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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:
noblegiraffe · 26/10/2017 14:23

I wouldn't even class his handwriting as bad, just a little intense! Grin Very impressed at his use of colour, and that he's condensing all the stuff he needs to know in one place, he seems very organised.

LooseAtTheSeams · 26/10/2017 16:07

The handwriting is very similar to DS, who has double-jointed thumbs. I think it's OK - I can't understand it but I can see what he's written!
Must admit I am also rather taken by the use of colour! And his organizational skills.
I think DS is relying on his class maths books and Fronter at the moment (that's where the practice papers live, apparently...).

BlueBelle123 · 26/10/2017 18:11

sadik thanks for that, that's exactly what DS wants to start with the 3 sciences and maths and then drop one. The problem will be finding somewhere that will let him.....as we are not in Wales!

Oddsocks15 · 28/10/2017 08:35

Posted about DD before, but had another sleepless last night about her lack of revision, she has GCSE mocks in a couple of weeks time. I’m not convinced she has revised adequately enough, i get that she needs a break, but I’m not convinced by her relaxation/study balance!! Anytime I mention revision it is met with eye roll and/or “leave me alone”.

She is fiercely independent (much like me at her age blush) not wanting help in any area of her life, I’ve learnt to not interfere and I’m really not on her back 24/7, just the occasional check, but even that seems like it is too much. thlshock

Before half term we’ve had two phone calls from school about missing homework which DD is adamant was a misunderstanding between the class and the teachers. confused

Too early in the day for wine Wine

TheDonald · 28/10/2017 09:06

Oddsocks you sound like you're having a similar experience to me.

Dd is doing the bare minimum (and sometimes not that) but is getting away with it because her teachers think she's working really hard. She's a fantastic blagger!

She has maths, English and rs exams next week (proper mocks are in January)

She's really good at talking about all the revision she is going to do but so far this week she's done about 1 hr of normal homework with at least another 3 bits to do.

She could do it all plus revision today and tomorrow if she just put in a good few hours but she won't do more than an hour a day without being "sooooo tired"

She also responds badly to me interfering.

I'm just banking on the fact that she tends to pull it out of the bag when it matters and she will only believe it matters next May.

Sadik · 28/10/2017 09:47

Maybe mocks now are just what she needs Oddsocks - she (and you) will be able to get a better sense of whether what she is doing is enough.

drummersmum · 28/10/2017 11:10

What is the consensus re mocks? Should they revise a lot? Danger of burn out? But if they don't revise it's not a reflection of anything?

noblegiraffe · 28/10/2017 12:08

As a teacher, yes they should revise for mocks! It’s a chance to practice setting up a revision timetable and sticking to it, to try to find the way of revision that best works for them and also, we know from research into neuroscience, revising now (so long as they do it properly and don’t just cram the night before each exam), will help them remember stuff for next June.

Oddsocks15 · 28/10/2017 12:28

TheDonald snap, DD gets the revision books out but then multitasks by watching YouTube Hmm

With the subjects DD likes and is good at, teachers think she is wonderful Angry

DD school taking mocks more seriously than I realised as they are having study leave.. hope DD makes it to the exams as I’ll be working

Share some Wine and Cake TheDonald ?!

LooseAtTheSeams · 28/10/2017 13:20

Yes, despite DS1’s theories, he will be revising for mocks! I think it’s a chance to make some sort of plan and try to stick to it. Hopefully the big push will start just after Christmas (rather than Easter).
Hopefully.

TheDonald · 28/10/2017 13:25

I'd love to oddsocks. The peppermint tea isn't really working!

Well she's managed an hour this morning. She's done some maths which is her best subject. It's highlighted some pretty glaring gaps with the easy stuff but I still feel progress has been made.

She has done 4 pages of the revision guide. She got about 70% right on the level 3-4 page and 100% right on the level 8-9 page.

Not sure what to make of that really!

mmzz · 28/10/2017 14:36

DH and I have been struggling to get DS to work all week. Finally, we sat him down and DH put it bluntly to him. He told DS that it's his life and we will love and support him irrespective what he decides to do with it. But DS needs to decide now whether he is going to take a non-academic route or not. If he wants the academic route then he needs to start working now, otherwise he'll be choosing the non-academic route by default.
DS said he wanted the academic route but he is scared of the amount of work there is. So, I helped him make a detailed revision table. That was two days ago and since then he's been doing a good balance of revising and time off and he's crossing stuff off his revision list.
He also keeps hugging me. I get the impression that he's just very relieved.
I hope he keeps it up.

Oddsocks15 · 28/10/2017 15:47

Well done mmzz sounds like heading in the right direction for your DS.

