Anyone want a thread for starting year 10 this autumn?

[MyOtherProfile]

If so, here it is!

Hoping not to be Billy NoMates...

We're in to week 3 now and all is ticking along ok although DD has her first science test of this year today and despite my nagging I don't think she's studied particularly effectively for it. She's put the time in for sure but just seems to be a process of reading her exercise book and making that info into revision cards then reading those. This technique has not served her well thus far but I think I may need to wait for a bad mark so she comes to that conclusion herself better it happens now I guess.

It's actually a skill itself learning how to revise I think.

Maths tutoring is going well but I guess the proof of the pudding will be parents evening/first test. She definitely seems happier and more confident and progress reports from tutor are very encouraging.

All in all not a bad first couple of weeks.

Three weeks in, DD is enjoying History and Music. She doesn't really understand Classics but they seem to be jumping around a bit so I think when they settle down to a topic she'll be ok.

Spanish is good even though she's sat next to the boy who harassed her and her friends last year - I've told her to tell me if he puts a hair out of place, I'm not letting him upset her again.

She's even enjoying Maths, says the new teacher is amazing. This is praise indeed!

Sticking point remains Science. She says she just isn't understanding it when everyone else does. They've an assessment in 3 weeks, I've told her to revise properly and give it her best shot, but I'll support her dropping down to combined science whatever the outcome. I'd rather she's in a class where she's confident and achieves 2 grade 6 or 7, than spends two years hating the subject and ends up with 3 gcse but at a lower level.

I appear to be spending a small fortune on revision guides though. Is this normal in year 10? Back in my day, you bought the guides when you started revising, not at the start of the course. But I can see how it would be handy to have now, to make notes in, and to check your understanding. Just wondering if I should get for all subjects not just where the school has recommended.

Ooh I will join. Sorry just seen this.

@WhatsitWiggle i think we bought them for DS1 at the beginning of year 11 or end of year 10. It will cost a small fortune whenever you buy them though. Personally, (I love revision) I think at this stage just consistently reminding yourself of what you have learnt is sufficient. E.g. first week of school look over that, second week of school you look over week 1 and week 2 and as time goes on you know week 1 and 2 really well and can just identify any development points from that week and supplement with websites/YouTube/writing it out from memory/mind mapping or whatever.

I’d caveat that with the fact that everyone is different and revises differently. It’s about critically reflecting on whether you fully understood what was taught in the lesson at this point I think. The revision guides are so useful, but they make far more sense once you have a handle on much more material. There is nothing wrong with using them from now, but this is a marathon not a sprint.

@StColumbofNavron @WhatsitWiggle , is it the CGP revision guides that you have?

Wiggle** you may find there are second hand ones milling around now summer is done ... maybe check your local SM pages and possibly even post asking if anyone had any they don't want? May even get them free! Friend of ours passed a few to us as their DD did exams this year.

Just need to check what exam board you need

@EmmatheStageRat yes CGP for Maths and Science. Not sure on History because they're ordered through the school.

Yes, dependent on the exam board - we needed a separate book for each history unit. Agree, there might be people who had children in year 11 last year getting rid of stuff.

How are all the year 10s? Things fairly quiet here, DS is quite busy with extra-curricular, seems to be getting more involved in the wider school activities, and has just started silver DoE, but homework is still very light so not noticed a step up in expectations or demands. But he’s much happier studying the subjects he’s chosen.

The opposite here! At least 2 hours of homework every evening. School work dominates every weekend. It's exhausting.

But less time to focus on friendship angst, which is a silver lining.

Very little homework and the enthusiasm of the first couple of weeks has waned.

What I'm finding tricky is DD has no idea what she wants to do in the future. She's quite bright but not particularly interested in any subjects at the moment. DS always had a few subjects he loved and that's what he is doing at 6th form now. He was always motivated through years 10 and 11 because of these subjects. Not the case for DD. Has anyone else got any idea of how to find something that motivates her? She only thinks about her social life at the moment!

