Page 6 | GCSE support - the final frontier!

SheilaFentiman · 2023-06-10T21:25:21+00:00

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!

tourdefrance · 12/06/2023 07:30

Stress levels have been high here this weekend. English language is his weakest subject. Will be very glad when today is over.

Last day was officially Friday, shirt signing is Tuesday this week. DS started getting his shirt signed one day last week so some of his year 10 friends could sign it and when I queried this he said ‘I’m done with rules now’. For an autistic, rules driven boy this is pretty amazing!

He wants to take in some thank you cards and chocolates this week. I was thinking of getting something for the amazing SenCo.

julesover40 · 12/06/2023 07:32

Good luck (kick 🙈)

Jowak1 · 12/06/2023 07:46

Good Luck to all for this week, the end is in sight!! Yeaaaaaaa

CallmeIT · 12/06/2023 07:56

Another non-reviser here. She passed her English language mocks well enough (albeit below her target) and she’s not too bothered about improving it 🙄

Just three left after this one thankfully. Good luck today everyone!

HappiDaze · 12/06/2023 08:00

Letskeepgoing · 12/06/2023 06:59

Good Luck everyone!! Smash it!

Really sorry, another question! Would this pen be ok to use, he's been using a bic pen until now.

I get these pens for us as they're so smooth to use and fairly cheap.

DD has been getting them out of the cupboard to replenish as shes writing so much

Letskeepgoing · 12/06/2023 08:07

HappiDaze · 12/06/2023 08:00

I get these pens for us as they're so smooth to use and fairly cheap.

DD has been getting them out of the cupboard to replenish as shes writing so much

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Thats good to know, thank you!
Ds said not having the right pen is 'cheating' that's what they've been told so wanted to double check!

minisnowballs · 12/06/2023 08:21

Good luck to all today. Another 'can't revise for this paper' here, but DD informs me that although she sometimes doesn't do so well on the other Eng Lang paper she's always got a nine on this one... let's hope her confidence is not misplaced.

However, this afternoon is the dreaded latin literature - where I'm genuinely worried that she hasn't covered enough to pass. We had a stress revision of suetonius and petronius yesterday (I say revision, not convinced she'd looked at them for more than five minutes ever before) and she's asked me to meet her after this exam for a quick one hour cramming session where I'm just going to get her to write everything she knows onto our copy of the poems so she's recalled it before she goes in.

Thank heavens I'm freelance and can make the time this week!

Nearly there!

closethedrawer · 12/06/2023 08:28

Good luck to all those who aren't grade 9 students and are hoping to just get a pass.

minisnowballs · 12/06/2023 08:33

@closethedrawer I can assure you there are other subjects where she would be very happy with a pass- DD has a pretty spiky profile. Good luck to everyone whether today is one of their stronger ones or not. Nearly there!

Quinkle · 12/06/2023 08:36

Surely we wish every child well? These threads have been very good at that; clearly the DC mentioned throughout have a wide range of abilities. All levels come with their own stresses and concerns.

closethedrawer · 12/06/2023 08:39

Ok, good luck to everyone, especially those who aren't grade 9 students and are just hoping for a pass.

AgathaSpencerGregson · 12/06/2023 08:40

tourdefrance · 12/06/2023 07:30

Stress levels have been high here this weekend. English language is his weakest subject. Will be very glad when today is over.

Last day was officially Friday, shirt signing is Tuesday this week. DS started getting his shirt signed one day last week so some of his year 10 friends could sign it and when I queried this he said ‘I’m done with rules now’. For an autistic, rules driven boy this is pretty amazing!

He wants to take in some thank you cards and chocolates this week. I was thinking of getting something for the amazing SenCo.

Another one here helping a DS with ASD through GCSEs. English is his weakest too but he did say paper 1 was “not too bad” so hoping today goes ok. Latin verse lit in the pm which he feels a bit better about, then music Wednesday and he’s done!

closethedrawer · 12/06/2023 08:41

It's much harder for those kids and as I have one myself I know how stressful it is to be worrying about them just passing. We're all aware that they can't go on to do A Levels without a 4 or above in English Language.

Original poster

SheilaFentiman · 12/06/2023 08:41

Good luck today for all with English language and Latin!

OP posts:

AgathaSpencerGregson · 12/06/2023 08:43

minisnowballs · 12/06/2023 08:21

Good luck to all today. Another 'can't revise for this paper' here, but DD informs me that although she sometimes doesn't do so well on the other Eng Lang paper she's always got a nine on this one... let's hope her confidence is not misplaced.

However, this afternoon is the dreaded latin literature - where I'm genuinely worried that she hasn't covered enough to pass. We had a stress revision of suetonius and petronius yesterday (I say revision, not convinced she'd looked at them for more than five minutes ever before) and she's asked me to meet her after this exam for a quick one hour cramming session where I'm just going to get her to write everything she knows onto our copy of the poems so she's recalled it before she goes in.

Thank heavens I'm freelance and can make the time this week!

Nearly there!

I never did Latin so my ability to help DS is very limited! So I’ve just left him to it - hope he’s fine enough …

Letskeepgoing · 12/06/2023 08:49

Is anyone doing a anything nice on Friday? I thought we may go to the beach if nice evening for chips on the beach and maybe take a bottle of non alcoholic fizz. I feel so proud of all the chicken who have done their exams. Not easy for any of them.

Soundofshuna · 12/06/2023 08:49

For some reason despite giving up Latin after GCSE my ability to help is much greater than chemistry & physics that I did for A level & have very little memory of!
I think it must be like muscle memory & I learnt it in the right way at the right time..
good luck to everyone today it really does feel like the end is in sight.

