GCSE Results thread and starting 6th form

[WitchofScots]

Follow on thread from the GCSE exams and proms thread. For hand holding and recommendations of wine/chocolate/biscuits to get through the post results stuff.

HSM

My DD has 4 essays to write (if she wants to go to her first choice) and is not a happy bunny!
It's very harsh giving them homework for the holidays- it's only this one school that's done it.

AuntP, they sound like good choices.

I don't think it's harsh because, assuming they are marked, it will give the teacher a head start in understanding her class next year. Mind you, four sounds a lot but if her choice is selective then that's probably a sign of things to come.

A student should be buzzing now - it's not like their holidays have been short!

It's oversubscribed. But so are others that haven't set homework.

I hope they will look at it and aren't just using it to weed out the students who aren't motivated enough to do it

If students haven't done any work in the months since their exams then they will struggle to hit the ground running in September.

Plus, they need to get out of the mindset that homework is something that teachers set and kids do reluctantly and only to get the teachers off their backs. They chose their subjects, they signed up to study them, they should be interested enough in them and invested enough in their futures that they will study because it's for their own benefit and not because their mum made them.

Time to grow up.

Noble giraffe - that's the tactic I've taken so far - you chose the subject, you know what to do, get on with it. She has every intention of doing it ... Sometime

I think the break has been soooo long, that the end is sort of sneaking up on her.

Qod. That's interesting. Dd got A for physics, 1 mark off A for biology and 2 marks off for chemistry. I've read on student room that it's harder for marks to go up on science remarks. She also has enough grade for 6th form, so not sure it it's worth the hassle.

Yes, you're absolutely right ng. It is definitely time to grow up!
She is doing them, by the way. I think. It's her choice/life, etc

DSs independent school makes a point of never setting holiday homework.

WRT remarks, the only one I would consider is DSs further maths which he got an A for. However, there are no grade boundaries given at all so we don't know whereabouts in the A section he was.

Further maths grade boundaries here:
filestore.aqa.org.uk/over/stat_pdf/AQA-IGCSE-GDE-BDY-JUNE-2015.PDF

School have set a fair bit of suggested reading for over the summer. Plus some pod casts/ you tube videos etc.

On French they were told to keep their hands in by doing a bit of translation each day. We opted for Harry Potter..

Thanks Giraffe... I'm not sure what exam he did at the moment as he took his results sheet to his father's this weekend. I shall have a look later.

An acquaintance was telling me yesterday that his son hasn't received his English result yet! Not sure which board it was.

I don't quite understand the structure for a levels.

Will this cohort do AS levels in 2016...I thought they were being dropped? And is 4 subjects the norm or 3 to A level?

Eve, it depends which subjects as to whether the A levels will count towards their final A2 results.
DS is doing Maths, F. Maths, Geog and History. In the first three subjects, the AS will count towards the A2. History won't and he'll have to revise 2yrs work for his A2.

AS levels will count towards their final A2 results

eve most students will start with 4 A levels in year 12 and drop down to 3 in year 13.

There are exceptions of course.

Regarding AS, I believe that some subjects will continue as normal with AS in summer 2016 which will count towards A2. Others will no longer be subject to AS ( although the school can opt to do them anyway, though the scores won't be carried forward ).

horse I think it depends on subject. Some won't have AS ( as part of phasing them out).

I thought I said it depended which subjects?

Sorry I only saw your second post

No problem!

Well, I had one finishing a btec, one (A levels done 2 yrs ago) finishing a city & guilds before uni, and one finishing 3rd year at uni and one doing AS and a maths GCSE resit...do I get a medal?
It is not the first time I have had multi result panic as I have 2 school yrs between first two and one between 2nd & 3rd. 4th is 2 yrs behind.

Everything was good, Btec DS got 3 Distinctions, DD1 is doing a 4th yr & is on track for a !st, City & Guilds passed with all Distinctions and the DD3, AS results BCE are fine (school getting remark on the photo E) and passed the maths!! Phew..... so stressful .... me not them!

Re homework in hols, my DD3 had A LOT, at least weeks worth of photo, plus another two other subjects, all well and good, but we don't have photoshop and she has been away, family holiday for 2 weeks then a week with a friend and now a festival, she will be exhausted on return and then they are back on the 3rd. Feel all this h.w. is more for the school than the kids. A good teacher should be able to cover everything and ensure good results in term time. I am emailing school wo also advised getting photos professional printed! Costs a lot once you are over normal size pics.

Homework, yes by A level they should be doing something they enjoy but if they are away most of the summer then there is no time, and one of DS3s subjects is photo and the work would take a good week, with development.. the only week she is home is this one and she has viral tonsilitus! Think some of this h.w. is for the schools results benefit, not nec the kids. Good teaching should be able to get good results in term time. I would love longer summer holidays like in the states and we should end in June with the better weather and longer days (good when camping)