How to help DD with GCSEs

[BananasAreEvil]

This academic year we've come to the decision that we're going to be more involved in DD's schoolwork as it's become clear that she needs the support. As a parent, what can I do to provide support that is consistent, helpful, meaningful and won't make my DD hate me? She's on board with he help, by the way, I just know that when we're all tired and busy, all good intentions might go out of the window.

Apart from encouraging her to set up a work routine she can actually stick to, minimise chores so that she can focus on schoowork and spare time is spent on things she likes, a tutor for her hardest subject and finding and printing past exams online that she can do, what else can I do?

Thank you! This thread has been very helpful. I have a bright DS who is doing his GCSE’s but is disorganised and more interested in spending hours on tiktok! Some of these tips are very useful.

Yes, I am very grateful to everyone that's contributed. So much good advice and excellent tips!! May I also ask, what about mobile phones? Same as Chaiandkaafee's son and a lot of our young people my DD will spend hours on end looking at nonsense in You Tube and TikTok. Currently she has no restrictions to using her phone but it is clear that she does not have the ability to self regulate. Right now I am thinking that she needs to hand over phone when she comes home from school (she has it as school all day and is allowed to use it), maybe have it back for one hour between 9 and 10, and then hand it over again for the night? What does everyone think? The trade off I will offer is that her co-operation with this also means that she does not have to do any chores around the house whatsoever, nothing, apart from keeping her own room/working space, reasonably tidy.

My top tip having just been through this with DS is to keep talking to her about how things are going and, in particular, about whether there is anything she doesn't understand. My kids have a terrible habit of not speaking up at school if they don't get something, and it only came to light with DS when he did poorly in his chemistry mock, at which point DH stepped in and basically taught him half the GCSE chemistry course using the textbook. DS actually got a 9 in the real thing, so all good, but it was stressful and could have been avoided.

Revision guides are very useful and worth having. Past papers were the best way to revise for DS.

On phones, personally I'd talk to DD about how much work you expect her to do after school and agree to put the phone away during that time (plus overnight of course).

The problem with restricting phones is that they're now part of school life with homework being emailed, show my homework or similar apps on the phone, pupils taking photos of the whiteboard during lessons, pupils making notes on the phone during lessons, online homework (i.e. multiple choice or similar questions on websites) etc. Yes, homework, SMH, etc can be done via a laptop or tablet, but it's a bit counter-intuitive to make someone give up their phone for the evening, just to give them a laptop where they can access mostly the same things (including social media, messaging etc).

@BananasAreEvil we always had a set homework period after school. Home, get changed, snack and a bit of tech fun stuff then a set time for work. Remind her that everything she has been doing for the last 4 years has been leading to this year. Tell her as a parent you want the best for her and at times she may not like you very much but you are willing to help her no matter what. At the end of year 11 they get a 10 week summer. Complete freedom from school so they need to knuckle down now. That does include no phones when studying.

We let DCs off their chores for year 11. Definitely watch films of any plays they are studying also I made mine watch films to help with what society was like when the poems were written so Pride and Prejudice (1813) 1917 film and Dunkirk for the war stuff as mine did Power and Conflict poetry. Also Elizabeth for Shakespeare society.

I know I have said this before but children do have a lot of free time. Mine were home from school at 3.45pm Mine had a 6 hour school day and another 6 hours at home. There is plenty of time for study, jobs, friends, sports, family time etc over the week and on weekends when they have 14 hours or so per day. How they choose to spend that time is what can make a difference to their grades. If they achieve well then no door is closed to them.

Ds2 hated English lit and got a low 5 in his November mock. With guidance from his teacher and help from me and an incredible willingness from Ds he achieved an 8 this summer. We were both ecstatic.