GCSEs 2018 (4 already)

[Stickerrocks]

Following on from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3152060-GCSEs-2018-3

Feels like DS one of the few in the country to make it to school (day boy at boarding school). Roads not as bad as expected and virtually no traffic - tho I did make him take his tooth brush in case we can't get him back again. He was happy to go in with exams looming and looking forward to some individual attention in class with small classes if some don't make it - I also think it was more appealing than a full day of boring revision.

I have noticed a bit more focus this week (not that that's saying much) and I think he's actually finding it easier now most subjects have finished the course and all homework is revision so he can just do that. He was finding it hard balancing homework and revision before mocks.

DS briefly emerged from room for food this morning. Have to chivvy both dcs but using lunch as the opportunity: trapped at table by food, they will have to listen to me.
Teen go for it!
Second congratulations!
Sostenueto it sounds like everyone's back where they should be and things are fixed but you and pup are still trapped in the house? Really hope there's a thaw soon. Pup must be driving you mad!
I think I got the acceptance form for DS's third choice back in time. As far as I can tell his current school wants him and we'll get confirmation one way or the other from our first choice.

Sorry that should be confirmation from our first choice at the end of the month!

Sostenueto Pups are really hard work, I have had two puppies and both were far worse than having a baby... I even had to leave a light on at night for one of them so he could sleep...my only savour with the last one was using a puppy creche when I was working away from home and he would come back exhausted. When I was working at home he would paw my laptop until it closed if it was near walk time (3 times a day). So i feel your pain - they are wonderful but not easy whilst they are under 18 months. I certainly would not have another puppy but would have a 2/3 yr old.

Well that was very quick DD has been invited in for interview....she just needs to send in a sort of personal statement early next week stating why she wants to study subjects and list any work/voluntary work etc she does (fate that they were reviewing external applications today).

Now just have to tell DD she has sleepover tonight so will tell her the news tomorrow ...so pleased I had a last minute brain wave ...its rated outstanding - specialist science school and is in top 2% of UK state schools..so hoping dad will be OK given that she wants to study Physics and Biology.

DS2 was arguing for two things with me this morning as he got ready for school:-

1. To wear trainers for the walk to school rather than waterproof walking boots (since we've had a message that uniform is not required today)

and then when he heard that several of his friend's parents were keeping their DC at home due to "the risk to life", DS argued :-

1. That he stay home because he doesn't have much on today and although he hasn't mentioned it until now, he thinks he may have a slight cold. Finally he gestured out of the window and asked if I really was sending him out in "that"? (3cm of snow on the ground). i.e. the same ground that he'd been arguing to wear his trainers to walk across only 10 minutes earlier.

DH said he takes after me in being able to twist any argument to his own ends.

Its good news on those offers and interviews.

teenmum - I can't believe that such a good school isn't full already. You've made a lucky find there

mmzz - I think applications closed on 28th Feb so fortunate timing (hence quick response)...its also a school that has been in the press allot about funding ...its not a big school and is always moaning about how GOV apply funds - It has a well above average progress 8 only drawback in that the two other schools in consortium are not so good and DD would probably end up studying Product Design instead of DT - Graphic Design.... but good fall back...I know DD's dad will not engage with consideration of another school . PS Your DS sounds so much like my DD being able to twist any argument to his own ends

Well just found out that pup is in middle of first heat. ( always had male dogs till now,) for a wonder she's batty and evil this past week! Phoned dd who is going to order some doggy panties for such times! She was supposed to be spayed on the 7 the march but can't do it now for a further 3 months!
The place so damn empty without dgd. I hate it when she goes home.

Great result teenmum!

Mmzz- (not sure how to do the @ thing!)

Thanks, yes I know. It’s very exasperating. His academics have caused me a lot of strsss over the years. He is dyslexic and has focus issues so he does need to work harder than the average just to keep up....I think he’s burying his head in the sand. Self esteem issues too.

He does excel at history and did well in that (90% in prelim) and geography in particular so I’m hoping if we can survive these next 3.5 months then all will be well! English Lang is the one that worries me...

Anyway he’s doing his third hour now and will do some Maths later with me. He seems in a more positive frame of mind today- thank god!

It’s tough as if we are hard on him he just gets very quiet and down on himself. We’re doing a day by day timetable at the moment with treats factored in!

you put the @ in front of the user name and it automatically bolds it.

