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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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
Teenmum60 · 18/03/2018 12:40

A little bit of snow here not too much....DD still in bed :).

DD has a new uniform if she stays at current school (Tailored jacket and skirt with blouse - although they are allowed to wear a grey hoody over the blouse around school). I'm quite pleased with the uniform as long as Dd doesn't put on weight - although skirt length will be a matter of debate (DD still hasn't forgiven me for length of her current skirt which gets rolled up everyday).

LooseAtTheSeams · 18/03/2018 12:58

DS2 won't emerge from his room until food is on the table! Then possibly a little light homework and back to skulking!
To be fair, DS1 has braved the snow for his Japanese lesson, which involves a change of trains, so I'm very proud of him! (He's not doing an exam in it this year - we both agreed it was too much and he'll do the GCSE or similar next Summer. He loves it, though!)

Original poster
Stickerrocks · 18/03/2018 13:08

We have an 8cm above or below the knee rule on skirts, although quite where you measure the 8cm from is beyond me. I think they have abandoned it for year 11s this close to their leaving date, as long as they wear their original school skirts and don't swap them for pelmets.

OP posts:
Sostenueto · 18/03/2018 19:51

Hi back again, have been busy with pup who is being a right hormonal little madam! I have had to hand feed her today cis she's feeling sorry for herself.
Thanks lulu Flowers
Last years GCSE thread is still going for year 12 and can't see why ours can't continue.
MmzzFlowers glad your staying.
Dgd has been swating all weekend but still won't let us test her to see if its sinking in. Oh well no point arguing with her she either knows it or not. At the moment its best to keep out of her way. Whoever invented exams wants stringing up!

LooseAtTheSeams · 18/03/2018 20:36

Can I just say teenagers are lovely really. Went to Tutee 3 today in the freezing cold and got ‘Miss, can you come and teach me over Easter?’ Had to assure him of course I would! Blimey, when I was a kid holidays were Very different! What’s with the young generation!
Cuddles to Pup and big hugs to Sostenueto. Would love it if this thread continues beyond Y11.

mmzz · 18/03/2018 20:38

DS1 used that Seneca learning site today for chemistry revision. He said it's really good (much faster than the way he's been revising so far).
It's free, so I'm not sure how they make the money to develop the site. Maybe, it's free for now, and once it develops a reputation, they'll start to charge?
Anyway, for now it's free and effective.

Oddsocks15 · 18/03/2018 20:49

Really appreciate teachers giving up their Easter holidays for y11s. My DD says she is looking forward to going in over the holidays.

mmzz haven’t heard of Seneca, will check that out.

Also would like this thread to continue past results day.

Teenmum60 · 18/03/2018 21:55

We had mini shopping trip to get some smart wear for DD's interview ...she brought some black paper bag trousers, jacket and blouse which all looked really smart (took me back to the days when I brought my first work suits). She'll get plenty of wear out of trousers and hopefully all will come in handy for work experience.

DD in school a couple of days over Easter finishing off coursework...not sure how much revision will get done this week ...she is at a Japan trip meeting on Monday, supporting a friend doing drama exam on Tuesday ...

She has become a total bookworm again - which is great that she has rekindled love of books - just need to try and swap teen fiction for History non fiction Wink, she has asked for a book on Hitler so just trying to find something appropriate ...

Good news is that apparently Chemistry will be finished in one more lesson ...

Just need to ensure all books come home this week ...

Original poster
Stickerrocks · 18/03/2018 22:20

The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It's a true story, which reads like fiction and keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through, even though you know what the inevitable outcome is.

I also loved John Boyne''s (The Boy in the Striped PJs) The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, which is teenage fiction, but allows you to see how people can't see what is under their nose.

OP posts:
AlexanderHamilton · 18/03/2018 22:32

Well Dd caused some raised eyebrows today. You don’t usually get 16 year olds attending British Voice Association lecture days apparently. But when she asked a really intelligent question (according to dh who is a vocal coach) people wanted to know who she was.

She may be an aspiring performer but the science behind it all fascinates her.

Teenmum60 · 18/03/2018 22:43

Thanks Stickerrocks we have been to Auschwitz (when we went to Krakow) - although timing was too early for DD to relate too now...although hard to forget (she was 12). So the book maybe a good choice.

I think she's read The Boy in the Striped PJ's (we have seen film a few times)....

