Thread 3: Continuing to GCSEs Summer 2020 - Happy New Exam Year!

[OrangeCinnamon]

Continuation of previous thread
Thread 2

Thread 1 Year 10

At the end of last thread there was a bit of talk on prom dresses ( recommend Fonthill Rd in London if you can get there) by @proggymat and @crazycrofter

@TigerMum had a query regarding moving to foundation level at this stage.

Sorry peeps thread progressed without me noticing so none can reply to your queries!

@oblovmov20 I'd be glad he's socialising and doing other stuff! There are a lot of kids in year 11 really struggling with stress and/or mental health issues so being laid back isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world! I know you're worried though....

Is he on course to pass English and History? If so, I wouldn't worry too much. A lot of kids get a spread of marks and go on to do A Levels in their stronger subjects. He'll get there in the end!

Dd is socialising a lot, thankfully, but she's also really struggling mentally. She's started some counselling, which I hope will help. She gets very overwhelmed with the amount of work and the socialising makes that worse, because she's got less time to get it done - however, I think she also really needs the socialising to lift her mood. It's a hard balance. I hope sixth form will be easier but I'm worried that it won't be. Everyone says A Levels are so hard!

Ds is obsessed with boxing, but I've not allowed him to do it - he does ju jitsu instead. He's almost blind in one eye, so I'm terrified of any sport where there's a risk of him damaging his good eye..

I’ll get the A level and GCSE whammy in two years - DD is in year 9 and on current performance it looks like she will be more self sufficient than DS...

More than usual testy household last night. DH reacted strongly to the school's mock report where DD informs us that whilst Eng Lang's grade boundary was 92%+ for 8+ (no 9's purposely issued by school), that in reality, it would be lower. And that every subject's boundaries varied, but school was well known for erring on caution and setting tougher mocks.

DH couldn't quite get his head around this, in spite of my trying to inform him how things have changed, system is still new and adjustments are fluid etc, it is what it is and that I was sure that the History dept would still accept her request to read A level with a mock 7. Whilst in my head, I'm screaming 'I didn't make up the fucking rules, why are you having a pop at me?'

It is unlike me to react, but at times, whilst I am solid at researching and keeping him (and DD) informed of educational matters, all schools and their approaches do differ. What we gain in good stuff, which is lots, shouldn't by clouded by one anomaly that can easily be resolved without so much drama. And to not let us be those parents this week that focus on the negative...

There. I feel so much better.

@dietcokeandwine It's been 'interesting so far I was getting very confused doing uni open days at the same time as 6th form open evenings.
DD has always been far more conscientious than DS, and whilst I helped him a lot with GSCEs, the A level stuff is beyond me, and at 18 I really think he should be capable of managing to get course work (DT), homework and the rest of the stuff sorted on his own. It would appear he isn't and I don't really know what to do. I really don't want to neglect DD just because she gets on with stuff - she still needs support.

Actually, the double whammy isn’t too bad - at least they’re both studying so there’s a focussed atmosphere in the evenings. DD is enjoying herself quizzing DS to find out how much Chemistry he’s forgotten in 18 months.

Kingscote - yes we're finding DS quite useful in explaining tricky maths questions as he is doing it for A level.

Well be in the double whammy position in 2 years’ time, and I’m with those that suggest it’s easier than having 2 kids at different stages; at least neither will feel they’re missing out on family life whilst having to revise.

crazy, I totally empathise with your conundrum, re bursaries and decisions. We have applied for scholarships and bursaries at both schools. If DD turns down her current school place but then doesn’t make the grades needed to move, any bursary and scholarship she might originally have been awarded will no longer apply...and that’s a lot of money to have taken away, isn’t it?

It’s a shame all the different schools don’t have an agreed decisions date, so that students can have all offers in hand at the same time.

Can see that’s very difficult with bursaries and deadlines, adds another layer to an already stressful time.
Oblomov I wish DS would socialise more and I worry about this. Think it’s really common they don’t know what they want to do at this stage. I know I was thinking I would do a language degree, was I’ll and dropped out for a bit then did something totally different.

