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

[Stickerrocks]

Here we go again.

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

mmzz I can't understand how the school thinks this is a good idea! Is the homework things that haven't been covered yet or revision exercises? Either way it sounds bad.
DS stayed after school for an hour yesterday for some geography revision, came home and revised chemistry (his choice) and that was it.
However, he says he didn't sleep at all well, so I'm slightly worried about his art exam today - I'm afraid he's eaten a large fruit flapjack for breakfast instead of porridge but hopefully they'll take a quick break mid morning and he can top up then!

Dgd doing aqa geography not sure if she has her pack for paper 3 yet but thanks for the heads up stickerocks!

Great result second!

DS's school gets excellent results for a comp. Parents clamour to get their DC a place. Then once they are in, the school takes a leisurely stroll through KS3 (virtually no homework etc). But from November of year 11, it's wallop! Exam factory time. YY to risking burn out (and their health).

I think it's probably worse this year because the teachers were only able to guess what a level 4/5/6/7/8 paper looks like and therefore they are all playing it safe by pulling the work on. They all seem intent on getting good results for their own departments (and to hell with the other subjects or the students).

I'd have a similar criticism of DS's school mmzz except that they applied pressure before Y11 so it hasn't been quite as crazy! They are a bit relaxed in Y7 and Y8 but they did get everything covered.
I think also that kind of pressure from all those subject heads has a worse effect on conscientious children who are trying to get everything done. I think there's a point when you have to rebel and it looks like this is it!

DD a bit quiet yesterday and it seems QueenB strikes again ...DD and one of the girls were due to go out to lunch - invite extended to everyone else...DD gets text from girl just before lunch stating she cant make lunch and is going round QueenB's house ..why are girls so mean? Just so thankful that QB leaves ...back to counting down the day's DD is in school so she get away from this emotional cr*p at exam time which knocks her self confidence.

Teenmum... you have to wonder what sort of person that QB girl will be when she's older.
How many days until your DD gets away from her for good?

Mmzz - I think QB is going to find being in a 6th form college completely different ...not sure whether her manipulation skills will work so well (The friendship group are quite timid girls). Its difficult because she is the one that brings all the girls together socially (credit to her),so far two girls have stood up to her recently - one is in a complete emotional mess and likely to fail or just scrape a pass in her exams (failed ALL mocks) and will be leaving the school too...the other sensibly with good parental advice has managed to get stuck into school work at lunch times and stood back from the friendship group (both of these girls are incredibly nice). 13 school days and counting....then just cross fingers that QB doesn't decide to come back to the school after Oct HT...I;ve never known a girl to speak so spitefully about others (in my presence) she still hates the girl who became Head Girl in year 6 (Prep school) because she wanted to be Head Girl! Just need to make sure my munchkins self esteem doesn't falter...

Fab news thesecond.
loose good luck to your DS today with Art.
Went to see Hamilton yesterday. The three of us came out a bit lukewarm, to be honest. Some bits are probably the most exhilarating and brilliant moments and music I have ever seen on stage (the first 20 minutes, wow, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest), but then come the love songs which are so lame and conventional and the love story is thinly written and treads water, it feels such a down. Yet the whole singing was incredible, dancing beautiful, pace perfect, band top notch. Just my opinion!
Back to school tomorrow...

Drummersmum - I felt the first part was much better than the second part...probably because the second part was more traditional (like other musicals)...but I dare say they could not keep up the first part but I still thought it was an amazing musical. I just hated the seats - they were so uncomfortable.

I got an email from the school headed ‘study leave’ today - but it isn’t really! It allegedly starts on Monday 14th May - but that is the first day of exams for DS. And pupils are expected to attend lessons as normal timetable- unless they’re doing an exam - until exams for that subject are finished.

I can’t get my head round it at all! It seems DS would only get the odd lesson for each subject as his exams are so spread out. And I think he’ll want to use an exam-free day doing revision for the upcoming exam - not, say, going to Maths because he has a timetabled lesson though the exam is weeks away. And not a very efficient use of time doing the journey to and from for a couple of lessons at different ends of the school day.

I’m wondering if independent schools (my older 2 were in state schools) do this to justify a full terms fees.

All after school revision classes cancelled and teachers seen in tears. It looks as though there is a pastoral issue affecting Year 11 which the staff are digesting overnight, after losing someone else a few weeks ago. How much more crap can these kids take? Obviously my thoughts are with the family affected, but my heart goes out to DD's year group.

