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

[mmzz]

New thread for GCSEs 2018

DS2 and his Mathsy friends have been referring to it as 'A hat'.
A* with distinction sounds more impressive.

stickerrocks if I’ve been following all the helpful explanations above properly the top grade for Add Maths FSMQ is an A.

I also noticed from the link theSecond posted that Further Maths Level 2 has 2 exams (3.5 hours in total) whereas FSMQ has one 2 hour paper.

DS is predicted an A for FSMQ but doesn’t sound so impressive with A* and A^ for the Further Maths!

DS is good at maths and also makes some silly mistakes. He's reduced the number by going through his exam paper and re-working everything out. He really wanted to take Further Maths GCSE but he wasn't able to (not sure why). He's having trouble with his Maths teacher right now, actually. The teacher will only print stuff out after weeks of asking, and then never marks anything (none of it, so the class dont know how to improve), and simply doesn't seem bothered. Would prefer to "go to the pub" than put on any after school sessions

To the pp who asked about revision lessons, DS doesn't bother with them. The teachers are way behind on finishing the courses and most of his year group don't care about passing (deprived area) so DS gets all his revision done at home.

We've had a breakthrough with Macbeth. He's beginning to understand and be able to analyse it, which is good. He saw the RSC play today and actually enjoyed it.

Hello everythingisginger and welcome :) . Your DS sounds just like mine - although we are very fortunate in that DS is staying at the non selective school he has ben at since 11 so no worries about getting in. He is though trying to get the grades for his preferred A level subjects up as high as possible and they're the same as yours. For CS he needs a 5 in Maths and 4 in English, for maths he needs at least a 7 and for physics a 6. Maths should be ok - even if he misses out on an 8 he should get a 7 (although he has only just recently got confident enough in maths to do A level and a 7, whilst fine in itself, may make him doubt himself for A level). The same with physics - they would probably let him do it but I would worry with less than a 6. And he has to pass his English which is not a given (2 and 3 in the mocks). So if he slips up he could still stay on but would have to retake English which he'd hate and may have to reconsider subjects to may be a business B Tech alongside Computing rather than physics/maths. But even that wouldn't be the end of the world so we don't have to really panic. Best of luck to you and your DC. Does he have a plan B.

It's very interesting to hear how variable schools are. A maths teacher who lets students know that he'd rather go to the pub than support their revision is pretty shocking really. Although WhatsForTeaas son is hopefully learning some extremely useful life skills by cracking on with his revision without being spoon fed. Hopefully??!

DD1 had a final mock German speaking exam after school today and came home smiling and spouting lots of convincing-sounding German. Or at least I'm convinced. Hopefully it does actually mean what she thinks it does!

Hi Oratory. Thanks.

Yes, our DSs sound very similar. Mine is also staying at his comp, it's just that I am worried about him getting the grades to get onto the A-levels he wants to do. He's very tunnel-visioned and I don't think he would entertain the idea of business or anything else. He certainly doesn't want to have to go to the local college. He has toyed with perhaps doing the Cambridge IT certificate instead of physics, but he says (correctly I suspect) that physics is important for game design. We really should be able to get him through it as DH is a physics graduate and works in science.

I've literally just been told the result of DS's second round of mocks. In January he got a 3 in English Language. That was a bit of a wake-up call for both of us and so I learned about the papers and he's been sitting down with me for 'lessons'. I've just learned that the paper he did before Easter achieved a 5! I've so chuffed with him. And I reckon I might give myself a teeny pat on the back too. Fingers crossed for that result in August.

Hi ginger. DS2 is doing a 2 year level 3 BTEC in computing which is worth 3 A levels in UCAS points at our local college. He's going on to do an HNC in computing next year, possibly leading on to an HND, which are like the first and second year of university. There are students on his course who got a C in the old GCSE maths, so there are alternative routes to getting into computing if maths A level is a non starter. To get a C or above in maths A level you really need to be capable of a 7 or above at GCSE.

DS1 called A^ an A star with distinction or A star star. 4 years seems a long time ago now! Next they'll be doing STEP and GCSEs won't seem very important.

Ha, cross post ginger! Try to get him to be open minded, at least until he gets his results!

