GCSEs 2018 (2)

[Stickerrocks]

Pre-empting our 1000th post.

Unfortunately, all the taster days have passed. Ds applied but didn't get a place on any of them (the college is very oversubscribed).

I can see DS possibly applying to Oxbridge but not necessarily going there, even if he gets an offer. I suppose our real target for him is to get a place on a competitive course at a really good university - one that is widely recognised for its excellence, and where he will be happy. I only mentioned Oxbridge to try to describe how the school, being a state comprehensive, doesn't really do much for the students not in the middle.

One of the things that makes the college appealing is that it prepares the students well for university. I think for many, it is an enormous jump, but the college teaches in such a way that I think the students won't see a huge difference in the way they are being taught and expected to work independently when they move on to university.

The main difference between the current school and the college is that the sixth form college teaches well beyond the curriculum whereas the school teaches to the curriculum, which has been a major frustration until now. Once you can do the thing that's being taught in class, the school thinks "job done", but the college just keeps on going. It would be a lot more demanding than school but since DS has been complaining for years of boredom, then it's frustrating that he doesn't want to grab it with both hands!

If DS does not get in a positive mindset, then he is at risk of failing the interview and not being offered a place as they are looking for people who want to go there.

Shame about the 5aster days. Our (huge) 6th forms all hold them in the first week in July. Our state schools are all 11-16, So the colleges fall over themselves to attract students knowing that It's a truly open market to fill their places.

mmzz could your DS be petrified about the interview, you mention he's very shy and the college does sound like it's a very different environment to what he is use to. So although he's clearly academically able to be accepted, he may be worried that he will be rejected due to his interview performance, so is preempting that by saying I don't what to go anyway?

You may well find if he's actually offered a place he will in fact grab it with both hands, its amazing how your position can change when you actually see the offer in writing!

I think shy students are no problem for academic colleges, they tend to just use the interview to check someone is not wildly different from their academic profile. Your ds has to be himself, and you cannot make him be something he is not. I would just put up with him resisting for now, tell him to do the interview anyway, let him re-adjust his brain to idea and then say not much until the crunch moment comes.

DS opened up a bit this evening. It is the shyness that's the problem. He's horrified at the thought of having to talk at the interview, and worst of all, talk about himself.
Then, even more horrifying for him is the thought of going into a roomful of strangers next September.

I think he's always felt like the odd one out. He's always had more mature interests than most of those around him. I think he's felt like an outsider forever. The truth is this college is more likely to put him in the company of similar people, but DS won't know that until he goes there (if he goes there).

mmzz I completely agree about finding your feet at a new 6th form. It certainly worked for me. I affectionately refer to DD & her chums as the freaks & geeks and I know she's looking forward to the opportunity to find more of the same in a new environment.

Half way through mocks for dd. She thinks it's going well. We are off to a college audition this weekend so a break from revising.

She did come home on the first day quite worked up. The new exams officer was incredibly distracting. The exams were being held in a drama studio and the exams officer kept getting up and walking round looking over the students shoulders. Dd could just about cope with this but then she went across to the blacks and started to open them them which was quite distracting. A bit later there was a disturbance with a student having a panic which couldn't be helped. Then the exams officer went back to the blacks and drew them again. They are big & heavy & it's quite noisy to draw them back.

Is this just something they have to put up with? Dd has an asd but it doesn't affect her severely enough for any concessions such as a separate room but this agitated her & the other students.

what are the blacks?

The invigilator shouldn't be causing a distraction. It sounds like she's just bored and doesn't realise that she's supposed to be quiet and still.

Blacks are long (ceiling to floor) heavy blackout curtains that go all the way around the edge of a drama studio on a ceiling track.

Speak to the head of year. The invigilator is disturbing done of the students concentration with get behaviour. She is probably just niave and needs a bit more direction.

I thought perhaps I should say something now whilst it's only mocks & not the real thing.

There isn't a head of year just form tutors so it might be the new deputy head for academics I need to speak to.

There will be someone who is the exam officer - in charge of organising everything to do with exams. All the receptionist to put you through to their extension

This was the exams officer!

That's a bit awkward! Maybe try the SENCO?

Joining in this thread for some sanity! DD had mocks in December and got results in a mock results day earlier this week. Generally on target to pass them, apart from French which was ungraded! She doesn't know why as she got more than the marks needed for a level 3! I have parents evening in 2 weeks so hope this is sorted by then - she is in top set for most subjects but not a high grade achiever - more of a 6-8 level. She has had extra compulsory history lessons every weeks after school to finish the curriculum , and maths every morning before school as she got a level 4 and target is a 7 😕. Now she has Saturday school for the next 6 weeks - 2 hours and then 4 hours for the last two, for English and Science to push her 7 or 8 grades up. Fortunately she is up for it as we have discussed these sessions as being better than her doing it alone at home, as it will be targeted study.

Roll om June!!

