Year 10 - 2023/2024 Support Thread

[QueenMabby]

Hi all

A new thread for those needing support (or just wanting to chat or rant!) with teens heading into their GCSE years.

Mmm it’s tricky isn’t it? As they do need down time as well. DD has done zero but we’ve been away until now so… Albeit she did say she’d do her maths on the flight & hasn’t - apparently tougher than she expected so needs to look things up. That’s her excuse anyway. I’m not pushing it as her work ethic has sky rocketed the last few months and I think she needs a break. It’s different if you’ve a kid who loves learning for learning sake - it’s hard to stop those! And then you’re worrying about burnout and perfectionism. They’re alL so different aren’t they?

Yup. Part of this revision schedule for dd is so that I can dial DOWN the amount of work. She always thinks she needs to do more than she really does so I want to illustrate to her that she doesn't need as much as she thinks!

Yes! So important that they have some balance but knowing what that is is hard for both them and us!

Dd is having a baking afternoon. My waistline won't thank me for it but her biscoff rocky road is to die for!

Must be something in the air @QueenMabby my eldest two are home and they’ve made a cheesecake and a crumble. What waist?

Mine are back to school today....yay! Had a bit of homework to do at the weekend going back but other than that nothing....which is great I think. They need a break from school work. DS did do his grade 7 music practical though during the holidays, so there was that to work on to be fair. He did well and he's pleased, so that's good.
Went to Rome for a week in the latter half of the holidays and I think they enjoyed themselves, although it was quite exhausting and ruins etc aren't DS's thing really, but he survived! DD was more into it...the ancient ruins and the Italian make up shops are right up her street!
DS is going on his DofE expedition end of this term. He's volunteering at parkrun which he's enjoying as he has a few friends doing the same thing. Parents evening is in a couple of weeks time. Will be interested to hear his progress.

DS has his actual RS GCSE a month tomorrow. I am getting fed up of nagging him to do a mere 30mins of revision per day. I know I should just leave him to do it and then potentially fail due to lack of study which would give him a shock ahead of next year but I can’t bring myself to do it…
He just needs to get a 5 nothing mega to have one ticked off ahead of next year.
Grrr-after over 19 years of parenting overall am still not acing it!

We still have another week off. It's been a pretty boring holiday though as ds is in a level revision mode so we've been mostly stuck at home.

@DataColour - best of luck for the g7 results? What instrument?

@SB1971 - RS this year? Is that a whole school thing to take it early? Why?

We went out last week and bought dd a new cello. She's been playing on a rented (from school) 3/4 one for over four years and is now the owner of a shiny full sized cello which makes a lovely sound! When I wfh I can hear her practising which makes the job a bit more bearable! 🤣

Mine are not back until the 15th and a good thing too as today DD has come down with some sort of bug, her temp hit 39.5 around lunchtime and she has spent most of the day in bed feeling rough :( Fortunately we don't really have anything planned for this week, last week she was busy so I guess it's quite good timing from that point of view. Like @QueenMabby my older one is revising for A levels. I've realised that DD only has four terms left at her school and the summer term of year 11 is mainly exam leave so that is a sobering thought.

It’s not a religious school@QueenMabby but everyone has to do the GCSE and they made the call a few years ago to take it at the end of year 10 and then post the exam all the lesson time goes to maths.
Maybe as it’s done early they focus more on it vs if was lumped in with all the others?
Its a fairly recent thing as my DD is 4 years older and did hers all at once.
Who knows but am already boring myself with the nagging…

Mine doesn't go back until 15th either. He's poorly today too. He is rarely ill. Weird because he's spent most of the past 10 days in his bedroom. He went to friends last Monday. But other than he's done nothing. He has a headache, a bit of a temperature and feels sick. Though when I finally persuaded him to eat something he soon switched his Xbox on afterwards!

We had a letter last week inviting us and Ds to the awards ceremony. They give out one boy and one girl award for achievement in each subject. In years 7,8 and 9 it's a small event during school hours. But year 10 and 11 is a bigger event with musical performances and a few talks from past pupils. I went with ds1. Ds2 didn't get any awards, so we've not been to the bigger one for a few years. Ds is saying he's not going, but hopefully we will persuade him as I enjoyed it before.

Another week off here, and isn't the weather pants? Ds has done no studying at all, played constant x box, in between playing football with mates, Thorpe park twice and Nando's a few times.

DD1’s first senior school used to do GCSE RS end of year 10 too. The headmistress’s reasoning was that no matter how much or how often you told them about studying etc. they don’t really listen and this served as a wake up call. Guess that’s fine providing they don’t need a high grade at the gcse to take at A level. At that particular school no-one left to go elsewhere for sixth form so it probably didn’t matter.
DD3 not back til next Tuesday. Feels a bit empty here as just the two of us as her sisters have returned to work & Uni and DH is overseas. 5 to 2 is so bizarre! The house is SO tidy!! She’s also not done any work other than bits of her maths booklet. She’s had a friend over today, then Thorpe Park tomorrow, then a sleepover and Wagas (again) at the weekend - so she’s keeping herself busy with fun stuff.

@QueenMabby it's piano and he already got his results, and he passed with a merit, just a couple of of marks off a distinction. He's happy with that and so are we!
GCSE RE is compulsory in our school which is a pain as neither of them like the subject and it is not a religious school either, so not sure why they have to do it.
Good luck to your DS @SB1971 I hear you about the nagging. DS is similar.