Same here with DD ... it's taken up to now for her to find a solid circle of friends after spending most of school drifting from one naff friendship to the next so she seems to be making up for lost time now and spends every moment she can texting etc

Has no idea what to do post 16/job wise or any subjects as a particular favourite. She's almost in this little bubble of friends and school and it isn't clicking that soon things will change and people will move on. Doesn't help she's always been a huge daydreamer too.

So I'm also looking for ways to get her a bit more future focused!

We have minimum HW. And like you OP, my dc is not most motivated one. He admitted he isn't really paying attention to some of the subject.
I was going to let him get on all by himself, but I think I need to keep an eye for a while.

DD is getting on pretty well, but is a procrastinator and we have regular mini-crises when homework builds up and ends up dominating the weekend. This is nothing new in our house! MFL is her only area of passion among the school subjects, but she’s developed an interest in doing film & TV production after school. I suspect A level choices will be chosen with that in mind.

Just found you! Have a bright dd in y10. I've been quite shocked by the number of emotional outbursts she's been having esp past fortnight, she's always been so calm and confident before, and she's only just started 😬

@woohoowoohoo , what do you think is triggering the emotional outbursts? Is the school increasing the workload or overall pressure? Not long til half term now.

Both I think!

My DS didn't have any direction for what career he wanted, he's in Y10 too. We didn't know where to start or what kind of opportunities were out there for him. His school recommended this magazine to us though: https://careermap.co.uk/careermag-parents-carers-guardians/ and it has helped us a lot. We now sit down together to look at the different options. Hope this can help some other people too :)

How are all your year 10s getting on? Mine is tired, feels there's too much work but socially has really settled after a difficult year 9.

Mine is getting on fine. Still not a huge amount of homework but what he gets, gets done without fuss. There is a definite shift in attitude which is a relief.

DD has had a stellar (for her) start to Y10 (she says, frantically touching everything wooden within sight). She was actually one of 30 students in her year group invited to wear non-uniform on Thursday because she has earned so many achievement comments, mainly for her attitude to learning. This is a first for her.

DD is blind and has ADHD and autism, among other disabilities. She is not top flight at her selective grammar school but she is on course for grade 7s across the board. Every day at school is a marathon for DD, mainly because school learning is so visually loaded and she can’t access that. The process of learning is exhausting for her.

I have to battle school constantly to remind them of their obligations under the Equality Act of 2010. DD and I are wrung out after the first half term. DD has gone out with her one out-of-school friend (she has no friends at school, due largely to her disabilities and differences). It took her THREE hours to get ready! I think I may actually have preferred the soap dodging days of getting dressed in a nano-second!

Sounds like she was excited to go out Emma, hope she has a great day! And good news on the social front, MyOtherProfile, year 10 seems fairly drama-free so far here too.

Its been hard to get a sense of how it’s going with DS - but we spent time with extended family yesterday and I heard more about how he’s finding his subjects and how he’s feeling about the prospects of GCSEs in his conversation with his older cousin than I’d heard all term! On the basis of that, he’s mostly enjoying his subjects - Spanish is only ok, finding the hardware stuff in Computing a bit boring - and feels a bit more in control now he’s doing subjects he's picked. He is sounding more confused about what he wants to do next than I thought though.

Thank you Geometric, she had a great day and actually only spent £8 out of the £20 I gave her. DD has developed a certain, shall we say, unique (!) fashion style and she is garnering many compliments from random people around our very small town, which is helping to boost her confidence and self-esteem (previously on the floor). She looks fabulous and quirky as hell but she cannot afford to spend three hours every day on her appearance before venturing out of the front door!

Just throwing a question out there for anyone who’s Y10 student studies History or Geography: do you invest in subscriptions to magazines like BBC History /National Geographic etc?

@EmmatheStageRat I have not - don't think they'd get read!
My son picked his least worse subjects and has no passion for any of them though is doing the work set by the school.

He is totally clueless about which A level subjects to consider and had a bit of a mild freak out when I pointed out that this time next year it will be open days for sixth forms.