Teacher deliberately didn't help kids to revise for upcoming mock to teach them a lesson!

EarthlyNightshade · 22/01/2024 12:24

I guess it would be a good idea to get hold of the handbook and make sure DS is aware that anything (on the syllabus) can come up on the GCSEs.
Is he in Y11? I'd kind of expect at this stage that pretty much anything on the syllabus (covered so far) could be in a mock, unless they were actually told it wouldn't be.
I'm surprised they all did badly though, did none of them think to revise everything?

BloodyAdultDC · 22/01/2024 12:25

Yeah, no GCSE History that I've taught has a specific local history unit...

But also, your dc sounds like they need a little kick up the bum to realize that THEY need to do some revision!

Hatty65 · 22/01/2024 12:25

What exam board is it that covers local History for GCSE? I'm a Head of History and am not aware of any of them that do this.

Seeline · 22/01/2024 12:25

Well yes - teachers barely have enough time to teach the full syllabus for most GCSEs. They certainly don't have the time to be re-teaching it all.
If your DS knew he was having mocks, surely he knew it would be covering the GSCE syllabus he had been taught? It is up to him to put the work in.
If he is sitting his exams this year, surely he has already started his revision for those.

SameToo · 22/01/2024 12:26

Is this a proper mock that could be used as the grade should he not make his final exam? If so, I’d be very annoyed.

If not, still annoying but I can see what she was trying to do. Clumsy though and potentially making children overly nervous for no reason.

Shinyandnew1 · 22/01/2024 12:27

Which exam board is this? I have never heard of a local history unit in GCSE.

If your son has been given a local history handbook and he’s lost it, the onus should be on him to request for/pay for a new one!

Seeline · 22/01/2024 12:27

SameToo · 22/01/2024 12:26

Is this a proper mock that could be used as the grade should he not make his final exam? If so, I’d be very annoyed.

If not, still annoying but I can see what she was trying to do. Clumsy though and potentially making children overly nervous for no reason.

Outside of the Covid special setup, mock results are never used in lieu of actual GCSE grades. If they don't sit enough exam papers for a subject, they don't get a GCSE.

ComfortableAtLastTookLongEnough · 22/01/2024 12:27

Fair dues to her, she is paid to teach, not spoon feed them.

Neriah · 22/01/2024 12:28

Stuckinarut23 · 22/01/2024 12:19

D's did horrendous with his GCSE history mock as did his class mates. He normally is very good at history but this exam was based on local history which he covered a long time ago, plus there are no revision books in this section. Anyway we went to his parents meeting and teacher basically said she deliberately didn't revise for it prior to the exam and that they covered it a while ago (possibly last year) so she wanted to put the responsibility on them and for them to basically learn that anything could crop up in the exam so they should be studying all of it. Apparently the other class did revise the local history and did well. She did mention that they do have a handbook on the local history although again this was given a while ago and guess what D's can't find it! This was the same teacher that when we first met said she waited to instill confidence and that she is a specialist in history and has the best degree blah, blah.

Was your child unaware of the fact that revision covers everything that you have learned over the period of the course, not just the stuff you did recently? Sounds like the lesson needed to be learned.

BananasInThreePieceSuits · 22/01/2024 12:30

So basically your son is lazy, doesn’t revise anything he hasn’t recently been taught, loses his books, and you think it’s the teachers fault he did shit?

Christ 🤦‍♀️ You and your son need some personal responsibility.

Silverbirchtwo · 22/01/2024 12:30

Are you complaining she didn't specifically revise the topics that were in the mock exam? That just makes it a proper test, they won't know what is in the real one and will have to revise most things to be able to attempt enough questions.

Whatapickle23 · 22/01/2024 12:31

In my experience, teachers always make it absolutely clear (far more times than is necessary) that anything they have studied can come up on the mock/exam.

Whilst the teacher didn't spoon feed and revisit last year's teaching, I'd be very surprised if she didn't tell the class to treat it like a proper exam and make sure they have revised all topics.

It's a good lesson for your son to learn. He won't make this mistake again.

DreadPirateRobots · 22/01/2024 12:33

Good for her. It sounds like it was a badly needed lesson.

