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!

@NCTDN @OnthePisteAgain
DS felt that the paper was tough

In contrast ds felt yesterday's stats paper went better than paper one. He said the difficult things they'd been expecting to be on there weren't. Roll on tomorrow and further maths and the end of the slog for them

And we are done! Latin Culture was apparently 'very good'....Well done to all the children and their parents. What a SLOG!

You're all brilliant.

Well my daughter has finished - food done and dusted.

Well done to all the finishers this last couple of days!

@Muchtoomuchtodo That's terrible. No advice I'm afraid, but you imagine there must be something they can do in this situation!

FM revision interspersed with lying around feeling rubbish here. DD has started a course of antibiotics though, so should have perked up a bit by tomorrow afternoon I hope.

Hooray for all those that have finished! Nearly there...

We're nearly there too - further maths tomorrow. DD has just returned home from FM revision class at school and is now taking a break before doing more revision. One more day...

DD very pleased with how dance went this morning. The high mark questions were on the pieces she’d hoped for and had a lot to write.

She’s happy that the exams are over, but that it feels weird to have finished school. Her school doesn’t have a Sixth Form so everyone is moving on and unfortunately it looks like most of her friends are going to a different college. The dresses she ordered for prom arrived and luckily she likes them - now just to decide which of the three she wants to keep!

Ds just got home after food prep this morning.Said it was really easy.
So all done now, he's wiped out and apparently going for a nap before dinner.

My Ds did food tech this morning - said he finished in half an hour but his attitude to the subject is at a level I would not consider his opinion on any level valid .

we are done now - good luck to further maths tomorrow x

Last one tomorrow!!

Our further maths is Friday afternoon. Not sure if that's the latest date a GCSE could be? It feels like it either way.

Thankfully we go on holiday on Saturday morning.

Really worried about DS1, he has no energy and has the second further maths paper this afternoon. hasn't done much for it in the last few days.

@SheilaFentiman I think it's really hard to keep the momentum going this week - especially as nearly everyone else has finished now.

DD hasn't done as much as she was planning to this week (in her case it's partly because she's been unwell with a UTI - but I suspect that itself is a result of the stress/exhaustion/energy crash). I am hoping that a burst of adrenalin will get her through this afternoon. I hope the same for your son too!

yes, exactly - it's so hard to keep going when others are done

How are ND kids coping this week?
DS was in a right funny mood at the weekend, didn’t seem to have slept and winding his brother up.
I’m thinking it’s the sudden lack of routine and structure that is unsettling him.

I’m personally feeling exhausted and tearful, like I’ve held everything together for the last few weeks, tried to keep the house calm and now it’s all over.

DS1 has left for school! That’s it, my revision support work is done!

That's an angle I hadn't considered. My Y11 is NT so we are not there yet, but now I'm wondering how on earth our younger one is going to cope with the long summer before college.

Thank you so much for these threads.

DS is now finished - very tired - not every talkative with me but done.

So exams are finally over - so I get that headspace back.

DS still has to go in Friday afternoon for leavers assembly- and I really hope school doesn't pull anything - but that should be it - I still can't quite believe all the additional stress they added.

DD1 is tired, and a little flat, I think. She's got a prom next week, but it's quite low-key at school, and not all of her friends are going, so I don't think it's a biggie for her. She's out with friends today though for the first time since exams finished so that will help I'm sure. I've encouraged her to apply for a job at McDonalds to fill some of the time - whether she will or not I don't know, but lots of the more appealing PT jobs are over 18s only, or require Saturday availability, which she doesn't have.

When I was her age there were dodgy minibuses all over town that would drive you out to pick or pack fruit in the long summers, often cash in hand. I have no idea where and how teens under 18 find casual work nowadays so any tips welcome.

Our school is running a work experience week plus he’s picking his music lessons back up, so DS has got a pretty good structure in place, which suits him.
Dreading the long summer hol tho

DD has also just set off for school for the last time. I can't believe how quickly the secondary years have gone.

Interesting to hear how all the finished kids are adjusting to the total lack of structure after such an intense time. It's hard to predict how they feel feel. Hope those who are struggling with it are able to adjust soon.

I have no idea where and how teens under 18 find casual work nowadays so any tips welcome.

May depend on the area - DD1 has struggled partly due to late Aug birthday and partly we can't drive her to the two locations always desperate for workers that many of her friends started out at before moving to better locations.

Shes just started a volunteering position - 2 references needed and need to be contacted before she can start - and as she is under 18 permission from a parent - idea being it will give her some experience and a reference for future jobs.

By same age I'd had two summer jobs and no parental permission needed for either.

It’s definitely an anti climax here after the first day and the lack of structure is tricky for them to adjust to, as is the v different pace of life! Definitely need to work on getting a job! Well done to all those with FM today, hope it went well!

Do you mean OCR Additional Maths on Friday? Mine is doing OCR additional maths on Friday while some friends are doing further mathematics today.