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Original poster

GCSEs 2019 - support thread part 2

999 replies

AtiaoftheJulii · 28/01/2019 20:27

Here we are again Grin

OP posts:
67chevvyimpala · 06/03/2019 08:05

Ds1 has 9.

He seems ok.

His school have mostly completed the syllabuses (except history as the teacher was quite ill).

Its mostly revision now.

Not sure if they have any plans over Easter...

foundoutyet · 06/03/2019 09:17

Just my dc then who seems to have a relaxing time. Not much homework as they are supposed to revise, but dc is a last minute reviser so won't start just yet. Spending lots of time (hours every day this week) on extracurricular activities/ rehearsals

Soursprout · 06/03/2019 09:19

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nathanmcgurl · 06/03/2019 12:58

Ah, I remember this time of year when my son was doing his GCSEs a couple of years ago.

I'm the founder of The Study Buddy (mentioned by @
MaudBaileysGreenTurban ) and I wanted to offer a little reassurance in terms of the time left... I worked out that the typical student has about 210 units of work in a 9 GCSE set (a unit is when you break the exam spec or textbook into subtopics).

If a child studies an hour an evening and 5 at the weekend (factoring in the same for a two week Easter break) they would cover about 250 hours (to the midpoint of exams). So, still comfortable. Not panicking it key for your child to maintain a good approach and feel in control - and your blood pressure too!!

Powergower · 06/03/2019 13:17

Nathan can you give some more details 're study buddy. I looked on the website and it looks like you offer packs which breakdown each subject and a whiteboard to plan revision. Is that right? Ance rash pak is about £6?

67chevvyimpala · 06/03/2019 13:18

Thanks nathan

I look forward to receiving the guides! :)

Ds1 seems ok tbh. He has 2 revision classes at school atm - 1 for maths on a Tuesday and 1 for geography on wednesdays.

He handed in his PE NEA on Monday so that's that sorted.

catontherun · 06/03/2019 13:26

dc is doing 11 GCSE's this summer (did 1 last summer) so may end up with 12 in total if all goes well.

There's another couple of kids in their cohort who are doing an extra language with tuition out of school (school were unable to offer a dual language option due to very low take -up of that option and funding cuts).

Those kids will end up with 13 GCSE's. Puts my paltry 8 many years ago to shame !

Anyone able to top 13 ?

67chevvyimpala · 06/03/2019 13:41

I did 10 (2 extra in 1st year of a levels)

Soursprout · 06/03/2019 14:09

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SilentSister · 06/03/2019 15:02

Soursprout

I may be wrong, or it may be an urban myth..... Dr Google is not helpful, but I always thought that universities preferred GCSE's in one sitting. Does doing them over a couple of years potentially limit what courses or universities you can apply to?? Maybe it is just RG and Oxbridge??

My only experience is independents, and no-one took/is taking early exams, I am wondering what the benefit/or not may be??

Soursprout · 06/03/2019 15:50

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JessieCW · 06/03/2019 15:51

I'm going through GCSE's with DS2 at the moment!

I'm also quietly concerned about sixth form choices and grades so I've gently pushed him to look at other choices!

Has anyone else seen this thing called The F Factor? I saw it on Facebook and twitter with a few celebs tweeting about it. I’m going to get my boy to enter, if anything it looks good on his CV and in personal statements. They’re offering kids about your son’s age a £10k prize to turn a business idea they might have into a proper business. Looks like they do apprenticeships too. Have linked the Facebook post here for you. www.facebook.com/f.factor/videos/1987605298211578

Hope it helps somebody!

SilentSister · 06/03/2019 16:24

They used to say that unis wanted at least 8 in one sitting (which is why dds school made sure they did 8 in yr 11)

soursprout Actually that sounds right and would fit in with some other stuff I found which says that you only really need 8 good GCSE's anyway...... Smile

flatmouse Arghhhh.... I didn't really think you could "fail" like that. Gulp. DD performing next Friday, and doesn't know her lines yet. Guess what we are doing this weekend.

Bimkom · 06/03/2019 16:46

DS did two early, and is doing 9 now (so 9 at one sitting, and two last year). His Art exam is 1st and 2nd of April - and he is putting in hours and hours of art preparation at the moment. But at least come 3rd April - and Art will be done!!! That is really not long now!. We have had the exam timetable for ages - except for the date of his French Oral, which nobody seems to know. We are guessing around 30th April or 1st May. then main exams start 14th May, with French in the morning and biology in the afternoon.
I think the IGCSEs usually start earlier than the GCSEs - so are those starting earlier doing IGCSEs?

pointythings · 06/03/2019 17:39

DD2 is doing all of hers this year. The school doesn't allow them to sit early.