Joining in this thread for some sanity! DD had mocks in December and got results in a mock results day earlier this week. Generally on target to pass them, apart from French which was ungraded! She doesn't know why as she got more than the marks needed for a level 3! I have parents evening in 2 weeks so hope this is sorted by then - she is in top set for most subjects but not a high grade achiever - more of a 6-8 level. She has had extra compulsory history lessons every weeks after school to finish the curriculum , and maths every morning before school as she got a level 4 and target is a 7 😕. Now she has Saturday school for the next 6 weeks - 2 hours and then 4 hours for the last two, for English and Science to push her 7 or 8 grades up. Fortunately she is up for it as we have discussed these sessions as being better than her doing it alone at home, as it will be targeted study.

Roll om June!!

Welcome @androbbob!
There's a big discrepancy between your DD's grades and get expected grades. Is that normal at your DD's school.

I'm very impressed that your DD has finished the history curriculum because DS still has a whole topic to do

6-8 levels are high achieving, though, androbbob those would be a high B to an A Star in old money!
I think it's great teachers are prepared to do these extra lessons, and they are worth attending, but it is quite stressful just keeping up with it all!
Late last night I got two incredibly detailed emails about the art exam (one was a lovely PowerPoint that made me wish I could do art!) plus the promise of a meeting for parents to explain it all. I love that they're so enthusiastic but I'm not sure I need more than a chat at parents evening! DS seems to be on top of it anyway.

DS has been off sick yesterday and today with the horrible cough virus that's going round.

It means he cant have the chat to his French teacher as planned, so I have emailed him instead.

DS is on track for at least 7s in everything else, and isn't planning on taking French further so we may end up going for the Foundation and letting him focus on his other subjects. We will See!

He is missing his mock "results" day today as he is still ill.

He isn't well enough to be in but if he suddenly decides he is well enough for FIFA17 he will find himself redirected to the revision timetable.

I intervened a bit with ds2 yesterday, we sat going over some spellings (all the dissolution revolution devolution revolved dissolved devolved lot) and then over transubstantiationconsubstantiation idea (doing Elizabethans) To my amazement he then spent a fair amount watching BBC 4 programme on Mary Queen of Scots. I've been arguing with him unless he shows an interest beyond the obvious parts of curriculum there is no point trying to do A levels in those subjects, and this seemed to take fruit. Dd also seems to have got a bit more serious about her Textiles, although she made the comment yesterday which boded ill...well I managed an A without revising so I am not too worried about the written part of exam..nOOOO...wrong approach....

mmz ds2 said he found thinking what to say incredibly difficult in first interview but by second he found it easier, and he said with me out of the room, MUCH easier! Interviewers know they need to put them at their ease, it is not designed to be a trick or test, just a chance to find out a little more/establish some rapport/check for instability

@Nettleskeins It is just that DS gets nervous talking about anything when speaking to anyone he doesn't know really well. He hates speaking about himself too. I always hoped he grow out of his shyness, and i tried to help when he was younger with playdates, clubs, cubs and scouts etc but nothing made any difference. It is going to be a problem when he hits adulthood unless things change soon because people will just think its standoffishness.

I won't be there for the interview. TBH, I don't think parents are welcome to even be in the building.

Well dgd just rang me with mock results. Geography 9 biology 7 chemistry 8 physics 8 maths 8 Spanish 7 R.E 7 art 6 eng language 5 English lit 5. Better than she thought and slightly down on predicted and the English still a blooming worry! But well done to her

I've now been to several school assemblies where students are picked out for being the shy retiring type, who ended up being the ones who did all the lighting at the school production or being indispensable in one way or another, or just being a kind reliable person. Schools value shy students just as much as the more outgoing kind, it really will not be held against him.

I think as parents we have a very clear idea of how our children should be sociable, just the right kind of sociable, neither "sullen" or "boisterous/demanding" but it is quite an adult view of how to behave. Teens don't necessarily fit this mould. They grow up a bit over the next few years and settle down into best fit sociability for them. I don't think you can force them or "improve" them, they improve themselves by watching others and learning more about the world.

In a nutshell, he will be fine and his shyness will be an asset in some ways you cannot imagine.

wow, amazing. Dd was 3 in Geog, 4 in Chemistry, 7 in Biology and Physics, 6 in RE and eng Lit and very high five in Maths and Spanish. Worrying 5 in Eng Lang, teacher said she should have done better. But I hope she will up most of those grades, including a massive uplift for the Geog (we watched a flooding youtube yesterday ) 5 mins of geography youtube a day from now on, to improve her general understanding

I'm sure your dc will do fine nettleskins we get so tense and wrapped up in grades that we dont realise that whatever the grade our children are all awesome, each has a gift a d none are failures as long as they give it their all. I admire each and everyone of the children going through exams of any sort!

My dgd predicted grades are ...geography 9 biology 8 chemistry 8 physics 8 RE 8 (she admits to not revising for this) maths 9 Spanish 8 eng lit and language 6. I cannot understand her struggle with English at all! She can vocalise everything perfectly well and got a distinction in her speech. But everything hangs in the English she must try to aim for a 6 because of getting in her 6th form, they will not accept English and maths below a 5. She must aim higher in order to be sure of getting g a 5 so much stress for her and many like her.