TheDonald at the in laws today, so Brew rather than Wine for me! Maths is also my DD best subject which is a mixed blessing as she seems to be doing less revision for maths. She has brought her French book to in laws and is the spare room “revising”... with her phone Hmm hope it isn’t a repeat of tests after summer holidays when she revised the wrong topics for the French tests

Well done TheDonald for getting a view of your DDs progress

mmzz · 28/10/2017 17:06

@Oddsocks15 I hope you don't think I was trying to sound smug. I had an awful time when i was your DD's age. My relationship with DM took an awful beating and its never really recovered. So, I am super-sensitive now to avoiding making the same mistakes with my DCs.

I know what not to say, but not what to say. What DS heard from DH is what I wish DM had said to me. I remember how I felt when DM was screaming at me. In my teenage head, i thought she was enjoying hurting me by describing the problem, but wasn't offering any solutions.

I very much doubt you have DM's appetite for schadenfreude. I know you only want the best for your DD. Its a difficult age because they want to take control of their lives but then they don't always make good decisions. Telling DS that it was his decision what he chooses and we'd support him whatever he chose seemed to really take the wind out of his sails. Then he listened and finally he was honest that the problem was simply that he was afraid of the mountain of work in front of him between now and June.

TheDonald · 28/10/2017 20:01

Thanks oddsocks. She did some English this afternoon but I wasn't allowed near that so I've no idea how that's going.

She said today that she's never going to get all her homework done this week but at least she's doing some of it rather than getting defeated by it and doing none.

There is hope! Smile

Oddsocks15 · 28/10/2017 21:52

Oh god no no nooo I didn’t think you were being smug at all mmzz happy you are making headway with DS, as you say such a tricky age.

By the way, are we related, your description of your DM is exactly how I would describe my DM.

LooseAtTheSeams · 29/10/2017 11:15

mmzz I think you and DH did exactly the right thing and DS is right - it does look like a mountain of work at this point and I’m sure he’s relieved to have your help.
DS has done his maths and geography revision papers this week. I’d have been happier to see more coursework but I’ve reminded him he basically has 6 weeks until the deadline. I think technically he has longer but school don’t want him to know that! He has his final art assignment planned out; now he just has to get on and do it!

BlueBelle123 · 29/10/2017 13:20

Well last day for DS before mock week!! revision has been a real mixed bag lots of science revision but it seems to be at the expense of everything else. He hasn't even looked at English or History, apparently that's a night before job Hmm

I think he might come unstuck in Maths, as he's another one that's quite good at it so thinks a quick flick through a couple of topics is enough!

Anyway we will soon find out once results are in whether or not he is on target, I guess that's an advantage of doing them so early there is still an awful lot of time to hopefully put things right!

LooseAtTheSeams · 29/10/2017 16:14

Good luck to him Blubelle I think science does take the most revising.
Hopefully he has done lots of maths practice before half term and it will have stayed fresh in his mind. I know they have to memorise some formulae, though.
(As an English teacher, I’m prepared to back him on revising language the night before at this stage, but he might want to do some over three evenings if it’s literature!)

BlueBelle123 · 29/10/2017 19:13

He didn't know whether it was Lang or Lit but we decided as he didn't have to learn any quotes it must be langSmile

Littledrummergirl · 29/10/2017 20:10

On friday I helped ds2 to plan revision time into his daily routine. Today he has done some revision! He is aware that he will be reminded to revise on a very frequent basis and I expect him to take it in good heart. Ds1 has also been encouraging him which is very helpful.

We haven't been to any open days yet, and I'm not sure which subjects he will settle on but at least he's thinking ahead now.

Original poster
DoNotBringLulu · 29/10/2017 23:29

My ds has been doing a lot of homework this week and is stressed out as he says he hasn't revised for his mocks. He takes a long time to do his work. We had a occupational therapy test done in yr 7 and found out he meets some of the criteria for dyspraxia hence has extra time in exams. I have just persuaded him to plan a bit more and do his work in chunks ie 25 mins finishing history project, 5 mins break, 25 mins carrying on with history, 5 minutes break, 25 minutes geography revision, half hour lunch etc. He is rather down on himself at the moment Sad

OP posts:
BlueBelle123 · 30/10/2017 08:23

DoNotBringLulu its so hard to watch your DC struggle knowing that there is very little you can do to help, not sure I'd want to actually sit their exams for themWink
The approach you have suggested does sound sensible and hopefully one he will be able to follow Smile

mmzz · 30/10/2017 11:30

@DoNotBringLulu Would typing help?

Stickerrocks · 30/10/2017 14:07

DoNotBringLulu Does he have access to any online resources for languages, science etc which will break up his revision with quizzes and online tests? Although switching from topic to topic will help, it can be demoralising just making out revision cards etc all the time.

DD has sent off her two 6th form applications today. Interviews next.

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