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

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

Brainmelt - sounds like a lovely school...one of my friends took her DD out of school for SATs year...and they went travelling ...they had such a wonderful experience from visiting the tip of Norway to spending time in the Sahara desert in Morocco... I don't like the concept of SATS...not sure whether I like the concept of GCSEs either!

I read this comment on a teaching forum the other day: What's gone wrong in schools - teaching to the test, and the only thing that matters is the result...very sad ...

Always you have a knack of putting things in perspective. Exam results seem very important, but actually don't mean that much in the greater scheme of things. Resilience, kindness, determination and a thirst to learn are far more likely to benefit your DD than a collection of certificates which the rest will simply file away.

Always stickerrocks is absolutely right. You must be very proud of your DD.

Kingscote I'm sure your DS will have done fine in the creative writing question. I remember that awful feeling of getting halfway through an answer in an exam and realising that I needed to start again. But it is quality over quantity on that bit of the paper and better to write a shorter piece well than a longer piece badly.

DS found the second paper much better than the first. I'm just glad that, after Wednesday's disaster, he had a positive experience before he moves into the next 2 weeks which is when the bulk of his exams are. For anyone whose DC sat that paper, I'd urge you to look at the Downfall link brainmelt posted. It's hilarious. DS had already seen it but we watched it together yesterday morning and had a really good laugh about it.

I agree, It’s not ideal to have to start creative writing over again but I think it’s better to decide quickly if something isn’t working and do a new version. The Downfall clip gave a fairly good idea of the problems!
Always your dd is amazing. I’m glad the GP recognised how brave she is. I have students in FE who have to take alternative routes to qualifications for all sorts of reasons, but the ones with just some of your dd’s determination do very well indeed.

At my nephew's school they don't finish early, I think the last day is the day of his last exam. Anyway, the exams obviously start this Monday. His exam is 1pm but all morning they are doing revision for that exam. He's also expected to stay in school for extra hour after for revision for the next day's exam and then they repeat same system. For example Monday is RS so he's got two revision periods and then has to sit exam. After that he's expected to stay on for science revision for Tuesday's exam. I can't remember (it was so long ago) but I can imagine kids could get stressed out going over stuff they might not remember and therefore stressing about that might result in getting things jumbled up and forget it etc. Or am I just panicking? I don't think I felt this bad when I had my own GCSE exams.

DS is sitting outside the back door, revising his bible quotes for RS on Monday.

DS: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not divert from it.’ How’s that working out for you, mum?

Me: Hmmmmmm...

Our school's standard day has 4 periods in the morning & lunch at 1.20. That obviously doesn't work for afternoon exams, so they have period 3 & 4 for next exam specific revision combined with lunch. Otherwise they are either in their usual classroom or the exam hall until 15 June. The lesson content obviously depends upon whether or not the exam for that subject has finished. Those few with exams left on 19th June are given a whole day of study leave!

DS school similar Stickerrrocks except its just last period in the morning. Also whilst default is that they will be in lessons, depending on the subject and what exam he has in the afternoon/next day DS will either attend the lesson or request to go and work in his room/library which he will be allowed to do as long as he has registered and teachers know where he is and that he will study. So feeling more relaxed about no study leave now.

Love the quote !! But I'm sure spending 2 years learning random stuff by rote to fit a mark scheme doesn't feature in 'train a child in the way he should go'

Similar here - as they finish exams in a subject, those classes become revision periods. It gets more flexible after half term, I think.
DS came down for porridge without any reminder. I thought he was listening to music but turns out it's biology revision! He's off to a computer science revision hour this morning.
I don't think he's done much revision for RE.

LOL at Kingscote junior! Sounds like he's keeping his sense of humour up at least.

DD1 got up at 8:30 this morning. This is entirely unheard of on a Saturday morning. However, she's now experiencing an extremely unusual urge to practice her Grade 6 piano pieces.

