GCSEs 2019 Support thread 3

[myrtleWilson]

Welcome all - just went to post on thread 2 and saw it was at 999 so quickly did this

Good luck to those in exams today and so sorry to read of some really difficult times...

No exam here so working backwards from exams next week means Classics revision here - seems an age since DD did any classics so am not expecting this to go well.

Out for a curry at new restaurant tonight so that should be nice way to end week 1

I'm going to subtly mention to ds1 that if he's really tired/struggling I will phone school and say he is ill.

Insane isn't it?

Having to lie to school in our children's best interests??

Dd is home. Said French writing went pretty well. She basically used her oral answers and just changed the nouns etc to suit the questions. First week done - 20 exams to go

No exams for dd today. She’s still in bed and I don’t expect to see her anytime soon!
This week was the heaviest so hopefully it will improve from here.
Hope all goes well for everyone today
And I wish everyone a restful weekend!

Have been slightly mesmerised by the coverage of the Malvern English LIt exam. Am totally baffled how it could happen. Quite apart from the school's negligence, I have looked at the syllabuses for all my DS's subjects and especially Eng Lit as I know this can happen. He things I am nuts of course. Can't believe that not a single one of the Malvern parents did.

Michealahpurple Me too. It was the first thing I did when I knew the board and paper. I looked up the book list to see what DD had a choice of. I find it really hard to believe that not one single parent, pupil or teacher looked at the syllabus for the entire two years. Bonkers.

DD slept in, lovely, and is now just relaxing before Drama. Are all us Drama DC's doing the WJEG/Eduquas ?? DD going in with a 7 from her devised, but doesn't know what her scripted was marked as, as they did it so late. She wants to do really well in this paper, so I hope it comes up nicely for them.

If we didn't have study leave, I would definitely be ringing in by now, to give DC's some calm home time. The mornings that DD hasn't had exams have been lovely, quiet and restful. She has been getting up late, having a proper breakfast, and relaxing. We then go in mid-morning, so she does a bit of revision, then lunch, and on to exams.

Prom isn't run by our school, the parents organise it, so it couldn't be used as a stick anyway .

Silentsister - you'd have thought that just curiousity would have driven it, even if not exam paranoia! Of the novel especially - few of us would perhaps rush to read Songs of Ourselves vol 987 but one might want to find out if the novel they were to study was one one knew of fancied reading too to share it. (homophone frenzy - clearly too much english language revision been going on in my household!)

Mines in for full lessons today as no exams and no study leave.
In one of her subjects she has a double lesson and all her coursework and exams are in and done.
So a teacher has two hours of tired and stressed out kids who have finished his subject. I wish him luck tbh.

Lifeandbeans that makes no sense whatsoever!

Your poor dd!

I really don’t understand why some schools are doing this. The kids are working so hard, are exhausted and stressed.

Surely any time they have not actually sitting an exam should be spent either relaxing or revising, not sitting in a 2 hour lesson that is covering a subject they have already sat!

Madness🙄

I agree, I cannot believe that they have to go in during the exam period. One might argue that my DS's study leave was too long (he is using it usefully, as are most of his friends, including those who are cramming and didn't work before, but I can well imagine that a lot are not), but that was from 29th April, and really from the 11th when they broke up for Easter.
Relief here as DS has now texted "French could not have gone better (which is a bit bad, but hey ho). The reserve paper was really easy".
I assume those of you doing French AQA are all aware that the original French exam papers were lost somewhere between AQA and a school (via courier) about two weeks ago (along with the socialogy A Level exams) and so they had to substitute the reserves all over the country. I saw this on the internet, and pointed it out to DS. When he came home from the exam on Tuesday, he said it was clearly labelled "reserve", confirming the story. I assume the same must have been true of today's paper.

Of course, saying "you really didn't need to panic last night" is not going to go down well, so I am biting my tongue. It likely will still be his weakest subject, but I imagine he will do OK. The problem is that he sets himself such high standards, and is so nervy and anxious about it all, and there is no reasoning with him when he gets into a state like he did last night, and i just have to vent here.

And he has now finally, finally finished the Art, there is no more time to do any more, and he has done his evaluation, so that is two completely and totally finished, Art and French. What a relief. Two down, seven more to go! Hope everybody will have a nice, restful, relaxing, calm weekend, and the DC will be refreshed and ready for next week. Not sure we are going to manage it, but here's hoping. We only have four next week, although the Tuesday is Maths followed by Geography, so that is a biggie.

@SilentSister @Michaelahpurple I am baffled by exactly the same thoughts. Teacher must have checked the syllabus to follow the course. Did they not have mock exams? The whole thing is puzzling

Agreeing with PP's - I went through and checked topics on syllabus for all DC's subject - unbelievable that no parent at Malvern St James did

Thankfully history went well, ds feeling good about it. Phew! Afternoon off and then a good weekend of revision in time for geography (good) and maths (not so good) on Tuesday.

WAY too many goods in that post, sorry

I have to admit I didn’t check exam boards as fully trusted the school, it didn’t even occur to me however dd was shocked that nobody had & says she can’t understand it at all!
My dn is there but not yr 11 thankfully.
👋 steppemum

I didn't check exam boards for anything!
I trusted the school.

I am amazed that NO-ONE noticed though.

A friends DD at a VERY prestigious boarding school was checking through a science A level syllabus and found a topic neither the school nor the exam board text book covered - that was in changeover to new style A levels (she told school and action was taken, board informed) That's what made me check, esp as recent transition to 9-1 and apparent early problems with text books

Dd finished her AQA French test, I asked her if it had reserve paper on it and she said no, so that’s weird not unless she didn’t notice it, she did say that the questions were really easy but then she want’s to do A Level French at sixth form so really like the subject.

Just checked the internet again - and here is a more recent link on the French/Sociology AQA papers. When I read about it, they had just "gone missing" and police were investigating:
schoolsweek.co.uk/aqa-to-replace-exam-papers-after-batch-goes-missing-in-the-post/
It might be that your DD egsandwhich didn't notice it, because she wasn't primed to look for it, while my DS, who was looking out for it, noticed.

Soursprout Same thing at my daughter's school, no study leave and once they're in they can't get back out unless given permission to leave.

She's just arrived home, said physics revision class was a joke as everyone allowed to sit with their friends and those in there who aren't bothered were messing around. DD would be much better served being at home.

Apparently head of pastoral care quizzed a few of them today on certain things, bit too little too late in my opinion. I don't know why they couldn't allow parents to decide (and take responsibility for) if their child is mature enough to revise at home. Seems those who are and would benefit from the more sleep, more flexibility of study leave are being hindered.

Anyone else's DC in over half term? DD's in 3 full days.

Just heard from DD, apparently the drama exam was not at all what they were expecting and the teacher was shocked at the questions asked. Waiting with interest to see if any of yours doing drama felt the same?