Page 3 | Current Year 11 2021/2022 support thread pt III

StColumbofNavron · 2022-04-20T10:54:45+00:00

Thread for the parents of DC sitting their GCSEs in about 4 weeks time - eek.

IThinkIMadeItWorse · 03/05/2022 09:41

All the best to those with speaking exams today.

We let DS have Sunday completely off as we had friends over for the afternoon but he did some revision Saturday and yesterday. He seems a bit fed up with revision and lacking in direction but hopefully his momentum will come back again. Not long to go now! He didn't want to go to the extra revision session before school today, think he was put off by being the only one there last Tuesday and when he went last Thursday before school the teacher wasn't there! He has taken a revision guide with him so hopefully he will use that in the study period he has this afternoon (when they used to do PSHE and ethics and things like that they now just tell them to revise.)

It has occurred to me that I will have four weeks of DS at home and finished with my younger one still at school so I'm wondering whether to try to do some fun stuff together. Has anyone got anything nice planned? He will have offer holder taster days at the two sixth forms he has offers for but apart from that nothing in the diary. I think the sixth forms do set some work to do before September so it would be good to get that out of the way but I'm not sure how much it will be or how long it will take him.

aramox1 · 03/05/2022 10:36

Eight more days of school! Mind boggling. Those post exam weeks do look long don't they? I suggested NCS but it seemed so vague, no details available and ds not keen. I think we will have seen quite enough of eachother by then so hope he can get out!

Akite · 03/05/2022 12:05

Dd has Spanish speaking this week. She hates the subject so is really looking forward to getting it over with. She's really not enjoying school at all at the moment and not getting any study leave is a real blow. She's moving to a different sixth form though so is looking forward to that.
we've booked a family holiday for early July, can't wait! I've suggested a few other things in the rest of the holidays but she just wants to hang out with her friends really.

LouisCatorze · 03/05/2022 12:38

DC likely has Covid (ticks all the Omicron symptom boxes). Feeling droopy all weekend and still not feeling well. Have kept them off school today but hoping they're not going to miss their Spanish oral later this week.

A bit sad that so many young people seem to hate their MFL (DC included). There must be something wrong with they way that they're taught that so few are enthused by learning a new language?

LouisCatorze · 03/05/2022 12:50

We also thought of NCS but there's no local availability that fits in with DC and friends' summer plans, unfortunately.

I reckon the long summer holiday will go by more quickly than we think. DC has enough going on across the ten weeks to not really have time to get bored.

Original poster

StColumbofNavron · 03/05/2022 14:16

We are planning to holiday from for a month as soon as the other two finish school so suspect I will just let DS1 relax (that is what he will ask for). I will offer a few nice lunches out, but suspect he will ask for takeaway. I did offer for him to go on holiday end of June (thereby having two months in a sunny place), but he wasn't enthused at accompanying his GP around GP's home country making sure he doesn't fall over, even though at least 3 weeks would be leisure and said GP will indulge DS1's interests in certain niche historic aspects of the country.

He doesn't really go out with mates unless there is an express purpose. I very much envisage him going 'I've been revising and had exams for 9 months straight, I need to recover'. I have tried to encourage following up on some work experience offers but on deaf ears.

OP posts:

zighead · 03/05/2022 14:41

I'm hoping my DS will be able to get a job after the exams as he will have just turned 16.
He has a couple of sixth form induction days early July and then he's away for two weeks on holiday and also doing NCS which is over two weeks. Might be tricky to get a job that fits around all that but fingers crossed.

QueenMabby · 03/05/2022 15:29

We're off on hols early July and I think ds wants to get a job but no clue what's available for 16 year olds. He only has a fortnight between finishing exams and dd breaking up. On two of those days he has sixth form induction and he also has his prom. Other than that he's jntending to sleep, game and eat. And I'm ok with that!

@LouisCatorze - whilst my ds dislikes Spanish my dd loves languages and currently does two mfls and Latin. She does appear to be an exception though.

Rollergirl11 · 03/05/2022 16:32

DD is also wanting to find a job. There is a Waitrose just round the corner from us and she has already asked about working there. They are happy to take on 16yr olds that have finished their exams for weekends/part-time hours. That being said she is going to 2 festivals and we are away for a 2 week holiday so not sure how many weekends she’ll have available.

Original poster

StColumbofNavron · 03/05/2022 17:13

Yes, DS1 can't really get a job because we will be away for too long. He could though, follow up on the card he was given by his friend's uncle at friend's birthday where he said he could come and do some work experience (in a law firm); or follow up with an ex-colleague of mine who said she would have him in for work experience but also mentor him (in house); or our friend (who he knows from primary) who is a judge and has said he can come and sit in/shadow - and since he says he wants to be a lawyer! He is really lucky to have these opportunities just waiting. I think once he starts his once/twice a month data entry for a friend of mine and starts getting used to talking to people who are not an abstract audience he might follow up - I think it is a confidence thing.

