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Original poster

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

999 replies

OrangeCinnamon · 30/06/2019 22:28

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Wheresthebeach · 02/12/2019 15:13

Oh thanks Fairy will look into that.

AnneOfCleavage · 02/12/2019 15:18

Don't be too jealous wheresthebeach DD has just had 2 weeks of mocks (results given just before she breaks up for Xmas hols so no chance of speaking to teachers about them) then has more early Feb so Xmas hols will be spent revising here too 😕

She's been going in for period 0 (8am) and staying for period 6 (3.35-4.35pm) most days as can't revise as the new head has made them take on more pointless h/w to do once home from school. Think he'll have a shock once the mock results come back and no one has done that well. Maybe that's the idea so he'll pile on more to make them do better in Feb. DD is so stressed and lots of students have had to have time off as having panic attacks as he's so militant - they have to have thrice daily line ups to check uniform and pencil cases (have to be clear, 30cm and carry the correct equipment). We're already on our 2nd one as they split easily and the ruler doesn't fit in properly (even in the 33cm one my DH bought her).

Consequently we aren't having a happy last year at school as he's made lots of year 11s drop subjects and take on new ones if they aren't up to scratch. Luckily not for our DD but she thought she was going to drop French as she struggles but must have just scraped through.

TeenPlusTwenties · 02/12/2019 19:42

They are lining up three times a day for their uniform and pencil cases to be checked? In y11? Wow. Words fail me.

AnneOfCleavage · 02/12/2019 21:07

Teen yep, three times a day. Seems ridiculous because if they've got it all at the start of the day why check after break and again after lunch Confused They get their skirts checked with a lanyard for correct length too. It's for all year groups but we have written in to put our twopenceworth in as said it's juvenile and not respectful and it's outside even if wet (not pouring though as teachers don't want to get wet) and now it's so cold. They aren't allowed coats as have school blazers but it's not warm enough lining up for 10mins at a time. They've had so many complaints that that may change. DD daren't wear a scarf as it's not uniform. Luckily as she's had early study class and mocks first thing she's forgone the early line up when v cold first thing.

Piggywaspushed · 02/12/2019 22:16

Heads don't normally get that personally involved! What kind of prisonschool is this??

Wheresthebeach · 02/12/2019 23:06

Bloody hell AnnofCleavage that’s madness. Umbridge would be proud [apologises to any non Harry Potter fans).

Two sets of mocks would do my head in. Oddly DD has just been told they will do 1 science paper during mocks, and the other in class as they don’t have time for both papers during mocks. Seems bizarre and can only presume it means they are behind with content.

Piggywaspushed · 03/12/2019 06:58

We had a (now retired) Deputy head who we referred to as Umbridge...

More to do with how she treated staff, mind ! Grin

Piggywaspushed · 03/12/2019 07:03

wheres my DS's school does this : I don't think it is being behind in content. Compared to my own school, DS has exactly a week of mocks and then some more exams later in maths, Eng and science. I think it is to reduce pressure on both staff and students and not to spend too much time in exams. DS's mocks seem fairly humane.

I prefer that approach to 2 weeks of mocks : it's very piecemeal , and we have to rush through specs to get there in time, which I think is very poor teaching. Our students have 2 weeks of mocks but after maths and English are done in the first few days, they are sometimes in lessons, sometimes not and it feels like a pointless trudge to the end of term to come back and spend 5 months 'revising'.

As you can tell, I find it annoying!

On the subject of DS, he has biology and RS yesterday. they were stopped in RS 5 minutes short, for some reason and the biology was very hard, he tells me.

Maths and English today!

Wheresthebeach · 03/12/2019 07:34

That’s good to know Piggy as science is DD’s favourite and she’s annoyed they haven’t cut back English instead! 5 months revising is rather a slog, I don’t think DD will be finished the content in anything fully by January.

RedskyToNight · 03/12/2019 07:55

DS has only finished the content in (I think) 1 subject. The approach in mocks was either

  • sit GCSE papers but tell the students what hadn't been covered
  • tailored papers covering only content already covered
  • only sat 1 paper as they hadn't finished the other paper(s)

Part of the purpose of the second set (end of Feb) is that they will have finished all subjects by then.

They also have "extra" walking/talking exams in maths and English.

I've told DS to take December "off" (well do his music coursework but not worry too much about other subjects) as he will need it! he is like a different child this week after the stress of mocks.

EwwSprouts · 03/12/2019 12:25

DS has mocks straight after Christmas and no second round. From parent's evening none of the subjects have been completed yet. English said they wouldn't finish until Easter. Mock results will be interesting unless they've tailored the papers to only content covered so far.

PostNotInHaste · 03/12/2019 16:06

I’m speechless about 3 lots of pencil case tests a day Shock DS had 2 weeks of mocks, results at end of term I think then more mocks Feb/March.

He has to make a decision at some point about where he’s going to apply locally. Workshop this weekend to prepare for entrance exam at the place he really wants to go but it is very competitive so he must make a decision where locally. He loathed one of the Grammar schools and isn’t keen on the other one bit.

