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Secondary education

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Original poster

GCSE mock disaster

32 replies

Flippinfab40 · 15/12/2020 19:09

DD is doing combined science. School have never raised any concerns about her work or ability and predicted 5-5 in October and entered her for higher level mocks.

She got U in her Physics mock. She hasn't got a result for Chemistry yet but she finds it harder than Physics. She got a low 4 in Biology.

She does homework, did all online work set over lockdown and hasn't had any time off school since they went back. She didn't have any end of year 10 exams and no earlier marks were ever low like this. Something has gone very wrong!

She didn't do a lot of revision so has not helped herself but I'm wondering if she understands anything at all they have covered. She says she doesn't understand Chemistry at all but thought she understood some Physics.

She's become very unmotivated in general since lockdown. She does what school asks of her but I am struggling to get her to do anything else except lie in bed on her phone ☹️

Assuming I / she can improve her motivation, is there any way she can get up to a pass standard?

OP posts:
TeenPlusTwenties · 15/12/2020 19:16

How low did they mark down to, presumably a 3? So she might have been 1 mark below a 3 and therefore got a U.

When she gets the paper back she needs to go through and see where she lost marks, was it:

  • not understanding the topic
  • not learning the topic
  • not realising what the question was after
  • not using key words in the answer
  • picking incorrect equations
  • doing the maths wrong
then she will know what she needs to work on.

She has 6 months, she can make a big difference in that time. And Physics is only 2/3 of a GCSE (or 1/3 of the double award)

One bad mock is not a disaster.

You may like to enquire re dropping to foundation though.
With foundation tier you can still get her predicted 5-5, but can get lower grades if you don't do so well.
With foundation there is slightly less content, and easier questions.
In my view the content that goes is definitely the harder stuff. Plus the maths will be easier in foundation too.

sleepismysuperpower1 · 15/12/2020 19:17

could you afford a tutor? even once every week/two weeks would help, this one might be worth a look (£25 per hour, but he takes into account how the student learns best and takes it from there). I think I would also be asking the school to enter her for foundation, rather than higher. All the best x
tutorful.co.uk/tutors/8nmvdpp2

TeenPlusTwenties · 15/12/2020 19:29

If she moves to foundation it will have to be for all 6 papers, you can't mix and match.

Original poster
Flippinfab40 · 15/12/2020 19:45

Thank you for your replies.

I think she definitely will be doing Foundation and I don't imagine the school will object. The mocks were marked all the way down to U including 1s and 2s so she is a long way off. I think she said she got 7%.

They can't bring any mock papers home so I can't look at it myself but they have started going through in class.

We will definitely look at tutors although DD is reluctant.

The mark is so low it feels like she needs to start from scratch and learn the entire course but I guess a good and experienced tutor could unpick what she does and doesn't know and work from there.

DD is pretty upset, especially as the teacher read out the grades as he returned the papers, but I'm hoping she will do what she needs to now to get herself to at least a grade 4.

OP posts:
sleepismysuperpower1 · 15/12/2020 19:51

Could you and your dd print out the specification of the GCSE foundation for each science, and go through each one, ticking and crossing the things she knows and the things she doesn't? That might give you a better idea of areas to work with with the tutor x

Movinghouse2015 · 15/12/2020 20:31

www.my-gcsescience.com/

Would definitely recommend this site as a resource. It's very reasonable and easy to work through.

Pipandmum · 15/12/2020 20:41

She didn't revise and got low marks? That's the problem right there. My daughter studies for days and days before her exams - she has finished the syllabus in some subjects do ots revision from now on in class too.
Your daughter needs a good revision schedule for the next lot, with specific goals for each subject (not just spend hours reading her notes, but actual areas of difficulty and lots of past papers that can be found online). It also helps to verbally express things - like explain the X system to you to make sure she not only understands it but can explain it.

RedskyAtnight · 15/12/2020 20:53

Can she try the foundation papers? Remember the higher paper only has hard questions so it sounds like the higher paper was just inaccessible for her, and you might find she can pick up a decent number of marks on the easier papers.

TicTacTwo · 15/12/2020 21:01

If she didn't study, I wouldn't expect her to get her predicted 5-5. 5-5 is what they predict her to get summer 2021 and if she studied, maybe she could get closer to her target.

Does she know how to study for exams?
You can download and print out past papers from the exam board website btw

RaaRaaLaLaLaa · 15/12/2020 21:03

She didn't revise and got low marks? That's the problem right there.

I agree. My dd did four hours a night on four school nights and all day on one of the weekend days.

Is your dd doing more mocks in the spring? It might be the push she needs to get more serious about studying if she wants the grades.

It's very difficult as you can't really make them do a damn thing! You can only encourage and provide somewhere for them to work etc.

Original poster
Flippinfab40 · 15/12/2020 22:27

Yes, I agree completely about the lack of revision. I'm not sure that even when she does revise, she knows the best way to go about it. I think she's had her head buried in the sand and I'm hoping this gives her a big push in the right direction.

