GCSEs 2018 (11) Big week coming up

[mmzz]

old thread

Kingscote well at least by the sounds of it the majority of them found it tough. at 'I must have done more revision than I thought'!!

Thanks all.

On predictions believe it or it is some parents who push schools for predictions

Thanks Teenmum. I haven't seen him yet because he went off to play football after the exam and is now watching the England match somewhere. But he did text me to say he thought it was hard.

Sorry about typos!

Well consolation for those that did edexcel is grade boundaries will be lower if paper hard for all. Didn't anyone do aqa and not find it easy? Or di we have loads of math geniuses on here

I think predictions can be helpful and motivating. In the my teacher thinks I can get 7 kind of way.

I think they can help a student know where extra work is needed, e.g. being predicted a 4 for English or Maths means they need to put solid effort in to ensure it doesn't slip any lower.

I think they are useful when considering next steps A level choices, or A levels v BTEC v apprenticeships.

I think they are unhelpful if predictions are too high as it puts too much pressure on. Also potentially unhelpful if too low 'teacher thinks I'm useless'.

At DVDs school we have 3 grades to wade through.......level they are working at, predicted grade, aspirational grade ( sigh)

DS1 says iGCSE Edexcel Maths was 'alright' (his standard answer when asked about any exam. The last two questions were hard though. He thinks he may have picked up some marks for the penultimate one but not sure about the final one.

He got a 9 in his mock but I think it sounds like he is on track for a 7/8 - hopefully 8.

Perhaps the mums of non-geniuses are halfway down a bottle by now after hearing their kids wail that it was too hard I would be too if I wasn't sitting in the warm car waiting for DS2's second interminable cricket match of the week to finish

Any thoughts on the edexcel foundation maths paper today?

History is going to be fun tomorrow; DS got 100% in his mock (which only examined 1/3 of the syllabus) so thinks he's a genius and revision isn't necessary Stupid teacher could have definitely taken off a couple of marks for spag because DS's spelling is crap! He has also predicted a level 9 for history....agree with pp that predicting 9s is setting kids up for disappointment. I think they will be like gold dust for arts/humanities subjects.

DS's school predict grade 9s. If you've done an external national exam, or more than one, and you've come near enough to the top each time that you were 1/200 or 1/500 or 1/1000 etc, then you can see how the teachers might feel confident to predict 1/40. (And on the same theme you might also find an exam easy that was designed for most of the population if you genuinely have taken and passed much harder exams).

But otherwise, I'd generally agree that the 9s really must just be aspirational targets, even when the teachers use the word "expected grade" instead. And, yes, without a doubt, high grade predictions are a source of stress in a conscientious teenager.

English and then American West/ Elizabethan England here tomorrow. The longest history exam out of three so I hope the squawking raven doesn't return at dawn for an encore.

@goodbyestranger - the squawking raven sounds like a scary omen. Should definitely feature in our next thread title along with Schrodinger's parent.

I'm another one with a Y11 who is very able at maths. As mmzz says, when they come in the top 1% or whatever in national maths competitions, it means they are probably capable of a 9 at GCSE unless they make too many careless mistakes.

I am also the proud mum of a non-genius, who went into an A-level exam he was dreading today to try to get enough marks to make the difference between an E and a U.

DS1 is taking tomorrow off to play cricket. Next exam is biology on Monday followed by Chemistry (Weds) and Physics (Friday) - then just Ad Maths on the 19th.

Dare I say it but the end almost feels in sight!

Quite right @TheThirdOfHerName - I have three very different DC. All with differing strengths and I am proud of them all.

Apart from tomorrow's English language and a geography fieldwork paper on Monday afternoon, all of the remaining exams are in subjects DS2 feels confident in, so things are definitely starting to feel a bit easier as far as the GCSE season is concerned.

Thinking of those whose DCs still have to face subjects they are struggling with, especially those on the crucial border between grade 3 and grade 4 for Maths and/or English.

I’m here.

Skimmed through the thread. Told dh the 2018 gcse mums & nans are all sending flowers.

He’d only got the electric barbecue going!!! I had to order him to stop washing all the dishes after we had eaten. Then he lost his medication had a panic & thought he’d left them in his parents car (they had just left) but they were in his briefcase.

Dd thought maths went well. The paper was good for her. English Lang tomorrow.

Ds is staying with my parents. He goes there after school anyway as it’s walking distance. If he’d been worried/wAnting to come see dh I’d have brought him but he wanted to say at home as he has show rehearsal tomorrow.

I think there's going to be an element of luck required to get a 9. You'll need to be a very able student, not make any silly mistakes and have the questions go your way, i.e. topics you are particularly good at or ones you revised recently.

Long winded way of saying I'd be content with a 7, delighted with an 8 and amazed at a 9 for maths for DS.

English and history however, take 2 or 3 away from each grade.

Cross post, Alexander. I'm glad your DH is already feeling up to BBQing! Silly man, good job you're there to keep him resting.

That's where DS2 was 2 years ago, very borderline C/D for English. In the end comfortably got his English Lang, but just scraped his English Lit, right on the bottom mark.

Most important dh rests Alexander though that's hard to do if always an active person. But am glad he feels better! Am surprised hospital didn't keep him in overnight though.

If dgd gained 7s across the board I would be well and truly chuffed, but she would not be

Dgd much more confident about paper 2 English language paper (aqa) and much more positive which is very good as this subject the most important of all for her and her weakest subject ( it is never because she is not capable of a high grade in it, but a complete lack of confidence, not a good teacher and a psychological block about the subject) yet she writes A level essay standard answers in geography! Her answers in mocks have been used by geography department in other classes to show his to answer 12 mark questions too. Yet do an English exam........

Still having to hand feed pup ( think she's milking it a bit now). Oh and cart ' baby' everywhere but have noticed it doesn't get as much attention now. So hopefully phantom pregnancy beginning to wear off.
Nite to all and good luck to all DC tomorrow