The school I liked is really strict and they aren’t allowed out in 6th form which is a shame as would have been perfect. Really he would sixth 6th form college but our local one is rubbish and the ones in neighbouring county a bit too far. If I actually think about it all too much I feel quite stressed so trying not to.

Wheresthebeach · 04/12/2019 14:09

For those doing Mocks after Xmas - how much revision is your DC planning to do? So far there is no recommendation from the school and we really are trying to balance getting some rest, with revision.

EwwSprouts · 04/12/2019 14:29

No recommendation yet for how much over xmas but 1 hour per subject per week now. DS yet to be convinced.

ealingwestmum · 04/12/2019 19:55

I've been reluctant to post much Wheresthebeach due to being acutely aware at how schools differ in their prep approach, and really feel for those in schools with ridiculous asks of their students, often from Y10.

We have been given, as a guide, and it has been very much dependent on the individual to determine; ave 90 to 120 mins per day that could include homework/updating study notes etc, and 3 hours across a weekend, with a request that whilst xmas is for independent study, to allow DC to rest over the holiday. Mocks are in Jan. One set only.

The HoY continues, requesting study increases as the actual exams get nearer, with a student doing considerably more once study leave commences.

DD is very fortunate indeed, I know, and whilst frustrated that not all course material has been completed yet, on the whole her teachers are pretty level headed that they'll all be ready in time. I absolutely endorse this approach.

ProggyMat · 04/12/2019 20:47

No advice given from DD’s school about how many hours ought to be spent on revision for mocks in January.
She does have her mock exam timetable and knows she will sit 18 papers over 8 days after the Christmas break.
She is fortunate that during mocks she can opt to take study leave (as she did during end of Yr10 mocks) and

ProggyMat · 04/12/2019 21:05

Apologies- Ddog jumped on my knee as DD is doing homework 😂
Soo, DD is fortunate as she only needs to go to school during mocks when she needs to sit a paper.
Lots of festive downtime planned but DD also knows ‘what she is facing’ in terms of exams and wants to do well.
I’ve always stressed ‘what you put in is what you get out’, rightly or wrongly.
Also, the fact that mocks are a ‘kick up the backside’ and s learning curve to the exams proper.

Wheresthebeach · 04/12/2019 21:40

That sounds sensible ealingwestmum not sure DD's school is as measured. Scheduled homework is 3 hours a night, but to be fair it hasn't been anything like that recently. Tonight was 40 mins. I think they loaded a tonne at the beginning of the year to act as a wake up call.

RedskyToNight · 05/12/2019 12:42

I think that's a good baseline ealing and roughly what I've been encouraging DS to do (what he is actually doing is an entirely different thing). We had mocks in November and more mocks in February so DS will be having Christmas totally off, but is using December to focus on his music coursework. I hope a change is as good as a rest :)

Lovemusic33 · 05/12/2019 16:20

Just found this thread. Dd1 is year 11 and sat her mocks last week, she has been given some of her percentages from her exams but will be getting her grade results on Monday. It seems she has done quite well in most subjects apart from German (she hadn’t covered most of what was in the paper). I’m finding the maths results confusing as her percentages are low but she still got one of the highest in her set (she’s top set), she got around 45% which doesn’t sound that good. She’s arguing with me about revision saying she doesn’t need to do anymore than she’s doing. She wants to take Maths at A level and is predicted a 7 or 8 in GCSE. She’s nailed English language with mark of 95%.

We will see what her results are Monday in the other subjects.

mitosismeiosis · 05/12/2019 16:34

@Lovemusic33

Maths grade boundaries are very low! Depends on board but for Edexcel IGCSE 50 percent is a 7 ! So very normal to see for maths especially!

ksb76 · 05/12/2019 17:13

@Wheresthebeach the revision consultants that came in to our school recommended that they replicate a school day as a basis for their holiday revision i.e. 5 or 6 periods of 45-60 minutes, with breaks mid morning, lunch etc. That should give them time to have a break too and recover from this first term.

Wheresthebeach · 05/12/2019 17:15

Wow ksb76 that's a lot more than I was thinking of for mocks.
Yikes.

LimitIsUp · 05/12/2019 19:49

I originally contributed to the year 10 thread a wee bit but then dropped off the radar. I feel that I should be getting serious about GCSEs now that ds should be getting serious about them, so am going to join you all if I may?

Ds finished his mocks last Friday (although the school insists on calling them 'Prelims'). Some results back - so far so good but would like to see a grade or two up by May in a couple of subjects since dh doesn't completely want to rule out Medicine at some point in the future (if he did Medicine it would be after a gap year or two to give him the opportunity to gain the practical experience in hospitals / care homes / St Johns Ambulance etc since he has done nothing like that to date)

KingscoteStaff · 07/12/2019 07:34

DD has spent an evening this week drawing up her revision schedule for mocks (immediately after Christmas - all squashed into 1 1/2 weeks.

I think it was useful for her to run through the list of topics for each subject and make sure they were all allocated some time - if only to remind her of a couple of things they haven’t touched since Year 9!