GCSE 2018 (7) [wine][wine][wine][wine]

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A new thread to take us through the exams
Link to old thread

Has anyone else felt like a terrible hypocrite during the run up to the exams?! I was such a last minute merchant throughout O Levels/A Levels/degree. I hope my DS never finds out, given my lectures on slow and steady preparation in the preceding months to avoid a last minute panic. I definitely pulled an all-nighter on several occasions and revised the entire physics O Level (which I loathed with a passion) in one day!

Just dropped DS at the station so he can head in to school for Biology this afternoon. He said he felt a lot more chilled than he did for RS yesterday.

Good luck all!

Not going to mention failing one of my first year exams at uni due to having too good a social life!

DS3 is maintaining his 2 hours revision a day outside of school hours. Finally it seems like enough!

Requiring a 9 in maths to do FM seems excessive! They might end up with very few taking it. My DS's school won't even predict 9s. The super selective school I work in requires an 8, DS's preferred 6th form requires a 7 to do FM.

DS's school require 6's for Maths and the sciences at A level whilst the neighbouring school is asking for 7's so I don't know if this create a bit of a two tier system with the move academic opting for the school asking for 7's??? Or am I just over thinking these things as usual!!??

Sixth forms are selective, so they will be attracting different students. Just like some further ed colleges have lower entrance requirements. DS has opted to move to a 'more academic' sixth form if he gets the grades.

In my newsfeed it said this years cohort faces the hardest exams since 1970. The press made such a ding dong about last years cohort but very quiet about this years cohort with hardly any special allowances and we all know that this years cohort are much brighter ( all the teachers say) and grade boundaries will be higher. ( can t visualize 20% being a 5 this year!) I vote we get a petition up to draw attention to our hard done by and disadvantaged cohort of 2018.

The different grades required does make it selective but there's a vast difference in GCSEs to A levels so the higher grade you get in GCSEs will help you make the jump up to A level is probably the institutions thinking.

But if roughly the same percentages will be getting the same grades??

Im struggling a bit today so i thought i would join if thats ok

Dd is doing biology today as well, she is usually a hard worker but unfortunately was diagnosed with CFS/ME in September

As a result of that she is suffereing with 'detachment' which can be caused by extreme stress ( so finding you have a nasty illness then topping it off with GCSE!) which means you feel as though you have temporarily lost touch with reality. So 'Feeling as though you're on the outside of yourself, watching yourself or feeling as though something is wrong with reality.These generally occur during times of immense fear. They're temporary, but when they occur they can be very frightening.'

So she has worked hard at school all her school life and now she is too tired to revise as well as she should and is having anxiety attacks and doesnt know where she bloody is!!!!

Anyway...i would like to join a lot of worried parents so i can feel that im not alone

Sorry for the rant

Should also say that she is going to one of the colleges mentioned above which will take her no matter what her grades...which is obviously a small mercy

Ellenjane I agree that requiring a 9 for FM is quite hard. Last year 51 out of 59 who took FM for A Level got an A or A star. I suspect that is because of the high entrance requirement!

Just dropped dd at school ready for biology - she seems quite composed. Apparently its because if she 'fails' all her GCSEs she need not worry as we will just buy her a business to run . I didn't contradict her - if she needs to believe this fiction in order to stay calm then okay...

We are South Coast area too Stickerrocks - wonder if our dc are heading in the same direction for Sixth form college.

That sounds really difficult to cope with Rufus - presumably you will doing the exceptional circumstances paperwork? (or whatever it is called). Like you say - its a mercy her sixth form are not asking for stellar grades. What a thing for your poor dd to endure though - must be really scary and discombobulating

Re the grade 9, have I made it up in my own head that only the top 3% of examinees taking the subject will get a grade 9, so literally 3 in every 100?

Did anyones DC do the OCR Computer Science Paper yesterday? There was a very odd quesiton about giving 100 islanders the internet. It sounded more like a Geography question to me (or Philosophy and Ethics?)

DD said RE paper was a bit odd and they were asked about something to do with the vatican that they had not been taught. Hopefully if everyone found it hard the grade boundaries will be lowered. Fingers crossed.

Bloody stressful isn't it.

Welcome Rufus and so sorry to hear your DD's diagnosis. Hopefully all her previous hard work and the revision she is managing to do will get her through. I really take my hat off to all of you who are having to cope with seriously ill DC as well as GCSE's, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold it together so and for you all!

Oh shit hmc

I didnt even think of that!!

I wonder how i do that?? Will have a google

Ta muchly

Discombobulated is the phrase i use for her as well

And south coast college

What business do you think she fancies

Are your DC's on study leave already, I see people referring to dropping kids off at school ready for this afternoons biology exam. My DD still has to be in all lessons unless she has an exam. No chance for last minute cramming at all....

DD doesn't finish for study leave until May half term.

Rufus - its so hard isn't it.

DD under so much pressure at the moment. While we haven't been told what she needs for subjects in 6th form she has been predicted A*/9 across the board apart from one subject that will not predict 9s for anybody - even though mock percentages really high. DD definitely feeling pressure to achieve these - and we are doing all we can to diffuse this as is the school. She is at a super selective where all do extremely well. I just want it over.

Thank you blue fingers crossed

I think she will pass everything and although bright she was never destined for high grades

And she shouldn't be disappointed if she doesnt do as well as she wants as she if overcoming such a lot

catherine same here

slinky those will be fantastic results!!

I think that they decided on roughly 20% of those getting a 7 or above will get a 9.

DS3 had that 100 islanders question. They are supposed to be thinking of business models etc on that paper. Would have been easier if it was 10,000 islanders, I think.

Official leaving day the 25th for dgd then study leave. Sorry to hear about your poorly dd Rufus I'm sure she will do well.

The trouble is all high attainers now want the 9 and 8 being a poor second in their minds. An 8 is an A really and is a great achievement but come results day it will be how many 9 s did you get? Not how many 8/A did you get! And I have a sneaky feeling that a lot of parents will feel that way too. Talk about added pressure!

Rufus - 'buy to let' apparently . Sadly the lastest run of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' has already finished so not sure how we are financing this. My dd is bright (but more life 'smarts' than academic) and hardworking too - but not destined for the very top grades - she's hoping for a mixture of 6's and 7's (which I think would be wonderful if she pulls it off)

Catherine - I think the majority of schools aren't granting study leave, and indeed dd's school prefers students to be in school during the study leave period (which started a couple of weeks ago for us) - but Head Teacher was okay with dd studying at home at my request (there are background factors such as anxiety)

To get a 9 you will need over 95% right or even 97% depending on how bright whole cohort is and how easy papers are. In my mind a 9 is no better than an 8 as 1% or 1 mark can make the difference. If 20% of children who obtain a 7 will get a 9 it just shows what a ridiculous system it is when the grade boundaries are that close.

Cherryburn YY to the hypocrite! Last night, DM called DS to see how he got on yesterday. Whilst she was talking to him, I could hear him telling her how long he's been working (since Feb / March) and how he's taken my advice about not leaving things to the last minute. It suddenly occurred to me that DM might decide to tell DS what I was like when she was in my shoes and I was in DS's because, back then, she had a lot to say about me not revising enough.
Luckily, she either doesn't remember (too many children) or she thought to be discreet (unlikely).

"I think that they decided on roughly 20% of those getting a 7 or above will get a 9"

Ah, that's a bit different to what I though EllenJane (although 20% of a smallish percentage of 7's and over, might not be far off 3% of all examinees)