So Sorry if the DC (and teachers) are having to deal with bad news.

Pannetone - same here for my DC but I'm guessing its more to do with having boarders in school who have to be there than giving value for money.

So so sorry to hear yet another life ended prematurely stickerocks poor family, friends, teachers and pastoral. Sometimes it id so hard to know which pupils are desperate enough to take their own life. In my experience it is no good blaming yourselves. You just cannot know these things. Those intent on ending their suffering tend not to give signs. But so so sad.

Teenmum karma is a great thing and one day your dd will be able to stick it right up QB!

Aw that is awful stickerrocks

Is it just my DD it does anyway else have DC not getting to sleep until midnight? She has it in her head that if she stays up later she will get to sleep easier except that she goes to bed around 11pm and generally faffs around and we hear her light go out. It is hard work to wake her up for school and she has missed some before school revision sessions because she has overslept despite my constant calling her. I have to get up and go to work so don’t have a lot of time to stand over her... i am a bit concerned that she will not be up in time for her exams and of course I’ll be at work

stickerrocks

Oddsocks My DS has gone from being a naturally early riser like me (he and I were up with the larks for years) to finding it very hard to wake up by 7am. He says going to bed earlier doesn't help because he can't get to sleep then anyway.

There have been a lot of studies which show that the teenage body clock is just not suited to early starts. At least one school moved to a later start (I think it was 10am) and their results improved.

I'm not sure what the answer is other than the usual no screens for at least an hour before bed etc. But even that is a challenge at the mo because if they've been working hard they obviously want some downtime before bed, and so much of that involves screens of some sort.

DS has been getting up (just) in time for a 10am start on revision during the hols, so he's going to find the return to school hours tomorrow difficult. I think during study leave I'm going to insist that he's up early, otherwise the morning exams will feel like the middle of the night!

DS is on study leave from Tuesday 8th. However, he is planning to go in each day to work in the (luxurious and silent) library, use the school’s super fast broadband, eat lunch (which we’ve paid for!) and spend an hour a day in the gym or the cricket nets. He thinks he’ll achieve more like that than home alone.

Stickerrocks your DD's year has certainly had more than their fair share of distressing news. Feel so sorry for the family. Hope your DD is bearing up as well as she can be in such circumstances.

That is so sad Stickerrocks. As you say, devastating for the family and so difficult for the whole school community - especially for the Y11 group at this point of the year.

Kingscote your DS’s plans for study leave make it sound almost enjoyable!

Kingscote There was a big debate in the car this morning about study leave. DD is adamant she is going to keep going into school each day because the teachers are on hand. Her chum only wants to cross the threshold if she has an exam.

Agree kings. DS doesn’t have the luxurious library but having lunch with his mates, some structure to the day and a break for games is probably going to be good for him so on balance happy for him to be in school. Also fortunate that he has made friends with some bright hard working boys this year and shares a room with one so that’s a bonus (not boarder but gets a desk in house).

DD at Indie and she has study leave too (finish school on 4/5) then only in school for exams.

Stickerrocks - I cannot imagine how the school staff/children and parents must feel - this is so so sad.

Oddsocks - My dd probably goes to sleep at around 11ish a bit earlier at her dads (10.30)...occasionally when she is looking tired I do ask her to go to sleep earlier (generally met by whinges but she will with a push listen to me). She's very good in the morning we have to leave home at 8am (I drive her into school each day)....she sometimes wakes me up . I'm more relaxed on weekends but I think she still tends to be asleep around 11....she does have a tendency to lie in at weekends and has been known to wake up after midday if not working.

Sadly one of the girls in DD's year has just lost her father (terminal cancer diagnosed sometime ago), school seem to be very supportive and have asked her to consider switching from triple to double science given circumstances to take some pressure off.

Teen I have occasional students in my day job who lose their parents in exam season. One actually took the call to say her dad had passed away on a train on his way to work whilst she was in class revising. Another student's DH took the impossible decision not to tell his wife that her elderly mum had passed away on the Tuesday whilst she was in the exam hall and embargoed everyone from speaking to her until she finished her exams on Wednesday & Thursday. She expected the news anyway and there was nothing she could have done. I can't help thinking of the girl from Grenfell who turned up to sit her science exams the morning after and aced them.

That is awful, Stickerrocks.