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Secondary education

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Original poster

GCSEs 2018 (4 already)

999 replies

Stickerrocks · 24/02/2018 20:56

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

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Thread gallery
14
Sostenueto · 09/03/2018 09:34

Apparently British parents help the least with homework according to a report out todayHmm
Good advice there mmzz most of which we do. Only thing I worry about and that's my problem is, although we are hands off with revision we can't help fretting whether dgd is doing it thoroughly enough. I suppose we will find out very shortly.Hmm

TeenTimesTwo · 09/03/2018 09:36

mmzz

16) don't get distracted by social media

Our school recommended friends agreeing coordinated down times so they knew they weren't missing out.

17) that's it! 5 years on and that's the last time the parents and children will be called into the school hall.

Except for certificates presentation evening in November if they have one!

Sostenueto · 09/03/2018 09:52

There will be year 11 prize giving and that will be the last get together for parents at dgds school. (Hopes dgd will get geography prize Wink) Time has flown by in high school and another 2 years and off they will go. Gosh I feel even older now.

AlexanderHamilton · 09/03/2018 09:58

We've got Prize Giving (its a whole school event) then traditionally mopst of the Year 11 parents try to attend the final performance of the Dance Show.

Then its everyone off to various parts of the country (& abroad).

LooseAtTheSeams · 09/03/2018 10:19

Sostenueto the geography prize has dgd's name on it, I'm sure!Smile
I'm not sure what DS1 has been reading but he was asking a lot of philosophical questions at dinner last night. I really think he was trying to distract me from asking about his mocks. I gather physics was good while chemistry was more 'oh dear'!
The computer teacher phoned to say she can't read his writing. I'm glad she's mentioned this ahead of the next exam. He's forgotten his homework as well - so she's given him some more and I've promised to make sure he does it!

Teenmum60 · 09/03/2018 13:27

Email out from school today about Exam leave and results day (EEK).

So DD just has 4.5 weeks remaining of attending school before exam leave starts ...which is a little frightening because to my knowledge she has only finished 2 out of the 10 subject syllabuses.

TheSecondOfHerName · 09/03/2018 15:22

DS2 has never won an academic prize for anything (despite regularly coming top of the year in more than one of his subjects) so I don't expect he'll start getting anything now. Luckily he's not bothered about it.

Teenmum60 · 09/03/2018 15:30

TheSecondOfHerName Same at DD's school they reward the children who improve the most or the sporty kids...not the top performers. I guess my DD should qualify for a French prize (sniggers)

mmzz · 09/03/2018 15:31

DS2 has never won an academic prize for anything (despite regularly coming top of the year in more than one of his subjects) so I don't expect he'll start getting anything now.

Ditto for DS1, except one prize in year 7. They gave the maths attainment prize (there's an effort one too) to a boy last year who is probably the weakest in DS's top set, so I'm not sure what the criteria are for choosing the winner, but its not attainment.

DS1 used to be bothered (about constantly being overlooked). Now, he just thinks that getting a prize must mean you are struggling a bit.

mmzz · 09/03/2018 15:44

sorry sost, that's DS's school, not the policy a your DGD's school.

Sostenueto · 09/03/2018 16:50

Just catching up. Each year there are 2 prizes for each subject. One for the highest attainer and one for the most effort. Its like the badges for subjects that are hard to get. To get a maths badge you must attain 100% on 3 major assessments. You can get one for effort by going up at least 2 levels in a term. You Also get a year badge either bronze silver or gold depending on how many merits you win during the year. There are 8 merit sections. Do bronze you need 2 of each. Silver 3 and gold 4.

Sostenueto · 09/03/2018 16:58

No offence taken mmzz Smile
They value effort as well as attainment in dgds school. And year 11 only prize giving that parents attend.
They have year assemblies to present prizes in year 7-10

AlexanderHamilton · 10/03/2018 10:30

Everything is up in the air here as it is looking more & more like dd’s first choice is not offereing the A levels she wants.

LooseAtTheSeams · 10/03/2018 11:10

Alexander oh no, that’s a huge dilemma. Have they just decided to cut certain subjects? Are there any reasonable alternatives?

AlexanderHamilton · 10/03/2018 11:57

It wasn’t a subject that was originally offered. But a new teacher said they would look into offering it if enough wanted it.

There aren’t any viable alternatives.

She’s choosing English Lit in column 1 but in column 2 there is only Maths, French, Theatre Studies or Business Studies.

Music clashes with English & it’s a Btec not an A Level. French is one of her weaker subjects & she likes maths but not enough to consider it at A level.

She wanted RS or philosophy (was considering Govt & Politics at a different school). They said they might offer history but she hasn’t done history GCSE.

Oddsocks15 · 10/03/2018 12:55

Alex maybe it's a blessing in disguise, obviously a choice between different subjects or a different school needs to be made. Does she have any idea what she wants to do after A levels?

AlexanderHamilton · 10/03/2018 13:52

Audition for dance/MT jobs.

Original poster
Stickerrocks · 10/03/2018 14:03

Take a look at history as an alternative to politics. You don't actually need the GCSE to take it, even though most students do.

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Oddsocks15 · 10/03/2018 14:19

Alex try the following link

www.bestcourse4me.com

You can but enter what career you want and work backwards to see what qualifications you need, you can also put different qualifications in and it gives you career options

Teenmum60 · 10/03/2018 14:47

Have a look at Peter Symonds....they also offer boarding ...one of my friend's daughter attends its meant to be one of the best Sixth Form colleges in the country and I know she is doing Drama (although now seems to be going down law route).

www.psc.ac.uk/courses/

They do offer a very extensive number of courses.

AlexanderHamilton · 10/03/2018 15:04

She doesn’t actually need any qualifications (though by following an accredited course that’s how you get it funded). She wAnts to do the A levels for personal enjoyment/enrichment/whatever.

She may end up doing Theatre Studies as her 2nd A Level, not what she wanted but it’s better than maths.

Original poster
Stickerrocks · 10/03/2018 15:28

Boarding applications for Symonds shut months ago though, so you're probably too late. More than happy to agree with Teen's verdict on the college. Smile

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LooseAtTheSeams · 10/03/2018 15:57

English and theatre studies would be a nice combination, I think.
Agree you can do A level history without the GCSE if you have good grades in English. Only problem might be if history is oversubscribed.

AlexanderHamilton · 10/03/2018 16:16

They also don’t offer dance which needs to be at a very high level.

Original poster
Stickerrocks · 10/03/2018 16:20

Secretly hoping that one day I'll be watching a West End musical as someone wearing a "AlexanderHamilton is my mum" top leaps across the stage!

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