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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

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

999 replies

mmzz · 10/05/2018 17:28

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

OP posts:
Sostenueto · 16/05/2018 19:01

7/8s across the board would be fantastic! And a 6 for English language will see me getting tipsy! But if she gets what she needs I will still be tipsy!WineWineWine

Oratory1 · 16/05/2018 19:01

A lot of DC seem to be doing 4 A levels or is that because they're not sure so it will end up as three our of a possible four. I thought most schools were switching to three with possibility of three plus EPQ or three plus further maths. DS definitely doing three and no EPQ because he wants time to focus properly on the three and still do extra curricular/enjoy being in sixth form.

Idontmeanto · 16/05/2018 19:06

They generally start four and drop one at the end of first year.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 16/05/2018 19:07

DS3 will be starting with 4 and very probably dropping one after Y12. And doing an EPQ.

AChickenCalledKorma · 16/05/2018 19:15

Cubscout my DD made exactly the same mistake in her RS exam last year. She was so hysterical her teacher phoned the exam board to check whether the lack of two lines would matter. It didn't matter and she got an A* (smile).

Original poster
mmzz · 16/05/2018 19:15

I think some of the 6th forms have been slow getting their policies to catch up with new terminal-exam A levels. 4 used to be the norm, now its 3 plus EPQ with some still aiming for 4 (but watch this space to see how many are still saying that come September 2019)

OP posts:
brainmelt · 16/05/2018 19:22

DS is doing three plus EPQ.

Sostenueto · 16/05/2018 19:23

Tbh dgd only doing psychology just to see if she wants to go down behavioural psychology route as it interests her. She is more likely to drop it as her real love is neurological. The physical side. But her love is geography too. I wanted her to do chemistry but she won't give up on the geography. Maybe she's covering her bets. At end of day can only advise she is the one who has to do them and I personally think 4 will be too much for her.

Sostenueto · 16/05/2018 19:27

EPQ a heck of a lot of work at least 120 hours of work on something unrelated to what you are studying. And on top of A level demands ( over 20 hours a week for each subject independent research for those A*s alone) I know EPQs popular for top units but it has to be weighed up against everything else.

Sofabitch · 16/05/2018 19:27

Well my Ds needs a 4 in English language, 6 in physics maths and chemistry. He needs a 7 in either maths or physics to take further maths. I'm really glad he is Going to the best 6th form for miles and there doesn't seem to be any of these crazy super selective colleges that exist only in mumsnet land.

Oratory1 · 16/05/2018 19:27

I can see the point in starting 4 if your not certain what to do particularly if one of them is a new subject but what is the point of doing a fourth for a year and dropping it at the end of year 12

Sofabitch · 16/05/2018 19:29

And all colleges around here only recommend 3 A levels. With the only exception being further maths. However even then they say it's likely they will need to drop a subject for 2nd year.

Stickerrocks · 16/05/2018 19:31

DD is set on maths (which I won't let her drop in case she has a sudden epiphany and decides she wants to follow in my footsteps), history and politics. The problem is that she has thoroughly enjoyed English this year and doesn't really want to drop it. She plans to try English and economics on her two college taster days then decide. Both 6th forms are only encouraging them to take 3 and the EPQ if appropriate, but they can take 4 if their GCSEs are good enough or if they are doing further maths.

Sostenueto · 16/05/2018 19:31

Well she may not drop it oratory depends on how much she likes it. I have a feeling psychology may bore her ( I did psychology A level in my 40s!).

Sostenueto · 16/05/2018 19:33

sofabitch dgds school not super selective.

Sostenueto · 16/05/2018 19:35

I would rather her do 3 and get those As but there you go not my decision.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 16/05/2018 19:37

Neither is my DS's school a super selective grammar but they do exist both in my town and other places in England, though not Scotland or Wales. You must have heard of grammar schools, sofa they have been in the news just this week?

Stickerrocks · 16/05/2018 19:39

Sofa I think it depends where you are in the country. If you are in the home counties/ London area with super-selective, grammars and so on, it's second nature and they're used to having high grade expectations as it's all they've ever known. The mega sized A level warehouses on the South Coast would probably terrify some parents in the same way as selective sixth forms are alien to me. (Although I actually went to an independent selective boys school for 6th form myself, so they shouldn't be really). It's just an added pressure their DC face.

Oratory1 · 16/05/2018 19:39

yes it makes more sense if you are doing it to try it out or not certain which three to do, then if you do want to drop one you still have three. Or if you are bright, hard working and the work isn't too much and you want to do all four for the full two years. But to plan to drop one after a year seems odd when you have nothing to show for it.

Theimpossiblegirl · 16/05/2018 19:43

Evening all, DD sat RE in a room near a toilet so she could go if she felt ill. She said it's a bit of a blur as she felt woozy but she did it.

She's now revising for tomorrow's Chemisry, not 100% well but hasn't been sick since about midday (although she hasn't eaten).

On a bright note, she's been a lot nicer as she seems to have stopped stressing, possibly because she now accepts she can only do what she can do. :)

Oratory1 · 16/05/2018 19:43

Wow can't keep up - the debate moves on even when I'm typing a post :):)

Stickerrocks · 16/05/2018 19:48

Theimpossible blow the sugar tax, get some flat coke inside her.

Thesecond having seen the grades your DS needs, I can see why you went wibble at the weekend, as Blackadder would say. We've got your back! Wine

Cherryburn · 16/05/2018 19:51

DS is doing 3 A Levels which is what is recommended at his school unless they're doing FM. DD's school recommended the same but she did 4 because she's a masochist!

Original poster
mmzz · 16/05/2018 19:52

Sofabitch why do you say they exist only in MN land?
They are all real and have websites naming their entrance conditions etc

OP posts:
adrinkofwater · 16/05/2018 19:52

@cubscout my DS also had the RS themes paper with the lined booklet to write in. It seems to have thrown them all and it seems that different people at his school did it differently. Also somehow the number boxes seem to have been confusing, but I didn't really understand how!

I think DS has given up on revision as he has gone to his youth group that he is not usually keen on and says he doesn't already need to do any more revision for tomorrow Hmm chemistry and computer science. Hope he's right!