Starting Yr11 Gcses 2020 Support Thread [Edited at OP's request]

[OrangeCinnamon]

A continuation of a Year 10 support thread
previous thread

Last thread was great and supportive as some of us tried to navigate year 10 and some very helpful peeps steered us through.

Hi all: had 'lost' this thread over the hols (possibly reflective of a broader theme for me and ds?!?!) so just place marking to re-read and see how everyone's summer was!

Crumbs, I guess this is the thread for me, hope it’s ok to join in at this stage. I have no idea how to approach this year with DD. She turned 16 on Monday and thinks she’s the big I am. She isn’t unintelligent but needs to work at it if you know what I mean? I think she’s a 6’s/7’s student rather than an 8’s or 9’s if that makes sense. And that is with hard work. She could easily be a 3’s and 4’s student if she doesn’t put the effort in. Trouble is she doesn’t seem to have any aspirations, no idea of what she wants to do with her life other than to earn enough money to own a super yacht 🤨

I’ll read this thread with interest.

Joint too. God were they supposed to do work over the summer?😱My don did zilch, not starting off that great.

Mocks first week back after Christmas, so that’ll be a fun Christmas holiday revising

Mocks first two weeks of November, then another lot in feb/March

Late to the game but year 11 starting this morning. We’ve got 6th form visits to do and quite a few so won’t be long till we’re into all that.

Mocks in January...Merry Xmas!

On the plus side we've managed to get DD out of Further Maths. Took some doing but she really hated the teacher and the pressure. She was sure she'd mess up her maths GCSE if she was working so hard on Further and the maths teacher admitted she wasn't a 'natural' choice for Further Maths. Shame she had a miserable year with the pressure in Y10, but today said she was looking forward to maths for the first time now she's been moved down a set.

Wheresthebeach
That must be a relief for her.
DS did well enough in his Y10 exam to be moved up at least 1 set and possibly 2 (which would have meant taking on F.Maths) but asked to stay where he is as he likes the teacher and didn't want the extra pressure. I think he will be happier at the top of that set rather than in the middle of the one above or near the bottom of the one above that.

Tumbleton it was a huge relief. She loves the teacher in set 2, had her in year 8 and she really enjoyed maths then. Such a shame that last year was so awful. Endless pressure and comments about how well last years girls did (all 9's apparently) and that DD class wasn't living up to the same standard. It was odd that she didn't agree to DD moving down when she asked. I had to do a 'concerned parent' email to the teacher, cc'd to head of department regarding the negative impact of pressure and general unhappiness. Their happiness is the most important thing - sounds like your DS knows what works for him. Hope he has a good year.

Hi all we have mocks end of November through to the last day of term. Which has annoyed my DS as he thinks they won't get results until after the Christmas break and knowing him he will stew about them. On a good note going back yesterday didn't go too bad

No news on mocks here apart from maths mocks in September for gcse in November (not sure if that is a good idea but at least DS has started revising something). He is planning on starting revision for everything else after his birthday in January, so seems like mocks are not really part of his thinking

@Wrongdissection that made me laugh as my dd is the same think she knows it all.
I be off on a Wednesday spent a lot off the day looking at websites to help her with gcse.
she decided she was go to dye her hair blonde didn't need my help what a disaster had to go back to shop and get a dark one and she let me help.
but did no study promises extra tonight but out with bf after school.

Yes, definitely seems to know it all. Which I’ve pointed out should be great come exam time but if between now and then if she could just humour me that’d be great 🤦🏼‍♀️

Apparently according to a memo out from the school yesterday there are PE practical exams in October. When I asked DD she just shrugged and said ‘I dunno’. I’m going to need this thread. And wine. And possibly vodka to get me through this year 😂

I didn't know that mocks varied, I thought they were all the same time in January. No idea how I thought this, had better check.
At least if they are after Christmas they have time to do some work over the holiday.

Mocks in January for us too. Then parents evening in mid Feb to discuss results. It's all becoming very real.

Hi all

Hope ok to join. I don’t have any technology restrictions or anything else, DS regulates himself, he’s up at 6am and in bed for 9 most nights. He’s found the balance and I’m fine with trusting him on that. Obviously if anything was to change then I’d review that.

Should have added, DS already done 1 GCSE, RE, grade 8 but one mark off 9 so under review (not hoping on it as one paper already reviewed and no change)

Great result Darbs.

Anyone else's DC shattered after 2 days back?

DD is a zombie....

I wish @wheresthebeach, DD is madly cleaning her hovel of a bedroom for the 26 teenagers that are descending on my house for the 16th birthday party tomorrow 🤦🏼‍♀️

Oh dear Wrong...I feel your pain...at least she's cleaning!

Well holy molly she has actually decided to do some Spanish revision.
Hasn't a clue when any exams are.
They have their Formal in November and she said that is all anyone talking about.

Darbs76
DS's wifi access shuts off at 11pm but apart from that we don't set limits on his phone or computer use.

He spends a fair amount of time playing computer games, but he also gets his work done and goes to bed at a sensible time. He walks 17 miles a week so is getting exercise. In his end of Y10 exams he did better than he was projected to do. So long as he keeps his grades up and is getting enough sleep, I'm not going to interfere.

DD has been given the dates of some of her exams - now written into our house diary in blood red pen...
She said her Chemistry teacher was playing that scary bit of Carmina Burana as they came into the lab this morning - presumably to terrify them into working!

Hello, great to find this thread! Having been on the one for those doing a levels this year I know how supportive and helpful it can be to talk with others in the same situation.

My Ds has his mocks this month, which seems very odd, I did a double take when he told me. How can he revise for those properly? I asked if he was doing any more say in January but apparently this is it? Anyone else doing them ludicrously early? He's very stressed. He's one of the bright but a bit lazy types, so needs a bit of motivating to get off Fortnite and onto revision. He sails through STEM subjects but struggles a bit more with humanities/English so I'm trying to help him with those a little. How do you get a child who really doesn't get the point of Shakespeare to appreciate it enough to actually work at it?

Good to meet you all.

Ouch, @Wrongdissection - hope you enjoy today!