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Secondary education

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Original poster

GCSEs 2018

998 replies

DoNotBringLulu · 12/08/2017 16:19

Hi all, I am sure many of us with dc going into year 11 this year are trepidatious about teachers and pupils thrown in at the deep end due to the new GCSEs.

There is one thing I can do which I hope will help my ds (even though he thinks I'm mad!), which is to get hold of this year's GCSE English Language and English Literature papers, read the books and work through the paper myself - I studied English Lit at university over 20 years ago. I will know for myself after I've done this how difficult the exam papers are at least - I'm not sure who I can ask to mark it for me though!

Can anybody tell me how challenging the Maths and English papers were for their dc? I understand these were the two subjects introduced with the new format.

OP posts:
LooseAtTheSeams · 30/09/2017 10:38

The very end of the exam period is June 22. There's the half term holiday in the middle of the exam period just to confuse matters. English language is June 5 and June 8 and that's quite a late one, but there are some others after that. I notice further maths with AQA is right at the end.
Try not to look too closely at exam timetables just yet - it's very stress-inducing. Basically, to only is DS1 doing more subjects than I did but he has more exam papers for each one!

frazzledchel · 30/09/2017 10:59

Only looking to try and book a holiday for 29th june . Contacting the school given book from 1st July onwards but flight for this hip is 29th back on 9th which means can also do prom if we go 6th july then most probably no prom . Just trying to keep everyone happy

Mmzz · 01/10/2017 12:24

Just been speaking to DS1 about managing his time. I think this term might be the worst this year, excepting the exam month itself.
Reason: they are doing tests that they need to be mastering the answer structure for (a 12 mark question etc) plus the material itself, and they are still studying fresh material and they have the mocks.

I think next term will actually be easier as it's mostly just revision.

What does everyone else think?

BlueBelle123 · 01/10/2017 17:20

Well I think DS will still be learning new material up to Easter, so here I can only see the pressure mounting as the weeks roll by!

This week DS had a piece of work marked and handed back with the number grade, which he was a bit disappointed in, I converted to the letter equivalent and said how would you feel if you were given that..... he said he'd of been really pleased!!!!

I do feel adding this extra level 9 has the effect of down grading everything else....... I think these changes have been for the benefit of the few and not the manyAngry

Mmzz · 01/10/2017 19:13

It was to differentiate the upper end. The new grade boundaries are confusing though - is a 7 an A or a B? Is a 4 as good as a C and if it is, why are some 6th forms asking for 5 min in the subjects you aren't taking forward, but a 7 in the ones you are?

BlueBelle123 · 01/10/2017 19:44

I know it was to differentiate the upper end but was so much change necessary just for the top 2-3%, what about the 97%.......sorry I just really disagree with the effect this has had on the vast majority.......but its done so I need to just except and move forward.....

BlueBelle123 · 01/10/2017 19:46

Oh a 7 is an A, I think ideally you would want a 5 but I think at the moment they accept a 4 for now!

Hulababy · 01/10/2017 19:51

We've got the GCSE exam timetable from DD's school's website now. DD has the majority of exams in May, in two weeks before half term. Then the rest after - all finished by the 8th June.

Seems really close now we have dates!

DD has her GCSE Drama practical this week (or next??) and has started her Computer Science timed assessment too last week.

Hulababy · 01/10/2017 19:53

Re grades and ABC equivalence.

GCSEs 2018
chuntersalot · 01/10/2017 20:08

I’ve got twins in their GCSE year so joining in here.

Both of similar abilities but with a massive attitude difference Grin DT1 happy to put in a good amount of effort, DT2 not so much.

DT1 will sit GCSE Latin as an external candidate for which she has an hour per week tutoring. Both have a couple of hours per week tutoring for Maths and Science.

I’m trying my best to guide and support them but it seems I really have to prove myself before they will take my advice and support Grin

mmzz · 01/10/2017 20:35

Bluebelle I don't want to argue with you, but DS is at that end of the scale. He's had years of not being challenged because being given work at his level would make the others feel bad. You might think that's boasting but it isn't. It's been a real problem over the years because he was just a child, just like all the others. He found things too easy often, and so was bored, but had to hide how easy he found it so as not to turn the other is against him. Mainly, he had spent a large chunk of his education helping the people next to him do their work.

It sounds fine for a day or a week, but try expressing to a 8/9/10 year old why the lessons are never meant to be for him and he's just there to make up the numbers.
Also don't think that DS got lots of praise and rewards, because he didn't. He only got praise for trying and there was very little opportunity to do that and the awards for best in class invariably go to someone who had improved.

