GCSEs 2018 (15) The Reckoning

[mmzz]

thread 14
The next step of the all new GCSE journey.

Up in Scotland we're not in any hurry for more rain! Tonight is clear but only just about warm.

I don't think the holiday work is something the teachers especially expect to be done. It wasn't treated as a cardinal sin for the older DC, if it wasn't done, or was only very vaguely done.

Sounds like we’re lucky to have a few local businesses desperate for staff

Yes probably won’t be a problem goodbye but DS allways forgets so much and struggles more at the start of term and given that a levels won’t be easy for him anyway it would be useful if he got his brain in gear and refreshed things before he went back

DS's (old?) school sent a series of subject-specific emails making the holiday homework sound like it was mandatory. Some subjects were quite explicit that not doing it would put your place in the course in jeopardy since attitude to learning and independent study are key components of success.

hmc at least your DD sent some applications!

mmzz DD has similar tasks for every subject she is doing PLUS a task for the academic scholars. I just don't think she is really ready for the next step - 'independent learning' and'self-motivated effort' don't come easily to her...

and it's raining here at mine.. A grand total of a day to enjoy the new garden furniture purchased before the furniture covers have gone on!! Lovely and cool downstairs but can't open any windows in the bedroom as one is a velux so the rain comes straight in, and the other apparently is a rain magnet and is covered in oncoming raindrops...

Well mmzz presumably he will have the chance to crack on with it if he needs to on 24th, but hopefully he won't need to. DD hasn't thought about studying as she's been so busy playing tennis, going on holiday & doing NCS. Next week she heads back to work for 3 days each week, so I doubt if any will get done then either. I work on the assumption with my own classes that a 4% success rate (yes, 1 out of 25, I didn't mistype for once) is a resounding success for any pre-course work.

Just as well he's moving on mmzz! They just seem to start afresh at my DCs' school, when term starts. It's super over the top to start sending e-mails about courses being in jeopardy etc. Anyhow, on the basis that it's independent we parents don't need to know if the DC have done it either way!

I think your DS should set up a new email account which the school can use to message him on, but which he will only check during standard office hours and not when he is on holiday (if he ends up staying on). Their approach is decidedly unhealthy.

I'm glad you say that Stickerrocks. I reckon that those e-mails will only be taken notice of by the pupils/ parents who fret anyway - which is exactly the wrong audience. 4% sounds about right (well, possibly on the lean side, but not by much!) from the accounts my DC have given re. take up. If the DC want to do tasks over the summer or in the couple of days ahead of term then fine, but I very seriously doubt that (especially in this climate of schools being desperate to fill places) any course in the entire country would be in jeopardy.

It’s a bit like all the pep talks pre gcse - DD1 said they were pointless because they made no difference to those that didn’t want to work and the conscientious anxious dc were just made more anxious

goodbyestranger that never occurred to me but you are right! Makes you wonder why the school forwarded copies to us parents.

They sent us another one too, about sixth form enrolment day. I think it could be summarised as don't send yourself but do send your money!

Stickerrocks I can see why you'd say that about the school. Since I've been on this thread, the school has been "push, push, push" all the time.
Funnily enough, it was the exact opposite for the first 3 years, and it didn't do a lot in year 10 either. It got its whip out in year 11 and used it relentlessly.
The school gets extremely good results. It has one of the highest progress 8s in the country, and under the old ranking system, it was usually on the first page of the league tables too. When DS1 was going through the first four years, I couldn't understand how it gets the results. Then in year 11, I saw why. It makes up for all those years of cover lessons, no homework and general faffing around with the latest educational craze with an intense focus. It felt like every grade for every student mattered. There were intervention classes, tons of homework, work started getting regularly marked (for the first time), talks on how to study, talks to parents about supporting the school, setting up a desk, limiting social media and extra revision sessions. DS2 had several months of rarely seeing his teachers because they were all helping out in year 11 (one of the PE teachers became DS2's official History teacher for 3 months - he didn't know anything about the period they were studying!).
I never thought I'd end up in the position of writing emails basically telling the teachers to back off from pushing one of my DC to succeed, but, as you know I did.

The lesson I learned is to not be sucked in by league tables and Ofsted reports. I bet though, that in October, the school will be many times oversubscribed again by the year 6 parents desperate to sign their child up.

mmzz I got an email about holiday homework from current school but I don't think it carried any threats about the places! DS's first and second choices haven't set anything. I think all 3 choices have a contribution to funds form.
Much nicer and fresher here this morning!

DS2 has been given some Maths to do. Approx 25 exercises; mostly algebra. There will be a test in the first week of September; passing this is a requirement for continuing on to the A-level course.

We had an email about suggested holiday work (the first time the school has done it) but it was very much framed as a good idea if you want to be well prepared for difficult a levels so not compulsory and most subjects looked liked it was suggested books to read or films to watch

DD has a level prep homework but as usual no sign of it being done. Granted she has been doing NCS but she’s had plenty of time. If she does get into 6th form I am concerned about her time management/planning skills as she leaves everything to the last minute.

Not sure if this prep goes towards anything or just to keep brain active during holidays

Well done those getting themselves jobs, they will gain so much not just financially!

DS hasn't even looked at his holiday homework, maybe once results are in and the DC know exactly waht they are doing they may all become more focused

When they all do start 6th form or college it will be interesting to compare teaching hours, as I know DS's school have definitely cut the number of hours, in fact one lesson is without a teacher I wonder how many will turn up to that lesson.

mmzz the impression I got about your DS's school was it was more to do with panic over the new GCSE's rather than how they generally do things (although your find this out with DS2), with each year schools should be able to better plan the delivery of the syllabus.....well lets hope so!!

We haven't been given any summer homework at all. DD could almost do with some as she is getting bored. She is doing some volunteering currently be would love to get a job too. Not sure where she starts - do you just go round the local shops asking?

Her school is super selective and achieves the highest grades nationally. However they have a big stance of no Home Work in the holidays and have been like this since the beginning of senior school. I think they must have changed their stance then as remember DD getting lots of summer projects in the junior school.

The closest thing I found to Home Work is on one of the parents site - showing a summary Maths pack for reminder - basically some cgp notes but a clear message across we do not expect any girls to do any homemwork over the summer. I think they have a work hard rest hard approach. Let's see what the results tell us.

mmzz It makes the conscientious students like your DS worry about whether or not they are doing enough work, whereas the students who need the push will ignore the emails anyway. Their results won't change because they have nagged DC relentlessly throughout the year. However, some of their students mental health will undoubtedly suffer as anxiety levels build.

Stick - completely agree with what you have said

Stickerrocks that's true - with pressure like that, it's bound to have an effect on mental health of some students.
DS is very able anyway and he has a very good memory so it took him less time on average to understand / memorise any individual piece of work. Despite all that it was only through pulling really long days, 7 days a week for 3 months that he was able to get all the work done. Also, I was in a position, through working from home, to be able to monitor closely what was happening. What if you were equally conscientious, but not as able, and both parents were out all day, every day (as most parents are)?

Dd has some summer reading but only because she approached her teachers herself. The two subjects are English Lit & philosophy so background reading is almost for pleasure than work.

slinky we put together a one page CV with a line at the top saying "local student looking for holiday or weekend work". Then the obvious stuff - education and results pending, work experience volunteering, hobbies.
We kept it all short and upbeat. Then DD took CV into local places.

If your town has a fb page then places often advertise there or there may be a local jobs page on fb.

Thanks Peggy