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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Are we ready for a GCSE’s 2019 thread?

997 replies

KittyMcKitty · 28/08/2018 22:59

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?

OP posts:
Mrsr8 · 17/01/2019 22:00

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bfmhgmum · 18/01/2019 09:13

Hi
My dd who did her mocks last November are now starting weekly tests in 1 or 2 subjects but I can’t see much revision going on 😀
After parents evening last week she is meant to be doing daily reading of textbooks but again not happening. I’m hoping something will change at weekend

Lara53 · 18/01/2019 10:32

Hello!!!
Very late to this! DS1 is Yr11 and has been working hard. Mocks have just finished and waiting for results now 😊

Mrsr8 · 18/01/2019 10:55

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OlderThanAverageforMN · 18/01/2019 11:52

Evaevie Others may disagree with me, but I think you can start revising too early. They have just done their mocks, and need a rest. DD and I have decided that she can take a break until after half term. Even then it doesn't have to be full on, there will still be three months until exams start. Easter hols are quite early this year too, so even if she doesn't start full on until Easter holidays, that is still 5 weeks solid to revise. I would also hope after half term school will start to do lots of past papers in the subjects that are finished.

Soursprout · 18/01/2019 13:25

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Mrsr8 · 18/01/2019 14:48

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flatmouse · 18/01/2019 18:01

DD mocks were pre Xmas, so she's had a break. More mocks week after half term, so starting revision this weekend (once we've done plan).

Mrsr8 · 18/01/2019 18:23

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UnnecessaryFennel · 18/01/2019 18:30

Oh wow that's fantastic mrsr8 - well done ds!

Mrsr8 · 18/01/2019 18:42

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myrtleWilson · 18/01/2019 21:55

We've got three back - two not great and one v good.... (although apparently in one of the not great ones (maths) - no one in the year got near 50% so I think it was set very hard.

My theory with DD is that for subjects she enjoys/good at - she almost has the material into her DNA - she just "knows it". Whereas with subjects (sciences for example) she doesn't have that DNA type confidence. In a classroom setting she is able to relax a bit and performs well, but in an exam setting she panics a bit and guesses/double thinks herself. On the night before her maths paper she was panicking about not knowing simple maths facts (like for example measuring a circumference) - she DOES know this but almost panics herself out of knowing it...

So am not sure how to either convince her that she does really know stuff or try to get her to change the way she reacts in an exam setting... Advice welcome!

myrtleWilson · 18/01/2019 21:56

Sorry - meant to say well done Mrsr8 thats fabulous!

Mrsr8 · 18/01/2019 22:08

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myrtleWilson · 18/01/2019 22:30

yeah they will - the two she didn't do great on her teachers seem to be okay with insofar as they said she's at least two grades better but I think its self confidence as much as exam technique... as she doubts herself. I may look at the Tassomai type stuff - as far as I know there is a fair amount of repetition in those programmes and I wonder whether thats what she needs - repetition until she doesn't need to think for herself!!

Ho hum... to be fair we've said if you're going to have a aaaagggghhhh moment - have it in mocks! And equally whilst I'd like her to do as well as she can in all of them, in my heart as long as she does well enough in the ones that she's ditching I'm happy if she does v well in those she wants to continue with (if that makes sense?)

Mrsr8 · 18/01/2019 23:20

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OlderThanAverageforMN · 19/01/2019 11:18

Mrs8 We break up on 3rd! Congrats on the 8 for DS. It is so nice when they do well in something they love.

DD results have been a very mixed bag. Interestingly, the ones she usually struggles with she did really well, perhaps because she spent more time revising those, and was panicked about NOT doing well. So Maths and Physics 8's, which is unprecedented for her, she was amazed. Her German was awful because she hates it, and doesn't have the confidence to speak it, she got a 5. She got a couple more 8's for English and Class Civ, both of which are ALevel choices, so very happy there. Her other sciences were 6 and 7, which she was disappointed with, and her drama was a 6, and she was devastated by that one. Her teacher said she had not read the questions properly, and although her answers were actually very good, they did not answer the question set!! Finally her History, her other ALevel choice, was a bit odd. Of the two subjects, she got 98% in one question, and 55% in the other, so a 7 overall, so disappointed, but again a really good highlight of where she needs to put the extra effort in.

So, all in all, a very mixed bag, from a 5 to an 8 (we don't get 9's).

Mrsr8 · 19/01/2019 12:12

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myrtleWilson · 19/01/2019 20:23

we're 5th-29th for easter... eek will all be very real then!

well done older DD! reading the question is always a potential trap - am sure someone upthread said their DC started to answer Classics on country. life before realising at last moment it was city life....

Mrsr8 · 20/01/2019 08:32

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AtiaoftheJulii · 20/01/2019 10:42

Dd did mocks before Christmas and got decent results (5-8) but has had a horrible bug (that also hit ds and then dh had a really bad time with it for about a fortnight, so not just her immunosuppression's fault) and has only been in school 3 days out of the last two weeks. Not a great start to 2019, especially as these first 8 weeks of term are art exam prep Sad Have to say I'm feeling pretty despondent here. Used to home educate the dc and wish I could just pack in work and devote my time to her and her GCSEs atm. She spends far too much time home alone, and she is very prone to falling into a pit of self-pity and not getting stuff done. Blah. Sorry for whinging!

Mrsr8 · 20/01/2019 11:01

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OlderThanAverageforMN · 20/01/2019 12:20

myrtle Guess who that was with the Classics question...... My DD..... see a pattern emerging here :-D

AtiaoftheJulii · 20/01/2019 13:01

Oh Older! Don't know whether to Grin or Sad, but I bet she's Blush! Hope she's not kicking herself too hard, and it will certainly provide a lesson for the summer :)

myrtleWilson · 20/01/2019 15:01

Oh older - I should have read back! Well I suppose on the upside she should know to look out for it now having done it twice!! Grin

Atia - that all sounds tough... I was pleased initially that DD had mocks after Christmas as I thought in Oct/November was too soon after start of the year but given post Christmas bugs that were circulating (not saying DD was particularly hit) I do now wonder whether Jan is the best of times....
anyway, we're having an uber roast dinner and apple crumble pudding to set us up for the week ahead!