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Secondary education

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

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:
lljkk · 04/11/2017 11:31

Sorry didn't mean to offend anyone!
This thread is very concerned about what results your kids get.
Maybe I misunderstood and that was the only reason to ever have this thread.
I'll hide now.

BlueBelle123 · 04/11/2017 11:37

You haven't offended me I genuinely wanted to know what your meant?

TheSecondOfHerName · 04/11/2017 11:38

I'm in a different place from you guys

Interested to know what you mean. What is the collective place the rest of us are in?

mmzz · 04/11/2017 11:42

I can say what I want from the thread: DS1 is my first child to go through the GCSEs. I was in his shoes 35 years ago so things have changed quite a bit.
I want to share experiences, to learn from others and to offer whatever I have learned. If the going gets rough, I want to be able to ask for advice and perhaps to know that DS/ me aren't the only mother and teenager going through it.
FWIW what I don't want is for anyone to attempt to make others feel inferior.

TheSecondOfHerName · 04/11/2017 11:45

DS2 would like to get certain results in order to be able to do the A-level subjects he wants to do. He is very self-motivated and does a lot of studying and revision without any input or prompting from me. At the moment I think he is working at nearly full capacity, and I'm concerned about how he'll keep that momentum up for another 7-8 months.

That's the place I'm in.

TheSecondOfHerName · 04/11/2017 11:47

I thought it was a support thread for parents of pupils in Y11, regardless of what level they're working at or what their post-16 choices are.

TheSecondOfHerName · 04/11/2017 11:52

Although DS2 is high-achieving, organised, self-motivated and focused on a particular career goal, DS1 was (and still is) the opposite, so I can offer support and suggestions based on that experience too.

TheSecondOfHerName · 04/11/2017 11:55

lljkk I'd forgotten about prom!

DS1 was very non-committal about it until the last minute. Luckily I'd bought a ticket for him, thinking he might go. He did, and had a brilliant time.

I think DS2 will go if his friends are going.

BlueBelle123 · 04/11/2017 12:01

I hope this is an inclusive support thread for all Y11's of all abilities, I know that I put a lot of emphasise of effort and not grades, but I'm not saying that is what everyone should be doing. I to have an older DD who has been through this process and did nothing, hence why we are so keen to reward DS's effort!

LooseAtTheSeams · 04/11/2017 12:29

I don’t think we have Prom...I don’t actually know that for a fact, though! I can imagine there may be some combined event with the girls’ school.
Pizza celebrations after exams sound great - that includes mocks, I hope!

EllenJanethickerknickers · 04/11/2017 12:34

I'm sure we all just want our DC to do their best and are hoping this thread will aid that or at least give us reassurance that we're not alone in our worries.

DS3 is my 3rd DC to go through GCSEs and hand on heart, I can say I have no firm idea how he'll do. The teachers have a slightly better idea but these number grades are new, there is very little past data to compare, the courses are new, in some subjects like history, the subject matter is new to the teachers, it's very much finger in the air! Teachers predicting a 9 in any subject are taking a risk as only a small percentage of DC in England (already roughly set) will get them.

DS3 is good at maths and should get an 8. He's also good at computing. For any other subject, bets are off. He's not a particularly hard worker, reminds me of myself, unfortunately. Grin

If we can persuade them to revise and do somewhere near their best, hopefully they will get what they need for the next stage. After A levels or BTECs or apprenticeships are passed nobody is interested in GCSEs. (Except maths and English.) Good GCSEs may help with some university offers now that AS levels are dead but it's the A level results etc that matter in the end if university is the next goal.

With both my DS1 and 2 they did pretty much as expected with a couple of minor pleasant surprises and a couple of minor disappointments.

I'm awaiting DS3's predicted grades with no great confidence they'll be accurate. It's most disconcerting. I'm pretty sure he's A level and university material, more like DS1 than DS2, but the uncertainty is worrying.

BlueBelle123 · 04/11/2017 13:02

We bought DD's prom dress from ebay, it was a beautiful vintage dress and at only £12!! it was an absolute bargain. I think the fact we looked around Christmas helped before the summer rush!

Can't do the same for DS as if he has another growth spurt he'll look like he's wearing shorts!

Original poster
DoNotBringLulu · 04/11/2017 13:26

What a bargain Bluebelle and I don't blame you!

