GCSEs 2018 (2)

[Stickerrocks]

Pre-empting our 1000th post.

I assume the girl sostenuto is referring to couldn't cope with the workload of triple science so ended up down by badly whereas if she'd done double science with less modules to cover she'd have got higher grades.

Triple science is an option block at both Dd & ds's schools so you take it instead of another subject.

Slight correction this years triple sciences have 2 papers each instead if 3 but longer for each paper than the double because og more harder questions and more content. Each paper 2 hour and 45 mins for triple but only 1 hour 15 mins for double.

Sorry that should read 1 hour and 45 for triple.

DS is doing triple too, and his school set up is like Sostenueto's DGD's school i.e. the same number of hours are allocated whichever science you do, but if its triple then the teachers go through the material 50% faster than the double science teachers.

Luckily, unlike Sostenueto's DGD, DS is not required to do his own research in order to complete the curriculum or access the higher grades. He doesn't really get much homework either - practically none at all, except revising for class tests.

Unusually Ds (in Year 9) is going to be allowed to drop Biology & do chemistry & physics single sciences which I'm really glad about as he stands a chance of getting 5/6 & 6/7 instead of 3/4 for double.

@AlexanderHamilton I think that sounds much better. Biology and physics are quite different subjects and there's no reason why should be either good at, or even interested in, both.

He's autistic & cant cope with any kind of human biology due to extreme squeamishness. Also not good at written stuff. He's very mathematically minded & finds physics much easier.

We even got a letter stating that if you accepted triple you would have to reconsider out of school activities because of the workload! Luckily dgd had given up swimming the year before ( so gutted she did as was county level and almost regional in 2 strokes) because of amount of training required.

Wow! That's very poor sostenuto.

Sure your ds will do great Alexander, and no good doing something your not keen on.

Think it was fact that teaching time is for 2 GCSEs so a lot of homework and self study for 3 rd GCSE. Ridiculous if you ask me Alexander, as if there isn't enough pressure! So units remaining in the sciences as yet uncovered in class my dgd is studying ahead so she has some idea as time to GCSEs is oh so close!

It's hard enough getting through the content for triple science in the proper time allocated for 3 subjects. Dd's teacher is hoping to finish by march.

My dgd says some subjects will still be teaching after easter! That is why she is trying to read and study ahead. I think her geography which has 3 papers now still has 1 and a half units remaining, mind she loves geography so not a trial for her. But on top of revision its so much work.

Mmzz wish my dgd could go to your DC school sounds so much less stressful!

Teenmum60 think new exams are so much more harder and more stuff to cover, in fact math paper has a level questions as does other subjects so I don't think that the cohort aren't performing as well as previous cohorts, its just these new ones are difficult! Remember as levels have been axed and a lit if as level content in new GCSEs.

kitnkaboodle - since AS levels were scrapped the universities have been very clear that they will be using GCSE grades to inform their decision-making, along with the other elements of the UCAS application i.e. school reference/predicted grades etc.
One of my older DCs has just been through UCAS and this question came up at open days. The Unis said that GCSE grades are the fairest and likely most accurate indicator of future success, as school predicted grades can vary so widely - some are too cautious and others are too ambitious. GCSEs are the only real meaningful benchmark at this stage.

I must admit I've been casually expecting teaching to finish by end Feb at the latest, and for it to be pure revision from then on.

Why? Because that's what my school did 35 years ago! Now that I've realised that I shouldn't take it for granted, I'm asking myself what can I do about it even if some subjects are running out of time to cover the curriculum.
It's a problem, but what can the parents do about it?

Get your DC to read ahead so they have some idea what they are.

About

All DSs subjects will have finished the curriculum by Feb Half Term so they have until Easter for revision and past papers. That's the upside of the three year GCSE course. The downside is that he can't remember some of the stuff from Year 9, so feels as if he is learning it again for the first time

I'm now concerned that DD's language teacher is planning on teaching the curriculum until early May. On a more positive note she's running classes over the Easter holidays.

Mocks going ok so far according to DD though revision has tailed off a bit.

Sostenueto - most of dd's exams are IGCSE so the syllabus has not changed too much not like the GCSE's has they are still on the hold A-U system - it is a much weaker cohort this year - because DD's year is under subscribed and has been since Yr7 therefore entrance criteria was not so tough. I thought I was right about the triple sciences standing alone unlike double science..... DD's triple science papers are 2hr and 1hr for each subject - difference probably being that they are the IGCSE and not GCSE.

Pebbles574 - We are in same situation 3 year courses for sciences and most of the other subjects started in the last term of Yr9....all content should be covered by Feb HT because they try to allow for 1 full term of revision - however they have been having Maths after school classes for about the last 7 weeks because the HOM was worried about maintaining his results year on year - not easy for the teachers.

I wish schools would be more concerned about the children than performance tables

OK teenmum60 see what you mean now.