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!

Hope your DCs enjoy the long summer

Lovely to hear everyone has finished now. Have a great summer!

Happy summer, everyone! See you back here for results day, and keeping everything firmly crossed that all our DC get whatever grades they need for the next step.

Same. That last week really dragged, not helped by it being on Friday afternoon. We've gone on holiday and it's so nice to feel free.

First non exam weekend and dd is a bit lost. Keeps feeling she should be doing something! Took her to Manchester yesterday and shopped till we dropped. See you all for the results enjoy a peaceful summer

Ds has just come back from a long last rehearsal. He has the dress rehearsal on Monday then a week of performing.
He's been up since 5am and is exhausted. I'm glad he has tomorrow off.

Today is the first morning that DS has slept past 7am!

It's such a strange time - just finishing and embarking on a long summer, and for many of them, being in-between belonging to schools/colleges etc. I think a period of adjustment is definitely to be expected.

DD has been in a social whirl since she finished. It's been a bit unexpected - she's someone who likes her downtime and thought she'd spend a few days slumped in front of Netflix, but actually she's been out every day. She did play the piano for a solid two hours yesterday afternoon though, and I'm not sure anyone's touched it in months.

DS has had a few apprenticeship interviews already and a few more next week. It seems his standard answer for how exams went of "easy" has been extended to interviews so its anyones guess how they have actually gone.

@Hellocatshome hope the apprenticeship interviews go OK.
From what I can gather dd is the only one from her year who has gone for an apprenticeship, most are going to college, a few to sixth form.
We are just crossing fingers for the grades now!

Fingers crossed she gets the grades she needs. I just wish some of the apprenticeships he has interviewed for would make a decision, even if its a no at least he would know where he stands. He has quite a few up in the air but no one seems to be making a decision. I
he has a conditional place at college should he not get an apprenticeship but it really is his much preferred route.

Dd wants to be a mechanic and put her cv round 10 local garages. 2 got back to say they had vacancies. One was super keen from the start and invited her for a chat before they offered her an interview. The other one messed her around for ages so she dropped them an email to say thanks, but no thanks.
She only needs 5 grade 3s.
If she doesn't get this she will have to do a Level 1 course at college and resit.

Are the apprenticeships waiting till the results come out maybe?

Thats fantastic, we need more girls working in those types of jobs.

Maybe they are waiting for results but I hope not as that's a long time to wait in limbo! He has applied for mostly engineering apprenticeships and needs 4s and a 5 in maths. He has applied for a roofing apprenticeship as well against my better judgement as he is scared of heights 🤣🙈

@Hellocatshome We're on the east coast and dds been chased by windfarm people offering her engineering apprenticeships but her ultimate aim is f1 or at least motorsport so hasn't gone down that route.

Roofing is good money but having seen my frightened of heights dh clinging to our chimney when he thought he could fix it himself, that one would certainly need extra thought!

At least they're both sensible enough to have back up plans.

DD got up around 11 today and complained what a busy week she has this week - interview for a part time job, college open day, prom on Thursday night, various beautification appointments in preparation for prom, training and a big cheerleading competition on Saturday. Then on Sunday we’re flying to Greece just me and her for a post-exams mini break, so she needs to pack for that.

My DS is refusing to go to prom. Just not interested. He and two others are having a sleepover instead (not here, thank goodness). I would have loved an excuse to get a photo of him looking tidy, but he really doesn't want to go.

DS had a great time at his prom (and looked so grown up in his dinner suit. He's been taking advantage of the great weather to meet friends for paddleboarding and generally relaxing. Then he's back to school this week for some ceremonial events and a post-GCSE programme.

He's also just let me know that the school has applied for Special Consideration for one of his physics papers as a student vomited copiously 30 minutes before the end and this created some disturbance (caused by the initial vomit and the subsequent clean up operation). It was a hot day and apparently the smell was awful 🤢. Does anyone know if DS will be told if Special Consideration is accepted and, if it is, what % has been awarded (apparently it is a range from 1-4%)?

I dont know if they find out if it has been applied but it certainly won't be around 4% for 30 minutes of disturbance due to someone else vomiting. You only get 5% if a parent dies so more likely around the 1%. DS had shingles during the exams and they are applying for it for him but they said 1 to 2% was likely IF it is granted.

Yes after I posted I looked at the regulations and saw it was likely to be 1% if accepted. The email from the school just mentioned 1-4% as the range available. At most it was only 30 minutes of disruption at the end of the exam so 1% would be generous anyway.

5% for a close family bereavement is rubbish! 1% sounds pretty pointless but I suppose it's got to help a little bit.

Is it weird to say I feel so emotional all the kids on this thread going for their prom nights and finding apprenticeships and moving on, what little troopers they were during those exams. Feels like ages ago.

Quick question: Does he have to wear a bow tie to prom? 😬🤷🏻‍♀️won’t a tie do? And that shirt… has to be a special bow tie shirt?

What sort of suit is he wearing? If its a tux then bowtie is better. If its a suit like you would wear to a wedding then tie is fine.

It’s just a normal blazer because he doesn’t want to be the only one. He doesn’t think his friends are going to wear a tux and bow tie and he’ll feel odd when he’s there

Ds has a normal toe.