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.

Maybe not doing so great in the mocks is what she needs? It is with some students!

I think she has to decide herself. Maybe discuss things more broadly - how does she feel she’s doing, what grades is she hoping for, what revision techniques work for her etc. She needs to own her own future. I don’t nag dd at all but I’ve tried to support by discussing revision plans, how much she thinks she should do per subject and I offer to take her phone if she wants to be distraction free.

Does she have future plans, either career/university or even sixth form plans? A longer perspective can help.

Yeah she’s applied for college so knows what she wants to do, should easily get the grades she needs for college so not to much worry there, but just want her to reach her potential without too much pressure. She suffers from Anxiety so careful to not push too hard.

Am I over worrying?

I think it's worth asking how she will feel if she comes out of the exam knowing she could have done better if she'd worked harder. Does she want to feel like that or does she want to know that whatever happens she gave it her best shot...

Yes, I think where there’s anxiety particularly, you’d be best to make it about effort put in then rather than grades. How much work does she think she should do per subject to feel like she’s done her best etc?

Yep, DS is doing NO revision at all for his mocks starting on the 18th, and did none at half term. I don't engage with school work any more, unless he asks for help, so I hope he does really badly, in all honesty. He will than either decide he actually doesn't care (which will take a lot of pressure off all of us!) or he'll be shocked into doing some work. Either way, he has to learn it for himself. He's planning to do an apprenticeship, not A levels, but still needs English and Maths of course (and is very able, just incredibly idle)

I'm not a slack parent, just one that got fed up with being physically threatened every time I asked him to do anything

I'm really struggling at the moment with this "reaching their potential" as opposed to "doing as much as they need to do the next thing". DS is strongly in favour of the second (mainly because it involves less work). I think you should strive for the former, but not sure I can necessarily say why. "Keeping your options open" is the best I can manage.

As an adult I don't feel the need to achieve my potential; I'm not sure why we demand it of our children.

I know what you mean @RedSkyLastNight. Who even knows what someone's potential is anyway? Dd got really tied up in knots about this last year - how would she know that she had 'done her best'?!

Dd is at a very high achieving school so naturally wants to get all 7 and above with a few 9s so as not to feel like a dunce. But in reality, it won't make much difference to her future if she doesn't. 'Keeping your options open' is valid for some kids, but I think if you're naturally academically able, then even with 50% effort you can probably do enough not to rule out any options other than maybe Oxbridge/medicine. Which might be relevant for some..

I think if you're the sort of ability level where you'll be getting 3/4s with potential for 5/6 with more effort maybe it's more valid?

I just look around at all the people above me in the workplace (finance environment) and a fair number of them have far lower academic qualifications than me. So you start to wonder what's the point!

Yeah she’s on target for 6’s so quite good but in a couple of subjects is currently about 4 or 5 so could do a little better.

Anyway, two more exams today and she says went ok, so not nagged so much. Be glad when she’s at college.

To all those who are in the throes of revision (we're not there yet)

We're having a big dilemma on the possible A level choices. I know decision time for provisional options are still a couple of months away, but DD cannot decide on her 3, and heavily regrets dropping History, now she is older and navigating possible under-grad course requirements in more detail. She would love to take up 2 languages but is mindful of the challenge at A level and being non-native speaking, and is driven by the what could I get a high grade for vs the what would I enjoy learning balance. Such a backwards approach, but I get it, and don't know how to advise her - my gut still goes for the latter...

...throes of revision, AND mock exams I should have added.

@ealingwestmum lots of schools allow you to take History A Level without the GCSE as long as they have a good English grade, is that a possibility?

The balance between enjoyment and high grades is difficult, I thought dd had decided but she threw Biology into the mix last night! This is a subject she has never mentioned enjoying in her whole life! She happened to be revising it last night and said that actually she finds the content generally really interesting. It would also potentially open up another sixth form option, which she'd ruled out on the basis that they couldn't do her combination of Hist/Geog/Psychology. But I'm a bit wary of this sudden interest in Biology!

My sister and brother both chose all essay subjects to play to their strengths, and did very well. My instinct is that dd would do very well with just essay subjects but she insists she wants a variety. I hope her grades don't suffer!

As for languages - dd loves Spanish but has probably ruled it out on the basis that she doesn't think she's quite good enough at it, which is a shame.

We are definitely asking "how much flexibility do you have in allowing changes to subject combinations after results come out?" at sixth form open evenings.

crazy Physics was DS's least favourite subject 6 months ago; now he thinks he wants to take it at A Level - so I think they can genuinely change their minds about subjects. (although part of the reason why we want flexibility to make changes is I'm conscious he may have changed his mind again in the next 6 months!)

I tend to think at A Level that doing something you enjoy should mean you get good grades in it! It's a long time to be studying something you don't enjoy anyway.

