GCSE support - the final frontier!

[SheilaFentiman]

These are the voyages of the GCSE Enterprise. To support our DCs, bemoan exam boards and to boldly go through the last fortnight like no one has gone before!

Physics done. He said it was decent. 16th birthday next week, then he can apply for his first job. Now looking forward to a summer of sea swimming.

He has 6th form induction on 26th/27th of this month

Very true, my DD and a group of friends have been making plans for months.
Thursday is the big!!

@Honeylemonandginger @minisnowballs

Piercings on the way here too.

Nose and helix booked for Friday. Septum can stay out all the time now instead of being hidden up her nose at school for the last year.

Manic panic fuschia pink hair dye about to be ordered (that said her school actually seem to be fairly relaxed on hair colour)

Seems strange that it's all over after so many months of build up and weeks of daily stress!

No piercings here. DD has gone to see the Arctic Monkeys with some friends (even though she hasn't quite finished, they have).

Do we all think grade boundries will be very similar to 2019 this year? Or will they lower them slightly still?

I haven’t even thought about grade boundaries, I feel like I have no clear idea what DS1 needs to do to get the 7,8,9s that he is aiming for. I’m not even sure teachers do after the few years of disruption!

Seems v strange indeed waking up and thinking - what shall we do today! Eldest DS has 2 A levels left but is independent so I kind of feel my job of providing food, drinks, nagging, printing out papers is done! However the bomb site of papers, books and random sheets is all over the bedroom, the kitchen and it looks like we’ve burnt down trees so I guess it’s a recycling morning! No idea about grade boundaries but am hoping they’re generous!

They have stated the same % will be getting the 4s, & 7s as in 2019.
That then means that the grade boundaries will be set accordingly, providing they stick to that.

if the cohort are at the same level, and the exams are the same difficulty then the boundaries will be more or less the same.

If the cohort is of general lower standard (which might still possibly be expected due to impact of covid) that would tend towards the boundaries being a bit lower.

But it also depends on how 'easy' the exams have been for the cohort compared with the 2019 exams. If for some reason they were easier and the cohort achieve higher marks, then the boundaries would move up.

Broadly speaking though, if you have a predicted grade 6 student who think the exams went about as they expected, then barring them having missed the point of a big mark question without realising, I reckon you could expect them to be in the same relative 'position' in the overall cohort and thus hopefully still be on for a 6.

In other words, no point worrying about it.

It's hard to know about grade noundaries. My DD sociology teacher is in a Fb group with others .My DD and the whole of her class felt one of the 12 (I think) markers was fantastic - best question they could choose etc. they are mixed ability so wasn't that they are more capable. Yet apparently in this group the teacher said other teachers were reporting their whole classes felt it was a nightmare question - maybe some boils down to teachers and how much emphasis they have placed in certain areas or style of teaching - I don't know. But then did DD did say he had been focusing on worst case questions with them so maybe that's just why it felt so easy!

Well done to all those who have finished, and good luck to the others! DS still has FM next Wednesday, then two days of "Starting Sixth Form" stuff. Then a summer of sport and music!

I agree it can be down to teaching or just luck whether a class likes a big mark question or not.
If the teacher happens to be extra interested in a topic, or they've recently done a similar question as a practice, that kind of thing.
A few years ago there was a question focusing on The Porter in Macbeth. I can well imagine some classes being far better prepped for that than others.

My son has just woken up big smile on his face and said I might just do nothing today mum! 😂 and then he said " oh and I'll be playing my new guitar 🎸 very loudly "
😆😆😆👍👍

It is so nice not having to get DD to do revision.
She has also submitted her last piece of college work so is also having a lazy day.

Getting my DS to revise for Tuesday's food prep exam is proving difficult. None of his friends are taking it so he's most disgruntled that he having to revise.

DS found a suit for prom with his Dad - but doesn't want to think about shirt or shoes and clearly doesn't want to revise.

DD1 seems to be having a go but she's not hopeful it will go well on Monday.

I will be very glad Wednesday afternoon when I no longer have to try and get anyone to revise - at least till this time next year.

My Ds is at a festival today so no revision here at all going to ask him to do some tomorrow but I am at work so limited what I can do

Bless him

All finished here!
The Year 11s were down the beach last night.
DS2 got back at 11pm so not too late.
I've told him he can a week of doing absolutely nothing and then it's jobseeking time 😀

Ds feels really depressed today :-( 😞
Maybe because of tiredness and that it's all finished and he's just gone flop..I don't know? Anyone else's child feeling abit low today? 🤔

My DS has spent the afternoon in bed asleep, not sure whether it's down the hay fever or just the fact he is shattered.

I'm.still waiting for it to catch up with DS. He was out last night until 1am this morning with seemingly everyone from his year. Today he has been out with his girlfriend and her school friends. He is apparently going to a hot tub party this evening. Give it a few days and I think he will hit a wall.

Ds felt low yesterday that he didn’t get to say good bye to some of his teachers properly and if that’s the end. He’ll really miss that school. He’s friends with almost everyone because they came from the same feeder school as him, great community kind of feeling. They’re all friends and live close by. But mostly he will really miss the teachers. He had been with them since he was 10. Six years of his life spent with the same people. So I’m letting him just talk about it. He’s also slept yesterday and woke up about 11am today. Now also gone back to sleep.

They played volleyball after the exams yesterday and some of the teachers joined in too and he was really happy when he returned. Then, after shower fell asleep and so tired. Happy. But lost. (I might be interpreting it wrong though? Lol)

Also… I missed this group 🙌😢😂😩😘

They’re supposed to go out and play volleyball tomorrow in the park. So things can only get better.