HappiDaze · 12/06/2023 08:50

Good luck to everyone !!!

It's very humid here today so I hope they can cope in this weather. No A/C in DDs clapped out building of a state school.

@Letskeepgoing yes they're definitely ballpoint pens (not gel) and fine enough to be legible so they make my DS writing look neater. DD has neat writing anyway but because they're smoother her hands hurt a little less from all the writing

filchards · 12/06/2023 08:54

It's been a stressful weekend. Far too hot. Put DS in the living room to sleep as his room is airless and never cools down. Saturday night was fine, last night not. On top of that his hay fever has been absolutely awful. Never seen it so bad - the usual medication didn't even touch it yesterday and he was really floored by it.

Eng Lang is his worst and most stressful subject. Paper 1 went ok so he was feeling relaxed about paper 2. But today he was in a terrible state. I suggested telling the school about his hay fever and he got annoyed with me for fussing.

I did it anyway. The wonderful wonderful exams officer came back to me to say she'll look after him and apply for special consideration. He's in a room with only one other anyway, due to special arrangements (ADHD, extra time etc). Hopefully they will also prompt him and he'll take his rest breaks.

So awful to start the day badly. He stormed out of the house, which is unlike him. And he was already stressing about Chemistry tomorrow and he says he will be too tired to revise this afternoon. Further down the line, I will point out to him that this is why we don't leave revision until the last minute as what happens when we do that and then we're not well? He'll need to sort out his exam technique (for want of a better word) in 6th form as GCSE has been haphazard to say the least.

Onwards and upwards. Nearly done. Wishing everyone all the best.

Letskeepgoing · 12/06/2023 08:55

HappiDaze · 12/06/2023 08:50

Good luck to everyone !!!

It's very humid here today so I hope they can cope in this weather. No A/C in DDs clapped out building of a state school.

@Letskeepgoing yes they're definitely ballpoint pens (not gel) and fine enough to be legible so they make my DS writing look neater. DD has neat writing anyway but because they're smoother her hands hurt a little less from all the writing

Thank you!

It's all cloudy and cool today here which is a relief. Hope it's cool enough for your child for their exam.

minisnowballs · 12/06/2023 08:55

DD isn't finished on friday (sodding Latin culture)... she's babysitting apparently. Should take her mind off things!

I suspect most children are really ready for latin literature at other schools @AgathaSpencerGregson . It's a quirk of her school that latin is taught by a brilliant linguist who didn't study classics at uni herself. So she teaches it a lot like an MFL, where the literature paper requires something very different. And Latin lessons are on thursdays so lots missed due to strikes.

minisnowballs · 12/06/2023 08:56

and @filchards I hope it goes well for him today. I hate those days when we have a bad start ... really hoping he just gets into it when he gets there, and great his school is understanding.

Letskeepgoing · 12/06/2023 08:57

filchards · 12/06/2023 08:54

It's been a stressful weekend. Far too hot. Put DS in the living room to sleep as his room is airless and never cools down. Saturday night was fine, last night not. On top of that his hay fever has been absolutely awful. Never seen it so bad - the usual medication didn't even touch it yesterday and he was really floored by it.

Eng Lang is his worst and most stressful subject. Paper 1 went ok so he was feeling relaxed about paper 2. But today he was in a terrible state. I suggested telling the school about his hay fever and he got annoyed with me for fussing.

I did it anyway. The wonderful wonderful exams officer came back to me to say she'll look after him and apply for special consideration. He's in a room with only one other anyway, due to special arrangements (ADHD, extra time etc). Hopefully they will also prompt him and he'll take his rest breaks.

So awful to start the day badly. He stormed out of the house, which is unlike him. And he was already stressing about Chemistry tomorrow and he says he will be too tired to revise this afternoon. Further down the line, I will point out to him that this is why we don't leave revision until the last minute as what happens when we do that and then we're not well? He'll need to sort out his exam technique (for want of a better word) in 6th form as GCSE has been haphazard to say the least.

Onwards and upwards. Nearly done. Wishing everyone all the best.

Your poor son. My son suffers terribly with hayfever but we started Alevia in April and it's been much better this year. Intact yesterday he forgot and you could really tell the difference.
I'd really recommend you try it if you haven't already.

AgathaSpencerGregson · 12/06/2023 08:59

minisnowballs · 12/06/2023 08:55

DD isn't finished on friday (sodding Latin culture)... she's babysitting apparently. Should take her mind off things!

I suspect most children are really ready for latin literature at other schools @AgathaSpencerGregson . It's a quirk of her school that latin is taught by a brilliant linguist who didn't study classics at uni herself. So she teaches it a lot like an MFL, where the literature paper requires something very different. And Latin lessons are on thursdays so lots missed due to strikes.

DS in a similar position - he’s great at the language paper, struggles with the literary style questions. But even on the lit papers there’s translation and grammar focussed questions so fingers crossed, she can pick up marks on those!

Hersetta427 · 12/06/2023 09:00

PicnicBunny · 11/06/2023 17:28

Oooh lovely! Pool in Spain sounds brilliant right now. We still have school because younger DS7 doesn’t finish until end of July

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We have a DS in yr 7 but he isn't coming with DD and I - he is staying at home with DH. DD and I are only going for 4 days. We are going away as a family to Corfu the day that DS finishes for the year.

The beginning of the last week is here. DD said this morning it was her last Monday at school !