This is why he had such difficulty with time management - he's never been given a chance to break sweat before.

Stickerrocks · 01/10/2017 21:12

DD has her leaving assembly on 22 June & apron on 29th. She is head girl, so I know she will spend more time fretting about her speech than her final exams. We're going to the Fjords in early July to celebrate & make the most of out-of-school-holiday prices for the first time in 11 years.

Stickerrocks · 01/10/2017 21:13

Apron = prom!

TheSecondOfHerName · 01/10/2017 21:22

I looked at the website of each exam board to find the dates for DS2's exams. He has a couple of clashes. I expect the school will keep him secluded somewhere until he has sat the second exam. Hopefully he'll get a break after the second exam and before the third exam in the afternoon.

BlueBelle123 · 02/10/2017 08:07

mmzz I do understand where you are coming from......but we clearly look at it differently so I think we should agree to disagree Smile

mmzz · 02/10/2017 10:51

@BlueBelle123 I understand your point of view too. I don't want any child to be held back or made to feel a less valuable member of the community.

I don't know what the solution is, but I know its not the one that was in place for most of DS''s school life. Maybe the new one isn't it either as it just moves the problem on?

I agree: let's agree to disagree, as you suggest.

drummersmum · 04/10/2017 16:09

mmzz and BlueBelle123 I think the question is whether just having a higher grade will change what happens inside the classroom. Will having the new 9 mean that the most able get more tailored work? Frankly, I really doubt it. One thing does not necessarily comes with the other. They are problems apart.

mmzz · 04/10/2017 16:31

No, you are right, the work isn't tailored. Not even a little. To get level 9s, you don't need to understand any extra concepts, just be able to do all the paper and make fewer mistakes.

So, what's the answer? Different exams is also unacceptable - that's why the old O'levels /CSEs were abandoned.

drummersmum · 04/10/2017 17:16

The answer is more funding for teachers to have the time and resources to stretch the more able beyond what's required for the exams. Education is more than exam taking.

Mmzz · 04/10/2017 18:04

It is and it isn't (about more than exam taking). It is in theory but it's not in practice.
In DS's experience, the teachers don't try to go extra- curricular. There are always students who need help learning the exam material and obviously that comes first. But if they would then that would be great.

How will extra money help? The teachers work flat out. It's not like they'll work harder if they were paid more. Do you mean that more teachers could be recruited with more money. But then there are already unfilled vacancies so what would extra money do - attract people who'll only take the job of it pays more??

drummersmum · 05/10/2017 11:11

There are vacancies in some places and then some schools and sixth form colleges have had to shut down departments and kill some subjects dead! Yes, more money more teachers and support staff and I am not talking about extracurriculars, I am talking about, when needed, having separate sessions for different ability groups and needs so everyone is enriched. This all started with you saying your DS is not stretched. Imagine if once a week he and others were taken out of the classroom and given a lesson with content and or activity that goes beyond what's required for the exam. Meanwhile those who au contraire need to go over things once more could do so without anyone suffering from "boredom". All I am saying is none of this is fixed with introducing a grade 9.

drummersmum · 05/10/2017 11:12

by introducing

mmzz · 05/10/2017 11:17

Drummersmum he gets 95%+ in every exam for certain subjects. He's not stretched but he's not going to be stretched just by teaching him more of the curriculum. This is what some people find so hard to understand - its not about posing problems in a more challenging way, its about teaching something new

OnlyTeaForMe · 05/10/2017 11:25

Really not sure how next summer is going to work out for DS. He's been predicted 7-9s based on his schoolwork, but the problem is that he always does worse in exams due to his dyslexia.
He was only recently formally diagnosed (although we and his teachers had noticed issues with memory and processing skills) so we haven't yet had a chance to see how much difference the extra time will make.
But as he said to me yesterday, "Mum, if I can't remember the key facts to get down, then I'm just going to be worrying for 20 mroe minutes at the end" Sad

He's a very visual learner, so I'm now desperately trying to find him as many visual revision resources as possible. Things like Quizlet, YouTube videos, GCSEpod etc - any recommendations would be very welcome!

mmzz · 05/10/2017 12:07

I thought the written word was also visual learning? If I am right, then visual learning is the one where learning is most easily accessed.

Speak to the senco about teaching your DS to do mindmaps etc. They could make a big difference.

Does he get extra time in everything? Or just certain subjects?