GCSE supporting - to half term, and beyond!

[SheilaFentiman]

Making a new thread to support half term revision and the set of GCSEs afterwards!

Good luck to everyone today x

Here we go! Back on it after a much needed break (for both of us unfortunately). Good luck to all today

Good luck to those taking exams, and those of us waiting to hear how they got on. I was told repeatedly that English Language isn't an exam you can revise for, so hopefully that thinking won't come back to bite him this morning!

I actually realise that for the first time I feel a bit sick!!! Not sure why English is causing such stress but ds hardly spoke this morning!

Good luck all. DS was very anxious this morning and his nausea was terrible. English is his weak spot - he's OK with writing very technical, descriptive stuff but hopeless with anything where he has to be more imaginative or look for implied meanings, so I'm hoping there are good non-fiction options.

Just looked at his timetable for intervention/revision sessions. All but one of them (the least important, typically!) clash with exams. Great.

Me too. I have butterflies!!

Gearing up after half term is awful isn't it - DD was really stressed this morning despite usually not being worried about English Lang. I think she'll feel better once this one is done and they're back in the swing of it.

And the stress is getting to me too now - I yelled at her Year 9 sister who is stressed about her RE assessment today for telling me she had had 'no time to revise for it' when she's spent most of the week watching a Korean TV drama...Honestly, though

I’ve almost ignored everything and everyone else at the expense of this whole GCSE revision and exams season. Hmmmm JUST TWO MORE WEEKS !

I feel similar everything else is going on back burner round DS GCSEs- though DD1 with A-levels needed little input so it's more background worry and fingers being crossed there.

DS did seem a little stressed going on this morning -unusually nervous but he should be capable of the C he needs - I think he realised he been much more prepared for other subjects.

DN over in England at 3/4 border in English but was her art exam she was told was a 9 - so really have fingers crossed for her - there's a plan either way but would be nice to get it done with.

7 for DD this week. She is counting down the days until they are all over (helps that we are whizzing to Spain the day after). DIdn't do anything for ENglish except write out a large whiteboard with all the questions, mark scheme and what to include and how to structure. She will be fine. Always hovers around an 8 for previous papers on this basis so hoping that continues.

DD is not 16 until a week after results day (yes she is as young as you can be and be in yr 11). I have bought 4 tickets for thorpe park (with my tesco clubcard points) for her and her friends to use for her birthday day out.

DD is not 16 until a week after results day (yes she is as young as you can be and be in yr 11). I have bought 4 tickets for thorpe park (with my tesco clubcard points) for her and her friends to use for her birthday day out.

That sounds lovely .

DH is suggesting we do something for weekend after both their exams finish but we haven't sorted anything yet - it's like we can't quite think that far ahead yet.

DD1 is very late August as well and it's thrown a few unexpected issues for her - not being able to find work or volunteering like her friends as they wanted post 16 then post 18 people, having to apply for post 16 bus pass at peak time so delayed, not being able to open student bank account with benefits till September as has to be 18 - and having to agree in principle to student loan she had to apply last month for because under 18s can't enter into loan agreements. It threw us as we oddly hadn't anticipated any of it.

Ds should be home soon. I've got everything crossed that he will have found it ok

My son desperately wants a job. Does anyone's child work for a company they'd recommend. I see Tescos, Costa, Greggs all take 16 year olds and are advertising. I've heard Mc D pay good money and look after their staff.

Ds says that it was very boring but ok!!

DD said it was fine. Said she probably should have written more for Q5 but just couldn't think of anything else. Said it was dull and just ranted on about hyenas !

The message I've just got said that it wasn't amazing. That'll be the extent of the feedback I get!

@mumonthehill That rings a bell – DS was monosyllabic leaving the house today. Not sure if that was on account of Eng Lang or French written. After today, French is over which he will be very pleased about.

@TripleDaisySummer @Muchtoomuchtodo Maths and FM all at once here. Interesting to see how different the approaches are. FM has been one hour a week after school in year 10 and 11. But he's currently still keen to do A-level maths & further maths, so I guess it's been fine for him.

Ooh thanks - will have to take that into consideration in a couple of years time.

DD hasn't got a job as such but she has two different top level qualifications to officiate at a sport so she is a very busy girl during the season (which is September to April) so during the summer her income drops off - she did two matches last weekend but wasn't paid (she came home with a huge bag of clothing though as the event was sponsored by Nike so she was a very happy girl.

Some of her Friends have already booked driving lessons to start when they are 17 in October/November time but she won't be 17 until late August 2024 so ages to wait.

Does anyone else's DC do WJEC Eduqas English Language? DS won't be home until 4pm and I'm interested to know what people thought of the paper. DS does find English tricky.

Ds ran out of time again and had to leave one question. I hope he can still get a 4

What question did he leave out - the last one?

FM is only an hour and a half once a month, after school, here. They have to do a lot for themselves!

@Whatisitn0w yes DD is doing the Eduqas paper. Eng lang is not her favourite subject, but I'm really hoping it went OK. She was flapping about this morning declaring "I've forgotten how to semi colon" 😏
She has an extra astronomy class after school, so I won't see her until 4pm to find out.

Thank you @Saisong. I hope it's gone well for your DD. My DS has been very stoic about English and I really hope he gets a 4.
My brother did Astronomy O Level in the 1980s! He was taught by a retired gentleman who ran the sessions at school in the evening. He was friends with Patrick Moore and took the group to his house for a cup of tea on the way back from a visit to Jodrell Bank I think!

@Rottersclub Wow, that's not much time at all. Did they cover the whole of the syllabus? DS is still doing lessons right up to the Tuesday before the final exam.