Hi all. Getting a bit concerned about the overly happy attitude of dgd..begining to worry its all show and that she is really worried about exams have asked if she has major concerns over anything so we can try to help her. All I got was stop going on nan. As her first exam is Wednesday week am really fretting. Don't know whether to trust she's keeping up with revision schedule and not say anything or keep asking her

Thanks EllenJane. Yes, our local college does do a BTEC like that. We looked at it a while back, but he just wasn't interested. I think he's just not ready to think about leaving his school.

I'm more anxious about physics than maths, but I guess we'll see what comes out in the wash.

Well done with English - 5 would be great

Lots of new faces on and nice to see but where is everyone else?

Next Wednesday is soon! Hood luck with revision Sostenueto's DGD. Perhaps some of the regulars are having their tea?

*Good!

DgD moaning because she has to get up early hours to have a wee because she has to drink 2 litres a day or end up on a drip again. Everyone make sure teens drink water because we thought she was drinking enough and we always make sure she has a drink to hand when revising but we can't pour it down their throats! Tell them if they don't drink enough they can become really ill. Dgd was so dehydrated they could not get blood out of her hence in hospital. Also tell teens if they have to go to loo at school to go, not hold it in till they get home like a lot of them do. ( hospital says they have teens in for precisely this reason as they don't like/ scared to use/ embarrassed to use school toilets) and they will avoid drinking and eating so they don't have to go.

Lovely to see new faces and glad to share info advice and woes with each other!

I'm here. Just been a bit busy today

Hi Sos I was having my tea

Hope your DD is OK now Sost....

Just dropped my DD off at Brownies (first week she has helped out since before Easter due Birthday/School commitments). Dd has her English presentation tomorrow on the subject of "Dreams".

Whole year photo sent out today - so need to order online - something nice to look back too when she is old and grey like me!

Thanks Pannetone. DD has studied for it for an hour a week in an after school class. She's planning to blitz it after the rest of her papers finish, so I'll be delighted if she gets a pass.

Sost Don't nag! We're all here.

I'm starting to feel guilty now I alternate my two classroom mugs between one which says "I'd rather not be an accountant" and "I'd rather be in Cornwall". I also have a habit of reminding my classes that I like wine/gin/Hotel Chocolat if they pass!

Sos hope your dgd is feeling better. It's scary how quickly dehydration can happen. I'll keep an eye on DD's fluid intake, she's had problems with it in the past. Although she's been pretty good lately- she has an app on her phone with a plant. She "waters" it every time she has a drink to try and keep it alive. Sounds daft, but it seems to work for her and she's really proud of how tall it's growing!

Good luck Teenmum's DD for her presentation tomorrow, sounds like she's chosen an interesting subject.
DD rejigged her year 6 talk on Bees for hers! Used the same cue cards and everything! (Didn't wear the bumble bee costume that she wore the first time round though!)

Teenmum, good luck to your dd for tomorrow!
DS did his in January, on raising the awareness of MH problems. He found it scary but did well.

Sostenueto That's amazing how bad dehydration can suddenly get. I hope your DGD is back to full health now. (And I hope you are ok too)

Lots of new members, which is nice to see.

DS's revision doesn't feel like it is going well ATM. He is working hard, but it feels like he has barely made any progress since returning to school after the holidays. He's got a list of stuff he needs to learn, but can't find time to learn them because every evening and weekend is dedicated to trying to get through the homework (which is usually past papers testing the topics that he can't find time to revise due to doing past papers!).

I'm getting a little concerned. Not worried (yet), but definitely concerned.

As an example, DS went into school for 9 today. Got home at 4, did about an hour of Tassomai until 5, then revised/ crammed some topics for Biology paper 2, then did the paper and finally stopped at 9:30pm. Then just as he was about to go to bed at 10:30, he got an email saying he has to attend an extra revision session tomorrow morning, so he has to get up an hour earlier.

mmzz I would say that your DS's school is petrified that it is going to lose its excellent record on GCSE's and as its the first year for most of them they don't know yet how much work is required to cover the syllabus sufficiently and are clearly now panicking and so are throwing everything at these exams.........I would hate to think this is their normal way of preparing pupils for the exams!

If DS was at such a school then I would be letting him have some unofficial sick days so that he can cover what he feels he needs to and to relieve so of the tremendous stress the school is putting on him. At this stage I think it is fruitless to try and negotiate with the school. Anyway good luck to your DS I have a sneaky suspicion his hard work will be amply rewarded

mmzz I was coming on to say exactly what Bluebelle has said! Let him have a couple of days off to get on top of things (and importantly, to feel that he is on top of things). Possibly including today!