She didn't bomb Physics - at the very least it's the same as her last mock (4) and given she was ill when she sat it, that's pretty good. Teacher has also said it may be a 5.

Her second maths mock was 8 marks off being a 7 - she's delighted.

Soursprout · 06/03/2019 18:31

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Bimkom · 06/03/2019 18:37

Soursprout - you're telling me! Can't wait until Art is done and dusted!

Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 06/03/2019 21:45

Argh, so pleased to have found you again! Got logged out when they had that trouble recently, and can't log I on my laptop or my phone on Chrome. So I'm using the app which I don't like and I couldn't find this thread at all!

First half of art exam completed yesterday, second half next week. Drama a week or two after that. Things will feel a lot more relaxed after that. I hope 😳

Dd's really miserable today - after deciding she almost certainly did want to stay at her school for sixth form, they sent out their option blocks for A levels yesterday, and her choices don't fit. So she's in disarray again. She's postponed her college interviews because this term was getting so crazy, so maybe when she goes to them and sees them again, she'll feel more at home at one of them.

Hope I can hang on to this thread now 😊

OP posts:
ROZ12 · 06/03/2019 22:58

Hi all

I’ve been hesitant to post as all I see if everyone’s child has done so well in their mocks .

My dd is at a selective private school doing a mixture of Igcse and gcses .

These are her grades and I’m very worried. Please let me know of any success stories of improvement from mocks to real thing.all I see on this thread is children being awarded 9-7s in their mocks!

Science BB cie board Igcse
Maths 4 Edexcel gcse
Eng Lang 5
Eng lit 6
Art 7
Spanish igcse b
Geo 5

Soursprout · 06/03/2019 23:40

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ROZ12 · 07/03/2019 00:05

Thanks sour sprout, they haven’t issued predicted grades? I just saw others with all 7-9s in various posts and got worried .

Powergower · 07/03/2019 06:25

Hi Roz don't worry! My nephew did terribly in his mocks. His theory was that the mocks were there to test where he was now (excuses!). He knuckled down post mocks and just went for it with revision and got 7-9 in his real exams. Tbh I think it all depends on the level of prep. Those children who prep will do well in mocks and maybe jump one grade. The ones who don't prep as much or haven't really grasped the subject could jump 2-3 grades. Everything could change from now until May.

Our school doesn't have any online resources, gcse timetable or a level timetable. Ds best friend is at a private selective school and they seem so organised. They are doing past papers and have finished the curriculum, have set up after school revision clubs and drafted in extra staff to target those kids struggling. I guess that's the benefit of paying for education, you get a greater service. The pressure for those kids isn't any less though. Ds is going through another one of his I'm having a break' weeks.

nathanmcgurl · 07/03/2019 08:07

Hi @Powergower that's right. The approach is to break each course into bite-sized chunks. In effect, it creates a master to-do list. Then you can schedule the revision over the coming week.

One week at a time stops it from being too daunting and also is a great way of seeing the progress that you make by moving things to a done pile. Another benefit is that by using different colours for each subject you can see if any subjects are being avoided.

As you say the website offers the units and boards to help get going quickly, but if you have time - and 10 different coloured sharpies! - you could do the same from textbooks etc.

The Study Buddy is a commercial venture, but I am also really keen to promote the method. It helped my son - and my stress - no end! He went from failing a couple to passing all of them with 6s, 7s, and 8s.

nathanmcgurl · 07/03/2019 08:11

I'll look forward to compiling your revision bundle @67chevvyimpala! If you email me I'll sort out a freebie for you is I can - it all really got started here on Mumsnet a couple of years ago. So I'm also happy to be able to help students and parents from here!

nathanmcgurl · 07/03/2019 08:16

Hi @ROZ12 my son didn't do well in his mocks. As I remember he got a 3 in his English Lang - which would have been a game changer for someone who wanted to go to Uni.

The mocks are a great way of springing into action, the trick is in turning the disappointment of not doing as well as you'd hoped into a motivation to do better. As well as making sure that Jake covered more content, the mocks also showed that he needed to work on his exam technique. And that's what these mocks should be about.

He went on to get 10 GCSEs all 8-6 and he didn't really start revising in earnest until just before Easter. There is still everything to play for!!