Raspbear · 22/01/2024 12:35

Good teaching, sounds like you and son needed the lesson.

TripleDaisySummer · 22/01/2024 12:36

There's "local" as in Welsh components/slants to all history here but it is in the bought revisions guides (which do cost a small fortune).

The problem DS has was just too much content and school revision notes were dense and unwieldy - study guides were much better.

I'd be looking at what's included in GCSE syllabus and looking at past papers and make sure he gets copies of all school booklets and notes so has the information he needs.

I would try and refocus him with guides/online sites like senca - as I know DS did deprioritize a few subjects in middle of exam period - they weren't ones he was carrying and while he did some work the exam period was intense - he did okay but possibly could with more time and less subjects have done better in few subjects (he ended up with 13 GCSEs)

WilhelminaBunter · 22/01/2024 12:36

Are you in NI and is this an Irish history module by any chance? I did that at GCSE.

I do think he should really have revised it without being told and it did teach him a lesson I guess? I'd rather he learn that way than come to real GCSEs and be all "what, the teacher never told me to revise x, y or z".

Did he need a good mock result for a college app or anything? If not then I would let it go.

Fwiw, my school used to give people terrible marks on their mocks to scare us into revision. Not sure it was the best plan tbh! But it was what they did.

shepherdsangeldelight · 22/01/2024 12:56

So the teacher didn't spoon feed revision of the subjects that would be covered in the mock, and your DS decided not to bother revising them either? In fact he's so disinterested that he's lost the information he has been given?

I can't see the problem - teacher is correct that they can't do this for the real exams as they won't know what questions are being asked, and it's up to students to check they know all the material, not just the things covered in school revision sessions.

So hopefully it will have served as a good lesson.

pinkyredrose · 22/01/2024 12:59

Your son didn't revise and it's the teachers fault?

VisionsOfSplendour · 22/01/2024 13:14

Does he not have his own notes to revise from?

It's a mock exam that doesn't count for anything but a good life lesson to take responsibility for your own revision

LocalHistory · 22/01/2024 13:22

@BloodyAdultDC@Hatty65@Shinyandnew1 the exam board could be OCR and it is very hit and miss depending on what your local area has, My sons studied a tudor house through the ages which as a parent was fantastic. They also study People's Health 1250 - present day which again brilliant to tie in with all other history periods as you are aware of what is happening, housing, diet, waste management etc.

@Stuckinarut23 With my son's school they had a comprehensive booklet on the tudor house and it made revision easy. I think a lot of students forget that their own school books are a great resource as they wrote down what they were taught in lessons. They can revise from that and make their own notes.

Mine started their GCSE for History in the last term of year 9, summer of year 9 they made flashcards for that topic. As they had year 10 exams they also had revision notes for all the topics they had covered in year 10. Your son needs to take responsibility for his revision.

PaulGalico1 · 22/01/2024 13:24

Unlikely to be true. Sadly teachers are measured on results across the year so can't afford to 'teach a class a valuable lesson' like this.

Snowdogsmitten · 22/01/2024 13:25

Sounds like her plan worked. He needs to work harder.

starfishmummy · 22/01/2024 13:32

Teachers can't win.
Don't spoon feed revision and everyone complains because they've done badly.

or do spoon fed revision around the topics that will be in the mock exam so everyone does well and thinks they'll be fine for the actual exam and then do badly because they're complacent or have revised the wrong topics.

LocalHistory · 22/01/2024 13:33

Sorry, to clarify for the teachers asking for OCR they do 4 topics plus the local history one. They come under different titles like Thematic Study or something, so mine did People's Health, Elizabethans, The Making of America and Living under Nazi Rule. There were others topics I think that are similar to AQA ie Crime and Punishment and Migration but those were the ones the school chose.

twistyizzy · 22/01/2024 13:37

By Yr 11 kids should be taking responsibility for their own revision. It could have come as no surprise to them that a Mock was coming up, therefore they should have revised for it. You can't blame the teacher because your child chose not to revise.
FGS this is on of the reasons teachers are leaving, because they get blamed for everything.