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

Finally home from work and able to quiz DS. He said maths was ok. No more detail forthcoming.

He has said they are having leavers assembly tomorrow after English lit. Hopefully they will be given their leavers hooded.

Same here beenrumbled but not leavers hoodies just mini prizes like attendance and most effort. Highest attainers prizes will be in October I expect at the big prize giving. leavers hoodies have until Friday to order them.

Sost tell her from me (I did an English Lit degree) that a lot of the battle is being able to write well and back up your points with evidence, just like in a Geography essay. You don't need flair or an original point of view at this level, you just need to organise your thoughts and make sure you keep going back to, and answering, the question. If she can write that well for Geography there's absolutely no reason why she can't get a decent grade in this.

DS1 said after every GCSE exam that it went 'OK'.
The eventual grades were AABBBBBD, so perhaps 'OK' encompasses a range.

You know, the more I think about it the more cross I get about all these 'assessment objectives' they're meant to bear in mind and hit as they write essays, particularly in English Lit. It must be paralysing for some of them. I'm sure we never had them at O Level or A Level, or at least they weren't stated, so you just knew your texts and responded to the questions. Make a point, and back it up. It shouldn't be any more complicated than that.

That's what her teachers say cherrybun. Up to year 10 she was on track for a 7 which was great. She had a lovely teacher and all was fine. Then in year 10 new teacher, ( oxford degree) and end of year 10 mocks a 4! emergency meeting with teacher and it went on till I put my foot down at parent evening. Teacher said ' get a tutor' ( knowing full well we couldn't afford one) I said something a little civil back but thought something else and went straight to head of year. Instant one to one put in and mocks were 6/6 so vast improvement in a short time. One to one teacher rang and said she can't understand why she needed one to one as she is capable easy of a 7 but did notice massive lack of confidence. Also noticed teacher/ pupil relationship not good. So that's it really. Teacher isn't well liked because she's always telling DC she has oxford degree. Not saying teacher the problem but........

Hope everyone's DC had a good day...I haven't had a chance to catch up on all the posts ...

Managed to condense all my work into 1.5 days and have driven back of IOW in really horrible conditions - poured down of rain until I got to Oxford (yesterday I was sitting out at lunchtime in the beautiful sunshine having had a cream tea).

DD phoned to say that Physics (IGCSE Edexcel) went really well she finished the 2hr paper in just over 1hr but went back and tidied up all her answers for a few extra marks - so glad she has her Mojo back - its always been her best subject...just need paper2's to be kind!

Maths - IGCSE Edexcel (today), she thought was OK, she did finish all the paper but didn't feel she would get any marks for the last question..she said it was easier than mock but she will be happy with a 7...a few of the girls also felt the same (Last year 80% of the girls got A*/A, I don't think it will be so high this year).

No exams tomorrow - good luck with Eng Lit - DD said she messed up the poetry comparison on Tuesday despite mapping it out (IGCSE)- so DC's need to choose wisely.

I must add dgd always been under confident in English since primary so think it 6 of one and half dozen of another.

Good to hear teenmum for your little

Ds is doing some last minute revision for tomorrow's exam. He went to his room to watch An Inspector Calls and couldn't find his TV remote. It is nowhere to be found! I have even looked in the bread bin...

Anyway good luck for tomorrow's exam to all dc. Ds thinks Maths was 'OK.'

Just must add that with the help of looseattheseams I have come to the conclusion that dgd quite excels in dealing with facts. But unfortunately with the new English exams having a heavy emphasis on inference she is not half as confident with.

lulu breadbin? Now what connotations can we make out of that!

Sostenueto I am sure your DD will do well...all DC's are different...and sometimes all they need is a little nudge in the right direction. My Dd is very capable of learning facts but is very choosy in what she wishes to learn (or retain) OFTEN finding something more interesting to indulge her mind/brain.

Lulu - In bed..under the bed..down between a seat.

sost inference is just a fancy way of saying 'read between the lines a bit' (as I'm sure you know). And (I think) these are set texts she'll be doing tomorrow, so she'll know the stuff. The examiners won't be expecting a whole new reading of them! These are 15/16 year olds, not PHD students! This is what I mean, the DC are made to feel that it's much more complicated than it is in reality.

dd now melting down...

Second those were very good GCSE's imho.. I wish my ds1 had done half so well..

An enormous shepherd's pie has been consumed.

Lulu Long time, no hear, we've missed you. Try inside the duvet cover or down the side of the mattress.

My printer has spent the evening refusing to connect to my laptop & I have important stuff to print. Coming back to you lot with a quadruple measure of gin seemed like the only solution.

Where did you get your cream tea teen?

DS seems to have ground to a halt this evening. He looked through the CGP guides for about an hour, and that's it really. At any other time the night before an important exam would mean he'd be making sure to use the time well, but the now that's normal.

Anyway, a tip... the CGP poetry anthology have a table on the inside cover cross-referencing poems with themes. So, if your DC want to practice something last minute you can them with
"If you get poem x, and a question on theme y, then what other poem can you use for the comparison?"

Sostenueto the thing is, she should be fine. She knows the texts so she can answer the questions and with the unseen poems, any interpretation is fine if you can give reasons!

Gave mmzz's cover tip to DD who harrumphed and said she likes Tissue. Left room quickly, as I remembered I'm not allowed to show interest.

Rosie Lea - near Brockenhurst on my way to ferry...was OK (Liked their mantra Skinny people are easy to kidnap) ...didn't get time to go to the place you recommended - the weather was pants today and all I wanted to do was get work done and get home ..although I did add some time on to my journey I spotted a 50's bakelite radio in a charity shop last night and so had a slight detour on way back to pick it up...then a car had overturned on A31 so ended up going home via Salisbury/Oxford. Shattered but home and can pick DD up in the morning :-)

Well Stickerrocks I'm sure your DD knows best. After all what would you know about exam preparation?

If it makes you feel any better, I think all children are a bit like that. At primary school, DS told the class that I worked in a supermarket. It came to light when the teacher asked me which one? Apparently, DS couldn't conceive that I might have been a director of an investment bank, but thought supermarket checkout was about the right level for me.

Well I can see if 'tissue' comes up dgd will leave exam!
Well off to bed I go. See you all in the morning. Good luck to all the wonderful DC tomorrow and well done mums/ guardians/ dgps for being so supportive
Of dc

Crikey mmzz I will have to pay a quid to talk to you!

Not been there, because they do a rather lovely cheese scone on the other road. I think I must have waved at you as you drove by, definitely looked like you anyway!

mmzz - not sure whether it is that easy on exam day...DD picked two poems that should have compared well (children related), wrote the first page Ok and then brain fog..fortunately she did use her common sense left that question went onto the higher mark question 3 (40) where she felt really comfortable and she thought she answered very well - then went back to question 2...but felt the next 2 pages she wrote were not great English..(the teacher had told them they did not have time to change their mind on questions - so to stick with what they initially chose).

She should be OK but she noticed that most of her peer group left the exam room on a high but this is probably because of them answering Q3 last whereas DD finished the exam by finishing off question 2.