GCSEs 2018

[DoNotBringLulu]

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.

I don't know the answer to your question, @Kingscotestaff, but DS1 said exactly the same to me and he's doing AQA. It must be the advice they are getting in school, but I think I might just be a pita and send the teacher an email to check.
He had the same opinion about the Shakespeare soliloquys (sp?), and that doesn't feel right either.
When I was at school I had to memorise both so I could quote the part that was relevant to the question.

Joining this thread a bit late...

Not looking forward to this year with DS2. He's young, summer-born, always struggled, in the shadow of highly academic older sibling and very recently diagnosed (finally, despite my suspicions since he was about 9!) with dyslexia.
He pretty much 'hates' school, does the bare minimum and is very vague about homework dates, deadlines etc. He claims he 'wants to do well' but seems to have no understanding of what that means in terms of applying himself.
I feel like we are struggling to 'catch up' with learning the skills he needs to support his dyslexia and it's mostly me doing all the running .
So far I have spent quite a bit of time trying to get his books/notes from last year in order and help him get into a good system for this year. It's like swimming in custard though.

Also not sure what's going to happen for 6th form either. He's currently in an independent school which requires you to get an A in subjects you want to study at A level, so that may not happen .
Also it seems that they won't be offering two of the subjects he was thinking of doing next year - Classical Civilisations and Business Studies. (Someone said Classical Civilisations has been discontinued as an A level across the board - is that true?)
We're going to look at the local 6th form college and other schools next month.

Well, I am - dd just took herself downstairs to work at the kitchen table (Welsh Bacc coursework) 'so that she wouldn't get distracted'. She then took a 15 minute break and is now revising French vocabulary & verb tables
I think someone abducted my dd and replaced her with an alien

(This is also probably not the place to mention that I am meant to be doing accounts, but am in fact messaging a friend on FB and checking very important threads like this one on MN . . . no guesses where my dd gets her more usual work ethic from )

Hope Classics isn't being discontinued, it's one of DDs choices (she may do classics/ancient history at uni, OR she may do medicine, she can't quite decide yet [sigh]).

AFAIK the OCR Classical Civilisations course is running for 2018 starters, it may be that other boards aren't?

AQA have a statement on their website saying Classical Civilisation is being discontinued with the last resit in 2019.
Anyone know why? Wasn't it valued enough?

There's a list of discontinued A levels including anthropology. I suspect after the decoupling of AS levels, the exam board decided there wouldn't be enough demand for some of these subjects, especially as not many schools offer them.
I did Classical civ many years ago and loved it - it complemented English and history really well.

I've been following this thread but I'm really trying this year to be supportive from a distance rather than overly involved.

Dd is full of good intentions. She's fairly bright (predicted mostly 7s) but at a low performing comp and finds English difficult.

She's doing nothing other than homework at the moment and she seems to have hardly any of that. Maybe 2 hours a week across the board.

She's got a great track record of pulling things out of the bag at the last minute but I think next year is going to be stressful!

We're looking round sixth forms over the next few weeks. She wants to do computer science, geography and maths.

She has always found maths easy and recently confessed she doesn't know how to revise because she's never bothered to revise for maths tests before. She's likely to get an 8 with a little effort but will need to pull her finger out if she wants a 9. I think maths A level will be a shock!

Gosh went away for a few days and now back its great to see so many new posters have joined....hello to you all

TheDonald DS gets similar amounts of homework, the only teacher that seems to give a lot is the English teacher...I really like her.

My DS16 has GCSE O levels next year 2018; he currently attends a Grammer in Bucks; I'd like to begin application preparation for access into A level schools; he loves music; is playing an instrument but does not like practicing, however feverently composes his own music with computer software packages; does anyone have any suggestions for A level schools; I feel he should have a solid academic background, with a degree, to support his music ambitions.-he has published a few pieces on YouTube (when he should have been studying!).

Tigerz, surely your DS's Grammar offers A level courses?

If he really wants to move, would you be committed to staying in Bucks?

I will join in.DS in yr 11 and has one GCSE in Maths already under his belt.

He has tests coming up in October but don't think they are mocks.

He is adamant he wants to stay on for 6th form and it is likely he will exceed the grades, (the number equivalent of Bs) but should we do a plan B? Do middling sixth forms fill up before results days? He wants to do maths and sciences and poss an EPQ.

With GCSE coming up, I am trying to avoid being committed ; but seriously; but just wondering if there may be more apt schools with music departments both in and outside Bucks.

justicewomen I think it probably depends how much competition there is in your area.

DS has to get similar for his 6th form ie B's unless its now changed but we will find out in December at the open evening.

The main problem we have is a lot are only offering 3 A levels whereas DS wants to do maths + sciences then drop one after AS, so he can keep his options open for as long as possible, 15 is soo young to know what you want to do in life!

Although, everything hinges on what happens in August so maybe the decision will be made for him

If your DS is interested in recording and sampling his own work, I know that Wellington let their pupils study the Btec in Music Tech alongside 2 or 3 academic A levels, as they recognise that it suits a lot of students better than the straight music A level.
Might be worth checking if that combo is available near you.

Absolutely Bluebelle, my son also wants to keep his options open. Regarding competition, difficulty is that none of the schools is openly admitting they have spaces after results. So I think I will just have to persuade him to apply to at least one other as backup

DS1 is beginning to feel the strain of having several things to do. He is used to negligible homework, and nothing extra curricular that isn't for fun.
Now, he's got an endless stream of class tests to prepare for, DofE, more homework than before and various other things like residential trips and the open evenings. And he's beginning to complain.

mmzz DS is also beginning to get a little more homework, well I assume that he is, as he can no longer do it all on a sunday evening!!

DS has never handled homework very well, he's firmly of the opinion that his time should be spent as he chooses and that is not doing homework If the increase in work continues not sure how he will cope or me for that matter!

DD is feeling the strain this week also.
There is definitely significantly more homework coming home - to the point that dd has reluctantly made the decision to "take a break" from one of her much loved (but too many) extra curricular clubs for the foreseeable future. She just didn't have enough hours in the week and has been struggling to stay on top of things so something had to give.
It's a shame, but hopefully something she can go back to if and when she feels less overstretched.

Definitely more homework for my DD too. She has after school activities on 3 days, one evening activity plus Saturday mornings are taken up too. All this on top of 3 music lessons but she seems to be coping so far.

This week she's going to an Oxbridge talk and next week we'll start 6th Form/college visits. Then there's a Parents Evening at the end of October.

Just been to a school maths dept session this pm for parents on helping children to revise which was quite useful.

Anyone else in Wales they pointed the pupils towards Jones the Sum's maths revision website which has lots of topic lists, youtube videos working through questions etc, not flashy but looks pretty good.

I've realised that DS's problem is that he doesn't know how to organise his time / plan when he'll do things.
I don't know how he got to 15 without working out out, but he doesn't.
I couldn't understand why he kept not leaving enough time for homework etc when he had a week to do it.
Now I'm doubting myself- was I like that at 15??

There's a powerpoint on organising revision linked from here Mmzz - I thought it was very constructive in showing how to structure sessions over the week.

Dd doing gcse s summer 2018 anyone know what dates they are all finished by

Which board?

Some are aqa not sure for all of them . Have looked at different exam board websites just wish the school told you the boards for each subject then could find out myself