OP posts:

Fizbosshoes · 03/05/2022 21:10

@LouisCatorze
Hope your DC is better soon, what happens if they miss a speaking exam, will an average grade be taken over the 3 other exams?

I have had a brief report on how well (or "ok") the French exam went and then lots of detail about how annoying (and unreasonable) it is that Harry Styles is doing yet another concert the day before an exam!

And then a discussion about prom after parties. I feel slightly aggrieved that prom is on a week day because I will no doubt be required to pick up from the venue, take to after party and then collect at stupid o clock in the morning, without the lie in that DD will have, because DS will need to be up for school.

I'm going to try and take a couple of days off work so I can take DD away for a long w/e somewhere after exams but I'm worried it will be a bit long and boring for her. (We have 1 week holiday booked)
She isn't 16 til well into the holidays but not in the least bit interested in getting a job!

aramox1 · 04/05/2022 06:30

The MFL syllabus is hard I think- so many topics. And ds did a bit of one at primary then different ones at secondary. It's suffering at unis too. A real shame.

MyOtherProfile · 04/05/2022 06:43

Sorry if this has already been discussed but what are your schools doing about study leave? It has been cancelled in our school because covid (of course!). Causing a fair amount of frustration amongst the teens.

MrsPnut · 04/05/2022 07:16

DD has her French oral next week but she hasn’t said what day.

CornishGem1975 · 04/05/2022 07:18

They don't do study leave at our school @MyOtherProfile

Fizbosshoes · 04/05/2022 07:25

DD school finishes next Thursday, but exams (apart from the speaking ones which were yday) start on the following Monday. There are some revision sessions in school until half term but it's independent revision supervised by a teacher

QueenMabby · 04/05/2022 07:34

Well DS's Spanish oral was "not brilliant". However once I drilled down into it, one of the general conversation topics was pretty dreadful but the other one was ok as were the role play and the photo card. So possibly not as dreadful as he thought!

Next exam for him is ICT next Tuesday. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Naem · 04/05/2022 09:17

MyOtherProfile · 04/05/2022 06:43

Sorry if this has already been discussed but what are your schools doing about study leave? It has been cancelled in our school because covid (of course!). Causing a fair amount of frustration amongst the teens.

Ditto. Stydy leave completely cancelled. School until the Friday and then exams start on the Monday. At least they are not requiring them in class up until half term, which many schools seem to be doing now.

DD actually asked me last night to dig out the information as to how much study leave DS got (DS did his GCSEs the last year there were proper exams, ie 2019). He got two weeks, from the emails at the time.

DD's year are furious (although relatively speaking DD seems to be OK with it). I think it is actually because Ofsted don't like study leave, so the school have taken the opportunity to rejig in accordance with Ofsted dictats and blame it on Covid.

One of DD's teachers told them that study leave "was only ever a week" anyway, which is why I was called upon to do some detailed calculations. I think DD was more upset about being gaslighted to than the reality of the situation.

DD says that only about 40% of the year is actually showing up (presumably with parental permission). Not sure what the school are doing about it (DD is one of those who are showing up). But interestingly, this morning, she had a stomach ache (probably period pain), and I said to her, in the circumstances, I wouldn't have a problem telling school you had a stomach ache and keeping you home, and she went and looked at the timetable and said "no thanks".

CornishGem1975 · 04/05/2022 13:23

My DD has normal timetable until half term alongside exams!

BarnacleB · 04/05/2022 15:32

Just joining in and looking forward to tearing my hair out with you all.

DD had her Spanish oral this morning and according to the text she sent at lunchtime, it was OK. If i'm lucky i might get a little more info this evening, but i'm not holding my breath.

Rollergirl11 · 04/05/2022 16:30

DD came home yesterday with a very convoluted timetable for the exam period. They are putting on dedicated revision sessions prior to each exam with their subject teacher throughout the 5 weeks. In the two weeks before half term they will also have normal lessons in between their exams and revision sessions. After half term they only have to attend the dedicated revision sessions ahead of their exam.

I’m impressed with their efforts to be fair. This must be creating havoc with the timetabling for other years!

Nard75 · 04/05/2022 17:59

DS2 had German oral today said it went ok. Study leave starts on Friday this week and then just in for exams. DS1 who is in year 13 his study leave starts next Tuesday.

MirandaWest · 04/05/2022 19:24

DD's school has finally said what's happening with study leave - after half term they only have to go in for exams and up until half term they are expected to be there all day every day with an "amended" timetable.

We get to find out what this timetable is next week...

NameInUseAlreadyAgain · 04/05/2022 22:09

Not much revision going on here. Not sure it’s sunk in yet to him. Oh well, I can lead the horse to water but can’t make it drink and all that.

i think I did zero revision and still passed so here’s hoping.

so much pressure these days

10 grade 4s and I will be happy for him as it’s all he needs …… :-/

aramox1 · 05/05/2022 06:26

No study leave here but the last day of school is a week away omg. Ds has had some extra sessions and suddenly seems absolutely shattered from strain. So brutal!