I am suspecting that my ds will not go to the prom, not his thing, unless his friends persuade him. He is his own man but I would love to hire a thin lapelled skinny trousers suit for him as he is tall and slim. I may have no chance! Whereas his sister when it's her turn will want the works!

OP posts:
Original poster
DoNotBringLulu · 04/11/2017 13:35

I am pleased we have the thread as I left a facebook group as parents just treated it as a moanfest about the Headteacher and some changes she has made. I mentioned upthread that my ds struggles with revision and he needs support, any suggestions are welcome as they do need to pass with a 5 at least.

OP posts:
spababe · 04/11/2017 14:26

How on earth can schools predict 9's? No-one has any idea what the grade boundaries will be for 9s in this first year! I was told by a teacher at a grammar that the pupils are very worried as some are used to getting top marks across the board and with the 9's they know this is not possible and it is stressing them :-(

EllenJanethickerknickers · 04/11/2017 14:52

If your DS struggles with revision, like my DS2 did, I'd suggest as wide a variety of methods as possible. BBC bitesize as a start, YouTube videos, Mr Bruff is good, mind maps, I think there's an iPad mind map app if that helps. My DS seems allergic to writing but rewriting and abbreviating notes in bullet points worked for me. Little and often as well. 2 half hour sessions a day seems less daunting. Starting really early as well. Smile

Original poster
DoNotBringLulu · 04/11/2017 15:03

He was on BBC Bitesize for RE which was helpful. He won't do mindmaps. After these mocks next week are out of the way I will encourage him to start revising for the next set of mocks. I agree starting early is the way to go.

OP posts:
mmzz · 04/11/2017 15:34

DS1 doesn't like mind maps either. Everyone says actively revise but when I was revising myself, I just read and understood the pages (plus past papers). DS seems to have the same inclinations. It's it not possible that mind maps aren't right for everyone?

TeenTimesTwo · 04/11/2017 15:51

My DD couldn't do mind maps, nor colour coding. We went for simple revision cards with key information. However I do agree that active revision tends to be best as it ensures their brains keep going rather than glazing over thinking they know it when in reality they don't.

BlueBelle123 · 04/11/2017 16:14

Lulu the best way to revise maths is by doing questions, then a few days later do the questions he has got wrong again until he is getting them right. With science get him to explain the topics to you, if he can't then he doesn't understand so go through it with him, again a few days time get him to explain it to you, until he understands, if you understand something its a lot easier to remember.
History, DS's teacher suggested a time line which you can put on the wall.

BlueBelle123 · 04/11/2017 16:27

DS also doesn't like mind maps or colour coding or BBC bit-size or any of the other numerous revision aids that are available, he just reads the info and puts salient points on flash cards. I think its a case of trying different methods and seeing what works for you.

But what definitely doesn't work is led on your bed with your headphones in texting your mates all day every day.....DD's approach!

Original poster
DoNotBringLulu · 04/11/2017 16:52

Bluebelle my ds is the same, that's mostly what he wants to do - writing can get onerous for him though, dh can rig up some revision cards he can type. It would be good if we can find something else he likes though.

Today no revision being done and he is not very communicative. Bit late now anyway as mocks are next week. He has been steadily revising and I haven't got involved up until now. The pressure is getting to him already (not from us).

Does anybody's dc have a PIXL app on their phone?

OP posts:
EllenJanethickerknickers · 04/11/2017 19:29

DS1 loved mind maps, creating one was his whole revision for geography. It helped that it was on an app and infinitely editable. I think it can help to review the concepts in a different way but it can be quite time consuming.

DS2 wasn't a fan. Trying lots of methods in the hope something works and in the process something sinks in can be part of the revision process. My DSs all prefer computer based revision.

Has anyone come across tassomei (sp?) for science? DS3's school have recommended it. Lots of multiple choice questions on science topics as far as I can work out.

Oddsocks15 · 05/11/2017 07:46

A little off topic but I dreamt about DDs prom last night! I hadn’t read the posts about the prom until now, spooky!

KingscoteStaff · 05/11/2017 08:16

DS is doing Tassomai for all 3 Sciences. He really struggles with them, so it's a good way of continually dripping vocabulary and facts into him. He'll still need to practise writing the 7 mark answers, though.