DS is another pretty able one who hates languages, though wanted to try German. Was very relieved they had stopped insisting they take one by the time he came around. He is has dyslexia though and I think for him that is part of that to some extent.

I would really really like to know where one of my DC will be in September. I know the country for DD but not the university or city and DS will either be at home or away during the week. It’s giving me a gnawing sense of unease.

MFL woes here too. Other mock results ok (no English yet) but Spanish completely adrift. DS says not just him and main problem was there was quite a bit of vocab that just isn't in the text book. A PP mentioned Duolingo so might look into that.

Yes can imagine that in some ways the “double whammy” is easier in that both are (in theory!) knuckling down and studying, @KingscoteStaff. You can gear your household to that I suppose. My youngest is only 6 so is obviously very much at the ‘play dates and reading practice’ stage of life! We have to have a ‘no play dates at our house’ rule whilst exams are going on - just too much noise and stress for DS1 - so I suspect I shall be calling in a lot of play date favours from younger DC’s friends’ parents come the summer...

Socialising is a tough one. I worried so much about it when DS1 was little - mainly because of the ASD - I worried that he’d never make friends. He actually now has a genuinely lovely group of mates and whilst they don’t socialise a huge amount - definitely not ones for the party scene - they are a massive support to each other and do enjoy house gatherings and the occasional outing etc. Regardless of what happens with DS’s GCSE grades I will be forever grateful for that.

I taught MFL including the new spec so if anyone wants any advice on that do PM me. I would say in general, get the breakdown of the four papers /skills to see better where they struggle, that often helps.

@Piggywaspushed - Hi Piggy! He mentioned that Speaking was cancelled on the day but I now don’t know wether it’s taken place. I’ll ask. Thing is he wants to study something like Business management, so I always thought a language, at least at GCSE level will hold him in good stead? We always knew he was never going to do it for A’levels but at least pass it at gcse. Also he really likes Bath and there’s been murmurings of Durham , and I’m thinking they might not look too kindly on someone with a 3 in a language for a business/management course (although they don’t specify this) but you sort of infer that from these universities or am I being overly cautious?

@PostNotInHaste - Thank you, thats very kind and noted the resource.

@MirandaWest Still trying to get my head round it myself that my ‘baby’ will be a sixth former in September. It’s hard enough trying to get my round the fact he’s sitting GCSEs
@ProggyMat - Thanks. We have parents evening next week, so hopefully we’ll get to the bottom and breakdown of what’s what.

@AnneOfCleavage - One of worries I have is, one really bad result casting a shadow over all the others. When they apply to ucas, they have to include ALL results?

We also have the "double whammy" in 2 years time (assuming DS makes it to A Levels, which is far from a certainty at the moment).

I originally thought that this was a good thing that we got all the angst over with at once, but all my mental head space is so focused on DS, I can't imagine supporting 2 DC at once. That said, it's likely that DD will just get on with it and not require the level of support that DS currently does. And at least A Levels is only 3 subjects and not "stupid number"!

One of my colleagues has 3 boys with 2 years between each. The youngest 2 are doing A levels and GCSEs this year. So she’s been through the double whammy a bit

WTF with all the rubbish MFL? I was going to namecheck all the fellow sufferers of the three-grades-below-all-others but there are too many of us in that bateau. @clary why do you think this is so prevalent? Is it badly taught? The grade boundaries too high?

We had a parents evening and the French teacher was lovely about ds, says it's really not for want of effort. Listening to him practise his oral presentation was one of the more painful aspects of parenting (and I'm including childbirth). He seemed to have absolutely no understanding of what he was saying, it was as if I'd learnt a Chinese speech by rote. Honestly after two listens I felt I could it do better (and my French is pretty rubbish).

