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!

Justhere and anyone else, this French book was what we used, the audio files for the listening tasks are available online.

It's pretty good tho past papers are better. My advice looks all a bit obvious tbh, it's about not panicking. The traps they set are always the same - here's a bit from 2018 higher paper:

The question was why did they argue - she has had a tattoo, she has had a new piercing, she has dyed her hair? As you see, all three are mentioned. It's sometimes useful to look at the transcript as well:

Je voudrais un tatouage à l’avenir mais ma mère ne sera jamais d’accord ! Hier soir, quand elle a vu mon petit trou dans le nez, sa réaction a été horrible. C’était pire que quand j’ai changé de couleur de cheveux la semaine dernière.

justherewithmypopcorn I think that’s terrible. What a way to upset him just before an exam.

Hopefully its not as bad as the teacher made out...

4 mocks down for DD and many more to go next week. So for a bit of a break we went prom dress shopping today as apparently everyone else have all got theirs (I doubt it) but found the perfect one in an hour and it was heavily reduced. Fingers crossed tastes do not change in the next 4 months...

Thanks for all the French revision tips.

Does anyone have anything useful for history revision? DD has a revision guide but could use something else for question practice. Online quiz or question cards works best for her. Exam board is OCR (B).

Another new joiner if I may. DS in middle of mocks and still not receptive to any parental help. I thought he was starting to realise he would have to work but a week of revision seems to be his limit since he has ground to a halt again. Also trying to support an older DD through A levels. DS had always coasted and done ok but struggles with languages. Time will tell.

DD halfway through mocks. Reading ticket bought (including valuables locker with charging point) by generous Granny.

DS is a week into mocks and trying to keep the momentum going. He spent Friday evening with friends, had a rest day yesterday, then did two practice papers today. Another week and a half of exams to go.

We bought the Reading ticket this weekend too! DD very excited. Didn't realise the locker had a charging point. Think that sounds a good idea.

Art mock done and dusted last week. This week is full on with 2 or 3 mocks a day. DD has extra time but is the only one in triple science with extra time so she's going to be alone in the Hall til 4:15ish...Long long days.

@Wheresthebeach thank you, I think I might mention it to him at parents evening if I see him. DS seems OK just a bit worried as he has maths, today again (along with two other tricky subject exams).

I'm sort of relieved to see other peoples DC have not been flat out revising this weekend, makes me marginally less concerned abut the level of work DS is (not) doing!

@PaddingtonPaddington don't really have useful tips for revision, DS just does cards with key dates and point on. A lot of the history exam marking seems to be about writing the long answers in the correct style (not like English essays)? That's the feedback we got last year anyway.

DD's teachers have said not to expect their best results from mocks. They want them to stay calm about it as they won't have had time to do all the revision. So those use to getting high marks on 'topic' tests should expect less on mocks.

I just hope all the mocks come under the heading of 'okay' - which is as full on an answer as we get from DD following a test (unless, of course she thinks its a problem and then full, gory details plus tears!).

Wishing well to all those in the throes of mocks, and for those done, or due a 2nd set, best of luck on the continuation of prep.

Relatively drama free here with Friday last exam day. Don't think we will get grades like GCSEs; like some previous posters, we have never been given them, which I'm ok about as it keeps the pressure low.

04.50 starts (due to sport) have been a killer post xmas, but for her, keeping to routine as much as possible has always been key, as longer revision hours are not commensurate with better results for her. We'll see if that is still valid from next week when results are in...

Yes, ours have been warned that they will be marking hard. It is meant to be a tactic to give them a kick up the bum. I'm just hoping that he does well enough not to have to do these again in March!

@ealingwestmum I have kept DS off sports just while these exams are going on but assume that your DC is doing something at a higher level with that kind of start time.

Couple of sports start very early at DD's school JustHere due to their facilities so she's in wide company on the early starts!

Totally understandable on keeping your DS off for the exams, they all work so differently. It's important that we as parents recognise their learning style and work with them.

Good luck to those in the middle of mocks. Round two start beginning of March which I’ve just realised is actually not that far away.

