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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Year 9 - 2022/2023 Support Thread

339 replies

QueenMabby · 23/08/2022 17:25

Hi
Having got a lot out of the thread for my ds who's just finished year 11 I though I'd start one for anyone wanting support/chat about dcs in year 9 from September.

Some schools will be starting GCSE syllabi this year and for those that don't there'll be options later in the year.

I have a dd starting year 9 in September. Her favourite subjects are languages and chemistry. We've not taken gcse options yet - that joy is to come.

OP posts:
Original poster
QueenMabby · 30/06/2023 20:49

Welcome @stickygotstuck! Come in, put your feet up and settle in. Although we will need to change this into a year 10 thread soon enough! Where did the time go?

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NotDonna · 30/06/2023 23:45

@icanbewhatiwant moving down a set can actually be a blessing as it ensures they’re working at a slower steadier pace and truly understand the content. MyDD is in set 5 (bottom set) for maths. I had a phone call this week from her maths teacher saying she did better than all set 5, set 4 and most of set 3 in this end of year exams but is remaining in set 5 because that’s where she’s learning and understanding. I agree with the teacher. She’d have done much worse if she was in a higher se as it’s a faster pace. Slight caveat that It’s a selective school so all sets take the higher paper. She’s delighted she’s done so well and equally delighted that she’s not moving up 😂

crikey @QueenMabby they’re amazing results. Naturally talented! Does she have to graft or is it fairly straightforward?

DD has just returned from activity week in Devon and had a ball. Not too exhausted or grumpy despite tent sleeping. All that running around and fresh air has done her the world of good after the exam week. She’s now heavily invested in persuading me that she ‘needs’ a hamster 🤔 one sister moved out recently and the other will in September (grades depending) so apparently ‘needs’ a companion 🙄

icanbewhatiwant · 01/07/2023 08:42

@NotDonna yes that is true if it means still taking the same exams. At our school only the top set take triple science. So Ds would like to stay in the top set. In maths ds1 and ds2 were in set 3. Ds1 took the lower papers, ds2 was due to take the higher papers, but GCSEs were cancelled. I guess it depends on how many high achievers are in the sets as to how many take the top tier papers. Ds3 has 2 joint top sets in year 9. He's in one of them, but apparently there will only be one top set in year 10 I'm sure they will both take the higher paper though, so it won't matter if Ds isn't in the top one. I'd rather be at the top level of a lower set than the bottom level of a top set.

NotDonna · 01/07/2023 11:08

@icanbewhatiwant ah!! That’s an issue. They don’t set fir any subjects other than maths at DDs school. I do think sciences would be worth setting for though.

Oblomov23 · 01/07/2023 14:43

Welcome sticky.
Ds2 doesn't want to go to school. He says next 2 weeks are pointless because now they've got their exam results, they aren't actually doing anything, not learning anything on the syllabus. I can actually see his point.

icanbewhatiwant · 01/07/2023 18:22

@Oblomov23 do you only have 2 weeks left? Ds has 3 weeks. Sports day next week. A trip to jump street the last week...but yes, probably all pointless. Though we still haven't heard which of their options they will take.

MissyB1 · 01/07/2023 18:34

Ds only has a week left now. To be fair to the staff they have made the last week fun, there’s a drama workshop, a stem day - they are making little solar powered vehicles, and there’s the auditions for next term’s school musical. On the downside ds says some of the trickier boys in his year have turned positively feral!

Original poster
QueenMabby · 01/07/2023 18:39

@NotDonna - thank you. She is very bright but is also a hard worker. She's the type that comes out of an exam convinced it didn't go very well/she guessed a lot etc etc but then gets 98%!

In one of her 1 hour maths exams she had 35 minutes checking time... 🤣🤣

One week left for us and then that's it. End of the fun school years and the start of the slog.

OP posts:
Oblomov23 · 02/07/2023 08:39

Sorry @icanbewhatiwant yes, it is 3. Which just makes it worse!

Circleoffifths · 02/07/2023 08:59

Three weeks left here for DS. His sister has finished her GCSEs so he is quite envious of all her lie-ins I think.

He came back from DofE yesterday so am not sure what time he will surface today. End-of-year exam results are not back yet and we also don’t yet have confirmation of their GCSE choices. It’s been a busy few weeks for him with out of school music stuff, including an exam and two concerts last week - one more to go this week.

Have asked him if he can aim for fewer detentions in Year 10 😬.

NotDonna · 02/07/2023 10:09

We’ve not had confirmation of choices either but I don’t think I did for my other 2 either. No news is good news? Maybe they only contact if they can’t do it?

DD returned from her weeks camp on Friday night in really good form, chatting about their activities etc only then to be ill all night and spending the whole day in bed yesterday. Not sure if a tummy bug or eaten something dodgy. Such a shame. Today she needs to unpack her kit and get her school stuff together - it’s normal tomorrow (I think) then Tues sports day, Wed ‘festival’ day (6th formers organise activities for other years, like silent disco, circus stuff etc), then Thurs prize giving day and then finish midday Fri! So their last week is pretty relaxed. I’ll go to sports day and prize giving this year as it’s DD2 (upper 6th) last one. I’m normally banned! By my girls not the school.

NotDonna · 02/07/2023 12:42

Ah I know that type @QueenMabby a think a number of girls (my eldest included) can be perfectionists and quite hard in themselves too!

