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Secondary education

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Original poster

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

999 replies

Stickerrocks · 22/03/2018 22:48

Here we go again.

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
BlueBelle123 · 01/04/2018 08:42

Happy Easter!!Easter Grin .........last of the bunny ears......I'm definitely still a 6 year old at heart!

Teen you lucky thing we use to have a Ozzie!

KingscoteStaff · 01/04/2018 08:47

DS’s current plan is to have his rabbit classified as an Emotional Assistance animal and then he can take him into exams!

TheSecondOfHerName · 01/04/2018 09:43

DS’s current plan is to have his rabbit classified as an Emotional Assistance animal and then he can take him into exams!

Love this!
Happy Easter everyone...

Teenmum60 · 01/04/2018 10:17

Happy Easter....

Ozzie has an Easter egg to open today - It says Waggy Easter and is coco and gluten free....

I had a mini shock yesterday for some reason I thought DD had two weeks exam leave when actually she only has one because she breaks up on 4th May ...glad she is doing Maths GCSE and not me!

Original poster
Stickerrocks · 01/04/2018 13:20

Happy Easter everyone.

DD is about to start revising after this morning's April Fool trauma. I drew a spider with a Sharpie about 3-4 sheets in on a toilet roll and rewound it. She is unimpressed.

OP posts:
Oddsocks15 · 01/04/2018 19:49

Ha ha stickerrocks Easter Grin

kings what about a Bear instead?!

mmzz · 02/04/2018 08:23

Tiny bit of an issue here...
DS always does his homework, partly because the school is strict about making sure its done, so they give detentions until the homework is delivered.
DS's maths teacher has still not completely finished the course. I think this is why he has held back past papers until now. Just before Easter, he told the class that he had 8 hours worth of past papers for them to do as homework over the holiday. Then in the next half-term, he has a further 22 hours worth of past papers which must be done as homework. Then for the questions the student gets wrong, they have to go back and learn that topic, so even more than 22 hours.
You can see that its a really good way to revise maths.
If every teacher did that though, then each student would have 10x22=220 hours of revision to fit in between 16th April and 14th May.
I feel sorry for anyone in the class who needs to find 22 hours in the next half-term to do this revision, but for DS, its just a waste of time, which he'd get more reward for if he spent it on other subjects. e.g. he did the first past paper on Saturday and got 96%.

The teacher is stubborn though. Based on past experience, I am certain that he'll insist on DS doing these 30 hours of pointless work, which will have to mean less time for revising the other subjects where a bit of work would make a difference.

DS showed DH his study timetable - which is full - and DH is telling DS that he'll just have to explain to the teacher that he doesn't need to do it, and doesn't have the time to just do it anyway. DH makes it sound so reasonable, but I really believe the teacher will insist anyway. So, I can see things finally coming to a head with the teacher, and at the worst possible moment considering how it will stress Ds out to be in conflict with his teacher.

AlexanderHamilton · 02/04/2018 08:35

VERy quick update post as got on a train at 7.15am this morning to take Dd to London

School report came - predicted all 7/8 & working at that level except sciences where she is predicted 6/7 (but only working at level 5/6). Been told to aim for 9 in English Lang but not to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.

She had Friday off completely but has been very diligent otherwise. Currently doing Tassomai on the train. We have noticed she’s exercising less & eating more chocolate. I think she needs a little more balance. She’s been getting up at 5am on school mornings & did so today even though we didn’t need to leave the house til 6.45am. Applying make up appears to be time consuming!!

mmzz · 02/04/2018 08:44

@AlexanderHamilton is Tassomai really good?

Applying makeup takes ages until you realise you can get 99% of the same effect in 5 minutes if you just slap it on (with moderation)!

Original poster
Stickerrocks · 02/04/2018 08:47

mmzz I would adopt your DH's approach. I would drop an email to the teacher explaing that DS is working to a solid timetable and all of those papers would detract from other subjects, so he will only complete a reasonable number within the time allocated for maths.

Alex sounds familiar.

OP posts:
mmzz · 02/04/2018 08:57

We've been round the block with this teacher before. In the past, his response is, along the lines of "Of course, you need to do other subjects, but i want this done anyway".

One time, to help DS out, I did it for him and he just copied it out! I'm not up for 22 hours of maths though.

I'll try the email, but if he doesn't back down this time , then I'll either have to escalate it out of the department (first time ever and I'm not comfortable with that for DS's sake) or DS will have to work until 11pm for a while.

BlueBelle123 · 02/04/2018 09:07

mmzz could he compromise and say that he will do the second half of the paper only I believe that's the 7-9 questions, also your DS will not need anywhere near the full alocation of time to do the paper as he will be able to do it a lot quicker!

I personally would escalate if the teacher can't be reasoned with, especially as your DS is going elsewhere for 6th form.

BlueBelle123 · 02/04/2018 09:09

Alexander that's a really good report.