Think am going to take DS to GP pre exams and see if he can get the prescription antihistamines and then check well in advance he is ok with them.

Having a bit of a moment. Entrance exam for preferred 6th form is on Saturday and everything is getting a bit real. Applications to two local 6th forms went in at weekend. Would like an exam timetable now and to know if they are going to be doing study leave or not.

DD had her entrance exam in November, so had to spend Oct half term working towards that. Spent Christmas revising for mocks. We are hoping that Feb half term might be a little bit of a break! She had an offer from her preferred 6th form before Christmas so that helped encourage revision over the holidays.

Good luck for Saturday.

@ealingwestmum absolutely agree. I am one to normally encourage sport and activity as a balance but a match can easily take 4 hours out of his day and so we put a temporary stop on. Perhaps if he got up a bit earlier it wouldn't be such a problem but he is a horror to get out of bed especially on a weekend!!

@postnotinhaste I'd get in early with the antihistamines, give him a good few weeks on them for it to build a bit. Make sure the GP doesn't give him drowsy ones!

Thanks Seeline, he cant revise for this one which is something I guess and just focusing on being as rested as possible as a 2 hour journey Saturday morning. Glad your DD has it out of the way, that is great motivation for her ,DS will know next month if he doesn’t get an interview otherwise it will be March before he knows and has to make GCSE grades .

JustherewithmyPopcorn I was thinking that about the non drowsy ones, that would be a disaster !

Hello, I’d love to join this thread please. Have 15yo DS1 sitting GCSEs this summer, first set of mocks were done before Christmas, it’s going to be a bit of a year I think!

DS1 appears to be taking all in stride at the moment and his mock results were encouraging, but he has some additional needs - diagnoses of Aspergers and ADD - both of which very much impact on how much revision he can cope with at a time (ie not very much, it feels like!).

A lot of it is about managing anxieties and keeping him calm. We have had some very sensible advice about revision from his school (no more than half an hour per subject at a time, no point in studying for longer than half an hour on a subject as after half an hour the brain cannot absorb information effectively anyway, aim for four half hour sessions per school evening in run up to exams and then six half hour sessions per day at the weekends) and tried to follow it for the mocks but this wasn’t always doable as he got very stressed...

Looking forward to sharing experiences and support! Good luck to all DC sitting mocks this month.

Hi @Dietcoke, I think that's very sensible advice for everyone (although my DS ignores all sensible advice and just crams ). Are the school offering any advice for him specifically for his anxieties? My son's school are offering mindfulness sessions at lunchtimes during the exam periods to help them manage their stress levels, while that is not specific for additional needs something like that might help maybe?

Can I join? DD getting her mocks results Tomorrow in a proper portend is your exam results fashion...ie all on one paper in a sealed envelope with all year 11 in the hall together! She’s bricking it and considering telling everyone she will open it at home!
Had interview at local 6th form college yesterday that went well, has school interview today...

Blimey Elijah with the envelopes. I can't help feeling schools make such a big deal of GSCEs relative to the way it was handled back in our day. I don't even remember mocks. You just did your exams, you got sent your results in the post (no going to school and jumping in the air) and then forgot about them.

I must say I have moments when I envy the total lack of involvement my parents had in it all. No special breakfasts and a pass on loading the dishwasher for me...

Love this thread though for some perspective. And thanks to you lovely people I've also managed to find the summer exam timetable on the school's parent portal.

DS had the envelope thing before Christmas though I’m not sure how they were handed out. I remember getting my O Level results when a friend picked them up, trudged up the hill and brought them to the shop I was working at that day.

My DD is having the results in an envelope thing next Friday. Seems daft - she finishes mocks this Thursday, but teachers have been told they can't give away mark details before the big reveal, so can't start going over papers until after that. Waste of time!

I don't know how our school will deliver results, I don't think they do the envelope thing but I know at least one other school around here does this. I wonder if it is just to press home the importance.

I agree with Patiencevirtue that I don't remember doing mocks and our results were posted out. I think it's quite mean to make them come in to school, especially if they don't do as well as hoped.

I certainly did mocks for my O levels nearly 40 years ago. But results came in the post for the real thing.