GCSEs 2018 (9) Will we get to half term, for never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and who is Banquo

[Stickerrocks]

Thread 8

@RosieLig - second what others have said about not worrying. DS1 is planning on doing A Level Maths and Physics so it would be surprising if he found the GCSE papers very hard. If he did we'd be rethinking his A level choices.

This nice thing about this thread is that we can talk honestly about what our DC are doing. Unfortunately IRL that's not always possible. A sensible conversation with DH isn't even always possible - he hadn't thought about GCSEs since 1990 and firs time understand that things have changed.

Your school seems a bit rigid over choosing tiers. It should be based on the child's ability, not arbitrarily based on what set they're in. What happens if you have a really strong cohort, and the bottom but one set is really good, would they still have to sit foundation? And vice Verda, if the third from bottom set was quite weak, they should sit the tier that suits their ability.

In my last school you could have mixed tiers in the same set. They'd need teaching to the higher tier but some would still sit foundation if that gave them a better chance to get a grade.

So, no UMS on the new GCSEs. I guess you'll be given your raw mark.

When DD1 received her results a couple of years ago, they listed the marks for every subject except maths.
I can't remember quite why now, but I think the maths marks came later and dc had to ask teachers if they wanted them. DD was doing A Level maths so was given her marks in class.

Made a quick phone call home. DH says DS found AQA higher tier harder than expected and he nearly ran out of time but did manage to finish.

Rosie DS2 and I had lunch with a friend and her DD. The DD is hoping for a grade 6 but found today's Edexcel Maths paper hard.

As others have said, this thread happens to have several DCs who are unusually able at maths (Olympiad qualifying sort of level) so we are not a representative sample at all.

Dd said maths was ‘ok actually’, which has been her verdict on pretty much everything bar English and physics. I assume she means different levels of ok according to her previous hopes and predictions, but who knows?

My DS has mostly been saying that they were OK or sometimes good kitties
I think he's mainly just pleased that another one is done!
And he quite reasonably says there's not much point talking about the one he's just done, partly moving gradually to thinking about the next one I think.
So that's why it's nice to be able to talk it over on here!
A friend, also with a DS, says it will be a long wait until August - we both had more feedback from our DD's, and have a DS who is our youngest

Sosteneuto - yes Edexcel igcse was 9-1 for Maths and English last year just not the other subjects.

DS did Edexcel igcse higher today. Said it was fine. He is predicted a 9. He said that there were questions on it that he was expecting on the second paper really and he expects the second paper to be harder because today's wasn't particularly.

Allthebest no it wasn't! This is the first year for the 9-1 exam in maths (I'm not sure about English)

Just checked and this is the first year for English too.

I wish the 9-1 maths had been last year-we'd have a better idea of grade boundaries! Am curious as to why your DS was expecting certain questions on the second paper? I thought anything could come up on either paper, but I might be wrong.

DD sent me a happy text about never having to study for RS ever again. One down, 10 more to go!

DD snarled at a classmate earlier who said she would "die" if she didn't get a 9. Not a good turn of phrase at the moment. Another one feels she won't be able to apply to the university of her choice if she doesn't get 8 grade 8s and she's definitely already "failed" one. These girls are bright, but not really, really bright and will probably get a string of 6s and 7s across the board. Where do they get the idea from that 8s and 9s are just like something you can pick up off a shelf in Tesco? Sorry, I'm beginning to sound like a stuck record, but they are being so unrealistic.

Thanks ellen signal went so could not get back earlier.

Well I'll be happy with 7 s across the board but I'm afraid dgd may not be.

I'd be happy if she passes everything. Dd rang to say dgd already throwing up about English lit 2. No pep talk in morning as she is going on the early train after this mornings cockup! So will ring her at 8 pm when she should have finished revising.

I cannot understand how an intelligent all rounder gets in such a state over English.

stickers completely understand where you are coming from.

ds2 seems to be in a terrible state about English Lit, compared to the Shakespeare paper. He's forgotten that he did well in that without overdoing the revising, just by understanding the Play as a whole. And I wanted him to do the same with the poems, but he has gone back to obsessively learning notes off by heart which I really don't think is to his advantage, as no normal person can just learn reams of unexplained facts without getting the spirit of the poems, or at least some of the spirits of some of the poems... I feel a bit like a gambler though, as I really am convinced that Porphyria's Lover is going to come up and he needs to throw all his energy into that..

dd has really completely given up on it (the revising Eng Lit, I mean - hopefully she realises how much she just knows from studying it in such depth in class)

When will it stop anyway, the madness that is...if I don't get this, then I won't be able to do that and my whole life is ruined...a bit like trying to get your child into the "right" nursery because if they don't they won't get into Oxbridge/and or earn enough money when they are older.

Well I will just say to dgd you have done the work, come on in leaps a d bounds this last 6 months. You have all you need sitting there in your brain you just have to access it. Leave your nerves, emotions and worry by the exam room door, let your awesome brain, knowledge and common sense rule the day! But most of all remember we love you to infinity and beyond.

Oh so true nettleskins now we are both thoroughly depressed let's have some and

Well I never youngest dd has a secret date next week! I will have to sus him out! Hopes she brings him round for tea! ( dd 35) eldest dd just let slip teehee!

Sost obviously she wants to do well, but does she need to for sixth form entry? Or is it just Eng Lang that she has to get the 6 in? Because you're absolutely right, all the knowledge will be there, she just has to relax enough to access it.

Got her age wrong 36!

Yes cherrybun she needs 5/6 for English language but ALL English makes her vomit for some deep psychological reason its stupid her geography essays are A level standard but then she has time to write and plan them and adores the subject even when she gas to write mini essays in exams. But English exams she can hardly put pen to paper!