GCSEs 2018 (5 & a puppy, but no kittens)

[Stickerrocks]

Here we go again.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3177476-GCSEs-2018-4-already

Oddsocks - the past papers/specimen papers are usually free online apart from last years which is still blocked and probably would have been the mock paper ....although they are a pain to print (because you end up printing exam paper/mark sheet/ commentary). The 1-9 for sciences/other subjects are specimen papers because obviously there are no past papers.
www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/exams-guidance/find-past-papers-and-mark-schemes.
The same applies for Edexcel ...although sometimes its easier to buy than print !

I find it annoying (sorry to whinge) that lots of schools are offering rest breaks to all and sundry and encouraging them because they don't need exam board approval (NOT you Oratory/mmzz given that your DSs have medical need).
I have not gone down the extra time route with DD because she can complete all the exams in the given timescale (although struggles with History), she has hypermobility - hands being the major issue although also has bad leg joint pains (diagnosed by consultant with medical certificate) she does have rest breaks because she struggles with writing for long periods and gets hand cramps ....the rest breaks make it a fairer playing field but not if all children are encouraged to apply.

I think this area needs to be re-addressed by exam boards because its clearly now an area where schools will encourage parents to take advantage if it doesn't require medical cert/approval.

I see your point teenmum and do agree which is why I was reticent to ask - it was only after chatting to DS again about his experiences and remembering what Ed Psych and SENCO have said about things being much more effort for him and him getting tired so much quicker that I thought that maybe it is a reasonable ask. Knowing the school they will be reasonable and fair and not let people (including us) play the system. A couple of his friends who have issues with concentration (ADHD) get breaks which I think is reasonable.

The breaks aren't an unfair advantage though. You don't get to write, or read during them. They are just a chance to rest.

If you have processing difficulties they are a chance to clear your head, and if you have abnormal pain (hypermobility-pain being a good example), then its a way to manage the pain better. If you are suffering from extreme anxiety, then they are a chance to calm down.

People who suffer from none of these issues don't get extra time, but they don't need it either. The provision just (slightly) levels the playing field allowing everyone to show what they know without things that aren't being tested in the exam unfairly holding back certain students from writing the answers down.

I think schools should ensure that children sitting public exams have a level playing field and this covers ALL children with medical needs Beit ADHD/Dyslexia etc . I know your DS is a genuine case Oratory and the school should ensure he is given the opportunity to perform on a level playing field.

Perhaps I am feeling somewhat guilty that I have not pursued getting extra time for my DD even though she qualifies due to bad hypermobility in her hands and she currently works within school at missing every other question in some subjects or not taking down all the notes because of slow hand writing . I know she is bright enough to get a good set of GCSE's despite the hypermobility (which is a massive credit to DD) ...would she get a higher grade with extra time -I'm not sure (hence why I have not pursued matter) - maybe in History because of the time/amount of writing.

I guess it would be lovely if all our DC could just enjoy being educated and inspired (in what ever field be it academic or vocational ) and develop the love of learning no matter what constraints they have ....

The truth is that SENCOs are hit or miss, and often it depends on how much the parent advocates for their DC. That's not fair either, but it is how it works.
I knew zero about anything to do with dyslexia type issues, or exam access arrangements when Ds1 went to school. I'd never even heard of dysgraphia until he was diagnosed with it. You find out, you learn the terminology, you think hard about how to help your DC overcome the practical difficulties and you hope that the SENCO will take the lead. However, if they won't be proactive, then you make sure that they don't find it easy to leave your child struggle alone.
Its hard for those DC who don't have a parent who has the time and ability to research and learn about technical things, and then the self-confidence to approach the school, even if they rebuff you.
I didn't want to be one of "those" parents, I'd have much preferred a quiet life, but I felt that I had no choice from year 6 onwards.

Mmzz - totally agree as long as schools are not manipulating the system - The exam boards have no idea of how many children are given rest breaks. I think schools should report this - and justify rest breaks given.

There is a girl in DD's year at school (dad is DHT of another school), she is diagnosed as dyslexic but is likely to achieve grade 8/9''s across the whole spectrum of subjects apart from Maths (7), she is extremely articulate and the most organised child I have ever met ...therefore it seems odd that all children with the same condition are treated equally whereas some are MILD and some are SEVERE....

www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/key-dates-and-timetables/key-dates-in-the-examination-cycle-2017-18

@Teenmum60 I think its too late for applying for any access arrangements, for the GCSEs. According to the document linked above, the final date was 21/2/18.

However, its not too late for A levels and I don't think its too late to ask for rest breaks, if those would help your DD manage the pain.

Totally agree about SENCO...and I know what a miserable time your DS had in school too because of lack of understanding of his condition.

I read an article about the amount of DC;s in Independent school who get various dispensations and I think its probably true of schools whose motivation is the interest of results or monetary gains(I don't think DD's school falls into this category!) ...whereas say Oratory1's school perhaps should have pursued extra exam dispensation's for her DS.

Just to be clear, we are talking about rest breaks, not 25% extra time?

The thing is you can be really clever and have a SEN (its called being twice exceptional). Typically, the high intelligence masks the disability and the disability pulls down the high IQ, so you end up looking sort of average. In this case the SEN is easily overlooked, and the teacher assumes the child is either clever when speaking but lazy in their work, or just a bit average all round. Either way, the child often gets left to struggle on.
Apparently, its frustrating and anxiety-causing for the child because their brain is telling them the answer, but their body is not complying.

