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Original poster

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

999 replies

OrangeCinnamon · 07/01/2020 09:54

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!

OP posts:
Wheresthebeach · 30/01/2020 08:20

Anyone else's teen descended into the negative mindset? Nothing we say seems to get through. Not sleeping brilliantly, denying being stressed Confused but honestly if I said 'it's a nice day' her response would be 'no it's not, it's a terrible day because of weather/temperature/quality of sunlight/air'.

Her mocks went well (with the exception of maths), so we thought she's be...well...happy for more than a nano-second. Its starting to exhaust me now...

Tumbleton · 30/01/2020 08:44

Now that his mocks are over, it's time for DS to choose his A-level preferences. He has had two taster sessions (where he sat in a Y12 class).

He would like to do two out of computer science, physics and chemistry, which is fine as he got 7, 7, 8 in the mocks for these. He understands that it would be very useful to take maths, but he only got 6 in his maths mock. There is a maths revision group at school, where they can do a practice paper each week and then the teacher goes through it with them; he plans to do this and should be able to get a 7 in the summer.

I suspect that maths A-level is not going to come easily to him, but he wants to go to university to study a STEM subject.

ealingwestmum · 30/01/2020 09:24

We seem to share the same DD traits Wheresthebeach!

I asked her yesterday if was possible to not start every sentence with “well the problem is...” 🙄

Lovemusic33 · 30/01/2020 10:02

Tumbleton that’s exactly the issues dd has, she wants to peruse computer science but to get into the course at uni she will need maths, she got a 7 in her mock and I suspect even if she gets a 8 she will struggle to do maths A level, it’s not that she’s not capable, she just doesn’t find maths fun. She has submitted her application and will take maths. Dd is refusing to do the maths revision sessions at school as she feels she can revise better at home, she’s already doing English and science after school, I might have to push her to attend maths.

dietcokeandwine · 30/01/2020 11:05

Is anyone else’s school not already offering after school and Saturday revision classes? Feeling slightly concerned that so many dc seem to be doing a lot of after school structured revision stuff at school already - nothing currently offered at DS’s school as far as I can tell. Or are the DC doing revision classes all at independents?

Parents consultations for us this evening so I might ask about revision lessons then.

PostNotInHaste · 30/01/2020 11:09

I think tiredness kicking in at the moment, both DS and person we take to school over slept this morning. They both look and sound tired and need half term - though mocks round 2 shortly after so not much of a break.

With the Maths are the school giving guidance on it all? DS has gone from being really likely to want to do Computer Science degree to not he wants to do it for A level. College he wants to go to said during their talk that a lot of the STEM courses are including more aspects of computing and it made him think, hence the turn around.

I do get the impression having seen lots of friend’s DC’s that Maths A Level can be a really hard slog for some unfortunately and have seen some with A at GCSE do really badly and have to drop it.

Seeline · 30/01/2020 11:09

My DD is at an indy and as far as I am aware there are no extra sessions yet. I don't know if there will be actually - don't remember them being mentioned. She hasn't finished the course in any of her subjects yet either so no general class revision either.

ealingwestmum · 30/01/2020 11:12

Neither here Diet. Some subjects still have a couple of weeks to go on finishing syllabus, then focus will be on past question/answer technique. In class only...

ealingwestmum · 30/01/2020 11:14

Clearly same as Seeline !

ProggyMat · 30/01/2020 11:17

No revision classes at DD's school (Indie) and me finks Saturday classes would go down like a lead balloon!

Seeline · 30/01/2020 11:21

Furthermore, DD is still getting her usual homework. One or two bits are past exam questions to help with revision, but most is just to do with the new stuff that they are still learning. This means that she really hasn't got any time to do the revision she wants to do, in her own way. Hopefully they will have a bit more freedom to study in their own way after half term.

Redazzy · 30/01/2020 11:22

Dietcokeandwine my ds has been doing half hour Maths revision classes twice a week during their end of day review (tutor) time. They have also been offered french and RE revision classes at lunch time weekly. There has been nothing happening out of school hours as yet. He goes to a comp.

Wheresthebeach · 30/01/2020 11:36

@ealingwestmum - that made me laugh!

