Gcse 2018 (10) The one with half term

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www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3256691-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

Oops. Can't remember how to link nicely, so this will have to do.

Several of my daughter's friends are still at school full time. The other secondary in town has no exam leave at all.

Love the name! Mr Persistent maths teacher won't definitely teach DS2 next year, but DS2 will definitely be in the top set for maths and Mr Persistent likes to teach top sets (except he can't for A level, because as he told me, he has to "upskill" to teach A level).
DS1 is probably leaving. It depends on being able to get the grades needed (7 for physics, 5 for English language as well as 8 for maths) and DS1 getting his head around taking the risk that he won't make friends at the new school.
Mr Persistent wrote the reference back on January, but had never asked DS if he passed the entrance exam or passed the interview. He either doesn't know or care (or both!) that DS is leaving.

TBh, I think it somehow offends him that DS is really good at maths. It just doesn't fit his narrative, so he looks for evidence to disprove it and seems put out when he can't find it, as if he knows it's there and DS is treating him by hiding it so well. It doesn't make sense

Yup right up until last exam is done - but might be due to being a day boy at a boarding school and I can get him out via a quick email

Thanks for the advice. I'll send an email to the teacher telling him that DS won't be in for the revision sessions, but rest assured that he's exam ready, and thanking him for going the extra mile for his students.
And I will cc in the HoY. I'll send it to Mr Persistent though as a courtesy.

As someone who is a big fan of maths, did a degree in it myself, highly valued education and has 1 or 2 sons who are extremely good at maths, I was expecting that if there was one teacher who I'd get along well with, it would be Mr Persistent. Instead, he's the only one I can't relate to.

Yes dd is full time for another week and then only attending the lessons that haven't finished after that. I think she is one of the kids that will benefit from the structure of getting up. She has good intentions but often doesn't stick to them.

Gosh, a couple of long days at work and such a lot to catch up on!

Interesting Guardian article and I have long argued the same. My ds is ironically an early riser, so the sleep issues don't bother him too much but he has been a late developer and suddenly hit puberty/got a social life/got interested in girls this Easter! He has done some work this week, but has also gone out a lot...I've begged him not fall in love or let everything slip with only 2 1/2 weeks to go!

Next week not too bad for ds, 2x English, Geography, Maths, Music and a stray Stats AS paper so he's not too stressed. The week after much heavier with all the Science Paper 2's, 3rd geography and Food. Then just 2x Further Maths on 19th and 21st and we are FREE! (Until 23rd...)

We have also been suit shopping for 6th form and it will do form Prom also. Where has my little lad gone

Hope you get to new school mmzz and you can find teachers on you and your ds’ wavelength as well. Attitude sort of maes sense is teacher feels academically threatened (not excusable though) and your ds is showing how humble and respectful he is in not knowing how to react in the new situation of being superior in intellect to those he is used to looking up to. He sounds a lovely boy.

We don't have study leave yet. DS has no exams on Monday but will still have to go in until they decide he doesn't have to.
On the other hand he hasn't been forced to do any revision sessions.
Next week isn't too bad. He has the two English language exams, maths paper 2, music and geography 2. The last week is very science heavy, though!

DS drinitely flagging. Has never been driven but worked really hard (for him) at Christmas, Easter and before the exams. Don’t know if it’s fatigue, or if he s bored with it all or complacency setting in now the novelty s worn off but I feel he s just going through the motions at the moment and in danger of undoing that hard work. Anyone got a rocket

Oratory my solution: don't say a word about studying, exams and wait for him to notice and then get nervous that it's up to him.
Or be vocally ultra-complacent that you have such an amazingly brilliant son and you are so glad he doesn't have to put his back into it but is still going to get straight 9s.

Ha Ha I think both of those would go straight over his head though - wouldn't even notice !

He's just asked what day it is so I'm hoping the realisation that there are only two days before the dreaded history and English might wind him up.

After the traumatic day trying to make some headway with English Language on Wednesday, DS has been back in his comfort zone for two days learning facts for History and Geography. He's exam ready for those now, and, English is the elephant in the room.
DH told me that he'd try to help him. I'm giving it to lunchtime and then I'm going to remind DH and find something to do out of the blast range!