DS has a high IQ. I'm not sure how bad his SEN is, but I know it could be worse. However, the 25% extra time, even in his case, is nowhere near enough to compensate for his slow writing speed. There are statistics available that give a range, by age, of how fast DC write, and DS is always off the bottom. For example, if he does 10 words a minute, and everyone else is doing 18-30, then even with extra time, he's only up at 12.5.
(those are just made up numbers but they are within the ballpark of some I was given a few years ago).

For those DC who are really slow, not just DS slow, 25% is just a drop in the ocean.

DD gets rest breaks ....which helps with pain elevation ....fortunately DD's exam timetable is not going to cause her any real issue with Hypermobility because I think she just has two days in the first week of exams that have 2 exams per day...the joint pain in her legs which is severe and means she does not sleep is attributed to when her period's fall due and again we are lucky because her period cycle will fall May HT....so will not affect exams - but the medical need is genuine ...When DD chose her GCSE options we took into account her ability to write for long periods ...

With A levels we will see how things go ...subject choice is such that I don't foresee the need to have extra time ....when she gets into the workplace she wont get dispensation so in many respects we have to manage the situation ...

I just despise the fact that any educational establishment would try and take advantage of dispensations such as rest breaks because there is no monitoring ...

I agree Teenmum, about Oratory's school. Children who are performing above the median despite having a SEN, are just so easy for a school to overlook, if the SENCOs are time-constrained, or just can't be bothered. So often, the focus is all on the DC who will really struggle to get 5 A*-Cs

Sorry mmzz - its rest breaks - I know that exam boards have already addressed extra time....and its not so easy to get the extra time - although I also know that someone with mild dyslexia diagnosed 6 years ago is still treated the same as someone with severe dyslexia ...which doesn't seem right? DD only began to get dispensations in lessons late Yr 10 because we/ school did not realise ...like you say - schools tend to pick these issues up if a child is not performing but if a child is bright they can still perform reasonably well and therefore are likely to underperform their true intelligence but not flag up.

My DD;s writing was pretty poor (pencil grip has been awful since reception because we were not aware of hypermobility we just thought she was double jointed ) however through sheer grit/determination she does write pretty well now ...she had the option to use a laptop (albeit far to late to really be an option) it could/would have made life easier and helped with the pain - it may well be that this will be the way forward in A Level if needs be.

Just coming on for a rant DS has spent all afternoon and I do mean all afternoon complaining about how you can't revise English Language he is now doing questions set my his teacher which he has to spend 45mins on why could he just not do that to begin with!!!!!! Not helped by DH who generally stays out of these things saying yes I could never see how you were suppose to revise for English Language and DD chipping in Oh I never revised English
Language.........aaaarrrgggghhh runs out of room screaming with bunny ears on obviously!!

To continue the Easter theme, here is DS’s rabbit sitting on the kitchen table for stroking therapy and to listen to details about his digestive tract. He was less interested in converting recurring decimals into fractions...

Thank folks interesting discussion - to be fair to school he does have extra time and use of a lap top, I just don't think rest breaks ever occurred to him or SENCO. And we love the school for so many (non academic) reasons. And yes he does come into the category of bright student with severe dyslexia which makes him end up average in a lot of ways and well below when it comes to exams. And yes teachers forget as he is so bright and enthusiastic in class. Working memory is a huge issue too and finds it impossible to learn things by rote. But we have accepted that GCSEs and especially the new style weren't made for him - just role on A levels and a hopefully techy apprenticeship of some sort !! In some ways I wish I had done more before in terms of, for eg, a tutor or touch typing or exam technique - but on the other hand I don't think he was ready and when he was exhausted from school it didn't seem right to force extra work to catch up. Who knows whether it would have paid off. And in the last couple of years he has really got into some extra curricular stuff he loves and which makes him love school even with all his trials, so I was reticent to make him drop those even if work suffered. So always aiming for a balance - just wish we knew what that balance was.

My DS was telling me that the kids at his school who were getting rest breaks during their mocks were looking at their revision notes in the breaks. I'm not sure if this is true but the other kids might be showing some ill feeling about it.

Kingscote loving the bunny, he's soo cute he must make revision so much more enjoyable and he won't nag

DS''s friend gets extra time but he rarely takes it as he says if you don't know it sitting there longer isn't going to help, he struggles with concentration so making him sit there even longer is actually counter productive. In his particular case I'm not sure what would help.

I’ve no doubt DS needs his with full 15 mark questions missed out even after full extra time. Wouldn’t it be lovely if DC just took as long as they needed

Bouledeneige I'm surprised to read that, as I was told that they don't leave the exam room. They just put their pens down and turn the paper over for 5 minutes whilst the invigilator watches like a hawk.

When DD sat her mocks she was allowed to leave the exam room, there seemed to be no format in the mocks (although this may change in May/June exams). Some teachers expected DD to get up and leave the room once she put her hand up (invigilator accompanied DD), some just came over to ensure paper was closed and started the clock....one even got mixed up and thought DD needed to go to the toilet! But revision notes are no where to be seen and students would be liable to disciplinary action if they were found to have cheated. DD had a problem where the teachers kept on thinking she had extra time so I did speak to SENCO at parents evening to ensure that this did not happen in May/June.

I think in some exams relaxed timing should be allowed - like English Language - creative writing - how can you be creative with a clock ticking away...although DD finds exams easier than coursework because she is limited by time (she cannot procrastinate).

Loving the bunny I am dog sitting this weekend with the lovely Ozzie...

MMZZ I'm not sure if its true - its just the rumour thats going round.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Happy Easter, everyone!
Love the bunny and Ozzie - they look like great antidotes to exam pressure! Our cat has been ‘helping’ DS1 revise. They snuggle up in his room.
Very nice prom dresses, too!