ImStillMe · 03/07/2023 20:23

Looking ahead to Y10, DD won't have coursework in the same way that I did when I did GCSEs in the very late '80s.

So what does KS4 homework look like? Is it all geared towards revision for end of topic tests?

Original poster
QueenMabby · 03/07/2023 21:34

For DS yes it was lots of finishing off classwork (they have big specs to get through in 5 1/2 terms) and also end of topic tests. Also practice questions to embed knowledge and plenty of dr frost for maths.

My dc do iGCSE English lit so we do have two pieces of coursework but nothing for any of the other subjects.

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NotDonna · 03/07/2023 22:21

Now need to google Dr Frost… never heard of her/him. I think ours used Heggarty.

NotDonna · 03/07/2023 22:28

My other two (now 19 & 18) definitely had set homework per subject per week so at least one piece every night if not more. I think there was quite a bit of maths & English. They didn’t take any creative GCSEs though, which seem to have more coursework and hard to ‘finish’ therefore potentially time consuming.

Original poster
QueenMabby · 04/07/2023 18:30

Dd has been given masses of summer work for Greek. That's the subject she's doing off timetable and taking the GCSE for next year.

She's also been set 13 pages of biology exam style questions to do. She thought the assignment on teams said due for this Friday though so she's done about half of it already!! 🤣🤣

OP posts:
MissyB1 · 04/07/2023 19:12

Well I’ve horrified ds by buying a GCSE combined science revision/workbook, and the maths one, because he needs to do a bit of both over the summer.

DataColour · 05/07/2023 10:17

I really like Dr. Frost. I printed out worksheets from work (!), worksheets which you can tailor make to your child, and both DCs liked the format and did well in Maths for the end of year exams.
Had DS's end of year exam results back last week and it was a mixed bunch. He did really well in some and really badly in others! A couple were average. His worst was RE. DD said she did even worse in RE, and her report is yet to land! RE is the bane of their lives. It's a compulsory full GCSE at their school, even though it's a non-denominational. Quite a lot of the kids are religious though, so the school can get good results in this subject with the cohort that they've got. But of course if you aren't religious (or like my DD a complete sceptic and refuses to do any RE work) you are on a bit of back foot.

Regarding doing work in the summer - is this something that is necessary? we've never done any work in the summer, except for 11+ prep. Might to some Maths and Science, probably a good idea. DS could do with a bit of help with English, as he is needs practise with creative writing. Any recommendations?

minisnowballs · 05/07/2023 10:59

Still no school exam results back here - sounds like everyone else is a bit ahead of DD's school (and they're on strike today). She did the school production last night in which she had a Big Part - Miss Honey in Matilda - and she is sleeping it off. The school hadn't done a show for nine years so this was a seriously big deal and I'm thrilled for all who got to be involved. The show is double cast so she's done her two shows now and is demoted to the vocal chorus for tomorrow night's finale....but at least she got to do her thing.

She's switching schools so no summer work as yet. Grade 8 music exam next week though so she's still got plenty to be getting on with!

Sports day and some kind of wellbeing festival to go, but she's practically done. Very weird.

Re KS4 homework @ImStillMe . DD1's was mostly revision for tests - some finding out about stuff. While no coursework some subjects have things like composing, performance, art portfolios and speaking exams to prepare for early too. DD1 did her English aural in Year 10 for example. I think DD2 will have coursework as iGCSES seem to include it, but that's all new to us.

Original poster
QueenMabby · 05/07/2023 12:41

We don't tend to do summer work unless it's set by school.

DS will be bucking that trend this year but with A-levels being on such a tight timescales I think that's inevitable.

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Original poster
QueenMabby · 05/07/2023 12:43

@minisnowballs - well done on your DD's show and fingers crossed for the g8. Is there much/any prep to do for the new school - uniforms, tuck boxes etc? Don't forget the tinned pineapple and ginger beer!!

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minisnowballs · 05/07/2023 13:59

@QueenMabby so far it seems to be mostly name tags and uniform - it's surprisingly similar but with a lot more concert dress required (ie any concert dress as she owns none at all!) and a more expensive blazer. Also duvet covers...

No lashings of ginger beer as yet!

NotDonna · 05/07/2023 15:50

Regarding summer studying… errr no!
My two eldest did do some summer study in A levels in that summer between yr12 & yr13 because they return to exams in Sept but never in other years. DD3 won’t be doing any unless school set something; they don’t usually. They’re quite keen that the kids get a decent break (and I doubt they’d want to be marking it either). She’s doing gcse F&D so we may do a bit of cooking.

CasparBloomberg · 05/07/2023 16:48

Hi 👋can I join in too? Have DD in year 9 and can’t believe I didn’t spot this thread before now. Nice to meet you all.

Options for GCSE all agreed (Drama, French, Sociology and Photography) and they’ve started doing some lessons in their option subjects since the year 11s left. She’s enjoyed that. Also sitting off timetable Statistics in Y10. She’s down for triple science but really not keen on it and would prefer to do combined.

Our school uses Dr Frost and Mathswatch for homework (spotted it being discussed).
No big year 9 exams here, just the regular end of term tests and reports.

Usually nothing set for the summer but they have to do a project of their choosing over course of each year to present (a bit EPQ style) so she wants to make a start on that.