Year 11 - 2024/2025 - In the thick of it!

[QueenMabby]

New thread. Sorry. Forgot to start it - I hope everyone finds this!

Yes. I was invigilating . Read them a notice before the start to cross it our and swap it over. Also said to ask me if they wanted me to go over it again when they did the question (I was in the SEN room).
I wonder if it is marked differently if the marker doesn’t seen the change.

Dd seems OK
Older dd in crisis
Fun times

@labradorservant Thanks for the reply! Do you know if this is something that happens often? I hope everyone understood and did what they were asked.

Yes we were told they had to go in 15 minutes early to the exam for business as there was an amendment to the paper they needed to go through.

But annoying though that they can’t get this right! Also for science next week…there are errors on the paper that the invigilator needs to go through. Not sure what paper.

They have one job…

Thanks for the heads up. DD2 has processing issues so verbal instructions at the last minute confuse her. I can at least explain in advance that this might happen.

DD hasn’t done any revision today or her activity. I think the past week has got to her! Hoping she will feel refreshed to refocus tomorrow. We have had a quiet house as dad and ds have gone to FA cup final! She said she doesn’t want to go over the papers she’s just done as it just stresses her out!

@OhCrumbsWhereNow we are in the same position with DS. He's being assessed for ADHD, nearly at diagnosis stage now after interviews etc. He lacks the ability to organise himself properly. We do have to keep on at him, especially to get back to his work when he takes a break as he will just play computer games all day if we don't tell him to get back to work, even with timers and alarms on. He doesn't need sitting down with, he does get on with him work on his own, but he does like someone to sit with him and talk about what he is studying if he' tired and unmotivated. So we've been doing that too.
Every child is different as you say, my DD in year 10 is the complete opposite. She is very self sufficient and won't listen to any advice we give her, even if it's to her detriment! She won't be told what to do or need any hand holding. She asks for study guides, resources herself and is self motivated. DS would not even think to do that.

There is the odd notice, if they don’t understand it at the time make sure they know to ask for it to be repeated on a 1-1 basis. Especially if they are in an AA room.
Better those than the mid exam error spotting! Causes mass panic for some students and the exams office. I think there was one year in maths the blurb talked about coloured pencils or something and the question asked about probability of coloured buttons. Some kids don’t notice and some get stressed. I think if there is a mid exam error they get some time added on (I could be wrong as it is very rare).
but yes one job, you’d think they would check and check again and again.

Dd has done "some" English literature....

Re the exam paper errors – yes it does happen.

Usually IME it is something massively minor which would not even matter to most DC but (see my post about Montagues vs Capulets) sometimes it is important. Sounds as tho this business one was key as well so good that it was flagged (IIRC the English one was not).

Might be worth flagging to DC that this is always a possibility (I agree btw it is appalling) in case it happens and might panic them.

I work in publishing as a copy editor/proof reader and you can check and check and check and then bam spot something the minute it is printed.

Most are minor things that don’t matter. Some need erratum slips and I think once needed a whole set of printed books to be pulped and reprinted.

Given the time frames and complexities in creating the papers I would be shocked if there aren’t a few erratums each exam season!

In mocks the errors are more frequent. Teachers have patched questions together or there are 2 no 3 questions or there is an end of paper notice and then another question after, or there are 2 source 1s or something.

Oh no!

Thanks for the heads up. I will warn my daughter is case it’s one of the ones she is sitting. Things like that can really throw some kids.

I hope that all the kids were ok with the error on the business paper.

Same. ‘Some’ Eng lit has apparently happened

🙄😬🤣

Yes but I think with public exams, they should be read over by three different proof readers. With a book it's time and money and professional embarrassment. With public exams, it's someone's future.

DD is broken.

She's just disclosed she can't learn from her physics teacher, he lectures them for 40mins straight and won't let her make notes. And we bought the wrong revision guide so that's no help (actually she said that at Easter - possibly the first time she looked at it) but won't let me look at it or tell me the correct one so I can replace it. Apparently she has been staying up all night for months teaching herself. But not doing any of the homework set.

She came out with me today 'to study' but has mainly spent the time doodling tattoos on her hands and has now announced that the junior team for an organisation she's involved with has an event tomorrow and since we're taking her into town for a 30 minute dance lesson, she might as well go in at 9.30 to set up for them and can be picked up at 4.30.

She's v angry at me because I said no.

I am also broken.

She's disappointed that I have no faith in the effectiveness of her studying and think she will fail.

I actually think she knows she's not done enough work so is looking for every possible displacement activity to avoid realising how far behind she is.

She hates school. They don't get study leave so her current line is that because she can't learn anything in school, unless I get her signed off and allowed to study from home, it will be my fault if she doesn't do well.

4 more weeks of this.

@golemmings If you look at her exam timetable you will see whether she is doing
. combined science or the 3 single sciences
. which board, AQA, Edexcel, OCR or something else
. Foundation or Higher tier
and from there should you so choose, you can get a different revision guide.

The CGP revision guides for science are, in my opinion, excellent. Everything you need to know, and nothing extraneous.

@golemmings that sounds very difficult for sure. But I do think that by now, it will be about what you know rather than what you learn in the next couple of days. Maybe let her do the Sunday activity if it would bring some peace between you?

ETA agree with @TeenToTwenties you can find out which study guide and the CGO science ones are very good.

I do think we and our DC need to remember this actually; the GCSE exams, while in many ways they feel like a memory test, are for sure also testing the skills DC have learned over the last two or more years. Maths, Eng lang, MFL, test skills learned and ability in those subjects. Yes you can and should revise but your effort and engagement over KS3 and KS4 are also being tested, so if that was high, you will do OK. And even for very fact-heavy subjects like Eng lit and history and sciences, it's still true.

@golemmingsdo you know what biology she did the other day? Do you have the code and we can help decifer. Save my exams is also good if you want an instant online resource.

Can you just keep her home now? What can school do about it? If she is over 16 already I don't think they can fine you (haven't checked that out though). At this stage I would be doing whatever my child said they needed and then arguing the case with the school if they had an issue with it - but it's easy for me to say, as my daughter's school have let them stay home since the day before the first exam.

I also think you should keep her at home and tell the school that you're doing it because she's about to break under the stress of exams. it's a choice of home study or her struggling to sit any other exams. Throw the physics teacher under the bus if needs be. They're not going to fine you, they're going to want her to turn up to sit the exams they've paid for her to enter.

Right now, even though you doubt she's working hard enough, your DD needs to know you're on her side. Trust is so important to teens and if she thinks you're trusting her to keep her word and revise at home she might just knuckle down. Also, have a look at downloading the Medly app – it's basically an AI based revision cramming app that covers all the exam boards. My DD loves it. Parents can also access it to check how much revision is being done.

This will be a tough week for us with two English (worst subject) and two science (quite likes it but biology didn’t go as well as hoped so now not holding out much hope even though I’ve said there are 5 more papers to pick up those marks!) Roll on half term!

Dd has 2 x English and media.
Science "is not a priority"
😬😁