Teenager - GCSES

[ThePinkOcelot]

Hi, I would be grateful for any help or advice anyone could give.
DD is starting her GCSES soon. She is in such a stressful state about it, I'm worried about her. Nothing I say seems to help at all.
She is targeted A and A* but is going to fail according to her! I'm just worried that because of the state she has herself in, she will.
She's wanting to do an apprenticeship rather than A levels.Help!! Thanks

Try her with visualisation.

Start with her thinking about how she will feel once she gets her fantastic results, then gradually go back to her feeling so proud as she leaves the hall knowing she has done well.

Do this over time, 5 mins a day starting with the results one day./ Some people do it 5 mins as they are falling asleep. It worked for me with my driving test.

I blame the schools. They put so much pressure on the students. For context, I'm a former teacher and know full well the sometimes excessive pressure they put students under.

I have an over achieving DD as well. We sat her down about a year ago and pointed out that neither DH or I (both with multiple degrees) did particularly well at GCSE level. We are always quick to point out to her that the school want her good results (inner city, bog standard school) for their own reasons and that a B grade or two is neither here nor there when looking at her future, though the ones that matter are English, Maths and (for our science geek) Sciences. You may also want to explain the difference between target grades (what you may be capable of getting if you really work at it) and predicted grades (which are what they think you will get based on your current performance).

Does she know which apprenticeship she wants? Has she looked at the entry requirements? She can search on the gov website by location and type. They normally state the entry requirements and I've not seen any that need 7 A* grades yet. Do you know anyone who has done something similar to the apprenticeship your DD wants? Can you ask them to talk her through what's it like in reality? Failing that, do you know any high achievers? I guarantee every one will have a story to tell about failed exams and how, ultimately, they didn't put much of a wrinkle in their trajectory.

Finally, this may be a little late to plan for, but we have promised DD a big trip abroad immediately after she finishes sitting her exams. I don't believe in rewarding for grades because this just adds to the pressure, but I do believe in rewarding for effort and giving her something to look forward to.

Good luck. We have the first exam next month as she's doing one GCSE a year early and will sit the rest this time next year.

Thanks Shhhh, that's a good idea, we will definitely try that.
I too blame the schools. The pressure on them is absolutely horrendous. She is actually in school now. I have told her that I'm picking her up at 2 regardless.
She is passionate about IT and wants an apprenticeship to do with that. We have been to a few open events and she has applied for a few.
At the end of the day, I just want her to be happy.