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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

991 replies

indy69 · 01/08/2019 05:57

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

OP posts:
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usedtobeboss3 · 28/08/2020 12:01

Thanks @Hellohah - that helpful

therhubarbbrothers · 28/08/2020 13:13

@usedtobeboss3

Can I ask, honestly, how much work your going-into-Y11s have done over the summer? We tried to encourage DS to make good use of this time (he's at an independent school so will have had 10 weeks off...) and he has done some, but it's been a bit of a struggle. He maintains that 'no-one else will be doing any/much...' and school only set bits of work in 2 or 3 subjects, but we've encouraged him to do a bit more than this - probably 25 or so hours in total. He should be aiming for all 8s and 9s, if that makes any difference.
About 45-50 hours of set work, at least that's how long the school estimated it would take. I think it's about right. It's a state comprehensive and the target grades are all 8-9s here too.
DinkyDaisy · 28/08/2020 13:47

None. He has looked at stuff on line that is in his line of interest (geographical, politics, history) but bugger all to do with his curriculum. I do worry as he was predicted 7-9 in all subjects. Feel that may not happen now. However, also have begun to feel maybe not so important... He needs to get to his next stage and maybe that should be his aim whilst keeping upbeat and sane...

NotDonna · 28/08/2020 21:09

40-50 hours of set work? Wow! Will it be marked? Receive feedback etc? Mine has been sent some optional maths stuff but only a couple of hours worth. They were also told to read Pride & Prejudice too. In fairness, she tells me that she’s written revision cards but I’ve no idea how many.

therhubarbbrothers · 28/08/2020 21:16

@NotDonna

40-50 hours of set work? Wow! Will it be marked? Receive feedback etc? Mine has been sent some optional maths stuff but only a couple of hours worth. They were also told to read Pride & Prejudice too. In fairness, she tells me that she’s written revision cards but I’ve no idea how many.
Some of it will be marked - they have had to do past papers and they will be marked. The rest of it is doing revision cards and work in the revision guides. They've also had work on Lord of the Flies to do which was due in last week and feedback is being given. The teachers all seem to have been working this week and giving feedback.
Original poster
indy69 · 28/08/2020 21:19

DD went over year 10 maths and science and has worked on her art and economics a bit. Will probably watch Macbeth during the weekend.

OP posts:
UncomfortableSilence · 28/08/2020 21:27

DD has had a large amount of Poetry work to do, she's done a bit of Maths, Child Development coursework and RE revision has she says she has a mock at the end of September.

We got the plans for going back, seem pretty standard, staggered starts, reduced breaks, staying in one block etc
She's most disappointed that there will be no hot food Grin She loves a school panini!

NotDonna · 28/08/2020 21:41

That’s incredibly impressive rhubarb! Just shows that some state comps are blooming excellent.

therhubarbbrothers · 28/08/2020 21:48

@NotDonna

That’s incredibly impressive rhubarb! Just shows that some state comps are blooming excellent.
It's an incredible school. All 3 of mine have been there/are there and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
ihearttc · 28/08/2020 22:01

Wow that’s a lot of work!!

DS has done some bits on Romeo and Juliet but that’s about it. He absolutely worked his socks off in lockdown and I think he needed some space to just be, plus the fact that he now has a girlfriend has contributed to the lack of work!!

portico · 28/08/2020 22:09

@indy69

DD went over year 10 maths and science and has worked on her art and economics a bit. Will probably watch Macbeth during the weekend.
Which film version of Macbeth; I ask as my son is studying Macbeth
UncomfortableSilence · 28/08/2020 22:24

plus the fact that he now has a girlfriend has contributed to the lack of work!!

Yes, DDs new boyfriend has taken up a lot of her summer Confused

portico · 29/08/2020 19:04

@NotDonna

40-50 hours of set work? Wow! Will it be marked? Receive feedback etc? Mine has been sent some optional maths stuff but only a couple of hours worth. They were also told to read Pride & Prejudice too. In fairness, she tells me that she’s written revision cards but I’ve no idea how many.
Hi I have always wondered about writing revision cards. What is that? Is it different from writing notes? Is it time consuming?