She does need to work through past papers and the other suggestions on here but with a U it feels like she's a long way from being able to do that because she seems to not know anything.

OP posts:
TheoriginalLEM · 15/12/2020 22:41

Does she want to study sciences at A level? If not, can she do the foundation level?

My DD has her physics mock tomorrow. It is her weakest science but she wants to study chemistry and biology at A level wuth physics as a possible fourth - she is currently working at 5- so its a worry. She works hard but im not sure if she has mastered revision.

Titsywoo · 15/12/2020 22:44

My DD also struggles with science and I think the main thing is not understanding what they are asking for in the questions. I find it hard as well and I am pretty intellegent! I got her a tutor which I hope has helped (they do zoom sessions) - she gets her mock results on Friday...

Cuddling57 · 15/12/2020 22:50

Have a look at past papers and compare the higher and the foundation.
I haven't looked at science but in maths the accessibility is very different.

Original poster
Flippinfab40 · 16/12/2020 06:38

Good luck to the other science strugglers with their mocks!

I am going to get the Foundation specifications and work through with her, if I can get her to engage. Is Oak Academy good for science? I've used it for a younger DC for another subject and thought it was pretty good. If it's clear that could be a good way to work through gaps. I think she'll need a tutor too.

She won't be doing science A levels so if she can just got a 4-4 it would be great.

I'm finding it very tough that I can offer all the help in the world but she needs to be the one that can change this. It's a balance between being tough, being supportive, leaving her to it and being conscious that she is very emotionally fragile at the moment. I never feel I am getting it right.

But taking my and her emotions out of it, you have given me some really useful suggestions and some perspective so thank you all!

OP posts:
Foghead · 16/12/2020 06:49

You could try going through the specification on bbcbitesize as a starting point. It’s quite simple and straightforward and will help with learning right from the basics.
A tutor will be good to help understand the things your DF doesn’t get but don’t expect miracles.
The only way to pass is to just sit down and study.

user1471530109 · 16/12/2020 07:02

Yes oak academy is good for the science and seems to follow AQA spec. Is that what she's doing?
Was her mock a past paper? Most school do use past papers (but I learnt through the fiasco with the CAGs last year that some don't). If it is, the 1-2 grades you mention will be on foundation, not higher. You can't get those grades on a higher paper-hence the U.

She clearly needs the kick up the bum this will hopefully give her. The vast majority of kids in her current situation learn from this. Let her luck her wounds then start trying to motivate her.

Workbooks and revision guides. Past papers (as many as you can) and does the school use anything like Tassomai? Freescience lessons on YouTube is great too (and again is for the AQA spec)

Foghead · 16/12/2020 07:10

My ds also found YouTube videos on How to pass gcse science quite helpful. They’re usually by kids who’ve just taken their GCSEs and just shows how hard some kids are working and gives some good pointers.

Rablais · 16/12/2020 07:22

My DS was getting low 4s for combined science with predicted grades of 5. We found him a tutor which has definitely helped as his mock grades so far are up to a 5. DS’s Tutor who is a secondary school science teacher said that there is a defined way that pupils have to answer GCSE questions and they will be marked down if they don’t. Those who find science harder to understand spend lessons trying to get to grips with the topics so they miss the information the teachers are giving about how to pass the exam. Finding your DD a tutor could give her the extra support to learn some exam skills as well.

TeenPlusTwenties · 16/12/2020 07:33

You could ask your DD to take photos of her paper on her phone if she isn't allowed to bring it home, then you can do the analysis of where she went wrong.

Although a PP is right saying they don't go down to a 1 and 2 on higher paper as you indicated, i wouldn't be surprised if the school just made up those boundaries to have fewer Us.

Find out how many actual marks she needed for a 4, it might be fewer than you think.

jazzandh · 16/12/2020 11:12

Get the revision guides for the subjects and work through them.

Original poster
Flippinfab40 · 16/12/2020 17:44

Well the final score is U overall but with 4s in Biology and Chemistry and just 3 marks off 3-4 grades so things aren't as bleak as they seemed earlier. On Foundation level with enough work, we can do this!

OP posts:
TicTacTwo · 16/12/2020 22:31

Dd did Combined Science a couple of years ago and she said that exam technique in science is crucial. If you read the examiner's notes and marking scheme you'll see that they often look for specific terms in order to get the mark- it's possible that your dd has the knowledge but needs help proving it on paper by using the "right" words and phrases.

Good luck

TheFallenMadonna · 16/12/2020 22:39

Lack of revision is the key thing here. Children will often say they don't "get" something when it is genuinely a case of not having learned it. In Science GCSE, there is no substitute for 1) memorizing key facts, and 2) practising calculations until fluent. Look at some revision guides and find one she likes (my kids hated CGP for example, but other rate them) and test her, or get her to test herself, until she remembers easily.

TicTacTwo · 18/12/2020 11:29

"FreeScienceLessons" on YouTube is good.