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Year 10 GCSE Support Thread

1000 replies

OrangeCinnamon · 22/09/2018 09:56

Hi all,
Can we have a thread for Year 10 support please? Even though Dd started in Y9 I have already noticed a massive ramping up in pressure and her anxiety Sad I imagine it is a fine balance of being supportive but not a helicopter parent. How do you motivate but not nag? How do you encourage good study/revision skills without being overbearing? How can I help my Dd to be resilient....so many questions hoping for some hints, tips and support along the way.

Dd is Summer born so struggles sometimes. Her main loves are Music and the Humanities subjects. She bobs along with Maths and Science and despises French. Wants to be an international popstar, historian, writer, journo or judge! She sufffers terribly with low self esteem but hopefully this term will be able to get her on a course of cbt.

OP posts:
sansou · 06/05/2019 11:54

YR10 DS here. Spent most of Sat with air cadets. Yesterday was a family day out - all good. Today, I had the temerity to suggest that maybe, he should do get on with some revision today for his exams in a month's time. Shouting ensued.....

But...he's getting on with it for a few hours at least - thank god for small mercies. It's going to be a long 14 mths.....

I haven't seen a revision timetable at all - not that I'm allowed to see anything. Pass the gin.

KingscoteStaff · 06/05/2019 12:05

On way to sports fixture today with DD practising French oral presentation in the back of the car. For your information, if she could choose her school uniform it would be the jean blue, the t shirt coloured and the trainers comfortable.

Villanellesproudmum · 06/05/2019 14:12

The problem is in our school the year 10 exams results decide between doing double and triple science and foundation and higher maths in year 11.

Comefromaway · 06/05/2019 14:19

They will be used to decide between higher and foundation papers in ds’s school too. He’s on a warning that if he doesn’t do well he will be dropped down a maths set.

Double science isn’t offered, everyone has to do at least two out of the three single sciences but it’s a free choice within the option groups.

Comefromaway · 06/05/2019 14:20

He’s done about 10 mins of computer science before deciding he’s confident in that so did 20 mins of maths then after lunch did about 15mins of physics.

It’s a start.

Linneasweet · 06/05/2019 17:33

My year 10 DD haven't done anything else then revising: the whole Easter hols were revision and same this weekend: she hasn't even changed out of her PJ's since Saturday morning! She's in 1st or 2nd sets in school and use to study hard but this have taken it to a different level. Her school is putting a lot if pressure on them for their end of year tests, which is going on this week, and in a way it's good as the structure of the tests are identical to yr 11's so at least they know what to expect next year but at the same time when we have to literally drag her out for a 15 minute walk just for her to get away from it: then it's something wrong.

Tumbleton · 06/05/2019 17:38

He’s done about 10 mins of computer science before deciding he’s confident in that

Did he spend 10 minutes on one topic or on the whole GCSE syllabus so far?
Smile

sandybayley · 06/05/2019 17:47

DD has been working most the day, her end of year exams start next week. I've been out to buy coloured cards to make flash cards.

She is pretty tired though after an early start yesterday to get to a sporting event.

Parenting a DD is oh so different to parenting a DS. At this stage with DS1 there was lots of procrastination and grumbling. That said he is also working today for his L6 exams in a month. Maturity kicked in at about 15 years and 9 months with DS1 do hang in there people.

sandybayley · 06/05/2019 17:48

@Comefromaway - maybe he is a quick worker Wink

Comefromaway · 06/05/2019 17:52

Hmm - I’ll reserve judgment.

To be fair he’s used Seneca a lot in class revision sessions so I could see he’d covered most of the topics taught so far.

Villanellesproudmum · 06/05/2019 18:53

Dd exams were really early compared to others in this thread. They started before the Easter Holidays so they isn’t even get that time.

@Come it’s def a good start.

Villanellesproudmum · 06/05/2019 18:53

My bloody phone and predicted text.

Silverhill · 06/05/2019 20:59

DD has a five-hour (internal) Art exam this week. This will be her first experience of an all-day Art exam; hope she copes OK.

RomanyQueen1 · 06/05/2019 21:56

Not starting another thread but what would you do?

dd usually only gaining level 3/4 in core subjects, never been more than average and struggled with some things. Due to improved confidence and effort is averaging 5 in core, maybe 6/7 in others.

We all know that 9's 8's and 7's aren't going to happen, unless there's a miracle, but she reckons she's going to get 9's and 8's in Maths and Science. How do I tell her it's probably not going to happen, there are other subjects that she could improve to a 7/8 if she put the time in but is doing too much Maths and Science.

is it better to concentrate on others now the core are out of danger.

