GCSE 2019 support thread 6

[DeRigueurMortis]

Hello All,

Welcome to thread 6 - results...

Last thread here:

Gcses 2019 support thread 5 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3610608-gcses-2019-support-thread-5

It's been a fantastically supportive set of threads to date with a diverse set of expectations and challenges (for both parents and children).

I expect this thread may be the most emotive for us all (crikey how did the time fly!!)

Good luck everyone

I’m here too! DS gets his results through the school portal at 6.01am. He was supposed to be home last night but couldn’t get a lift back so is with his uncle but he has left the log in for the portal ‘open’ - I’m not going to be able to resist a peek at 6.02am.....am I very naughty??? 🙈😬🤫

Yes, that's the sort of thing!

(I've settled on a banana and a spoonful of peanut butter ~ my brother says they contain a certain 'chemical thing' that helps sleep.)

Oh gosh, Montysmam, I'd have to take a look!

Gloria you are making me want to get up and raid the kitchen too!

I’d definitely have to look!
I might try that peanut butter and banana trick. I’m really tired but wide awake at the same time!

at us all, looking for stuff to eat!

I’ve settled on a slice of toast, we don’t have any bananas in!

DSS gets his results tomorrow and I'm so nervous for him! I know he tried hard but his mocks weren't great and he has no back up plan. To be fair his secondary modern needs bums on seats so I do think they will take him regardless but I wish he had a back-up as I'm not sure A levels actually suit him.

BlewGoose ~ is there a college course he might be interested in, that would suit him instead? With DD1, we (including the teachers that advised us), all thought she'd be OK with A-levels but after slogging away for a year, it was decided it would be better if she left and she did a college course instead. We tend to 'write off' that A-level year but after going through it, I think it's perhaps better to do something else than 'slog away' at them, like DD1 did.

Waves to everyone who is awake 🙌

Long day tomorrow as I have a conference call first thing (and right when DS gets his results!), followed by either celebrations or managing fallout and discussing options. Then I have to dash off and stay away for work. Aaaaegh

I have a clear recollection of my health visitor , when the kids were tiny, laughing at me worrying about something trivial. 'Just you wait' she said 'when they are bigger these tiny things will seem so unimportant as the stakes just get bigger'. God she was right. I know GCSEs aren't the end of the world if they don't go well, but it's the impact on our kids who have worked so hard. My DD suffered terribly with serious MH issues so I guess I'm hyper-sensitive to make sure DC is protected as much as we can.

We love them so much, don't we?

@BlewGoose my DD did BTEC instead and loved it, coming out with top marks across the board -something she never would have achieved with A levels.

It's important to recognise the different learning styles and allow for them.

Id look at other courses to see what's available. A levels and uni are t the be sll and end all in education - despite them being heavily pushed these days.

I hope you're DC finds the right thing and is happy in the next stage of learning.

@GloriaSmud His mum didn't want to look and as a result neither did he. DH dragged him to a few private sixth forms to look around but nothing came of it. He was getting 3-6s in the mocks. Surely that's not a great start for A levels unless he's pulled a complete blinder. The school doesn't exactly have a reputation for fabulous teaching.

He's the one of the kids I worry the most about. He did nothing this summer but sleep and play on his xbox. He doesn't play sports or do any clubs. He's become so withdrawn. He doesn't seem to have many friends either. He's such a bright boy too. He missed the grammar school cut-off by 2 points. It's all just been downhill.

We do, lightlypoached. Things we worried about when they were young seem 'small-stuff' now. DD2 is pretty laid-back and rarely shows nerves but watching her in the last few days, she's shown signs of trying to 'work-off' the added stress of it all.

Right, I think I've done my 1 1/2 hours of being up and walking about ~ think I'm going to try for some more sleep. Hope everyone else that's awake at the moment, gets a few more hours in as well!

Just woken up again! Agree it’s not the end of the world but DS desperately wants to stay for 6th form to play 1st XV rugby! The thought of ‘starting over’ is not great, although I may have pulled quite a good Plan B out of the bag in the last few days...not long to wait now!

Ugh, I reckon I've had about two hours' sleep.

Grade boundaries in a few mins. DS said he wants to be up for them. I must admit I don't really see the point in looking but will sit with him I guess!

Only a couple of hours to go now and it's over!

Where do you find the grade boundaries?

Newbie joining in, been up for an hour, really want to go back to sleep but brain is going now 😆. Until a couple of days ago I was certain DD would have done fine as she was predicted to do fairly well, even though it was a massive slog getting her through the exams (handled the subjects well but so unmotivated and loathed revising). Now I'm panicking she won't have done well and will be devastated, 3 hours to go!

On the exam board websites. I can't remember which boards ds did for which subject though

Another one up early. Really nervous for ds just want him to do well and hoping for the best. Seems like only yesterday that he was running around at bedtime driving me crazy and refusing to settle in his cot. Always ended up in my bed. Where did the time go. Wishing everyone a massive good luck!!!

Good luck all! Had an awful nights sleep and we’ve still got 4 hours to wait!!

I'm also awake early. Been dreaming about dd and her friend (who I tutored through English during most of Y11) all night. Hope they've all done well.

Well he's done it!
Checking in (with first results it looks like):
Five nines - Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Geography;
Three eights - English Language, French, Art
One seven - English Literature.
Dreaded sixth form here we come.
I hope everybody else is as pleased with their results as we are!

3 hours sleep, just getting in the car to head back to London to collect results 🤢 so tired Dd doing well so far.
So much luck everyone

Looked for grade boundaries but not up yet??

I’ve done it! I’ve looked! Now I feel sooooo guilty! He did better in 2 than we could have dreamed of but I’m still not sure if he will pass for 6th form ..a lot of 5s 😬 what to do now? I daren’t own up, even to hubby! 🙈🙈