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!

Heifer my dd is trying to get her physics from a level 4 up to a 6, she’s doing ok in chemistry (9) and is on track in biology, I’m hoping she can get her grade up in time, she’s doing after school classes.

DD is tired. We have a short break over half term to visit DD1 at uni but she’ll be revising all week as core subject mocks continue after the holiday. Is everyone else doing that?

We have a walk/talk through mock after half term and a couple others (biology as it wasn’t included in the other mocks they did).

I think it’s extra maths and science papers. Plus she has her real food and nutrition practical.

Lovemusic33 - good luck to your DD. had to smile at your comment "she is doing ok at Physics (9) :-)
DD school realised her class is not where they should be in Chemistry (teacher asked to leave at the end of Yr10 if the rumours are true), they are doing what they can to catch up so fingers crossed.
After HF the enrichments will include catch up sessions in every subject in the afternoon (used to have a very long lunch but now have to do 30 mins enrichments each day after lunch). DD has been called to Physics & Chem and wants to attend Spanish and Maths so that only leaves 1 day free. I may need to get her extra help with the Chem but will see how she goes.

DD is on cloud 9 right now as I have just purchased her Leeds Festival ticket. I really didn't think we would be letting her go, but it seems it's the thing in Yr 11 and EVERYONE goes... To be fair she hasn't given us any reason not to trust her, she has been to about 9 parties now and although we know she drinks a little, she hasn't been drunk. She has been very honest with what has gone on and what she has done (or not). She is going with some good friends. Hope she has a great time.

Hunkered down today. DS spent yesterday doing HW and his last DoE volunteering session for his Silver. Yay!

Today, DH helped DS with some active science revision (CGP exam practice questions). The plan is to do this for an hour or two every weekend alternating the sciences from now on.

I'm planning to cover some Eng Lit & French with DS during half term (have a few days off) Might be flogging a dead horse with French but haven't given up just yet. Very glad that we're not going on holiday since it's obvious that DS needs to plug some gaps in his least favourite subjects.

There is no way that we have the time to sit with him every evening after work to micro manage HW/revision. I can't imagine many parents have the time to do this, let alone the inclination. Kudos points for those who manage it though.

DS has gaps to fill in physics and chemistry from year 10 after change of teachers but new ones seem to be doing a great job.
Mocks round 2 start next month. I did have plans to dispatch him off to his sister during half term for a night and may yet but he is tired and with mocks looming it probably isn’t the best plan.

@sansou I couldn’t if I wanted to. Too difficult.

There is no way that we have the time to sit with him every evening after work to micro manage HW/revision.

I don't have time or inclination either, but if DS's second set of mocks (just after Feb) turn out no better than the first, I'm going to have to accept that DS just simply "can't" (rather than won't) revise on his own (he spends plenty of time doing "stuff", just not convinced it is the right stuff) and make micro-managing his revision my 2nd full time job. In fairness we do suspect he has an as-yet-undiagnosed learning difficulty as organisation (and writing) are very difficult for him. I would absolutely not expect to do this with DD or with another type of child!

I see my role largely as stationery-provider, printer-outer and Tassomai-payer. Oh, and encourager and snack-provider!

KingscoteStaff - I can relate to that :-) Would like to add nagger to get some sleep.

Parents evening tonight. I'm hoping to at least find out what extra revision sessions are available to make sure DS is attending the appropriate ones. I also particularly want to find out about French listening and what, if any, help they will be getting in this.

Tired DS here too, although this is more karate related than revision related I have to say! He’s done 6 hours’ worth of intensive karate training over the weekend but the trade off is worth it, he’s so happy when he comes out of karate. He even spoke to his younger brothers during family dinner last and helped them with a Pokemon quiz, this is almost unheard of

I am trying not to micro manage too much, although like @RedskyAtnight we have the SEN issue so have to do more than with a neurotypical child. I do help with structuring the revision timetable and I am definitely provider of snacks - mini chicken fillets and toffees are the favourites here! We are away skiing over half term though (hope no one breaks anything!!) so not much work will be done until after we get back. Next set of mocks in April.

Micromanaged DD here - it couldn’t happen any other way.
I really enjoy learning alongside her (having not had a particularly good education at secondary level myself) but as has been said, it’s a big drain on my time and energy.

Given that she’s gone from struggling with sciences, history and geography, to getting 9-9, 7,8, I definitely think it’s needed and has made a massive difference.

Very much hoping that A levels will be a different story, with much greater input from the school to support her SEN.

Well done to all you parents putting in effort yourselves! 😁 I’m not doing anything this time round although I will probably need to with ds in two years time - although he’s also very stubborn and tends to refuse help. Not looking forward to that!

Dd has decided just to do Spanish (speaking exam is in March) and a couple of other subjects in the half term evenings and otherwise have a break. I’m of the mind that she knows what she needs to do and she’s fairly keen to do well, so I’ll trust her.

No micro-managing here either. I do nothing but nag. Apparently. All offers of help are refused and 'Kevin & Perry' eye raise as to Mum interfering.

I think I'm macro-managing ;-) DS has ASD and dyslexia, so high level organisation of what he needs to do (aka a massive spreadhsheet per subject) I got involved in - but day to day he's handling. The one big advantage of his ASD b&w thinking is if he's agreed he'll do 2 hours/day; downstairs ... then that's what he does, whether he likes it or not!

Just signed ds up to a small group tutorial course for Eng Lang after half term: with a Y13 student who hit a 9 at his school. DD is currently having a Y12 student tutor her in maths and it's been amazing, so hoping this will help him too... his mock was good but English is definitely his most challenging subject at the mo, and English Lang is hard to practice I think...

@RedskyAtnight I had to micromanage for DD1 as she clearly couldn't do it, nor did she have the organisation skills. Dec y11 she was confirmed with dyspraxia.

We are micromanaging. We created the Macbeth character quote bank last night. I will be able to take all my GCSEs again after this! We watch the Youtube videos and pause, make notes, look at the text, play the video again. Blah.

Every night 9pm-10pm.

For ref our mocks were: 7, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 3

Wow @christophertracy! These posts make me worried, as I'm not sure I'll have the patience to do this with ds. But I'm not sure he'll do very well without help....

I've stopped micro managing DS. Since giving up nagging him he seems to have pulled up his socks on his own! Still not revising to the level I think he should but considerably better than he was 🤞🏻

I have no patience either but DS always used to emerge from his room to watch a boxset with us 9-10pm so we have just replaced that with video revision. TBF he knows he doesnt get anything done on his own.

I won't say it isn't a struggle sometimes. He is much less anxious and stressed now though as we are actually getting somewhere. Before we started this he was getting physical symptoms of stress and it was worrying as he knew he should be revising but just wasnt able to on his own.

Mine manages himself which is kind of sweet. I occasionally get invited in for 'Study Club'.

I have never got involved. Luckily haven’t needed to with either DDs. Occasional requests to test them on something from their notes etc.