It sounds like very specific tasks day by day is the way to go, with time off for good progress. Maybe use the revision guides and suggest 2 to 3 subtopics per revision session and every session taking 45 mins. Perhaps 5 revision sessions per day, when its not a school day?

that way its challenging but do-able and its not like no matter how hard he works, all he'll do is clear the way for you to pile more on

It's been interesting today watching DD try to do independent work. She has lots of good intentions but it's all very inefficient. Lots of staring out of the window and procrastinating.

Also her "rest times" look an awful lot like her "work times" from an outside perspective. She just flicks onto another screen on the laptop and stays sitting in the same chair staring at the same screen but reading fanfiction instead of searching Animal Farm for quotes!

I've just forced her to stand up to get herself a drink.

Not too sure what she could be doing to have a break? She claims that if her breaks are anything other than catching up on social media or reading fanfic then it's not a real break and it's just "something else boring"

Lots of improvements going on here, but she now just needs to figure out how to use her time effectively and efficiently. Any ideas anyone?

Active revision is way better than passive revision. I think I saw a recent study that said making handwritten (not typed) notes is optimal. The notes can be flashcards or the old fashioned start at the top of a page of A4 and work your way to the bottom (it doesn't matter as long as you are actively making them).

I guess it forces you to look for significant things and to summarise, as well as think about what you really know because you'll write down what you don't.

Has anyone's DC expressed an interest in summer schools? DS2 isn't eligible for the subsidised Sutton Trust ones but we found one run by the Debate Chamber that he likes the look of.

It's a whole week of Physics, which is what he wants to study at university. He will put some of his 16th birthday money towards the cost and we'll pay the rest.

He can get there on the tube each day (I'll accompany him the first time he does the journey because of his ASD).

I asked DS about summer schools and he looked at me as if I was crazy! In his mind, he will not do anything between June and september except collect his results.

I am waiting until the exams are over to reveal to him that its not going to pan out as he hopes.

I remember with DS1 that the summer seemed quite long, as exams finish so early. I'm trying to encourage DS2 to have a mix of planned activities and time to relax.

So far his plans include:

• 1 month recovering from exams, relaxing and preparing for and (hopefully taking) his clarinet exam in late July.
• Orchestra tour to Germany.
• 1 week free time, to include a few hours volunteering at the library.
• Family holiday.
• Physics summer school.
• 2 weeks free time, to include relaxing, results day, a few hours volunteering at the library and preparing for the Maths test at the beginning of Y12 (requirement for A-level course).

Mmzz yes handwriting notes/revision cards/ circle diagrams etc is the best way to revise. Old school method was...write in jotter in lesson, take home rewrite notes in neat book using headings etc. Then do mind maps of main points. By the time you did all that it was easier to recall. Write notes, read out loud x about 3-5 times worked for me.

Dgds plans for summer is holiday for a week, volunteer work and a paid job plus not looking at a book for at least 2 weeks and then wade through algebra book in readiness for A level maths tests same as mmzzs DC.

This will be the first year for over 5 years that Dd won’t be doing at least 1 residential performing Arts summer school. Some she did for fun, some for technique & others to visit the college as a potential future college.

This year however she plans to stay at home & do lots of Pilates & stuff.

Thanks mmzz and Sost. Yes she is making mind maps / sheets and lists eg character sheets for the Eng Lit texts and mind maps for sciences.

It's just not done with any urgency! She's spent 4 hours today doing one plan for Napoleon from Animal Farm and it's only half done. I can feel the stress levels rising because we wrote a plan of what she needs to do ideally by the end of the Easter holidays so she can start on more past papers / learning / exam technique for the final weeks. It's a huge amount of work. Especially at the rate of half a character plan per day!

She's gone to bed with a headache now. I just can't see her getting through it all. Even with three full days off school this week she's hardly done anything.

@TheDonald

Not that we’re at all experts but for Science revising what is working well is using MyGCSE science. Watching a video -pausing and taking notes, then doing the past paper questions and checking answers. Much more active. My son has visual stress so poring over a textbook is tough for him. Anyway, he seems quite positive about the videos. And I’m happy because I know it’s the correct board/spec so he’s watching what he needs rather than some random YouTube ones!

In terms of breaks, I’ve started confiscating by his phone as 10 mins turns into 45!!! Could she get a snack, play with any pets, come to see you for a chat, ....

If any of yours are trying to revise Macbeth, you might be interested to know there's an app for that, if they have access to an Apple device. It's free at the moment.

In the summer- we’re away for nearly 3 weeks. Then he’s got a weeks work experience lined up then hopefully some work at the Festival in Edinburgh- handing out leaflets or something like that!