Wow - no study leave???
DD has been on study leave since 7th May. No lessons, no workshops, no compulsory or voluntary classes. They do have the option to email teachers, past papers etc have been put on the school intranet and they can have Skype sessions on request. After exams it’s 2 weeks compulsory work experience then back in school for the last 3 days of school (prize giving, sports day, while school assembly etc).
How are your DD supposed to revise? At this stage in the game surely it can’t be a one size fits all approach to revision? They must all be on different stages on revision depending on priorities and exam timetable.

Mmzz - were it my DC there’s no way in the world I would make her go in unless either she saw a benefit or I didn’t trust her to revise!!

Sorry for long post but I am flabbergasted!

Email has come through from back up school about 3 day induction at beginning of July...DD will go along because it will give her an insight into the A levels she has chosen and they also explain the EPQ, do resilience workshops? set bridging homework tasks (although I have not informed them that DD would now like to do Chemistry).Thankfully they have waived the need to wear suits to the induction...

Oratory - at times I have also felt in need of a rocket...but seeing some of the posts about stressed out DC's I am happy that DD is in many respects is fairly chilled ...hopefully she will stay like this going forward...

Agree Teen, I keep reminding myself of that.

My biggest worry at the moment is Prom shoes...DD has tried on various shoes...she has a fixed idea of what she wants but the style she likes only seems to come in size 4 or 5 and she is a size 4.5...she hates things not fitting properly (OCD)...We were going to go away straight after exams but I have now booked holiday in July so at least we have 10 days to find something that she likes that fit.

I have a feeling that one family have NO IDEA what they have let themselves in for - agreeing to host an after Prom party with everyone
in the cohort invited including +1's (the cohort is around 85- 90 girls)...but its a lovely idea to be so inclusive.

DS2 has definitely gone off the boil a bit. He is spending about 30% of his time revising and 70% playing computer games, watching funny videos on YouTube and chatting on Discord (although to be fair most of the chat is about GCSE subject content). He says he feels well-prepared for next week's exams. I'm trying to trust him and let him get on with it.

Teenmum60 an after-party for the whole year group at their house? That's brave.

Hamilton DD is still in school full time, it's a rural intake and the majority travel in by bus. Except DD who refuses the bus because they throw food at her so I drive her in. She's not happy as her best friend at another school has study leave.

Mmzz your experience with maths revision lesson has brought back a memory from my A levels.

We had a nice but not good biology teacher. One of my friends got a tutor (unusual in my 1980s comp) and didn't attend revision sessions. The teacher was furious and told the class

"I have been to the head and told him I don't accept responsibility for her grade."

Of course tutored girl came top of class with a B. My friend and I came next with Ds and the rest of the class got lower. Dreadful.

The three of us that passed went on to do science degrees/careers. Fortunately our other grades were strong and some nice admissions tutors took pity on us. The rest of the class wouldn't have been so lucky.

@TheThirdOfHerName Yes - although I suspect they will be planning that the party will be in the garden...

TheThird I think our DS's would get on. DS3 is spending a lot of time on Discord messaging his friends.

No after-party for him. He's 'anti-cool' apparently and his friends aren't invited to any parties except their own solely male birthday events. This half term has whizzed by and we only had two 'shopping days' available, one of which was taken up with a school revision day and the other visiting DS1 at uni, so I think he'll be wearing his school shoes to the prom. 👞👞

The way the school operates, if you're not in an exam you either have a free revision period or a subject revision lesson. To be fair I think it was pretty similar when I was at school although I'm sure we had study leave at some point!
It's really useful for some subjects, but wouldn't say it's useful for all of them. I think the school rightly assumes that for s significant number of students the revision at school is the only revision they'll do.
DS is revising geography and music today. Not sure much will get done tomorrow!

Mmzz I think you should go out for a nice treat this afternoon and leave DH and DS to it!

Wow this thread gets busier and busier.

Back from mini break and I can report that DS1 was absolutely fine home alone. He seems to have enjoyed himself and the house was quite tidy. He even brought me some flowers as it was my birthday while we were away. DH and I think this may be a turning point for him - so much more mature than a year ago.

He's been working away but at a slightly more leisurely pace than before. He's been doing quite a lots of Ad Maths (his weakest subject) but today it's geography ( next exam on Tuesday).

Sorry to hear that Mr Persistent is causing you problems @mmzz - what a pain. We've had similar issues with DD as the maths and music departments both want her to commit to things and can't compromise. Funny how Maths and Music ability seems to go together.

No study leave this coming week, but they are allowed to only come in for their remaining exams from 11th if they want to, as a lot will have finished the bulk by then. DD intends to play it by ear.