Tumbleton · 06/05/2019 22:59

RomanyQueen1

In that case I would ask her what she wants to study next, and where: what is her plan A and what is her plan B? You can look at the websites for the sixth forms / colleges to find out what grades they are asking for those courses this year.

Once she has an idea of what grades she would need for what she wants to do next, she can decide which subjects to focus on most.

For example, for his plan A, DS needs at least a 7 in Maths (preferably an 8) but needs only a 5 in either English language or literature.

Comefromaway · 06/05/2019 23:09

i think Romany’s dd plans to stay at her current school where academic grades are not so vital.

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 06/05/2019 23:15

Ooh, not spotted this thread before I don't think - I have a Y10 who is just finishing his 'end of year' (well, hardly!) exams this week. Revision has been ... topline at best, let's say. He's achieving a mix of 5s (language!) -9s (science/computer science/maths) in his assessments, so it'll be interesting to see what his exams results are like - I've been trying to keep out of things and let him learn the 'you actually have to revise' lesson himself... Plus we went away on holiday over Easter in a very unhelpful way, thus ensuring his revision was a bit scuppered!

whistl · 07/05/2019 06:00

I'd do nothing for now, Romany. She'll realise soon enough when the grades start coming in.
Have the teachers been telling the class that they are all top 20% or something? Maybe she's in a class that are all less able than her so she's finding the pace easy and thinks that means she top 20%?

PostNotInHaste · 07/05/2019 06:49

Agree with the others Romany, say nothing for now and let the grades come in and get her to self review as you go along. Personally I’m currently working on a there’s still a fair bit of time theory and don’t want DS peaking too early as think it’s hard to sustain. However he will cope well with pressure near the end, a different strategy might be needed with others to get a more sustained effort.

A friend with DD in year above says she is spoon feeding her DD through it. She gets till 4.30 then is told what she’s revising that night. Her DD really likes it that way apparently, they have illness in the family to deal with so it takes the pressure off her having to organise herself, one less thing for her to worry about and her Mum knows she’s doing what’s needed which takes the pressure off her during a difficult time. Mine would tell me to piss off if I tried that, it’s finding what works.

I would like to know when DS’s exams actually start though, it’s all a bit vague.

BackInTime · 07/05/2019 09:15

The penny is starting to drop for DD, she has started looking at sixth form and entry requirements. It is also a big topic of conversation among her friends so I am hoping that she might now see realise that she really does need to put some work in.

whistl · 07/05/2019 09:32

PostinHaste which exams? The 2020 GCSEs? My guess is the GCSEs will start on Monday 11th May 2020.
Then it will be two weeks of exams, 1 week for half term and another 2 weeks of exams.

Has anyone worked out how many papers their DC will sit yet? It is a surprisingly large number

crazycrofter · 07/05/2019 10:14

My dd is putting quite a lot of hours in once she gets going, but a lot of those hours seem like wasted time to me! Yesterday she spent ages printing off her history notes, after first reformatting them so that each topic fitted on one page! I'm not sure if she actually started learning anything....

I made her a revision timetable to try to help but it was clearly way too ambitious. I had two subjects per night, but she's only managed one per night for the last week. For Saturday I think I put three or four different subjects and I'm not sure if she even managed two. She started too late really - only properly started revising two weeks before the exams. But it will be interesting to see how she does. I do hope the results correlate in some way to the amount of revision done! She seems to have done a fair amount of Latin, Spanish and Geography, but not a huge amount else!

Romany - I don't think it's up to us to set the expectations really is it? Hopefully her teachers will do that and she'll work it out from her mock results/homeworks etc. At least she's ambitious and motivated! I suppose you just want to avoid the scenario where she's disappointed next summer by grades which are actually really good.

PostNotInHaste · 07/05/2019 10:27

Whistl I meant the year 10 exams, communication clearly not the School’s strong point! DS and friend think they might be end of June, we will see which would roughly fit in with an email re Maths Homework. If that’s the date the GCSE’s start next year then right on DH’s 50th. Maybe new Head might improve things, will see...

DD was saying that at this point at her school they used to have a how many days till GCSE thing.

FreeFreesia · 07/05/2019 10:31

DS still no interest in revision. Told him he had to do a bit yesterday as he's got sport tonight and tomorrow. He chose to go on Memrise to revise Spanish vocab. He claims there are no such apps available for any of the other 8 subjects. HmmHmm

I prod him a bit but also think he's an Aug birthday so future planning is just not within his capabilities. He has no firm idea of even which A levels he might want to do.

Comefromaway · 07/05/2019 10:37

Ds (and his school) use Seneca and I also pay for Tassomai.

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