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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Non revising Year 11 support thread

9 replies

CanvasAwning · 23/01/2016 20:20

Absolutely tearing my hair out with it! Have every revision guide. Mocks ranged from A-F. Has two Bs under his belt (Core Science and English Lang which might have been As with a bit more effort). Have taken away PS4 controller but that's now been replaced with the DS. When that goes, it will be something else - anything else, to distract him from doing any revision. Cannot just sit by and watch him underachieve or fail. On track for an E in Maths. He thinks he wants to do A Levels but I can't see it. I don't mind him going college if it's more suitable. Continually nagging and beginning to feel very stressed. Tell me I am not alone please.

OP posts:

camtt · 23/01/2016 20:23

mine isn't quite at that stage yet but I can totally see that happening as he is so reluctant to do homework and when he does it is only the bare minimum effort. I am comforting myself with the idea that you can always resit GSCEs and if DS sees that his grades are holding him back then he'll have the incentive to try harder next time

GasLIghtShining · 23/01/2016 20:58

Been there! There is only so much you can do.

He left school with grades ranging from A to E (the E being English). Started a BTEC extended diploma in sport (equivalent to 3 A levels). What a difference in a child. He is in Y13 and on target for DDD* (highest grades he can get) and is going to university in September. He is retaking English but the uni is going to accepts Functional Skill which he passed last year.

Most places will expect at least a B in the subjects he would want to study at A level. I would be having a look at what else is on offer at colleges. It will help to know there are other routes

The other option is an apprenticeships.

Does the school have a career adviser? Although my experience of them has not been good.

Hope this has helped

clary · 23/01/2016 21:21

Canvas will he work with you? That's if you have the time to do it...

Last year my very non-academic DS1 was doing zero revision so I started taking him out to wherever I was going (usually with his brother) along with a revision guide/past paper, so he just couldn't slope off to his room.

We sat at athletics meetings and cricket training discussing the finer points of Of Mice and Men and catering GCSE. I am sure we drove all the other parents mad but I do think it helped. He didn't write anything, but often talking it through helps students remember better.

Basically I wrote off my evenings from about April to start of June (DD in year 9 helped too esp with geography and science), but I really think it was worth it.

If you go through the maths that is difficult for your DS and help him break it down will that help? What is his target grade in maths? I ask specifically because if he doesn't get a C he will have to keep retaking it and I doubt many sixth forms will take him for A levels without it.

Also yes, he will need Bs in the chosen subjects to continue to A levels.

TeenAndTween · 23/01/2016 21:31

Can you do a deal with him re amount of revision?

e.g. 1 hour a day after school 4 days only, 6 (or 4) hours total at weekends?

Does he know how to revise? Active better than passive.
Can he make a revision timetable? Does he need your help to do it?
Make him revise downstairs?
Every hour of revision =hour of gaming?

Can you work out priorities for revision?
e.g. From now until end of term focus is on:

any CAs for languages
understanding maths, focus algebra and graphs
revision cards for science
working on technique for history source questions

He might be scared by the amount he needs to do, like eating an elephant.

Doe he have a plan B and a plan C if he doesn't meet requirements to do preferred A levels? e.g. BTECs as mentioned by Gas

My DD was willing, but totally not able to organise herself (dyspraxia). I sat with her to work out a revision timetable. Then every session I agreed with her what she would work on. Total micro managing, but she needed it.

GasLIghtShining · 23/01/2016 21:56

The colleges local to me will accept students if they fail maths or english as long as the remaining grades meet the entry requirements. They will then have to attend extra resit lessons and then obviously resit and pass.

Original poster

CanvasAwning · 23/01/2016 23:14

Thanks. We do have a local school that do Maths retake along with A Levels so that is already an option (but I cannot see him sitting down and doing the required work needed for A Levels). I think his Maths target is a C and he could just about scape it if he did some revision! Local college do retakes but he doesn't know what he wants to do and he says he isn't ready to pick just one discipline. We are going to have to apply for something as a Plan C. I do revise with him (the A in the Mock was down to me) but I cannot cover every subject - I don't have time to sit down for one hour an evening with him although perhaps I now need to consider it. It's actually a good idea. I will just have to find the time. Revising downstairs is a also good idea and we do do that but it's always such a massive battle. It's taken a massive battle to get him to do anything today and the little that he did was totally half arsed. Not looking forward to the next few months.

OP posts:

clary · 23/01/2016 23:32

Oh OP, I feel for you, I really do.

My DS1 really hated me by the middle of June last year I am sure.
It was easier for me to find time in the summer as I was sitting there at cricket training anyway - but normally I would take marking to do.

But yes, I do think it was worth giving up the time to it - of course it's easier not to, but I am glad I did tho it was hideous (in some ways! - in others it was great to be able to help him and see him start to remember/understand things).

Feb-June in year 11 is just grim. Or it should be. Good luck to him, if his target in Maths is a C then it can be done, just need to work at it. Make sure you focus on what he struggles with - for DS this was shapes and visual stuff, also checking his actual maths. But a lot of kids fall down on the wordiness of the questions now - can he see what the sum is he needs to do?

Original poster

CanvasAwning · 23/01/2016 23:58

He has dyslexia... misses out numbers, makes silly mistakes and doesn't really get it either. If only he would do 15 mins a day!!! I think he could scape a C. I think you have made me realise that I am simply going to have to do all of it with him. I do a lot but I need to do more - it's pointless waiting for him to do it because he won't. I'm seeing it as a test for whether or not he can do A Levels by himself and I don't think he can. I cannot see him coming home and willingly writing an essay.

OP posts:

ErikaL · 24/01/2016 08:28

For years 10s and 11s i recommend doing International GCSEs (dubbed IGCSE) as it is usually easier to grasp with much less modules.
For A Level students, always make sure you do your best in the AS Levels, since mainly, the A is about 80% of the total mark, which is not that hard if your kid studied early one and focused quite well in the first year.
As for the revision, I advise you to navigate to:
1- thestudentroom.co.uk
2- examsolutions.net (for A2, AS, (I)GCSE maths)
3- igcseworld.com (for (I)GCSEs too)

If you have any more questions please tell me! :)

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