She is due to sit Grade 6 in March 2019. Biology paper 1, on the other hand, is on Tuesday ...!

I think I need to make her a badge that says "Queen of Displacement Activity".

Korma oh, how familiar that sounds!!

teenmum the travelling as alternative to year 6 sounds amazing, if you have the budget, obviously 😉 On the other hand all we and DS have from year 6 is lovely memories, final play, farewells, year book... you just tend to forget the worst.
Is RE on Monday? I think DS has Latin Language paper (Latin is 3 papers in total).

Yes, RS on Monday. Joy.

Marking place, a GCSE mum here too to wheelylad

DS1 has Latin on Monday as well Brainmelt.

DD has year 9 exams next week and I witnessed a rare moment of sibling co-operation last night when DS1 explained some biology to her. It's extremely rare to see this sort of thing! I think he's quite pleased that he's on top of biology. Neither DH or I did biology GCSE so where somewhat bemused as they discussed totally alien stuff. It seems really hard to me.

Welcome to wheelycote! When's the first exam for you?

Hello WheelyCote (waves).

Sandy it's Monday. He's been bought a desk and chair from okra for his room. Me and wheelyeldest (he did GCSEs last year) will be putting desk and chair together...ikea

I do biology related stuff in real life and even I don't understand where they get they're biology questions

DS2 also has Latin language on Monday morning (nicely clashing with Computer Science). He's fine with the language but weaker on literature.

After starting his revision early and working hard every day for the past year, he has now gone to the other extreme. He plans to spend this weekend relaxing and resting rather than doing any last-minute revision.

Hi wheelycote good luck for Monday! DS would agree with you - he said he tried some old spec papers and they're much easier. He is quite resentful of the new, harder stuff!

Welcome wheelycote!

DD revising Comp Sci (yet again) after lie in this morning..just one exam on Monday - Comp Sci in school from 9am -10.30am but full day of exams on Tuesday..including French...last session with French Tutor tomorrow - I can't really thank her enough for enabling DD to finally engage with French (It seems like she has managed to cover 2 years work in 4/5 months).

DD as asked if we can go and look at pens so she can try some out for exams.

Morning. DS3 up since 9 and has done 1/2 hour of computing so far. Now he's trying to persuade me to let him upgrade his Dropbox to 1 Terabyte for £79 a year. Uh, no!

He does his revision in the living room. Not ideal but we rarely have the TV on and he has a laptop table in here. DS2 has taken over the dining room table. DS1 does have a desk in his room for when he's home, which DS3 could use, but as his revision doesn't seem to involve writing at all he doesn't see the need.

These DC are all so different. DS3 doesn't share much with me except cringey memes. I just keep on reminding him to do his revision slots and trusting that he's doing them. Reading how involved some of you are with your DCs' revision makes me feel somewhat inadequate. Who knows what's right, though? I suspect that it's actually quite different for each DC. Hope so anyway.

Latest share.

Ellen to be honest I probably sound more involved on here than I really am. I do enquire about what she's intending to do most days - and make suggestions when it seems to be out of kilter with what she really needs to focus on. But I don't stand over her and make sure she's actually doing it. My most active input is when she wants someone else to hold up flashcards so she can test herself.

Neither of my children use the desks in their bedrooms much. DD1 mostly works in her "revision pit" which is a large pile of cushions and blankets on the unused top bunk in her bedroom. God knows what's really up there - I'm much too old and creaky to climb the ladder! Occasionally she and a friend go for a walk and (allegedly) discussion revision .

Always you should be so proud of your DD. I really do wish her all the best.

DD too has Latin language on Monday and she is fairly ready for this and will do last Latin revision tomorrow.

Today focus is on Biology, French and maybe some History. Tomorrow will be History and Latin and that's her ready for the first 3 days next week of exams.

Have been to the supermarket this morning and inspired by you all have stocked up on healthy stuffy and have just made quinoa for the first time for lunch for DD.