It's driving me nuts, I realise that getting snippy at her isn't going to help but the grooves in my tongue from biting it so often are starting to hurt!

Revision lessons are starting next week, early morning/lunchtimes and afterschool. Some days are going to be long, which I do worry about in terms of exhaustion and stress.

dietcokeandwine · 30/01/2020 11:37

Thank you all, that’s reassuring to hear!

@Seeline DS still getting regular homework too...

@PostNotInHaste I think you are right re the maths, it has the highest drop out rate of any A level in the country apparently (or so we were told by the head of 6th form at DS’s school). Hard for dc who need it for the next step but don’t absolutely love it as a subject.

crazycrofter · 30/01/2020 12:05

@dietcokeandwine no revision classes here (independent school) and I don't think any are planned. From what I hear, it's mainly comprehensives that do (often compulsory) revision classes. My ds is at a grammar and I think they have a handful of sessions in the Easter holidays but only for four or five subjects and that's it.

My friend who works at a local comp says it's mainly for the less motivated students who otherwise wouldn't revise on their own. They've found it improves their results.

Dd hasn't finished the syllabus in any of her subjects. For history a whole module (so 25% of the course) was only started in January! She's finding all the homework overwhelming and certainly hasn't got time to start revision yet. She also has English coursework (IGCSE) due in next week so that's taking precedence.

Re Maths, a friend's son got a 7 at GCSE (just, I think) and is really struggling with it at A Level (now year 13). It's looking borderline as to whether he'll pass. At dd's school you have to have an 8 to take it at A Level and I think that's probably reasonable.

PostNotInHaste · 30/01/2020 12:12

Yes really difficult for them Dietcoke

State ‘aspiring school’ as Bristol university nicely put it which I think actually men’s bottom 40%. Extra revision sessions started a couple of weeks ago in a lot of subjects allegedly. Only evidence I have seen is email about two extra English lectures. No timetable yet, don’t know about study leave but looking unlikely apparently.

Syllabus finished for Maths at end of year 10 and History very recently. Think I had better ask about the rest and I have no idea about homework I have just realised.

ProggyMat · 30/01/2020 13:15

Re Maths, DD has also finished the syllabus and her set are working through L2 FM. This has been taught alongside core maths since Yr10.
I suspect the thinking is that the FM will help with the jump from GCSE to A level Maths.

RedskyAtnight · 30/01/2020 13:23

DS is at a comp and they have been running after school revision sessions since September (8 sessions a week in total, covering all subjects).
However, their school gives very little homework.
Sadly, the attendance at the revision sessions is reportedly very low (DS refuses to go, and in fairness is mostly working on coursework in the "just after school" period).

namechangenumber2 · 30/01/2020 14:14

Further to my post about DS's interview earlier in the week.... he's been offered a place!

namechangenumber2 · 30/01/2020 14:16

DS has revision classes 3 days a week for every subject. They're 30 mins each and he has a rota as he can't do them all every week

ealingwestmum · 30/01/2020 14:33

👍 namechange!

EwwSprouts · 30/01/2020 14:45

Well done namechange DS !

dietcoke The only revision class that was being offered was MFL and that's just been pulled for personalised interventions. Many subjects not yet completed syllabus and normal homework still being set. School has no history of GCSE revision classes in Easter hols although DT students can get access.

Lovemusic33 · 30/01/2020 15:09

Crazy I think history teachers are struggling to cover everything, DD’s teacher said in previous years they have only had to cover 4 areas but now they have to cover 8 or 9 so they are struggling to cover each area, we were told to try and encourage dd to cover one area at home (WW2) so I have been trying to get dd to watch films and documentaries, not always easy when she’s doesn’t want too. Her history teacher is offering revision sessions at the weekend it dd doesn’t want to go. Dd got a 8 in her mocks and is predicted a 9 in her final exams.

dietcokeandwine · 30/01/2020 15:11

@EwwSprouts that sounds similar to our scenario-now I think of it there have been extra booster Spanish sessions offered at DS’s school, he just didn’t want to go to them Hmm

@namechangenumber2 well done your DS re the college place, brilliant news!

Shimy · 30/01/2020 15:12

Well done @namechangenumber2

Re: revision - No revision classes at ds's indy. Starting to wonder wether we should be doing some Hmm