Year 9 Dd not very good end of year test results

[solarlights]

Dd has has results for her end of year tests and she’s not done very well. She works hard at school and had a good parents evening but I’m worried now about the impact this will have as obviously she’s starting GCSEs next year. She seems to think quite a few of them got low marks. I’m not sure how to help her. She did some revision but obviously not enough. What could I do to help her?

Arg still can't phone-type. 🤦🏼‍♀️

But separate for that OPs child needs to work out how to study and what works for them.

Targetted revision, gcp study guides are all good. Working out a realistic study plan (small doses, bite sized topics is better than a random "30mins of biology".)

Good luck.

@GiantToadstool

I totally agree that DC need to know how to study and this is something that the DC’s school teach from year 7.

But I also think having stricture in place is hugely important. If a DC knows they have to study from 5pm-7pm and this is non-negotiable, there is less temptation to rush through work or get distracted.

The tutors at the DC’s school check diaries to ensure that every student has done the required amount of study and detention is issued if this does not happen.

Has anyone got any good links / recommendations for good revision tips and exam techniques Tia

I think some parents think about asking if their child can take fewer GCSEs - I don't know how many the school wants DD to do.

Things might help, like taking foundation pathway maths instead of higher paper, to ease off the pressure.

Could she to the Synergy ( is it?) combined science. It's a bit easier.

I think you could help her to revise science by reading the CGP books with her and testing her. CGP do a study guide and a workbook with questions. When she gets into Year 10, make sure she revises the topics which she has just covered during every holiday. You help her. That way it's going in, down into her long- term memory, and she isn't cramming at the last minute.
For English Literature, make sure she knows the set texts by reading them in bed every night for twenty minutes a night. Buy her the set books and York Notes study guides, and other publishers, as these books explain the themes really well. (There are workbooks too.)For English, don't just rely on the notes the teachers are handing out.

You could have tutoring, but it's obviously an expense.

Plastic tattoo

Seriously, the CGP guides are the most user-friendly. They present all the information as straightforwardly as possible, and tend to have worked examples which are simple and easy to understand. They work on the principle that if you get the basics, you will be able to adjust your understanding to answer a particularly tricky version of the question. The guides are quite humorous too. Lots of kids choose to do all their revision ( maths, science, etc) using CGP.

Many teachers like the 'Mr Bruff ' series for English. These are very kid friendly.

Science, English and maths are the most important subjects, so focus on passing these.

For maths, YouTube videos help a lot of kids to understand the various topics.

“She should be doing a minimum of 2 hours’ work each night and then 4-6 hours over the weekend. She should be handing her phone over to you until this time has been completed.”

I did no where near this much and I got all As and A*s. I’m not madly intelligent and was just at an ordinary comp. I think to do well you need to find out the best method of revising for you. Which probably won’t be as time consuming.

And I would second the CGP guides for science- they were brilliant.

I think highly academic, driven children who already aged 9/10 showed they could prep for 11+, may well be able to do the hours Green suggests without too much difficulty.

But I don't think setting it as a general expectation is reasonable. Many just won't have the bandwidth.

Thank you

Surely they are still only doing GCSEs in grammar schools at that age? Why do they need to put in that many hours to get 8/9s at GCSE if they are already bright kids? Or is it that they got there through massive amounts of tutoring so need to carry on like that to get good grades?

Cat I think you misread? She is starting GCSE syllabus next term (ie y10), with a view to taking them end y11. I think to get the top grades 8/9 it would definitely help to work consistently even if bright. The terminal exams and increased syllabus means that cramming everything at the end is not very practical.

otoh my 'objection' such as it was was the statement / implication that it was needed for (all) children to do that level of work. a) it isn't and b) many children just can't (or won't) so it is an unhelpful expectation to set without including context.

TeenMinusTests No I've not misread. I was referring to Greenlake and whattodo posts about kids working throughout holidays and 4-6 hours at weekends and some parents requiring more than that. Just surprised that bright kids would need that amount of work to get decent GCSE grades. We've already been through GCSEs.

