Are we ready for a GCSE’s 2019 thread?

[KittyMcKitty]

If so I’m in.

DS (my pfb) will be going into year 11. Mocks after half term. Crossing my fingers for him - needs average point score of 6.5 (across all 10 subjects) to stay for 6th Form.

Anyone else?

Sour,

Looking for DS - Year 13 - there seems to be something of a hierarchy of universities / courses:

• Those who give offers based on interviews + grades + often extra exams (Oxbridge)
• Those who give offers based on grades
• Those who base offers on UCAS points from academic courses
• Those who base offers on UCAS points from pretty much anything!

That doesn't mean that a specific course in a specific university on a particular occasion might not use the occasional UCAS point from elsewhere, but tbh the most competitive courses tend to rely on grades or on academic UCAS points only.

Of course, there are then courses for which 'non academic sources of UCAS points' are critical - entrance to dance college means you need to be able to dance, entrance to music conservatoire means you need to be able to do music - but those are usually audition-based not UCAS points based.

Hello all

I have just waved my DD off to uni (2nd to go) and finally feel ready to tackle GCSE year with DS2.

DS2 is doing the usual compulsory GCSE's (triple science), along with French, Geography, Music and RE.

DD2 had her first session with a Maths tutor today. All went well. Same tutor we used to get her through SATs, so very confident it will help. 2 of her subjects have early exams (one done at the end of Y10), so that's also going to help her.

My DD seems to have a load of homework every evening. I don't know when she would fit in any revision at the moment. She is stressed already as they talked through dates/mocks etc today.

(Hi raspberry! )

My 2 had a "career interview" yesterday at school, talk about a waste of time!
DD said she's applying for either musical theatre or drama at our local college, needs 5 grade 4's for the level 3 but both have a level 2 as a fall back - the woman spent almost an hour trying to talk her out of it as its "too competitive" (as if she doesn't know that) and saying she would be much better doing something like childcare!
DS didn't fare much better, he said he had always wanted to join the police but realises that's not realistic (he's autistic and can't say boo to a goose) so he wants to do games development, again at our local college, again needs 4 grade 5's - she then proceeded to tell him that was a waste of time and he should do programming instead - if she had actually looked at the course she would know its a programing heavy one anyway...

I feel like asking the school why the hell they're bringing in people that know nothing about the local offering! I thought the days of careers advisors stomping on dreams were in the past!

Form Tutor to DD class yesterday with reference to revision for mocks, and about how you can choose to approach them:

1. Revise like mad, everything covered, treat as finals. If you get a bad grade, be really depressed and either give up, or accept you need to work harder.
2. Medium revision, similar to Year10 end of year exams. Cover everything you can, see how it goes, and look for the gaps in you knowledge. Get a really good grade and be happy, know that you need to sustain this throughout the year.
3. Do nothing, and see how much or little you know. Use that to fill in the gaps in your knowledge. If you get a really good grade, you are doing really well, if bad, then you know you have to work harder.

DD is going for option 2 - Not sure of the logic to option 1, and DD is too scared to try option 3. Perhaps that is the point, she wants them to not stress too much, and use the mocks as they are meant to be, as in an interim trial for finals.

Confuzzle
DD had same yesterday - She wants to do Drama, and we are really struggling with the best way to move forward with it. There seems to be so much conflicting advice. Go to Uni and do Eng Lit and come at it from that way, try to get into Drama course at Uni, very hard, start with a Drama Foundation Course (not funded), try to go straight into drama school, again very competitive. School careers advisors have little or no idea of Arts courses, it is very frustrating.

*Looking for DS - Year 13 - there seems to be something of a hierarchy of universities / courses:

• Those who give offers based on interviews + grades + often extra exams (Oxbridge)
• Those who give offers based on grades
• Those who base offers on UCAS points from academic courses
• Those who base offers on UCAS points from pretty much anything!*

Yes. Eldest DD didn't bother to put any extra curricular stuff on her UCAS form at all. She relied solely on her grades.

Anyone have any clue about any central resource for looking for 16-18 colleges at all? At the moment we are trying to think about local ones and looking them all up separately?

Hello, can I join in?
ds just started year 11 with loads of good intentions about how much work and how little x-box, not seeing them realised yet.

He is predicted a mixed bag, he is aiming for scraping through with just enough to get into 6th form, needless to say, I am aiming for more!

I thought the days of careers advisors stomping on dreams were in the past!

I have to say none of mine have received good careers advice so far. Eldest was pushed towards BTecs when having problems despite having the worst problems with Coursework. Another told not to apply to US Unis but apply for courses with a term abroad or as post grad - despite the interest being because she wanted to study a wide range of subjects. In another case said "I want to work with horses or maybe an electrical engineer" they latched onto the latter despite studying the "wrong subjects" and no experience despite lots of experience in the former.
And lots of complaints about a lack of guidance over which subjects to study at A'level to get them into the right Uni courses (fine guidance for medicine but other subjects ...).

