Year 9 exam question

8 replies

rainbowinthesky · 01/05/2010 11:02

Ds has chosen his options for GCSE and they've been accepted. How important is revision for those subjects he is not taking next year? The results have no bearing on sets for the subjects he is taking.

OP posts:

Tanga · 01/05/2010 11:23

All good practice for exams in the future, I'd have thought - I'd be wary of giving him the message that some exams 'don't matter' because he might well turn round at some point and decide none of them 'matter'. Also I think it's important for kids to have the experience of having to work at things they aren't particularly good at/interested in. You never know when the skills/info might be relevant in the future.

Having said all that, not worth killing himself with work (specially if he's a bit of a worrier about exams) so I'd help him put togethe a sensible balanced revision timetable (and maybe suggest a teeny incentive for him to do well across the board?)

scaryteacher · 01/05/2010 12:20

The results may have a bearing in that if he isn't working to his potential, he may be put in a lower set. The results will be looked at overall as well as per subject iyswim.

Bellabellabella · 01/05/2010 16:40

I think it is important, as Tanga said. The problem I found was that my son (not just him, others in the class)put their feet up and made no effort in the subjects that they would not be taking. It was a battle of wills!
Good luck.

bruffin · 01/05/2010 18:42

We are having the same problem wiith DS Bellax3, unfortunately it may back fire on him.

He has not enjoyed art this year and has been late with some of his homework in yr9. He really wants to do photography as a twilight course but the places are limited and they want people with commitment. His art teacher is one of the people who will decide who gets on the course and the fact his homework has been late may go against him.

herbietea · 01/05/2010 18:47

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Anitaspeen · 04/05/2010 20:58

Same thing happens at Uni. But all subject matter eventually has some 'bearing' on overall performance. A nifty piece of software called Acti-Vise Revision Software is handy for those DS's who can't be bothered with the regular busload of revision.

seeker · 05/05/2010 13:48

at dd's school you can get put on report if you don't do your best in exams even at the end of year 9 in subjects you're not carrying on with!

mattellie · 05/05/2010 15:59

I?m going to slightly disagree with the majority here, rainbow. DS has 10 exams in 4 days this week and has declared that he isn?t planning to do revision for the MFL he is dropping, though he has worked hard at the MFL he is carrying on with.

At his school they start GCSE courses after half-term, so in effect he will have 2 more lessons in this subject ever, at least one of which will be going through the exam paper.

I couldn?t really disagree with his decision to prioritise the other subjects?

Flip