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?

hubby A couple of people have said their schools tailor the exam papers for the mocks so that they will reflect only what's been covered in the syllabus to date. I would suppose the marking scheme would then be adjusted accordingly, so in theory everyone should be graded on an equal basis.

I'm just finding the whole application process a bit confusing at the moment tbh. Maybe it's because we have to apply through UCAS instead of directly to the 6th forms, themselves. At least going direct means we'd be able to contact the provider and ask them exactly what data to send them, or attach a note to the application form explaining what certain data represents. As things stand, it's just pure guesswork on my part.

Mrsr8 do you think it might be as late as January before we know the predicted grades? One of our potential 6th forms closes its applications on 14 December, and others close in January - I think maybe I'll give one or two of them a quick call and find out what they need.

Soursprout thank you for your good wishes, good luck to your DD with her mocks too.

Mrsr8 Hoping the interview will go well.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. Don't know how to tag 🙈

Hope mocks are going well for your DC. So far, DS felt some mocks went really well - biology and English but others not so well - maths, physics.

Should I be worried that DS said he can't wait until next Saturday as it marks the "end of revision".

Wait - - what??

Well, mixed bag so far. DD not thrilled with Geography mock, Drama went very well indeed, she reckons she bombed Higher French listening today though because she had a heavy fall in PE and banged her head - cue dizziness, nausea. She may have a mild concussion, which would be the second one in the space of 5 months. And she has Biology and English Lit mocks tomorrow... Still, the teachers are aware she's had a bang on the head and this is what mocks are for.

Fortunately they stop doing PE after Easter so hopefully she'll manage not to make it 3 concussions in a year.

pointy awww, I'm sorry to hear this, poor girl. Hope she will be feeling much better in the morning

DD is feeling better. Said biology mock was really hard but everyone felt the same. Maths mock today - they are allowed to be non uniform like the rest of the school.

DS1 had a similar jam-packed mocks schedule last year. Don't worry - it just makes everything seem not quite so awful when they get their actual exam timetable for May/June and (hopefully) the exams are a bit more spread out.

Got a Year 11 first term school report for DS2 yesterday. They've given him a 'cause for concern' in Biology and Geography attainment. I was really worried but we've now worked out that, with target grades of 9s in those subjects (unlikely to be achievable for him), he has been given 'cause for concern' because he achieved 7s in the latest tracker tests.

What a way to report to parents!! 7s are fantastic and I am so chuffed for him. I feel so sad that the school has given him a report with big red boxes next to these two subjects...not very motivating for him, visually! Thank God he is pretty sensible and not too emotional and he understands the system.

Anyway, if he gets 7s in his mocks in January we will be over the moon. Although he still hasn't started any revision....

Happy weekend everyone!

We have the same problem gin, DD did well in her SATS but spent a year out of school when she was having panic attacks. She's caught up with most things but there are a couple of subjects she's a bit behind in so they're really onto her - the pressure is counterproductive though, it just makes her panic when actually she's well organised and is trying hard.

Mrsr8

DD had the same - 2 days with 3 exams, and only 1 day in a fortnight with no exams.

Results have been OK, given that for various reasons she could have done with more revision.

DD2 has a 3 mock day next week. She's hacked off, but relieved to be told that 2 a day is the max for the real thing.

She had a maths mock today that she said went surprisingly well, which is a relief - she finds maths hard.

Her school doesn't predict 9s - they tend to pitch quite low. DD2 got 5s in her SATs and is predicted 6/7 across the board, She's ahead of schedule in everything and likely to get a mix of 7/8 and possibly 9 in English and History - having something to aim for motivates her.

Poor dd has 4 days of 3 mocks a day! It's madness... She gets 1 day off in the whole fortnight - roll on Christmas!
Well done for all these great predictions and results. I suspect ours will be lower here😂