Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

[pointythings]

Because we need a new thread now that things are really hotting up!

My DS didn't seem too fazed by AQA exam. Not sure which poems he di as he got changed and went out rather quickly. He did say something about more than one of his classmates having misread the question in An Inspector Calls and written about Mr rather than Mrs Birling; does this mean no marks at all for this (my theory) or will they get some credit for what they wrote (his theory). I'm particularly interested in case he fesses up that he was one of those who did it.

Wjec hère, said it went well.
bertrand great advice!
Feeling anxious over yesterday's maths. Ds needs 5 for English & maths plus 6 bs for sixth form. Really concerned now he thinks he only got about 25/80. He got a 7 in his mock non calc paper but his calc paper brought his mark down. I just hope he manages enough in the calc paper to scrape a 5. He hasn't applied for anywhere else, it's going to be a nail biting time!

My DD did AQA English Lit today. Inspector Calls. Confessed to writing a page on Mr Birling before realising the question was about Mrs Birling. Claims she 'saved it' in time. Half way through now. Try and enjoy half term everyone.

Bloody hell! Just read the link to the OCR cock up. That is just terrible and inexcusable. It would surely make some students question their knowledge about the whole thing. Awful, just awful

DS is feeling pleased with his english lit today. Much happier about it than the maths yesterday! He now doesn't want to talk about it at all until he starts revising again on Sunday. Fair enough.

He is having a great time this afternoon he has 12 friends round and they are currently having a BBQ and swimming. And no doubt getting tipsy! I just wish this weather was going to last!

'Inner wanker'

DS said aqa English lit was 'alright'. That seems to be his standard answer though, I think he is just bored by it all now!

We told him to have the weekend off and we now seem to have a garden full of teenagers having a BBQ!

Enjoy the break people

DS a lot more chipper about English today than Maths yesterday. He is AQA and did the "other" question about inspector Calls which I don't think anyone mentioned here yet - something about the inspector I think. Have just asked him about the confusion between Mr and Mrs Birling and he said some people had confused it but wasn't sure if they had caught it in time. Thank heavens it's half term! We are all worn out.

pasanda we crossed. They really are similar aren't they?! Sadly we don't have the swimming pool though!

DD happy with AQA English Lit at well. She thought she was going to run out of time but managed to get everything down. She's tired but is out now.

DS did Blood Brothers on childhood and compared Bayonet Charge with Remains, which he loves and was prepared to shoehorn in any way he could! Much happier than he was with paper 1. He said what a slog the paper was though - BU the time he got to the unseen he'd run out of energy!

Atia did your ds do OCR English lit today (may have mis-remembered) ... was he doing Romeo & Juliet?

Unfortunate - my DD did the other question on AIC too, said it was about the inspector and society or something. She seemed fairly pleased with it and also with both poetry sections so glad that one's out of the way.

Is my DS over to yours pasanda or Giraffe? He's over at a friend for a BBQ.

Ready we do have similar dcs, same exam board in English all went well. I feel anxious about maths too and for the first time since the exams started I wondered if on opening those results in August I will have nothing to celebrate. But you know what, it's done and dusted, they can't retake the same exam and if they fucked up there's nothing we can do now. I was happy to hear the English Lit went well as hopefully that brought back his confidence.

"inner wanker"

I can't believe OCR had one job to do and did it wrong

How funny that would be fleur - but I know they don't go to the same school because ds is not at a grammer !

I bet these boys would all get on like a house on fire though.

I am also a bit bluegh (sp!!) about maths yesterday too. It really does sound like he cocked up I can only hope he manages to claw it back with the other 2 papers. Not looking forward to that particular result in August either.

It was hinted at a parents evening that ds should maybe do the foundation paper because he had got such a low mark in his mock. But ds really didn't want to as he wanted to prove them wrong and also acknowledged that he hadn't done any revision for that. He had been performing well with his maths tutor and although knows he won't ever get a 7 or above, was aiming for a 6 after all his recent work. He is in the top set at a really high achieving academy so you would hope would do OK. But from what he says, it's sounds awful!

Anyway, like you say fleur - done and dusted now...

Atia did your ds do OCR English lit today (may have mis-remembered) ... was he doing Romeo & Juliet?

Yes, OCR, but fortunately he was another Macbeth Absolutely shocking though.

phew ... couldn't remember which one he was doing!

Redsrule I am really interested a to why you believe that igcses are inferior in some way gcse.

You do realise that the igcses that are used by Uk schools are differnt to the ones used internationally and already include part of the AS level syllabus don't you. This therefore better prepares students to take the step up.

Also schools can opt to use A*-G grading or the 9-1 grading.

I am just interested as to why you think they are somehow not as good because you mentioned something similar before.

Excuse typos - fat fingers - iphone

DD answered the question about Inspector Google & society, thought it gave more scope to answer & use all the quotes she had memorised rather than focusing on one character which she felt was more restrictive . Much happier today than after maths yesterday. She has gone to a local park, with what appeared to be most of year11. I am anticipating a text to say can she have a gathering here. I am having a glass of wine to fortify myself. They've got quite a few revision classes at School during half term. It's going to be a long few weeks. Thank God the supermarket had 25% off 6 bottles of wine! I fear, I may have to go back & stock up on more

fleur you had me wondering then but I looked back and your DS is doing different exam boards so not at my DS's school!!

I also wonder what on earth August will hold. DS thinks they have all gone alright so far but sometimes thinks that even when they haven't. Like the English mock in which he scraped a 3 (having got a 7 in the one before). There really could be anything from an A to a D in most subjects, anything from a 7 to a 3 in English, hopefully a 6 in maths but who knows?!

With regards to iGCSE, I think the new spec GCSE is considered more rigorous, and is certainly more difficult, as evidenced by all closed book exams and no coursework.

DD answered about Mrs B, not Mr, thank the Lord and all his disciples in heaven.

Just got to keep her eating and resting well during half-term now.

Just to confuse matters the Wjec question was on Mr B.

I don't know how the IGCSEs compare to this year's GCSEs, all I know is that the majority of private prep schools in our areas chose to do IGCSEs this year instead of the new GCSEs and will do so next year too to give them more time to prepare for the new curriculum requirements over two years generation. This I know first hand as I have seen a letter from one of the schools sent to a colleague at work. So that in itself says something I suppose doesn't it?

pasanda, Giraffe and ready I bet our boys would be best friends if they aren't yet by how we describe them.

Giraffe same here, I had quite a few instances in the past when DS said "it went well" and got a D in a mock I'm starting to doubt what he's saying but not showing it.

I guess they are good entertainers, they like keeping us on our toes till last minute.

I think they are easier because they are! As a state school we followed the Cambridge IGCSE for the past few years but have been prohibited from doing so this year. The new GCSE is more challenging, no question. We are expecting a drop in results at the old C/D now 4/5 borderline and anyone who gets a 9 in the new GCSE will have achieved significantly better.
Having taught both specs it is clear although the truly gifted clearly relish the challenge. This year they are different and since most centres still do the Componant 5, coursework at 25% that is a significantly less pressurised exam.

Asked DD about Inspector calls (carefully!) -she did the Inspector question but said lots answered the other about Mr B rather than Mrs. She said she did realise it was Mrs. Seems ok - just back from a friend's and tomorrow my mum coming over to help with the prom dress which needs adjusting. Hopefully that will give a little break.