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Secondary education

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

GCSEs 2018 (8) Dozens of DCs, 1 DH and Flashcards in the fridge

999 replies

mmzz · 16/05/2018 21:35

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OP posts:
Sostenueto · 17/05/2018 12:53

In the meanwhile captainblackadder get a photo of Gove and throw every available kitchen utensil and knife at it!!!!!!

northender · 17/05/2018 12:56

Flowers for you and your dd captain. There is far too much pressure Sad

Sostenueto · 17/05/2018 12:57

alexander I am under the impression that those powers that be who set the papers forgot somehow to bloody well look at the spec!!!Angry perhaps they should gave gone to 'specsavers!'Grin

RosieLig · 17/05/2018 12:59

Aqa chemistry trilogy seemed to go ok. “Easy at the beginning but a lot harder at the end” - so who knows!!! His friends found it hard so I’m hoping that means lower grade boundaries ?

cubscout · 17/05/2018 12:59

mmzz - yes 12 is ridiculous. Boys in top Maths and Science at ds's school are all doing 12 and i think the school are regretting in. they chose 10 in Y 9 (before the exam specs were actually published) - this included double science. then top set were all entered for triple and top set Maths entered for FM. School have reviewed this for subsequent years.

Guardian have got it wrong though about 18 exams in 2 weeks! Slack reporting....

Sostenueto · 17/05/2018 13:01

Dgd after next week over would have done 14.

Sostenueto · 17/05/2018 13:02

So I imagine those who have done cs, p.e, drams, Latin etc must be up to that figure by nowConfused

brainmelt · 17/05/2018 13:02

sost your dgd has the wit of a little Jane Austen. From you obviously. Specsavers Grin

Cherryburn · 17/05/2018 13:03

Thanks hmc. Ditto.

Yes DS has the same break/number of exams after half term. He's definitely taking the first Saturday off but I'm not sure what he'll do after that. I know he's felt that he hasn't done as much Maths as he'd like because the 'wordy' subjects take so long for him to revise, and Maths paper 2 is after the break. I think he's secretly hoping for a 9 so I can see him spending quite a lot of time doing past papers. And all the science paper 2s are after half term too, so again I think he intends doing a lot of them. I suspect he'll just work much shorter days and get out a bit more than he has done for the last few weeks.

brainmelt · 17/05/2018 13:05

DS has 21 exams. He opted out of Admaths and has coursework in History and Music, otherwise it could have been close to 24... So not that far from 28! He alreafy sat an MFL last year which will be his 11th gcse.

hmcAsWas · 17/05/2018 13:05

Sorry to hear that CaptainBlackadder Sad

Its tough when they need the grade for A level. Again - perhaps it isn't as bad as she is thinking. I've said this before but I sat an exam a couple of years ago which I thought I had royally messed up - in fact I ended up with a really good mark. It happens - people with certain character traits - perhaps perfectionism or with a tendency to pessimism often mistakenly assume they've done badly

AlexanderHamilton · 17/05/2018 13:10

Sostenuto -0-0-

AlexanderHamilton · 17/05/2018 13:10

Ok that was my poor attempt at a pair of glasses

dogzdinner · 17/05/2018 13:15

Blackadder the thing with the exams is, no one knows what mark is needed to get a certain grade. She may have already got enough marks to get a 7.

I think it is worth spending a few minutes after each exam to think if there is anything you could improve on for future exams - e.g. ask for more paper early on, read the whole paper through before starting to answer any questions, take a break at halfway and have a stretch and a drink... Then focus on the next exam.

Don't discuss the paper with friends, don't talk about it on social media

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 17/05/2018 13:15

DD has a horrific time after half term with 7 exams (three days each have two exams), then 6 the following week, but they're more spread out. That will be 27 in all, counting each language part as individual exams (but not including the CS coursework thing, plus Classics coursework, as that's still old style A*-G), 11 subjects, plus she did Statistics last year as an extra. It's a stupid number of subjects (although my 6 were a ridiculously low number!), and totally unnecessary IMO.

So, no let up over half term here, although she is going to the cinema tomorrow ("we can go during school hours when it will be quieter!") as no exams

dogzdinner · 17/05/2018 13:16

and whatever happens, it will not be the end of the world

CaptainBlackadder · 17/05/2018 13:19

Thanks all that helps a lot Flowers She is very much a perfectionist and very hard on herself so I’m hoping she did better than she thinks and the stress/lack of sleep is making her overdramatic!

CatherineCawood · 17/05/2018 13:20

DD reports that AQA higher double Science Chemisty was "ok". Is the worst of the sciences for her, she much prefers biology and physics, both of which she wants to take at A' Level.

There is some funny twitter stuff about it as usual!

She is currently in OCR Computer Science paper 2. hopefully no more questions about 100 islanders!

Stickerrocks · 17/05/2018 13:23

4 this week, 6 next week, rugby premiership final & Rolling Stones in half term + 2 days when she has to go to work, 8 the week after, 6 the week after that, then further maths to finish.

Eve · 17/05/2018 13:25

DS 2 has texted - chemistry OK - hes hoping for a level 5 or 6.

with regard to the Dyslexic ones - they will get there - DS1 is very severely dyslexic, had additional help and support whole way through school, did above average in his GCSEs ( mix of A/B/C) , A levels were AAb and hes currently outlooking a 1st at Uni.

He was determined to prove himself after been put in lowest bands at secondary. He loves his uni course , studies hard , has good software to help him and is very motivated - when they find what they love they excel.

CatherineCawood · 17/05/2018 13:28

Blackadder my DD was the same after biology, she needs a 7 too and is doing double higher tier. No one knows the grade boundaries so you just don't know what will happen. I told DD that if the worst comes to the worst she could always retake in October.

My advice to DD all along has been move on, forget it concentrate on what is next you can't change anything.

BlueBelle123 · 17/05/2018 13:39

CatherineCawood I think the only retakes in November are now English and maths, could be wrong but I would definitely double check that ........hopefully won't be necessary Smile

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 17/05/2018 13:40

Glad to hear your DS is doing so well in spite of (because of?) his dyslexia, Eve. My DS also put in the low sets but this has made him despondent rather than determined, as he thinks he is 'stupid'. Hopefully he can turn it around for Gcses next year.

DD said AQA Chemistry was ok Hmm

CatherineCawood · 17/05/2018 13:48

Oh I didn't know that bluebell I'll not tell DD that!!! I know v. little, I thought it was October! Doh!

TawnyPippit · 17/05/2018 14:12

My DS only has 4 the week after half term and is finished by Friday 8th!

He says there are 7 or 8 of them with that combination and they are the first in the school to finish. He is very pleased about that.

At his school/mixture of boards I think you have to not be doing German, Geography, Further Maths or Greek - those are the ones pushing it out.