@Oblomov24 sounds like your DS is having a great holiday time! That would be my DS's dream!

@icanbewhatiwant @IThinkIMadeItWorse hope you're DCs are feeling better soon.

@DataColour - well done on the merit! Dd is also a pianist but hasn't taken any exams for a while. She has done quite a bit of practice these holidays - mainly piano and cello. Her next exam is singing though and I don't think she's done any practice for that! 🤣

I think it's really mean that schools make children take specific subjects. Our school forces an MFL and it's soul destroying if it's not your thing. My ds hated languages and loathed the compulsory language thing. Dd on the other hand does four languages but has dropped RS as it's not compulsory for us.

Dd has realised today that there's an awful lot of German vocab that she doesn't know. They don't seem to have vocab tests in German (unlike Spanish) and it's really had a negative impact. She's going to have a change of teacher at the end of this year as the current one is just maternity cover. She's nice but not been very organised so dd will be glad to get back to one of the permanent staff.

@DataColour that’s brilliant- well done to him- he should be pleased with himself!

still no work going on here. Dd2 did a residential choir course and were now away for the week with friends. Music practice is still happening but not a lot else. She doesn’t have to take an Mfl or RE thank goodness- it does make her life a heck of a lot easier.

For those back already I hope the first week went without incident!

Dd is starting a 13 day in school streak today with a music rehearsal today and tomorrow before term starts back on Tuesday. She's in both days next weekend too for study and for a different music rehearsal.

She's got just over four weeks until her first GCSE exam. She's been revising steadily but is not great at sitting at a table and doing actual questions. She's more a revise-sprawled-out-on-the-bed type which I don't think will cut it next year.

Parenting fail moment this morning! It's been such a manic week that whilst I knew dd had an all day lesson in school today my brain hadn't connected the dots...

Dd went in to school this morning with a carrier back of supermarket meal deal food and some random snacks as there was no appropriate food in the house! Oops.

Mine love a meal deal @QueenMabby ! That's what I do when DS has got an all day cricket match.
Hope your DD has a good day at school.
DS went volunteering this morning at Parkrun and has just set off on a very long bike ride with DH. Hell be knackered when he gets back so tomorrow will be a homework and Xbox type of day.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!

I’ve just had parents eve with DD3. I do like it when they accompany you. ALL her teachers seemed really pleased with her progress! As I’ve mentioned previously she has suddenly turned a corner and is in the fabulous cycle of trying hard, receiving praise, improving results, feeling more confident, trying harder…etc. Tonight was confirmation that she’s on a decent trajectory. Don’t get me wrong she struggles and She’s not going to be getting stellar results but seeing her enjoy tonight and grin at her feedback was delightful. Yeah!

@NotDonna that’s great to hear! My DDs one isn’t for another 3 weeks. It’s wonderful when things start to fall into place and the hard work pays off. My daughter has really blossomed in maths this year and I am so proud of her work ethic. Just a bit worried that she is all work and no play at the moment, and feeling constantly stressed about exams. They do “mocks” in June and the teachers are constantly reminding them how long they have left - they’re only year 10 for goodness sake!

Fabulous news @NotDonna - well done to her. So nice when they get to hear their teachers praising them!

DD2 has gone back to school - I've heard nothing of note except that they studied this vile piece from 2014 as a piece of persuasive writing in a cover lesson and lots of the children agreed with it. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/455465/Stop-making-our-children-neutral-let-boys-and-girls-play-with-gender-specific-toys

@NotDonna Well done to your DD! Sounds like she's really progressing and it's so nice to hear that from the teachers. That's great feedback.

@minisnowballs haha not sure what to think of that article! Mostly disagree with that article as my DD and DS did not have typical boy/girl hobbies at all and still don't. Also I don't think chemistry sets were ever aimed just for boys!

We also had parents evening yesterday and the feedback was very positive. Hard worker in class and fully focused and engaged in the classes he enjoys (maths, english, geography, RE surprisingly and music), a bit less engaged in the sciences and easily distracted, but results are good. results are great overall, so his hard work is paying off. Also quite a few teachers said he was a nice kid, bright and can have a good conversations with teachers about the subject.
Bit of a relief actually as he's had quite an unsteady year with behaviour issues outside the class and has had numerous detentions and calls to us from head of year and also the headteacher on one occasion. He seems to reign it in in class, wishing he would do the same outside of it. It's been a really stressful few months with his behaviour.

@DataColour great news! Well done to your DS. @minisnowballs didn’t read the whole article, just the first couple of paragraphs but flipping heck!

Well done to Parents evening dc and the good comments from teachers. Ours is next week.

I've had a right week. A lovely MN'er meet up on Monday. Me rather than ds2 trying to sort his 2 day work experience, but only managing to arrange 1 day because most places won't take an under 16 (clearly a silly idea by only our school then as I note none of you have this silliness).

Stupidy I booked theatre 2 consecutive nights. Went to see Macbeth in Wimbledon which was really poor, a bit new age and hard to follow. Then Jekyll & Hyde, (same cast as previous night) which was much better and ds enjoyed. (Instead of Mr Poole the butler it was Mrs Poole and ds was most unimpressed). I've had enough and I'm all theatre'd out!