My DS did very well in GCSEs, in 2019, on the back of practising topical exam qns. His younger brother will the same next year. I always best thing is to practise papers.

portico · 29/08/2020 19:06

Typos in my last paragraph

My DS did very well in GCSEs, in 2019, on the back of practising topical exam qns. His younger brother will do the same next year. I always thought the best thing is to practise papers.

Toobuktim · 29/08/2020 19:28

Just reading about the different Tiers that may be applied should infection rates rise and local lockdowns are required. We currently live in a local lockdown area, so can see we will probably be affected by this. Both DH and I are keyworkers so I’ve asked DS if he wishes to go on the keyworker provision list at school and he’s said yes. He knows there won’t be any teaching like normal, but he’ll be in an atmosphere more suited to studying and he’s concerned at how things are going to work out for his year group.

therhubarbbrothers · 29/08/2020 19:54

I have always wondered about writing revision cards. What is that? Is it different from writing notes? Is it time consuming?

It's making notes on index cards. I don't think school said they had to must do it on cards but had to do whatever form of revision notes worked for them. DS prefers to read and read and read it over and over in the original revision books but says that only works when he's got one exam and then a few days before the next.

NotDonna · 29/08/2020 23:00

Past papers are great when they exist but are there many around for the new GCSEs? Plus ours do 2 year GCSEs so are only halfway through so wouldn’t yet have covered half the stuff. Past papers are useful once syllabus finished. Regarding notes, I guess it depends how your kid writes them; mine wouldn’t bullet point, or keep it brief. They’d write a whole essay as ‘notes’ so I guess the revision cards force them to keep it short. I love a spider gram but my kids don’t get it. I don’t think their revision is very effective but they’re not really interested in hearing my ideas.

TeenPlusTwenties · 30/08/2020 10:07

@portico
I rate the relatively recent RSC version of Macbeth with Christopher Ecclestone. It was broadcast on TV over lockdown and seems to be available on youtube. It is the best production I've seen over the years (and I've seen quite a few).

NotDonna · 30/08/2020 10:20

Thanks portico my DC also doing Macbeth. They’re also doing Blood Brothers and Pride & Prejudice. She had to read the latter over the hols. When I asked her yesterday how it was going she replied ‘finished it but it was very predictable’. English literature is not my forte but I think she may have missed the nuances! My eldest read Mansfield Park, which was a much more interesting text from the bits she told me.

TeenPlusTwenties · 30/08/2020 10:23

@NotDonna

I rate the BBC series of P&P over the Keira Knightly version.

Is Blood Brothers for English Lit or Drama? (Just checking as DD2 is doing the Musical for Drama. There is an amateur Canadian school version of that on youtube that DD's teacher has recommended)

NotDonna · 30/08/2020 10:52

Thank you @TeenPlusTwenties I’ll tell her to check that out. They were meant to see the BB play as a school trip. But.... oh, and it’s for English Lit.

Toobuktim · 30/08/2020 20:54

Anyone see the article in The Times today about the chances of the exams next year going ahead?

Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)
therhubarbbrothers · 30/08/2020 21:54

DS hasn't been told which Shakespeare they are doing yet Shock

therhubarbbrothers · 30/08/2020 21:58

@Toobuktim

Anyone see the article in The Times today about the chances of the exams next year going ahead?
No...do you have a share token please?

I can see this much online:

The chances of GCSE and A-level exams going ahead next summer are only 50:50, according to an influential Tory MP.

Robert Halfon, the chairman of the education select committee, has said he wants the exams regulator Ofqual to be set an October deadline to decide whether to scrap exams next year and again award grades based on teachers’ assessments of children’s results in mock exams and classwork.

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