End of year 7 advice..

[miffyandsnoopy]

Hi, my DS is approaching the end of year 7. Recently we went to parents evening and evidently DS has made a good impression, each teacher we met discussed the fast approaching end of year exams, urging him to aim for 2 hours of revision a night and explaining that if he puts the work in he is more than capable of being put into the top sets in year 8. So, we've made up a timetable of revision. Yesterday was the first day DS started it, he found it very difficult, and he ended up having a temper tantrum and he asked me to sit with him and do the revision with him which I'm happy to do.
I'm worried now, as I don't want him to feel pressured and overwhelmed, I certainly don't expect him to be slogging away and getting perfect grades for all of these subjects, I'm wondering if he really needs to revise for 'every' subject?!? He's even got PE revision! He hates PE, and there are other subjects such as English, mathematics, science, History and French (his favourite subject) that I wonder if he would be best to focus on rather than cramming in hours of revision for things that aren't essential, such as PE and textiles! that he doesn't have any intention of progressing with when he makes his 'choices' at the end of year 8?
I just don't like to see him struggling/feeling pressured.
I'm just wondering if people on here have already experienced the end of year exams and how you dealt with/made it work for you, with your children.

Yea at this school they choose their options at the end of year 8 and start studying them in year 9. They are allowed to take some of the GCSE exams in year 10 if they are upto it. Don't really understand myself, I'm sure the reasons will be explained next year.

DD's school they start choosing in yr8, too.

DD1 didn't have to choose until the second term of year 9, but she did start her science and maths GCSE courses at the beginning of year 9. It comes round quick, especially in those schools that choose in year 8.

I think you might also want to find out what they actually mean by "first pick of their options". Is access to GCSE course actually based on attainment? Or do they just mean that they will advise against you taking a course that you are likely to do really badly in? If it's the former, it might be worth him putting in more effort on anything he would be genuinely gutted not to be able to study beyond year 8 (although I would sincerely hope that a school didn't massage their figures by only allowing the best students to do a course......!!!)

Oh crumbs...picking in yr 8 seems all rather soon. Yikes
Will take a look on DD school website.

DS is at a ss grammar and has just chosen his GCSE options in year 8. It's not unusual at grammars to do that.

At the end of year 7 we got him to summarise all his subjects and then he used those summaries to study from before the exams. These exams are really about getting used to revising. He wasn't doing two hours a night. He did the summarising over s few weekends.

In my experience it's non grammar schools who are more likely to choose options in year 8- it gives kids a longer run up to the exams. But I think it is becoming routine for most schools. I think it's bonkers, personally.