There seems to be a good Hitler Biography that has just come out (which covers the period she has been studying - Ascent) - I thought it maybe too heavy but she has read Hamilton's Biography so DD thinks not.

mmzz · 19/03/2018 07:14

Hitler or the Third Reich? DH is a history buff and we've got a sizeable collection on WW2, amongst other things.
Anthony Beevor, Max Hastings and Bullock all are well-respected historians on the period. None of them seem to write books that are less than 4 inches thick (it's like a competition!)

mmzz · 19/03/2018 07:17

2 inches, not 4. I need a coffee to wake up

LooseAtTheSeams · 19/03/2018 08:08

I will definitely point DS at that Seneca site as any help with chemistry has to be good!
He's got an add maths test tomorrow and is a bit nervous about it. I told him to relax as it really doesn't matter about the exam - they've covered the syllabus, which is the useful bit!

Oddsocks15 · 19/03/2018 08:31

Is it too early for Wine ?!

DD rushes downstairs asking for lined paper then goes upstairs. Forgotten homework?! She also has before school revision this morning. She has a 10 minute walk to school and session starts in 5 minutes!

Teenmum60 · 19/03/2018 09:26

Hitler - The Syllabus seems to be Hitler and the Nazi's/Life in Nazi Germany etc. Although I think DD is probably just looking for a book on Hitler himself.

I quickly flicked through Amazon and could see two books which seemed readable for a teen.

Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party (Seminar Studies In History)

Hitler: 1889-1936: Hubris

Teenmum60 · 19/03/2018 09:35

@Oddsocks15 I know that feeling DD was insistent that she had left her pencil case at school one day last week (because she had used it during early lessons that day) so she picked up some make do provisions in case it could not be found - I found it sitting on dining table where she had left it.

Over recent years she seems to have changed her mindset from everything needs to have been done yesterday to everything can be done tomorrow....

Teenmum60 · 19/03/2018 09:51

Not sure whether this is of any help to anyone but following on from Mr Bruff and Mr Salles I found a Mr Budd who covers History - not sure whether its all the History exam boards but it certainly covers IGCSE..the revision guides look concise...Its DD's weakest subject and one where she was terribly unorganised in Yr10.

www.mrbuddhistory.com/

mmzz · 19/03/2018 10:33

Sorry, I misunderstood. The authors I suggested aren't suitable for GCSE.

Not a book, but there's a documentary series on Netflix at the moment called "Hitler's Circle of Evil" (about 50 min per episode) which is supposed to be quite good. It traces the rise of the nazi party through the 20s to the end of WW2.

Teenmum60 · 19/03/2018 10:38

Thanks mmzz - DD has Netflix - we have a long journey on Saturday to my brothers 60th so this maybe a good way of sneaking in some revision.

Oddsocks15 · 19/03/2018 13:59

After a few months of waiting, Drs appointment to discuss DD mental health issues has come round tonight. Apparently the Dr is a mental health specialist so fingers crossed as last Dr we saw dismissed her problems as “normal” which of course they could be but she felt she wasn’t being listened to.

Just don’t know how to go with it, I don’t want make situation worse by drawing DD attention to some of the things I’ve noticed. Especially concerned about her loss of appetite. No signs of her making herself sick but one small meal a day is not enough.

Teenmum60 · 19/03/2018 14:19

Will the Dr lead the conversation? I assume they are used to these situations ....Perhaps say your DD seems a bit rundown but your not sure whether its an hormonal teenage stage or other pressure from exams etc and then mention lack of appetite?

Oddsocks15 · 19/03/2018 14:41

teen I’m hoping Dr will lead, will nudge the conversation if needed. It may be exam pressure as she is a perfectionist, I’ve made a list of symptoms

She has been seeing school nurse but missed her last appointment due to snow closure.

mmzz · 19/03/2018 14:42

Oddsocks - is there any way to brief the doctor of your concerns in advance?
Even just to outline them in a letter and ask the nurse to give to the doctor to read before he calls your DD in from the waiting room.

I think they use the word normal sometimes to mean anyone would feel in this range of unhappy if they were going through whatever your DD is experiencing. Not that what she's experiencing is normal, more her response to it is within the normal range. IYSWIM

Oddsocks15 · 19/03/2018 15:27

I know what you mean mmzz good idea about passing a note. Otherwise I’ll have to either drop hints. We have a 10 minute car journey to Dr so will try and address issues that need to be discussed on the way...