@RedSkyLastNight ugh, Physics!! :)

Good point about checking for flexibility. We're going to an open day tonight, for the grammar school she thinks is her favourite (but she's never visited it before). They seem more flexible with option blocks, plus they allow four subjects as long as you achieve something like 8x8! Which dd may do..

She doesn't want to do four A Levels but it would be helpful to start 4 in case she doesn't like one that she thought was a favourite.

It's such a minefield isn't it!

Thanks crazy, I think that may be an option at the school as she is strong in English, but then she'll question can she play catch up on a subject not taken at GCSE, AND English and keep up with her extra curricular stuff, which she wants to maintain to support her if she chooses to study outside of UK post A's.

I know, cake and eat it syndrome here. I remind her not to share out-loud her thoughts on which subjects may have the least workload, as it's totally subjective and not a great approach strategy either, even if she only defaults to it when the what to choose topic is going circular. Hopefully post mocks might throw out a lightbulb moment.

Wishful thinking here

There's quite a discourse surrounding MFL at the moment. The reason there are so many native speakers is because not enough non native speakers feel confident to take it because it is hard. It has been found to be true that French and German have been marked severely and this is being addressed.

Notwithstanding, it is awfully sad that legions of talented linguists drop a subject they enjoy and would be good at . And, I must say, some of this very off putting discourse comes from teachers...

Fwiw , very lazy DS1 did MFL A level. He worked less hard in it than in his politics A Level and ended up with the same grade in both. He really put minimal effort into his language A Level, and the workload was definitely not huge. Had he worked hard he could have got an A without superhuman endeavour.

DS has the one set of mocks straight after Christmas so he has literally 2 wks to knuckle down and revise. I reckon 3 days off - 24th/25th/26th visiting family etc (a few hours' drive away so have to stay 2 nights away). I suspect not much work will be done on NYE either so in reality, 10/14 days for revision. We've now got additional family pressure to visit in a more distant location for another few days. It's not happening! Not happy!

For those in a similar scenario with mocks straight after Xmas, what's the planning around Christmas?

sansou, my DD has mocks starting on the first day back in January ( actually, her year are going back 2 days earlier than the rest of the school).
She's doing her revision now, in the knowledge that Christmas will be a compromise all round.

My DS has no idea what to do for A levels. Will probably stay put for sixth form but will look round one other for balance. He knows what he doesn't want to do - maths RE probably French. Predicted 7+ for all subjects and generally a hard worker. @ealingwestmum - DS also fancies post A level study abroad - am guessing for the same reasons as your DD as we share another thread

sansou When my DD1 did Jan mocks she had 5 solid days off over Christmas and then did 4-5 hours on the other days. There were 16 days off, so she worked 11/16. We made sure all family visits were compressed into the 5 days off. It worked well and I am hoping to do similar with DD2 (currently y10), but getting her to do 4 hrs a day may well be a struggle.

sansou, we only have one set of mocks straight after xmas. Unfortunately we too are taking a long haul holiday for 10 days to see family. DD is saying she'll be ok and will fit study around the trip.

Absolutely esther, though I think she's hoping she can leverage her sport rather than be actually considered as an elite athlete recruit. If she had a career specialism in mind like most of her peers who are considering maths/sciences, I think staying in the UK would be preferable. I'm struggling as it is for her to select A choices, let alone anything further so I do think a liberal arts education plays to the strengths of all-rounders or those who don't wish to commit to their future options just yet!

Now just the small matter of running a UK and overseas application process to secure one of those small % international offers!

Piggy that's encouraging to hear about your son's views on A level language (not the bit about him being very lazy)

Let's hope the review of boundaries for GCSEs announced today makes an impact on uptake. I know it's no consolation for those who have already sat the new GCSE's marked punitively.

Decided temporarily to take Eng Lit by the horns - DIY crash course in a few hours this morning on Jekyll & Hyde. Themes, context & writer’s purpose with own opinion thrown into the pot, with selected linked quotes from extract & rest of the novel to support argument and conclusion. At least 2-3 sides of A4 for an answer to one essay question. This is a lot harder than when I took it in 1988 - the first year of GCSE. I’m glad that I’m no longer 15/16! My stress levels are going up! Might just leave him to it.......

Persuaded DS to apply for at least another local 6th form as a backup. Just as well since "helping" him with an English Lit essay plan via discussion was tortuous to say the least.

DS is doing bits of revision here and there (on top of what is set by school) mostly on Seneca. It's a bit scattergun rather than systematic though. Yesterday, his approach to choosing which subjects and topics to revise was to ask me to choose a colour and a series of random numbers.

He is doing well in topic tests and meeting his progress targets, so I suppose I shouldn't complain.