to no thinking.

I had a little private breakdown when sewing in some name labels a couple of months ago and realised THERE WERE TOO MANY LEFT.

It's ridiculous since sewing name tapes has to be one of the most loathsome tasks. Luckily I have a DS in Yr1 so many years to go

Hi can I join here too DD3 had RE yesterday, French & 2 Biology today. She needs as good a grade as possible in Biology so has spent extra time revising this as needs it at A2 for her career choice.

She suffers from cluster headaches which are worse when stressed so has been doing yoga to de-stress.
I'm also looking forward to 19th June when she has her final exam then it's leavers assembly and prom. (need to get shoes)

We have Biology here too, she's awake and been chatting to someone on her phone, has to go in soon for a revision session. Tomorrow no exams but a full day of revision.

We had to buy a new calculator as the lettering had worn off.

Sorry, I'm not helping am I Sparkling!

I did especially love those nursery/pre-school years - whether because that's the age group I've mostly worked with myself, or just because it's such a fab age! Also, once they're settled, you get that lovely drop off and pick up time - with such lovely people looking after them and telling you what they've been doing (or going to do). You just don't get that the same once they're at proper school.

It's just one more step along the road isn't it? I'm quite looking forward to her being in Sixth form doing her favourite subjects, and even hopefully to being able to visit her at Uni in a few years time. Though of course that will be a big step not having her here all the time.

All these proms and year books don't help either do they?! But nice to do and have. dd and her friends just recreated a group photo of them from Y7 - all standing by a wall at school - they found the same spot and recreated their positions and poses - it was very good. They reckon they can do it again at end of sixth form as hopefully all staying on

Tbtc, that is the one thing I won't miss, name tapes! And I will be glad to bin all her uniform, especially her blazer, which is in bits as I was too tight to buy a new one.
If she gets in to the selective, we need to do a whirlwind shop, as she needs ' business attire' and dd doesn't usually do smart

Well, DD has no plan B for Sixth Form, if she doesn't get As in her A Level subjects and English, she has no place. I'm trying very hard not to think about this.
She refused to apply anywhere else.

Does anyone have experience of Sixth Forms taking latecomers? Can I homeschool for A Levels?

YY to the name labels! I think I now have all of them back from taking them out of things.

DS was testing ME on my biology this morning (I have a degree in Molecular Biology and use it in my work now). It was a bit nail bitey but I think I did OK.

Blimey coffee, that's a bit of a worry.
Dd is in all but for Art ( I think) , as she has done her maths, and got A* for double science last year. I'm not sure if she needs triple as well. We will find out in August

Just how do parents who drop their DC to school every day do it?! Soooo stressful negotiating all the traffic. Plus, of course, my nerves for DD today.
Thankfully the BF that we picked up is calm and positive

I am looking forward to DD taking the next step on - hopefully to a new Sixth Form (where she also needs A's), but maybe back at her school. I think I will feel it most if/when we go to look at universities. Have yours all got their year-books and hoodies? No sign here yet. Nor official news of the Prom

I stopped doing name-tapes a while ago as my two had never lost any item of clothing - no problems so far!

coffee I think your DD will have to face the consequences herself if she fails to get what she needs.

Was the reason for her not applying anywhere else due to her ONLY wanting to go to the one she applied for? If so, then will she re-sit for 2016 entry if she doesn't get the grades?

We have no Plan B either. DD has a conditional offer for a sixth form closer to home than her current school (so close that she can see it from her bedroom window). Her current school don't offer 3 out of the 4 subjects she wants to do - so she doesn't want to stay there. There is a college that she can go to but she hasn't even considered it. Gulp.

She's a bit tense about Biology today. The school has had some staffing issues with science teachers this year. She has been going to a tutor who has done wonders though. She takes German and that's early next month - on the same day as Geography - both her least favourite subjects.

Study leave starts tomorrow and she has been planning with her friends to travel first class on the train for their last journey. Given that it is a 10 minute journey I'm not sure she will get the full benefit of the extra luxury. By the time they have logged on to the free wi-fi it will be time to get off

Coffee, can you try ringing some Sixth Forms/colleges? I think Sixth Form Colleges are most likely to be flexible - the over-subscribed school sixth forms are unlikely to entertain latecomers at all, I would think?

DD1 has her heaviest day of all today (and it's her first) - both French then Biology 2 and 3.

She's very chilled and relaxed - spent last night watching a French rom-com to immerse herself in spoken French. (She's going in with brilliant CA results so short of a total disaster will be fine)

I have to say I've been impressed by her hard work this year. She's been revising steadily since her first set of mocks last November, and took up running so she'd get out and get some fresh air. I remember myself at that age holed up in my bedroom getting anxious and think she's gone about it the right way. I just hope there are no horrible surprises. I did tell her I'd do them for her if I could but she just laughed and said "No offence mum but I think I'd do better." Cheeky madam. (She's right of course. I have O Levels. I am ancient)

Tilly I have no idea. First day tomorrow of driving DS1 12 miles to ensure he is there on time for the CIDA exam at 9am. School bus just not reliable enough. Thursday I have to get him there for 8am for flash revision.

I am checking oil/tyres and filling up with petrol today. The responsibility....

DD thinks her school will still take her if she doesn't get the required As. I don't think so somehow, it a super selective.

I will ring around some schools, there are no Colleges here really, comps with Sixth Forms.

She will face the consequences of course. Haven't thought about resits, her place at the school is gone then, places given to external candidates the day after results day.

She has a good chance of getting those grades, she lives and breathes science and maths.

dd's hoping to get what she needs to stay on where she is - and with her friends too. She needs at least B's for the proposed A level subjects - but has A or A* predictions in those subjects so hopefully she can do it!
We did look at another good local school some of her friends go to but they were asking for almost exactly the same grades so in the end we didn't apply.

I think if results aren't as hoped we'd look at the Sixth Form College and hope they'd maybe be more flexible? There's always a plan B even if you don't know what it is yet!

Coffee
My DD has also only applied to one place, which can only offer 3 out of 4 of her choices but she knows the staff and half her friends will be there.

I thought she was being a bit shortsighted so rang the 6th form college in nearest city (20 miles away) just to find out what their deadlines etc were and they said they're very flexible - they'll take applications and enrolments right up until the start of term. I think DD will be ok with her one choice but at least we know there's a back up plan.