Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

[indy69]

Good morning Mums,

My DD will start her GCSE journey this September. MN always has such good advice that I thought we could have a new thread to support each other. My DD has 4 options apart from English, Science AQA and Maths Edexcel. She has Art and History - Edexcel, and Psychology and Economics - AQA. It wpuld be lovely to know what your DC are doing and we could share resources here. I look forward to meeting you all on this thread. We have 4 weeks to go to start of term and a ton of homework to finish. My DD is feeling too lazy to do anything at the moment, but I guess they have earned the break. I will start reminding her next week about the work. Thanks

We've had ours it was last week so they had the holidays to revise then two days in school which were revision sessions and exams started yesterday for a week.

Yesterday went well, maths was "easy and hard" whatever that means?!
English lit was "fine".

Today is chemistry and drama.

Their study periods are a bit strange though. I was expecting them to take place in a classroom in groups with a teacher supervising but they are in the hall with exams going on around them. They work in silence on individual desks and no eye contact. Seems a bit brutal but I suppose they are actually revising (or staring into space).

I suppose they’re trying to normalise the exam situation for them so it doesn’t freak them out too much next year

Half term almost over here. DD has work experience next week which she is looking forward to. Will be home a good hour and half than usual! We have plans for early evenings, so still time to relax a bit. Her exams are after Easter. We have been reading 'The Five' about the women killed by Jack the Ripper. Apparently Dickinson lived not far from the first victim and it gives a great insight into Victorian attitudes to the poor. DD found it interesting with regards to Scrooge and Christmas Carol, so thought I would share.

Dickens not Dickinson!!

So half term done! 6 weeks till Easter

DDs friends have let her down lots with plans which has resulted in her doing an awful lot more work/revision than I anticipated.

We had her tutor come for the first time for an introductory session, they got on well and she felt it really helped so going to give that a go for a while, she spoke to her old maths teacher who she gets on really well with and she told her she can't be moved down to do foundation as it's too easy but she is struggling in class in higher so hopefully this will help.

Have some big concerns over Child Development, she chose this as her last option as she really had no other choice, exam is this year and coursework next, however she says they still haven't covered all content yet they are now revising plus have had no guidance on structuring answers etc so will be emailing HOD plus we have parents evening end of March.

Hope everyone has had a good week off for those in half term.

Back from half term but only just. We were meant to be having a relaxing week in the Canaries. The airports everywhere closed for quite a while yesterday due to Saharan sand. We should have got home by a respectable 8pm yesterday, instead it was close to midnight. So poor DD has gone in this morning more exhausted than rested.

Oh no teen I saw that on the news it looked awful!

Tomorrow is the last day of exams for us thank goodness, nothing seems to have gone disastrously although she did say chemistry was hard.
She did well in Spanish oral 23/25 so that's good. Results will start to trickle in at the end of this week.

@toobuktim well she's certainly used to an exam situation now!

tropp It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't taken an hour from landing for our luggage to come through. (I think it was so late all the baggage handlers had knocked off for the night.)

Teen that's the worst we've had it a few times when we've landed at Manchester, it there is one person in passport control

*or

Well we're done. Exams over. Just need to wait for the results to start coming in....
She did think she might get computer science result today which is the one she's most worried about and her lowest predicted grade.

I've just said it is what it is and we will deal with whatever happens.

So AQA have published their draft timetable for May/June 2021 GCSEs. Emphasis on draft. Seeming very real. Do not panic. filestore.aqa.org.uk/admin/t_table_pdf/AQA-TT-GCSE-JUN21-P.PDF

Petts That's interesting thanks.

With all the boards correct, this year DD would have
Week 1 - 4 exams
Week 2 - 6 exams
H/T
Week 3 - 5 exams
Week 4 - 5 exams

With just AQA, then next year DD would have
Week 0 - 1 exam
Week 1 - 2 exams
Week 2 - 6 exams
H/T
Week 3 - 6 exams
Week 4 - 4 exams
Week 5 - 1 exam

So more spread out with just AQA compared with the actual boards (AQA, Edexcel & WJEC) this year.

That’s really interesting thanks, have just shown ds and he hopes they keep that timetable as they’re all fairly evenly spread out for him.

29th June is the ‘contingency day’ so even if your DC has exams that finish before this date do not go booking time away until after the contingency day. I understand this day is used in the event of an emergency and the need to move all candidates to a fresh date.

Also if thinking of holidays, don't forget prom and 6th form taster days.

Thanks that really useful.
No prom at dds school which is a shame.
Had a few results through 5 for maths she's predicted a 7 so was a bit disappointed but I suppose that's what these exams are about helping them identify where they need to put the work in results were low across the class apparently.
5 for cs which is fine she would be happy with a 6 for that which I think is doable.
8 in history which she was delighted with.
She's hoping to stay at the school 6th form and needs 6 6's to get in so everything crossed.

• she was a bit disappointed (not me!)

The date for the release of results seems really late to me, 26th August is just before the bank holiday weekend and just a few days before some schools go back. One school round here starts the last week of August and not first week of September. Doesn’t seem much time to talk to schools or colleges if trying to work out where to go.

Parents evening last night. We have agreement in principle to drop something. SLT member: 'it won't be setting as precedent as other pupils don't have the same needs'.

That is good news teen .

It is Petts . Just want to be certain it's the right thing to do and DD is happy about it, as we can't change our mind once it's dropped.

Bumping this up as it got lost in all the other threads. Schools closed here and I am wondering how we will do end of year exams as they are scheduled for end of May. Distance learning to begin next week and I doubt schools are really prepared. Wonder how the huge content meant to be covered this year will happen and how it will impact our children for next year.