Had an email this morning asking that DD attends a an English intervention revision class before mocks start in December.
Presuming that DD got a similar email, but will check with her later.
It's with her least favourite teacher so that will go down well!

DD says she's feeling a bit left out (possibly a bit dramatic!) from all her friends at the moment. They all have very clear ideas of what A levels to take, but DD is very unsure of what to do. We are looking into other colleges and sixth forms, but I think she feels a bit bewildered by it. Lots of open evenings coming up so hopefully that will help.

Hi all, checking in. Ds has been so hard to live with for the last few days, he's moody and agressive which is totally out of character for him.

As I explained upthread, he has Aspergers and i think he's struggling with all of the changes to his routine, sleep and the sheer amount of homework that he has been given since returning last Tuesday.

His school have never given a lot of homework to be honest so now it's like a shock to the system. He was sat doing English language last night knowing exactly what he wanted to say but getting it to paper was a nightmare. He's carrying on with it in a minute and has decided not to go to his beloved gym as he has too much work.
His parents evening is on the 27th and I'm going to be asking about extra time for his exams.

His parents evening is on the 27th and I'm going to be asking about extra time for his exams.

To be honest it is quite late to be sorting this out - so I would contact the SENCO at the school and ask about this before the parents evening, and hopefully they will be starting to get things moving by then.

Hi all, just checking in, by Monday, DS could not get out of a chair unaided so my nerves were completely frazzled but has now been diagnosed with "runners knee" ?! seems odd as he has not done any sport of any kind in 6 months', apart from half a game of football, due to illness but pain has eased a little with topical treatment. Hospital consultant still wishes to see him for bloods (more missed school) but I feel very relieved that it looks like it is nothing to do with his bigger health problem.

On the school front, however, DS has not had anywhere near as much homework as everyone else's. Really just revision for tests. I wonder if a maths tutor will help him fill in the gaps in learning he has from Y10.

Anyone have any clue about any central resource for looking for 16-18 colleges at all?

Some areas use UCAS Progress. Otherwise yes I think it's investigating what's out there.

Beka

You're absolutely right. I feel so angry with myself over this but it's only just becoming obvious now as he has always coped well so far and did his sats with the others, was diagnosed in year 4.

He's had zero intervention in secondary school which is great and I would be surprised if the SenCo even knows who he is ( all paperwork was submitted when he started obviously but he's never needed help ) but I know that next year when it's the real deal he will struggle to manage his time.
I will call his head of year tomorrow to make an appointment, his school are very good.

On the English language front his essay is all done and he's been a much happier boy tonight apart from coming home with yet more homework, this time biology, due Thursday.

His school start the after school revision sessions tomorrow and he's chosen to go to history over art as he needs more help with that.
Hope everyone is doing good :)

double hope your boy is doing better today :) as if he hasn't got enough on his plate already

Zoflorabore, there's definitely still time to get special consideration for exams, my oldest has dyspraxia, was diagnosed at about 8, moved school in 2009 and the parents evening in year 11 his pe teacher was saying about his terrible hand eye coordination and I said, you do know he's dyspraxic? It turned out the details had never been passed over from the previous school - it was a hairy few weeks getting the information, made worse by the fact the senco at the previous school had left! He went from a D in english when he sat it in year 10 to an a* in year 11, purely due to being able to type, so his answers were readable and extra time.

@AtiaoftheJulii - thank you so much! I think I have found a reasonably local college which offer the exciting courses my DD will love rather than our sadly v old fashioned 6th form and other local colleges who seem to have dropped courses this year

DD has her English speaking exam after school today, and is working to get her portfolio/performance (can never remember what they call it) for drama done by half term. Unfortunately personality clash with drama teacher and she's gone from confident performer who enjoys the subject to no longer liking drama and being accused of not being willing to perform. Long chat between myself and DD and now DD is attempting to kill with kindness, so lots of smiles and making the effort to get involved with any extra sessions put on to discuss progress. Wasn't helped with ongoing health problems that meant she missed a lot of drama lessons last year.

Zoflorabore thank you, I think so. He is certainly more mobile but still very sore. Hoping the stairs aren't too challenging at school.

flatmouse hope your DD's exam goes well. Getting teachers they like is half the battle, I think. Having a rapport with the teacher helps keep them motivated and interested in a subject, plus it is easier for them to ask for help if they feel their teacher is approachable. I hope her health is much better this year to keep her in school as much as possible. Oh for a magic wand!