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!

Lilgreen sorry to hear that and hope she feels better about it all very soon. I am a bit like that, need a good rant or wail to get it all out then feel much better.

Tumbleton DS has been prescribed Mometasone and Fexofenadine. Just had a look at Mometasone as not familiar with it and some concerning reviews but not going to panic just yet. He has start early so will know if doesn’t agree and review. I remember when Beconase become widely available, was game changer for me.

Absolutely agree about work environment as well but don’t feel very optimistic about that changing. DS and I were working out how many years he could stay in education in the hope that collective sanity may again prevail by then.

Ealing that is key I think about the many personas and the worst reserved for us.

@lilgreen we had the same at the beginning of half term. So much work that DD can't have a day off despite Head telling them to rest. I don't think the teachers are listening to the senior staff's message at all.

It's really difficult to know what to do x

Thanks all. I think the worst thing is that she has extra mocks next week in maths and science. They are her weakest subjects (4,5,5 in mocks) so I think without those exams she might feel less pressure.

@postNotInHaste - just to say I was on Mometasone and had none of the worrying side effects. It really helped me.

DD now feels better. Rollercoaster time! It was triggered by the battery in her calculator failing. Chuffed that I found the tiny screwdrivers in the garage and fixed the damn thing. I was determined not to buy another as they’re not cheap!

Really glad she is feeling better Lilgreen and well done for sorting it. So often it’s the little things that send tip things over the edge.

Thank you Wheresthebeach, that helps to know. I know you always see the negative online and try to ignore it but did that with a Prostrap injection last year and bitterly regretted it.

@postnotinhaste - We've just started immunology therapy for hayfever. It's a three year programme (taking pills for three years) but should give relief from symptoms for a decade.

Have no idea if it will work, hospital app't every 6 months. Might be worth looking into if hay fever is severe.

How much did your dc do daily during half term?

I don’t know @bitesize DD manages it herself. I think a few hours a day but we were away a couple of days and she listened to some poetry podcasts and had revision cards in the car.

My dd hasn’t done any work except for some prep for her Spanish oral, which she did on Monday. I’m fine with that. She’s been struggling with her mental health and it’s been a hard half term. Things will ramp up when they go back on Monday. I wanted her to have a rest and some fun.

There’s still a lot of time left. I don’t want GCSEs to totally ruin the next 3.5 months! Maybe I’m wrong? I just look back and I don’t remember this much stress this early on in year 11. I also don’t think my GCSE results had a massive impact on my life either! It will be fine. I can understand some anxiety if your kids are looking like failing English and Maths and I would be the same. But otherwise - if their mocks were all at 4/5 plus I think we need to chill out a bit!

On the other hand, I’m already worrying about year 9 ds, after his latest Chemistry test result of 0%! He’s doing a three year GCSE too so he needs to know this stuff!

So just to say - I’m trying to be chilled but I can understand those of you who aren’t feeling that way!

DS is doing 2-3 hours a day which I am alternatively impressed by and worrying that it is not enough!!

I think that the next 3.5 months will be entirely dominated by GCSEs. DS is one whose mocks were very poor and is really struggling with learning in general - I would absolutely be chilling out if he'd got all 4s and 5s in them!

I was in the first year to take GCSEs. I had less than half the number of exams that DS has, and had banked a huge number of marks through coursework. So there genuinely is more pressure these days.

My DS suffers from general allergies ( he's allergic to a lot of things) and has recently started on daily Fexofenadine. They've changed his life! Before them he had a permanently runny/itchy nose

@B1teS1ze
my DD has done homework set, done paid work and has been out with friends.
I don’t monitor how much unless in my opinion it’s too much!
She sat mocks in January and as several subject syllabuses won’t finish until Easter, I’m happy for her to keep on top of homework at this moment in time.
As crazy says, there is a lot of time before the exams proper. and Id much prefer she just ‘ticks along’ for now.

Not entirely sure what DS is doing but he has more mocks at start of March and has high targets to meet if he gets his sixth form offer so I think he is working. If it were not for that I would prefer him to be resting this holiday. He has Post It notes on the go so I think something happening...

Definitely more pressure now. I was a couple of years before you Redsky and I don’t actually really remember revising though assumably I did and no idea the number of exams sat.I guess things like league tables didn’t exist then, not so many people went to university and as a rule much less parental involvement though maybe that was just where I was.

DH and I were saying how sorry we feel for them all, they have been screwed over on so many levels then people go round calling them snowflakes.

@RedskyAtnight sorry you’re in a more stressful position 😬 Hopefully your school marked mocks harshly and your ds will do much better than expected.

3.5 hours each day but has mocks next week otherwise would have rested. O Levels were definitely not this intense... hoping for a peaceful week after mocks before the final push!

namechangenumber2 that’s great to hear, very pleased for your DS and hopeful DS will find the same.

RedSky I have been where you are and understand it is very stressful. I think it is sensible to sign over the next few months then you know you’ve done your absolute best and won’t have regrets. I think that is really impressive he is doing that amount, good on him. Can I gently suggest if you haven’t already done so to plan yourself some nice things along the way to break it up and give you some time out here and there just to be you for a few hours?

Right, off to the maths tutor. Hope this pays off. It’s £25 ph!

Just home to Child a Benefit letter for DD. I have to complete a form to say she’s staying in education or training or the benefit will stop in September. Given that all teens have to stay in some sort of education or training, this seems like a good way to reduce payouts! Can’t do it online and the envelope isn’t even prepaid!

DS has worked about 4 hours a day for the days that he has worked this HT week so it hasn't been too intense. Generally, 2 hrs in the morning followed by 2 hrs in the afternoon.

He's done some socialising - sleepover at a friend's plus going to the cinema and band practice. He has had 3 days off completely - a break which I think he needed.

He has an Eng Lang mock coming up next week so he needs to do some prep for that this weekend. DH is supervising science revision on Sat/Sun mornings - confidence boosting mainly at the kitchen table. Repeating the mantra - every little helps!

We've just had the same letter lilgreen. It did strike me that needing to get it back by 31st August did not sit well with potentially having to wait till GCSE results day (or beyond) to know what your DC was doing next year!! Seems like this is a whole process that needs a rethink now that everyone has to stay in education or training beyond age 16!

Exactly @redsky and no option to complete online. Major waste of resources.

Yes we had that letter and I thought the same as I ferreted around for a first class stamp.

And first class stamps are going up to 76p!