GCSE Supporting - first week nearly over

[overthehillswegoo]

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DS was OCR, also 90 min but they started at 1pm. I know other schools start the afternoon papers later, I might have to wait for others to finish. He was upset and cross which is v unusual.

Just texted my aqa comp science student and she's not answered &hairy

I meant to reply to you 😂

@Madcats my DS said it was hard and it's usually his easiest subject

My dd said it was a good paper, a lot of maths but they had the equations so she didn't mind.

'Better than I thought it was going to be'.

Just checking, did they get the formula/equation sheets only as a concession for missed Covid time? Do they get them for a-levels normally ? Why in god's name do they insist on memorising formula?

Yes it's a concession. They said they weren't getting them at one stage I think.

After the English Lit disaster yesterday, son thought physics was 'good' phew!

DS seems happy enough with the higher WJEC physics exam.

We've offered to let him stay home tomorrow- but all bar one lesson is a relevant subject and he won't get revision or booster info on-line so he still seems to want to go in.

He's not bothered by the threats of yet more "talks" this time with psco with vague accusations despite them admitting he's done nothing malicious or illegal but he might though they can't really explain what the problem is they're upset about. It's really odd very frustrating but DS is done it's just DH and me getting upset now.

Why in god's name do they insist on memorising formula?

I've no idea but I don't think they do in Wales even in none covid times - IME if your using a formula regularly you tend to remember it and if not it's never been easier to look up.

DD back home:

Physics was good "I think I did quite well" (she flips between 6's and 9's in tests so hopefully she had topics she understood).

Computing was hard (found the first paper easy). Some of the code was odd/confusing.

At one time she had planned to do it for A level, but swapped it with biology so it sounds as if that was a good decision on her part.

In other news we are halfway through (phew)!

DS is home.

He thought OCR Combined Higher Physics will be tough but found it was OK.

He thought AQA Computer Science will be easy but found it was quite tough as it had questions on concepts they studied a while back.

DD doing AQA Combined higher said it was ok for science.

Sociology was good apparently - had a question on something they learnt in their very last lesson before exam.

DD1 and friend have just returned (she's triple, friend is combined). Both physics papers 'fine' - though DD1 annoyed she'd written out how to do a maths method for physics and then hadn't done the calculation because she 'thought it was wrong' but it wasn't. Sigh. V pleased with nuclear reactor question.

My son's said nobody seemed to know how to do the Computer Science exam today, it was a strange one apparently.

Spent the day worrying about ds.
As he went in I said to him "two exams today". He says "no only physics." I said I thought he had electronics this afternoon, and he said it was Friday.
So I said to him to check when he got in. He said, no need as he knew he was right.

So when I got in to work, I checked and found I was right. So I spent today worrying that he wouldn't turn up/hadn't been entered/would be sent for but missed half the exam...

He came out, and I asked how the exams went. He said "both were good" in a totally relaxed way.
Much (hidden) relief on my part and a little bit of sheepishness on his part.

That gave me anxiety just reading it. Good luck to him 🤞 sometimes it goes better when they’re just organically sitting it without any revision.

My daughter said that her AQA higher level triple physics paper was 'good', which is the best I've had out of her yet. She said the OCR Computer Science was really hard but that everyone said it was, including a couple of her friends who are coding geniuses - apparently they had to use code 'way beyond GCSE level' to solve some of the problems.

I don't think there would have been more revision if he'd done it tomorrow, so at least I don't have that to worry about. 🤣

He's so looking forward to the next half term when he doesn't have to be in every day,

Random question. After the holidays do the kids have to go in their school uniforms for the exams? School is finished tomorrow for us.

Physics ‘better than expected’ (Future A Level so not sure what he was expecting).

Totally depends on the school. DD has had no uniform at all this term. Schools I work at have full uniform for all exams.

It will depend on the individual school. Ours are still in school in school on full timetable and uniform to the bitter end.

I had to ring my DD a few minutes back to ask her to get the washing in. Her detailed review of the Computer Science paper was "ok". She would not be drawn further. Better than wank, I guess? But Computer Science is normally her favourite and best, and she's normally far more positive about it.

On the plus side, by a massive stroke of luck the first of yesterday's "unseen" poetry was a poem they'd looked at in some detail in class in Year 10, so the whole group feel pretty good about that one.

We had a message saying leavers assembly tomorrow, shirts signed etc and finish early. After holiday there will be lessons in the subjects they are sitting exams in.

So uniform? I’m going to have to call the school aren’t I.

My son started study leave over a week before the exams began - he has to attend all exams in school uniform.

How are kids coping when they have to go to school all day while taking exams too? What are they doing during the school times?

My son has been coming home from exams and then revising solidly, on areas he needs to work on, before going to sleep at around 11.30pm.