GCSE 2018 no. 6: stress, struggles and success (hopefully) *Title Edited by MNHQ*

[mmzz]

New thread for GCSEs 2018

Yes same here second I wish, in a way, that teachers would not put predicted grades, its as if the DC doesn't get that grade then somehow they have failed. I know we need to know how our DC are doing etc but overall its the whole added pressure thing. There is no other way apart from banning exams till they are 18 like Finland which I think is a fan idea.!

DS2 and his clarinet teacher have agreed it's best to postpone his Grade 8 until next term, which is a relief for me and will take some of the pressure off DS2.

Got to go soon to pick up dgd will see you all on Monday. Have a good weekend all of you and your DC and have a to keep you sane!

Have a good weekend, Sostenueto.

thesecond great decision re clarinet. It's really difficult to keep music going at a high level during exams. JD attendance is compulsory for DS. It may help him keep a mental balance and take a break from revision, but I doubt he will be able to practice much.

We've had no compulsory school revision sessions, all fully voluntary. But PE and Games are only stopping with study leave next week.

I thought we'd get French speaking mark like we got the other internally assessed marks. But I think I was wrong.

I'm really shocked at those saying they have no study leave at all. How is that even possible?

I think the French speaking gets taped and sent off for marking by the exam board. Or maybe I've got that wrong and the teacher marks it and sends the tapes to the exam board for moderation?

DS asked when he would get his PE assessment and coursework mark back its 40% in total so would be nice to know but he was told September

I wish the push was on to get DS up to 8s and 9s. Right now, its to get him off 5s and 6s!
He's had some really bad results through being tested on topics he hasn't looked at for maybe a year, but the past papers have been coming so thick and fast that he can't possibly revise for them before completing them.

Thank goodness its the weekend.

Has he been given a ludicrous amount of homework again?

Thanks mmzz I thought they were marked then moderated. I will wait and see.

BlueBelle123 amazingly, only maths gave more mandatory homework (and DS will not be doing it). Apart from maths, he only has 4 1/2 hours of homework to do this weekend.

DD did English speaking assessment today and seems to have gone well apart from nerves...she ended up doing a presentation on Hypermobility in the end! (odd that a % of the presentations have to be sent off to exam board but the presentation carries no marks in the exams).

In terms of language assessments - MMzz is correct - teachers mark the controlled speaking assessments and submit samples of marked work for moderation. I think they send off the top mark and the bottom mark and also candidates selected by the exam board/moderator- not sure how many...I know in the English presentation its a minimum of 30.

DS having the night off tonight and is going out with friends. He'll be doing 2 full days over the weekend though.

He got very good marks on the 2 History practice questions he did last week, so that's encouraging for the exam on Wednesday. Last week in school next week, then it's study leave. It's all getting scarily close.

I think it will feel easier once the exams are under way, because then its just your life for those weeks and the focus is always on tomorrow's exam.
Maybe this is the hard part where they feel compelled to do a lot of work but the exams still don't seem quite real.

Well the problem with having this one early History paper all on its own next week, is that DS is resenting any time not doing History! Admittedly it is his passion and probably his degree subject, but still... I got him to do some Tassomai last night, but I've just arrived home from work to find him working on - guess what? History again!

It's a bit damp, so if his cricket match is cancelled tomorrow I am going to put my foot down and insist he does some Biology or Physics.

Exactly the same here KingscoteStaff! DS also passionate about it and pretty sure it will be his degree subject so is spending a disproportionate amount of time on it. At least it will be out of the way early (DS says the sources paper needs way less revision).

Same here with the history! Geography is on Thursday and I think DS1 could do with focussing on that to equal measure!

He does have Monday and Tuesday off as exam leave though (before official exam leave starts) so plenty of time then.

Kingscote -DS1 cricket tomorrow AM has just been cancelled. I'm a bit sad as it would have been a great opportunity for a bit of R&R. I might just encourage a lie in.

At least it's not just DS then! Only Tuesday off as extra exam leave here though...am toying with letting him stay off Monday too...

your DC all have exams next week? Which exam board is that?

I thought the official start date across all exam boards was May 14th.

CIE. Both Eng Lang exams the week after too.

We have nothing till 14th May.
DS is hiding in his room concocting an art portfolio. It's going to be a fraught weekend but then it's all done!

DS has Cambridge History next Wed, then Cambridge Eng Lang the week after (9th and 11th), then all systems go with Edexcel RS on Monday 14th and 5 more that week including a French/Biology clash which necessitates a purdah lunch!

I just looked at the iGCSE timetable. It starts on Wednesday. I had no idea it was so soon!

How are your DCs? Are the nervous or reasonably calm?

Pretty confident on History, English and RS, less so on the Sciences... DS at very selective Indy, so is surrounded by Maths genius types - he is in 8th set of 8 for Maths, but doesn’t really have a clue where he will score when the whole country is ranked. He’s hoping for a 7, maybe 8 if he can get part way through the last 2 stinker questions.

No exams here until 14th May, either.

One of the local schools is having its prom tonight. It seems really early! My FB feed is full of glamorous young people in gorgeous dresses and suits. Checked three pieces seem popular, or the ever present bright blue suits. The girls dresses are all full length with quite a lot being gold or silver. One red double decker bus seen as transport.

DS3 doesn't have his prom until after the exams near the end of June, two months away.