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

@ihearttc I think your DS has the right idea about the jump with Maths when doing A level. My DS does well at Maths but it's not a priority for him at A level as he knows he won't do physics at university).

@NotBabiesForLong DS will do that I expect. I think it's compulsory in his planned stream in 6th form.

@Toobuktim I hope they have open books in English, that'll really be useful for my DS.

@portico I wondered much the same. I hope there is more guidance soon as my DS has mocks again in January and February.

@paganbilly my ds really hopes for open books in English!

[quote Toobuktim]@paganbilly my ds really hopes for open books in English![/quote]
In the Ofqual changes it was very against open books.

They’re not always great actually- I’ve invigilated/ read / scribed for students back when it used to be open books and students often got bogged down & wasted a lot of time trying to find the perfect quote etc. Closed book allows them to focus more on what they’re actually writing. It’s v easy to waste half an hour flicking through a book.

DD also hoping for open books in English.

Closed book allows them to focus more on what they’re actually writing. It’s v easy to waste half an hour flicking through a book.

That's very true. My daughter had open book exams for her university finals this year but by 3rd year of university they are (hopefully!) more adept at the processes of finding what they need and quickly.

So core subjects mocks start on Monday and now they have decided to close the school on Monday to implement a one way system so they can ditch the year group bubbles for class time and have the teachers stay in their classrooms and the students move around (all cleaning their desk and chair before they leave to go to the next class). FGS.

That's completely ridiculous!

@paganbilly

Physics is one that my DS is considering but he will not be doing Maths. He can do four A levels at his school as he' will be in the stream that can do the EPQ.

Wow @paganbilly 4 A levels plus an EPQ sounds and awful lot!

@Titsywoo that does sound madness, especially as Christmas holidays are round the corner.

titsywoo utter madness.
I agree with kitty that an open book can mean them wasting a lot of time.
‘Core maths’ is a catch all title for a number of supportive AS type maths courses that can be quite variable in what they cover I believe, so it’s probably worth checking if it’s suitable for supporting physics etc. At DDs 6th form the core maths option seems predominantly statistics that are useful for social sciences rather than a course that would support physics or chemistry. DDs school push maths A level for those sciences.

Wow @paganbilly 4 A levels plus an EPQ sounds and awful lot!

@NotDonna It sounds insane! They don't do all that, they can do 4 A levels and either do all 4 or drop one after a year (like the AS levels) or 3 A levels and the EPQ. I have no idea if it is an option to do all that, I sincerely hope not. If it was I wouldn't let any child of mine do it.

Phew paganbilly I was having palpitations on your DS’s behalf!! DD has the option of 3x A levels plus 1x AS (useful if they’re unsure) or 3x A levels plus EPQ or 3x A levels plus core maths. She’s thinking the latter as core maths will help with economics & psychology A levels alongside history. Her elder sister is yr13 doing A levels maths so knows the jump & that it’s not for her!

@NotDonna

Phew paganbilly I was having palpitations on your DS’s behalf!! DD has the option of 3x A levels plus 1x AS (useful if they’re unsure) or 3x A levels plus EPQ or 3x A levels plus core maths. She’s thinking the latter as core maths will help with economics & psychology A levels alongside history. Her elder sister is yr13 doing A levels maths so knows the jump & that it’s not for her!

DS won't do core maths unless forced to (which won't be by me), I think he'll go for an AS level. My eldest did an AS, dropping the one that she got the lowest grade in in the mocks. Her teacher very tactfully said she might get a B so she dropped that one and got very respectable grades for her 3 remaining A levels.

Mocks take two tomorrow for DD Let's see how far we get this time, two more groups had to isolate in the last week so that's four cases in her year group this last 10 days. They are trying really hard to get the exams finished before Christmas but it's looking unlikely, they are being hit very hard with staff shortages.

Hattie- say yes. Be thankful she chats to you about it. And help her make the best choice for her.

Be open minded.

Otherwise, whatever will be will still be but you will not be her confidant.

Maths and RE mocks tomorrow (well paper 1 of each anyway). Now the school have implemented the one way system all the classrooms are being used so nowhere to put bags now. Therefore they have been told they can only bring in their pencil case - no bags allowed so no packed lunch . I'm going to feed her a big breakfast and she should be able to leave at 2 when the exams are done but honestly?! Stupid bloody idea.

No lunch titsywoo? Mine leave home at 720am, quick Bfast at 7 - no way would they last seven plus hours til 2pm doing exams. Ours no longer have lockers so lug everything around with them (including lunch flasks). I think they’re wearing coats all day due to open windows & max ventilation.

Dd had 3 mocks today with 15 mins between exams so barely enough time for a mouthful of food!

3 tomorrow too! Eng Lang Paper 1, Maths Calc & History- as I keep telling her it’s a marathon not a sprint! At least the real exam timetable looks a bit better.

@NotDonnaOrBlitzen

No lunch titsywoo? Mine leave home at 720am, quick Bfast at 7 - no way would they last seven plus hours til 2pm doing exams. Ours no longer have lockers so lug everything around with them (including lunch flasks). I think they’re wearing coats all day due to open windows & max ventilation.

Well luckily it's not turned out too badly. I dropped her at school at 8.30 and she was finished her 2 exams by 1 and they let them go home then so she didn't starve! She said maths went ok (not her strength) but she had a bit of a nightmare with RE and ended up writing one sentence for a 12 mark question as she didn't understand a word which was what the whole thing was based on (a Muslim word I think - can't remember what she said now). Hopefully she will make up for it in paper 2 next week. Eng Lit and Biology tomorrow and we are going to Kew Gardens in the evening to see the lights. We booked before I knew when the mocks were and to be honest I think a night off will do her good.

Pleased she didn’t starve! Oooh the lights at Kew will be a lovely break - what a fabulous idea titsywoo
kitty 3 full exams is a bit harsh isn’t it?
My DDs are first day back after Xmas. She’s got her mock timetable and although she gave me a glance, I don’t think they have 3 in one day, but definitely two everyday - which won’t always happen in the real thing.

Yes 3 today - Physics Paper 2, French Reading & Listening and finally French writing then English, Maths & History tomorrow. This is week 2 she's exhausted! 6 left! Then we have round 2 of A level mocks starting 6th January + ds needs to finish his geography NEA (20% of A level) oh and he has his driving test on 18th (been cancelled 6 times!)

It’s fun in our house 😂

Just read that today Scotland announced that they have decided to cancel Highers and advanced highers as well as Nat 5 again this year, along with Wales cancelling GCSE' too, should England not follow? Don't think they will but surely it seems fair?
My daughter is on her last week of 4 completing what they call diagnostic exams ready for her mocks starting 18th Jan - she has revised every night for the past 4 weeks that's on top of still learning NEW curriculum subjects which have been delayed.

I’m still torn between sitting the exams and not. My DS really wants them to go ahead, despite the missed curriculum and two sets (so far) of quarantine. His last mock today, so hopefully we’ll have his results next week and see where he’s at. Despite the double dose of quarantine I think he’s one of the lucky ones. A reasonable online provision from school since March, two weeks in school in July and he has only lost one teacher. He’s probably an averagely affected kid. He’s still studying hard and wants that focus of the exams next year.