Oh OK, I must have misunderstood your post.

Sometimes exams can be more difficult to handle than actually learning the subjects or maybe it could be that she just needs some support working out how she best learns. This significantly helped me to support my child. I found it on fb a few weeks ago and hopefully it will help you. Couldn't recommend it enough.

hubspacelearning.com/optin

They also offer Science GCSE support which we are now using. And on a tight budget, it has been a great help. Don't mean to plug it so much. It's just been a great help for my family

hubspacelearning.com

@TeenMinusTests

In my opinion the vast majority of DC are capable of achieving good grades, particularly at GCSE. The issue is that many lack the study skills, parental support or work ethic.

The DCs’ grammar is not necessarily full of the brightest DC in the area, it is full of DC who are relatively intelligent but also incredibly hard-working and driven.

The vast majority of DC are perfectly able to 2 hours’ of schoolwork an evening in year 10. The vast majority of DC would do far better at GCSE with this level of effort.

And there is no such thing as ‘will not’ at that age. Even the very few less driven students at the DCs’ school do their 2 hours a night as they will simply be in detention if they do not produce signature and evidence of doing it.

My DD found Seneca very useful for learning how to provide the information in the correct structure to answer the questions for GCSE.
There is a huge amount of exam technique at GCSE presenting the information in exactly the correct way.

Green I guess we all judge from our own experience of our own DC and their friends and their school, and the OP will have to draw her own conclusions. I could have done 2hrs every night, my DDs couldn't, so I would have self selected out by not choosing your school (even though as a grammar my DC wouldn't have had a hope of getting in anyway).

Lone DD2 found Seneca useful too, but frustrating when it didn't accept mis-spelled answers.

GreenLakes, I’m curious to know what 2 hours a night is supposed to achieve, and how that is measured?
As I said in an earlier post, my DD could sit at her desk for 2 hours, allegedly “working”, but she has ADHD, so what she’ll absorb may be considerably less than a student with no ALN.

Is it simply a case of students at your school clocking up hours?

Personally, quality not quantity is what I say to my DCs. Of course, revision and learning takes time, but I honestly don’t believe time spent is an accurate reflection of effort or productivity.

My DS has just finished year 10. He is a music scholar, learning 2 instruments. He gets home from school at 5.30pm or later most days. He also has an instrumental lesson one night, an orchestra rehearsal another night, is out all day at music conservatoire on Saturdays, and volunteers for half the day on Sundays.
On top of that, he needs to practise for close to 2 hours a night.

2 hours a night study is impossible.
That said, he’s just got almost all 9s,8s and 7s in his summer exams, so I’m not worried.

*alsoplayspiccolo' 2 hrs per night music practice sounds alot to the non musical. Its a question of priorities. DC1 is a prep academic scholar and if they go to the academic secondary there will be weekly tests on Saturdays as well as homework. Dc2 is a sports scholar. Both play sports atleast once a day and up to 3 matches each per week. You can't do everything but as a family you priorities. Most secondary schools we've looked at have 2 hours homework per night from year 9 onwards.

MrPickles73, I absolutely agree.
My post was in response to GreenLakes rather sweeping statement that “vast majority” of students can spend 2 hours a night studying, and “the vast majority” would do “far better” for doing so.
As I’ve said, I have 2 very different children, and both have different reasons why a prescriptive 2 hours a night isn’t possible for them, but both are doing well (DD got 9 x7/8/9s and 1x6 in GCSEs last year).

alsoplayspiccolo to be fair to greenlakes the majority of children do have time for 2 hours work per day and would benefit from it. Friends of ours asked me to maths tutor their DC in years 5 and 6. Year 6 she still did not know her times tables.. for a child without learning issues this is not rocket science it's just regular repetition and games like TT rockstars. Now she is at secondary comprehensive and her parents blame the maths teacher for very average results.. I haven't met the maths teacher but I can't help feeling a better work ethic would have made a difference. This is a child with no outside interests so is spending free time chilling, she is not grade 8 cello..