His form teacher even mooted the idea that he drop it if it carries on being such an outlier, but I really don't want that and I can't see how with a combined effort we can't raise it a couple of grades. Is it unrealistic to go from a 5 to 7 with a tutor, extra one-to-ones at school and supportive parents?

On the other hand, he is doing 11 and I don't want the rest to suffer.

Patience yes I actually do think that is the case. In foundation you need something like 80% to get a pass (is that 4 or 5) but in higher it's much much lower. DD is seriously thinking of trying higher in her Feb mocks (if she's allowed to) just to see if she can get that coveted 4. One of her friends cried that the Higher was so hard in her mocks last term but got a 7 as grade boundaries lower hence why DD is thinking of trying. I missed parents evening last month as away so didn't know how far off a 4 she was.

Shimy eek. That is a blow. Although how would they know what they took unless you have to scan your result sheet in to prove it - is that the case? She's had so many supply teachers over the years and lost a complete year as the supply teacher was only used to teaching Spanish in year 9 that it's not really a surprise they are struggling. Year 7 and 8 her teacher was off sick for a lot of the time. Her friend who got a 7 is multi lingual in other languages so I guess she just gets it more than DD does.

We have stressed though that she really needs to concentrate on the subjects she wants to do at A level and obv to get Maths, Eng and Science. She obv doesn't want to fail at any subject just for her own achievement but with all these extra study periods and Saturday school she will be worn out and burnt out by actual GCSEs. We did have a Maths and Eng tutor for her (started in year 10) but these have had to go now as she physically hasn't the time to see them or do any homework they set her now they've cranked up the revision sessions.

5 here for french. Worst mark gained by DS (a 3 in the listening paper).

I am currently encouraging that DS starts 'immersing' himself in the language a bit more. Listening to french via TV, radio, sample papers - any other ideas? He is not keen but I think the more comfortable he is hearing it the better he will do in the listening and also it might improved his accent for the oral.

Ha, I tried that - he whizzed through two series of Call My Agent on Netflix and loved them. Didn't seem to make a blind bit of difference. And Asterix in the original. It's like he's got a hole in his brain where language learning is concerned.

Although how would they know what they took unless you have to scan your result sheet in to prove it - is that the case?

Hoping someone can answer this.

DS saysthe teacher is rubbish, but he says his French teacher’s have always been rubbish plus lots of changes (French teachers coming and leaving).

It's not advisable to not declare results. Any employer at any point can ask to see your exam certificates, as can a university. It still happens to me and I am 97

The problem with MFL is a lack of teachers and a huge retention and recruitment crisis in teaching in general and MFL specifically. Good MFL teachers are like hen's teeth : many schools resort to unqualified native speakers. Cleary their language skills are not in question but their teaching skills are often not 'refined'.

My DSs are the polar opposite. Lots of very substandard teaching but DS1 got an A* in Spanish GCSE (not so good at A Level where the consequences of inconsistent staffing were more felt) and DS2 is on track (so we are told...) for a 9. His big consequence has been with music where there has been disaster after disaster and, arguably, such specialised teaching is a gap that cannot be plugged. DS1 got an A in French but was no genius, including his aforementioned D in geography with a really excellent teacher!

Imo as a teacher good teaching really does matter but the most significant factor is good parenting : which you are all exhibiting by the bucketload, so panic not!

No one has ever asked to see my exam results as in proof of my exam results.

DD’s worst result in her mocks was German, she’s not really bothered about it at all, I’m trying to encourage her to do more revision but she feels it’s more important to work on the subjects she got 7/8’s in to get them up to 9’s rather than trying to get her German up to a 6. I do kind of see her point.

Dd blames her poor resault in German partly on the teacher and partly on the other students in her class, only 12 pupils took German and most are the kids that cause trouble so most of her lessons are taken up with the teacher trying to control the students.

Piggy your ds’s sound really gifted in languages. With substandard teaching an A* and predicted a 9! Does he want to study foreign languages at uni? Funnily enough, DS2 is really gifted in Music and predicted a 9 in that .