GCSE Supporting - first week nearly over

[overthehillswegoo]

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Email exams office, head of year and whoever on SLT is in charge of exams. You'll need to ask for special consideration - but that depends on how much of the total assessment has been completed.
You may well need to provide medical evidence.

but I'd be tempted to email exams officer, HoY, tutor so the message gets through quicker.

I'd do both of those if you haven't and try for a GP appointment so you're covered as much as possible.

The should be procedures in place as it happens every year.

DS seemed stressed this morning - first day of two exams - bizarrely they will have a lesson in-between the two exams as per usual timetable - will be a chemistry on though science department has shown more sense than rest they may change it to last remaining science subject physics. Geography had a last minute change of teacher this term but it went smoothly so hopefully won't affect him.

It was probably best DH and I were late getting to our e-mail as school have once again perfectly timed an e-mail about an issue with him not actually saying what they are accusing him of. It's a very clear pattern now - just before something big vague accusations.

The also claim to have tried to phone us for two weeks - once again forgetting we've explained all the phone have caller ID so even if we had missed a call we'd know - and we've confirmed all the numbers and they have all our e-mail addresses which they demonstrated by finally using one.

I think we need to wait till after the exams if we can be bothered to push back again - he's not an angel but the complaints have always vanished upon questioning or been very petty and never from his direct teachers who seem bemused as he considered hard working and well behaved . Last time it was changing a background on a computer in a lesson for just that lesson and the actual teacher didn't notice.

The school rang back and asked him to go in if he was able. He has gone in but will sit separately. Not sure if he is doing the afternoon exam. I really hope he doesn’t actually vomit. My poor boy :(

They'll be nearly finishing Chemistry! Hope it went well 🙏

DD finished chemistry at 10.15, she's doing foundation but said it was harder than she thought but she answered everything.

According to DD "if I pass that then they clearly feel sorry for me, lol".
Apparently quite hard test

Have reassured its all fine (not much I can say as I was atrocious at science) and they've gone off for a McDonald's with mates as it's "brain food". Not quite sure I agree there.

Anyone else's kid have a lucky charm? My ND DD must have a t-shirt each day under uniform. Good job the weather has decided to go warm or I'd be hair drying a 80s band top each day. The things I do to make them feel better!

Chemistry did not go well here :( DS has been off school ill since mid-February and has struggled to even get in to sit the exams (but refused to countenance deferring them), but he needs to pass his sciences to get onto his college course next year. We're in Wales and he sat his Unit 1 exam last year, so he has a B for that in the bag and he's getting full special consideration. Hopefully he's done enough to get a C overall. Geography this afternoon. I hope the Chemistry hasn't knocked him too much. It's his first full day in school for 11 weeks.

DD reports AQA combined chemistry to have been “very mathsy” - the least positive I’ve heard her after an exam so far, but doesn’t think it was too awful. Good luck to everyone else, really sorry for the Ill ones hope they recover soon and not too many more are affected

Oooh I don’t like to think about it until Ds comes home. Anything could happen and it’s always so unpredictable. Like the ones ds was predicted good grades did not go well and then English lit last week that is predicted a 4 went brilliantly so it’s all up and down here. I have no idea especially when the studying is consistently good. AQA seems to have more easier questions but Edexcel anything could happen, seems like they will ask more obscure questions?

I’ve suggested a lucky charm or just a fidget thing, but ds said no

@CCallmeIT
What does combined chemistry mean?
Is that only 1 paper?
DD doing Aqa too but only paper 1 today.
She left in a real strop this morning so wouldn't be texting to say how it went.
So I am aimlessly scrolling here

I hope the kids who have two exams in same day get time to recover and refresh/study for next exam after lunch? Not sure how it will work. Apparently they might even have PE

DS said Edexcel Chemistry higher was a good and fair paper.
No exams for him tomorrow.

Sad text from dd saying aqa chemistry had gone v badly. That's the first one we've had go nasty. But breathe and move on.

Combined will mean the dual award rather than the 3 separate science GCSEs.
I think (but not certain) it is still generally 2 papers per science but slightly shorter than when doing the triple / separate sciences option.

Anyone else's kid have a lucky charm? My ND DD must have a t-shirt each day under uniform. Good job the weather has decided to go warm or I'd be hair drying a 80s band top each day. The things I do to make them feel better!

My DD has to wear her 'lucky' school trousers which I think are too small plus leavers hoodie. If it stays this warm I'll be emergency washing both midweek. A dreadful History paper doesn't seem to have dented her confidence in their luckiness.

So sorry to hear about those who are unwell. I hope that's taken into consideration. Dd1 didn't do any revision over the weekend and I actually think that was a good choice. She had music stuff all day Saturday from 9.00-5.00, and was shattered after such a tiring week. So yesterday she sat in bed playing Genshin Impact and seems much the better for it today.

She did go in early this morning - school runs a revision cafe with breakfast, and so she'll have done a little last minute cramming there.

DS has lucky socks! Percy Pig ones. He wore them to all his exams last year and on results day, and he's doing the same again this year, which means I'll have to hand-wash them as soon as he comes home this afternoon and hope they dry in time. He says he's going to frame them after results day if he does OK, and we've entered into a half-serious pact to have Percy Pig ankle tattoos at some point.

I'm so pleased it's not just DD
They do tend to hyperfixate on an item, usually it's a studded cuff that was mine in my teens but their dad bought them the t-shirt from Vinted and it's been that ever since. School have Okayed it.

We've had two bad tests, both science but they hate science, including the teachers so not shocked at all. Not a necessity luckily.

I do wish it was something like a fidget spinner or a ring. Far easier!

DD said Edexel IGCSE Chemistry was Ok- much better than the Biology horror last week.

Ds has just said it was extremely hard and they all found it difficult . First real negative we have had. Hope geography goes better.

Eekk
I'm concerned now with these comments. Ds desperately wants to do A level chemistry.....
Sounds like it was very hard.

DD has a bracelet with an elephant charm on it. Thankfully it’s a stretchy bracelet as she’s had it since she was in her final year at primary!

We bought it as a joke before she did her transfer test (11+) because we had always told her what my teacher had told me when I was in primary and sitting my 11+ about maintaining concentration. My teacher always said that even if an elephant ran past the window, you still kept your head down and got on with the test. To this day (30+ years later) I can still picture an elephant thundering past the window of my P7 classroom, and we told our DC the same story when they were sitting their transfer tests. DD has worn that same bracelet for every single exam for the last 5 years from transfer test to internal school exams, and now GCSEs. It’s a good thing she’s super neat and organised and has never lost it!

DS is doing combined AQA science and said it was fine.

DD hasn't got back to me yet . She had triple chemistry Edexcel. Oh she's literally just texted me and says it went well actually and she thinks she's passed. She just wants to pass so will be happy with a 4.

Yes 2xBio, 2xChem, 2xPhys, all papers 1hour and 15 minutes. Higher and Foundation papers available. Averaged to give a double GCSE grade, eg 44, 87, 66, etc