Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

GCSEs 2018 (3)

999 replies

mmzz · 28/01/2018 08:40

Following on from:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3113917-GCSEs-2018-2

OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
Stickerrocks · 01/02/2018 11:17

Super quick response from the school. Her certificates will be issued in her legal name, but she must remember to fill in all the front covers using her legal name, despite the seating plans etc showing her preferred name. Thank goodness she is fairly sensible & likely to remember. What seemed like a nice idea at the time name-wise is becoming a bit of a burden.

Stickerrocks · 01/02/2018 11:22

Hopefully we won't have the same problem as prh47 as DD's school insists that all of the children come into school each day until their exams are over, so they should at least be on the premises. I'm surprised someone didn't raise the alarm earlier. Did it affect his A level choices?

Original poster
mmzz · 01/02/2018 11:43

I'm waiting to hear whether Ds was offered a place at the sixth form he interviewed for.

I think they may be sending offers out very soon, if they haven't already started. I'm guessing that they will send out the offers first before they get round to the rejection emails, and I'm tying myself into knots overthinking it all! I could just call the administrator and ask when the offers will be emailed out, as it would at least let me out of my self-imposed second-guessing hell. But that would be a really stupid thing to do, wouldn't it??

I'm writing this here because if I don't say it here I will pick up that phone and make a fool of myself.

OP posts:
prh47bridge · 01/02/2018 11:54

Did it affect his A level choices

Not really. He wants to pursue a career on the stage so has dropped out of school and is studying for a BTEC in the performing arts at our local college. Personally I think he should have done his A-levels and possibly a degree first as performing is such a precarious career but he is determined. I hope it works for him.

sandybayley · 01/02/2018 14:21

Parents evening for us tonight - along with DS.

I'm in two minds about having him there. Yes he is very nearly an adult and needs to take responsibility for his own learning - which he is largely doing.

But it's difficult to have frank conversations with him there as I want to talk about negatives but doing so might be demotivating.

I'm just not a fan of parents evening with DC, never have been. Do other schools do it?

Thanks for the heads up on names. DS has a fairly common name with the less usual spelling so will double check the school has it right!

Original poster
mmzz · 01/02/2018 14:38

@sandybayley Students present at parent's evenings have been how my DCs schools have done it since KS1. It used to be a pain because you'd only get 10 mins and half of that was the teacher trying to tease an answer out of a 5 year old about they felt things were going!

Age 15/ 16 though and I think its a must! Your DC need to hear the truth about how they are doing and what they should personally be doing for the next four months to optimise their chances. TBH I can't think what the teacher could tell you, or you could tell the teacher that will help your DC now unless they hear it too because your DC will have to be actively choosing to do the things the teacher suggests, or they just won't happen.

OP posts:
sandybayley · 01/02/2018 14:49

I hear you and I know he needs to be there. We've rarely had him at parents' evening. DD's school does it though.

He's a tricky character (as are all 15 year olds) but I'm quite good at persuading/encouraging him. DH takes a more direct approach - which often backfires.

I think my main concern is that it limits my ability for a sneaky drink at the pub afterwards with DH - although DS1 would probably get served!

Stickerrocks · 01/02/2018 15:55

DD has always gone to parents evenings with us, initially because we had nobody to leave her with, but now because it motivates her to hear the praise showered upon her. We try to ruin it though, by telling her teachers things she is useless at, like using a hoover!

Sostenueto · 01/02/2018 16:46

At parents evening sitting in car with pup who's asleep awaiting my turn with English teacher at 5.30 while my dd and dgd face all the other teachers! Please note grandparent gets the awkward interview!.....first question why has dgd gone from an 8 to a 4 in less than a year?

Sostenueto · 01/02/2018 16:51

P.s my dgds friend who has always been a 9 in English only managed a 6 in mocks and dgds should read 8 to a 5. The teacher is a new one since year 10 and tbh the DC don't seem impressed with her as they were talking about it at dgds birthday party last month, though I do think DC have to take responsibility too especially as they are the top set.......

BlueBelle123 · 01/02/2018 16:56

Sostenueto I feel sorry for the English teacher Grin - Seriously, I hope it goes well!

Sostenueto · 01/02/2018 17:10

I shall be civil , polite, put my posh voice on, be very calm but firm! BluebelleGrinHalo

Sostenueto · 01/02/2018 17:14

Right! Off I go with dgd to see poor English teacher! All other reports glowing, art teacher had a bit if ear bashing from dd apparently but I shall be a picture of calm!Wink

AlexanderHamilton · 01/02/2018 17:15

So Dd has her mocks results. Obviously Grade boundaries are innacurate but maths & English did say their predictions were pretty spot on last year

Maths - 7
English Lang - 7
English Lit - 8
Biology - 7
Chemistry - 6
Physics - 4
French - 7
RS - 7
Music - 7

Her targets are all 7's except for English & RS where she has a target of 8

Physics concerns me. She has had patchy science teaching over the years & there was a big change round last September.

sandybayley · 01/02/2018 17:19

That physics result does look a bit out of place with those other marks. If she's hitting a 6 in chemistry and doing well in maths?

Teenmum60 · 01/02/2018 17:30

AlexanderHamilton Excellent set of results with minor blip on Physics ...something left to aim for but not too much pressure either....

Sostenueto Good luck with English teacher.

MMzz - Dont worry you will get that offer letter !

DD off to have fun with Brownies :-) but she has done her Computer Science work beforehand ..

AlexanderHamilton · 01/02/2018 17:34

I know she will put pressure on her self though. She wants a 9 in English & RS, an 8 in maths & music & at least a 7 in everything else.

LooseAtTheSeams · 01/02/2018 17:38

Sostenueto I'm interested to hear how you get on! DS was quite feisty with his art teacher - usually pretty quiet at parents evening!Smile

Teenmum60 · 01/02/2018 17:43

If she's hungry for the higher grades that's not a bad thing ....all her grades look feasible - even Physics - My DD got a B in her mock and its normally her strongest subject ....

TheSecondOfHerName · 01/02/2018 18:31

Did anyone else's DC do the maths challenge today? DS2 enjoyed it and was pleased that he managed to come up with an answer for every question.

AlexanderHamilton · 01/02/2018 18:38

DS in Year 9 did it. He was very pleased he got to miss German for it v

Stickerrocks · 01/02/2018 18:42

Alexander you'll be surprised how quickly they can turn around a disappointing mock result. The physics result is such an outlier, it must be a one off.

AlexanderHamilton · 01/02/2018 19:18

Dd has just phoned. Everyone did very badly in physics. Her best friend who wants to do A Level failed.

So one of two things has happened.

The teacher has either set the grade boundary wrong or the class just havnt been taught well enough.

It was the AQA higher mock paper & I think Dd said she got around 50% (I will check)

Sostenueto · 01/02/2018 19:34

Well words fail me after interview with high faulting English teacher! Suffice to say there will be a long e mail sent to head of English tomorrow! Angry some of the the things she said resulted in me clenching fists so tightly I made indents on my palms. Couldn't say much as everyone was listening! I was speechless with indignity!
When I've calmed down will tell all.
As I came away next person said " my turn! Don't think her confidence will be much good by the time some of us are finished" referring g to teacher!

Sostenueto · 01/02/2018 19:35

Faulting not faulting!