General starting Y10 Sept 21, GCSE's 2023 thread

[Itsafouryearjourney]

Don't think there is already a thread??

I think our cohort have an 'interesting' time ahead and would definitely like to hear how others are finding it along the way. Will they get told they have had no disruption (!?) so everything can be normal come 2023 exams? But more importantly how will they adjust and and thrive whilst coping with being 14/15 and all that that entails AND studying?

My kids' school hasn't had mocks, and doesn't have assessment fortnights or streaming, though DS1 (current y10) seems to be in what is an apparent undeclared top class, which may be because he had quite good SATs results, and he had a day of assessments just before he started as well. I thought it was odd that of a prize given to the kids who read the most books in year 7, 4 of the 5 recipients were in his class.

They're not split into sets but I think GCSE or other study choices do effectively divide the students a bit, eg we were told which study path they were identified for, such whether they were being offered double or triple science and some other guidance on option/subject choices in year 9, and some GCSE courses are offered on aptitude.

6 is equivalent to a B but I agree that you need more information and guidance. My DS1 is mostly predicted 7/8 but was a bit concerned that he was getting 5s in English (as I think that on past performance and other subjects he can do better than that - I think he needs to put a little more effort in there - and, while it's a pass, a 6 or 7 would be better for his post 16 options). His school doesn't have a 6th form and quite a lot of 6th form and FE choices are quite demanding on grades.

I know that if I gained a B at gcse I would have been thrilled, but I do think that a lot of students seem to get at least 7 or 8, going by the previous y11 threads anyway.

I had a reply from the form tutor who said she would work out a plan (if needed) after the results of this latest round of assessments are through but she did also say that target grades are just that, a target and not an absolute.

Ds1 is busy on BBC bitesize revising for Biology assessment tomorrow -- he also told me today after school that only English and Maths are mocks, the rest are standard assessments...

How is everyone doing? DD starts 2 weeks of mocks this week. Well, the school are calling them mocks but as they are obviously still teaching syllabus content, the sciences have just one paper instead of the two they would in the real thing, etc.

We had a letter through the post about what to take/not to take into the exam room. I think DD is a bit worried. The school have told them they will use these exams together with another set in November time to base their predicted grades for 6th form applications. DD is really struggling with sciences so she is worried low predictions there will affect her applications for 6th form. Her current school has a 6th form but it doesn’t offer the subjects she would like to take for A-level.

@Jovanka What subjects is your daughter interested in studying at A level? Have you and her looked at what schools/colleges offering them are asking for at GCSE?

In my area most schools don't have 6th forms, and the one that does is one I wouldn't have chosen to send my kids to - if for any reason they had wanted to go there I wouldn't have refused but I would have talked to them about my concerns. The 6th forms in the west of the borough are mostly in very affluent areas and ask for very high GCSE scores, but there are colleges which are more reasonable and that get good results, so long as your DD's hopes for study aren't really science based.

Good luck to students who are having to take any kind of mocks this summer.

@elkiedee - no, she definitely doesn’t want to do sciences - just as well!

She would like to do music and her current school doesn’t offer it at A-level. We went to see one school which has a strong music department up until GCSE level. But they will only run the A-level course if they have enough interest and they are not running it this year. And they only make that decision on GCSE results day every year.

The school she would like to apply for which does offer music A-level says their expectations are 5 GCSEs at grade 6 (including English language and Maths). It’s a very popular school though and I think they will have their pick of applicants with high predicted grades.

The main issue is finding a school which can guarantee their music A-level course will run.

I would think that if she gets the 5 good GCSEs - and 6 is an entirely reasonable B, and she can demonstrate the ability to do well at music A level, it won't matter so much if her Science grades are lower.

Would it be worth looking for a back up option, though, for a school which offers post GCSE music study of a different kind, or does it need to be A level? I know that the government and quite a lot of people look down on BTECs, and there's a plan to replace them, and my family's not musical, but a few years ago I went to a meeting at a different local secondary school with a sixth form which offers both vocational qualifications and A levels, and was looking at displays from a music BTEC which includes opportunities to look at different aspects of music performance and the industry and different types of music. My kids aren't especially musical though they are getting to learn drumming (DS1) and saxophone at school (DS2) which is more than I ever did!

I meant to say if my kids were aspiring to study music at any qualification level I'd definitely encourage them to look at all the options in local schools as well as opportunities to do music or learn related skills.

You’re right - I should look at music options other than A-levels & see what’s out there.

Does your DS know what he would like to study?

I'm not sure - he's very good at Maths and is doing Triple Science, Computer Science, Sociology and Religious Studies (and English Lang/Eng Lit). I think I'm going to have to really get on top of the best way to support him next year - most of his predicted grades were good but I was a bit worried by a lower prediction in English - I am sure this is an effort issue and that he needs to go a bit further with his answers, and read at least the set texts more carefully.

Don't know how to make sure this happens apart from threatening to suspend Netflix if I get any more emails about homework that hasn't been done. Because that's the only sanction where I have some power as it's my debit card on the account. DP mutters about grounding him occasionally but I actually don't see how that's physically possible. All of us are very dependent on the internet and devices, including communication with school and homework, so really trying to use that as a threat makes no sense, and he's not stupid enough not to realise that.

My DD2 is also interested in studying music for A-level. She hasn’t decided yet.

Re A-Level music@jovanka - another option might be this distance learning course via Trinity www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/study/music/junior-trinity/a-level-music-distance-learning-course/ (we will have to look for all of this for our younger daughter, which is why someone mentioned it to me). I suspect it would be intense but very good for children who already perform at the required level.

Oooo, thank you @minisnowballs I didn’t know Trinity offered that - I will check it out.

Can I join this party please. DD1 does GCSEs next year and seems to utterly lack the drive to work hard. She's not 'used' the summer to prep for mocks in Nov. We are swinging between anger/despair/giving up.

There are 3 threads for the same cohort literally next to each other as I type!

I joined this thread last year but it has been fairly quiet for weeks at a time. I suggest that we all try to bring everyone who wants the support of a GCSE year parent group on one active thread, probably the new one rather than this. Otherwise I will choose one thread and try to check in regularly on that.

My first Mumsnet peer group thread was almost SIXTEEN years ago, as I joined an antenatal in early September 2006 for babies due in April 2007 - as DS1 turned up in May I also joined that postnatal thread - did anyone else join when they were expecting a first or later baby who is now going into their GCSE year? I'm still in touch with mums in DS1's due month group and DS2's birth month, though mostly on FB. What happened to our babies?

Yes I agree Elkie, this thread was for last year and best that people move to the new thread, only issue is there are two of them.

Hiya can I join you? My ds is one of the eldest in his year(sep 06) he has a lot of pressure from teachers as he's top set for stuff and they are already saying they see him going to Oxbridge.

This is an ordinary state C of E academy-my daughter has just done her a levels and is off to uni so he won't get any support from her.

I'm not bragging about him-I'm worried he will crack under the pressure-none of it's from home.

Hiya can I join you? My ds is one of the eldest in his year(sep 06) he has a lot of pressure from teachers as he's top set for stuff and they are already saying they see him going to Oxbridge.

This is an ordinary state C of E academy-my daughter has just done her a levels and is off to uni so he won't get any support from her.

I'm not bragging about him-I'm worried he will crack under the pressure-none of it's from home.