What did she get for her make up? Grin

mmzz · 02/04/2018 09:23

We could try asking for the level 7-9 questions only, but the teacher doesn't do compromise (or has not so far).

The two reasons I am hesitating to escalate are 1) DS will feel uncomfortable in his class until study leave starts and 2) I think this teacher (he's HoD) likes to take the top set for maths at GCSE, and DS2 is due to start the GCSE maths course in September.

AlexanderHamilton · 02/04/2018 09:25

MMzz. - she’s finding Tassomai useful as she has lots of trapped time travelling so can do it on her phone.
Report says she also needs to work at extended questions though.

Teenmum60 · 02/04/2018 09:27

Well done to your DD @Alexander.....

mmzz - if they are past papers then the answers will be online so can you not just copy the answers with the odd wrong answer ....obviously your DS does not need the practice but I suppose in some ways by copying the answers he is getting a little bit of revision too...although overall its a pointless exercise but if it achieves the given goal (avoids a stressed DS).

Dd was revising Maths yesterday at her DF's which I was pleased to hear...crossing fingers she will do some revision today and tomorrow too not back with me until Wednesday... DF is very laid back so I just have to rely on DD to be self motivated.

noblegiraffe · 02/04/2018 09:49

Based on past experience, I am certain that he'll insist on DS doing these 30 hours of pointless work

How? He can’t give him 30 hours of detentions until it’s done. Get your DS to do a 3 paper set, send in a note saying “if this is a problem then please call me” then if he phones explain the 220 hour issue, that DS is working flat out and enquire as to who you should take this up with further if this continues to be an issue (head of year?).

I would bet your DS isn’t the only one who doesn’t do the full lot.

mmzz · 02/04/2018 09:56

Teenmum60 You are right, and I am being thick! I'm not sure whether they are past papers or just something the teacher made to simulate past papers, but the reason they take 2 hours is because the papers are 90 mins and they take about 30 mins to mark. i.e. the teacher made marking part of the homework, so DS has the solutions in his bag.

All the teacher does is look to glance over to see whether DS has written on the test paper. If he sees his handwriting, he doesn't want to know more.

God, I was being thick! Ds just needs to read through the paper, find out if there's anything that isn't immediately obvious, do those questions and then copy the rest from the answer sheet.

Why didn't I think of that?

Teenmum60 · 02/04/2018 10:12

I'm toying with the idea of booking Centre Parcs (roughly 15 mins drive away) for the Mon-Fri DD is on exam leave in May because its so much cheaper than other times. I think it might be a good place to chill out and work ....hire bikes/swim when not revising....DD could also have a couple of friends over on the first Monday (bank holiday) and they could do some testing together on sciences but chill out a little too... We usually go away at either Feb HT or Easter so a change of scenery would be good. Good idea or bad idea?

KingscoteStaff · 02/04/2018 10:29

DS was listening to Mr (7 hours revision a day) Lennon on 5 Live this morning and was livid that the 16 year old boys who phoned in sounded so wet. Apparently one said, ‘But I want to go out and plaaaay’ like a 3 year old...

KingscoteStaff · 02/04/2018 10:31

Mr Lenon, sorry.

mmzz · 02/04/2018 11:03

Teenmum60 - it sounds good but when your DD is revising, what's everyone else going to be doing?

It is quite harsh to have to sit and revise knowing that everyone else is having a good time just outside the window. I think it would become quite tempting to declare the work done as quickly as possible and go outside to join everyone else.

Every year, when i was revising for exams in Scotland in April and May (our exams always started at the end of April), we'd have a few weeks of really nice weather before it would get grey and cold again for the summer. As you may imagine, in Scotland, good weather is rare enough that everyone makes an effort to get outside and enjoy it (eg if sunshine wa forecast sickness rates at work went through the roof!). So, I can tell you from experience that its extra hard to convince yourself to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s knowing that everyone else is having a good time.

mmzz · 02/04/2018 11:07

KingscoteStaff - the thing is their parents probably were the same ones who have been complaining every time their DC had to do any work (eg SATS) throughout their entire childhood.
This is where these relative, rather than absolute, exam thresholds begin to make a difference.

Teenmum60 · 02/04/2018 11:19

MMzz - I didn't really think that way because I assumed the only people that will be at CP at that time would be babies/toddlers and adults ...I was more worried about being in a chalet with crying babies or early rising toddlers next door ...although if I picked an end Woodland chalet then this would be minimised. I've looked at chalets available they seem to be the ones on the edge of the park which I suppose would minimise passers by...

I'll have a chat when she comes back on Wednesday...

mmzz · 02/04/2018 11:45

Teenmum, will you be going with her? And the rest of the family?
DS révises best when I'd like some help with cooking or tidying or cleaning the car. (It's amazing how engrossing the revision is when I need someone to get some milk from the shops!) He finds it most difficult when he knows DS2 is playing on the XBox or we are watching a TV programme that he'd find interesting.