Anyone else's year 11 too laid back about upcoming GCSE mocks?

[Hyperbolistic]

I know it's not good to be too stressed but my DS is so incredibly relaxed about his GCSE mocks starting in 2 weeks. It's worrying me more because of last year's shananigans and if teachers use mocks as GCSE grades. In fairness to him, DS never does much work for tests but somehow manages to do well, however these are his GCSEs and I was expecting him to pull his finger out a bit more. I'm having to nag him every evening to do some revision and it's driving me mad. Anyone else experiencing this? Any ideas?

Same. Although ours have already started. I've tried the whole "but if they cancel GCSEs these will be your grades" and got told "its fine"
Mind you seeing how stressed he got doing year 6 SATS, (after his friends mum told him how important they were ) maybe being laid back isn't so bad!

Yup, mine is too. Her mocks don't start until 20th January, but she's too laid back imo. She grinned and said 'Revision's for nerds' when I suggested she went and did some revising this evening. She is doing it now though!

Glad it's not just DS. He keeps telling me it's fine too! All my friends DC are super stressed and revising all night and all weekend. I can't talk to any of them at the moment as it just panics me.
@lazylinguist DS has mocks again in January I think. What's that all about?

I wish dd was so laid back! She was in tears yesterday as she was so stressed about the fact that the mocks could be her actual grade.

She has high target grades, which she feels pressured by her teachers (and herself to be fair) to achieve. I had to really talk her down, snd remind her that teachers will expect her to go up at least a grade between now and her actual GCSEs so would take that into account if they do end up cancelling exams next summer. She seems a bit happier about things today.

It is very normal for Y11s to be laid back about their mock exams. I am a secondary teacher and mocks in December are generally the prompt that they need to be doing something and their attitude after Xmas is different.
I think this year is particularly difficult for them - they feel the pressure from their teachers. I have been on a fast-track catch up covering hard stuff from lockdown. However, they really are unable to take things seriously. Girls in particular are winding themselves up into such a stress yet are unable to function properly in class.
I spoke to a group of 6 girls last week who are chatty and convinced they are going to fail yet have every distraction excuse on hand for why they are not doing what they should be.
Every excuse about the work they are doing - they know their teachers can not circulate and monitor their work as 'normal'. They know they will not be removed as there is limited places to put them due to 'bubbles'. Every excuse for not submitting a weekly practice paper in a timely way so it can be marked and given back to them with feedback. This is despite constant contact with parents. I have now told parents I will not being contacting so regularly as it is not changing anything - I just log in our internal systems.
I have given them several fantastic resources for revision - designed and created especially for them and their ability. To be fair - they were very grateful! And, after being so cross with them I said I would NOT revise trigonometry before the exam - of course I will !
I really just hope they get the message and up their game after Xmas. I am also disappointed that parents evening will be remote. It has worked somewhat with other year groups but has become a very teacher led discussion with limited time for parental/student input.

Wow - sorry about that, think I needed a rant

My DS seems to be stressed but also not revising!
He has mocks next week and in January too.
Seems bizarre as I would rather they got on with teaching the actual content and lessening the stress this year!
I'm just as stressed - wish I could just do it myself!
Good to hear from a teacher @woodlands01 !
How are the results normally from the November mocks? Do you think they will be taken into account if they aren't good if it's goes to teacher assessed grades this year?

My daughters (private) school do their mocks in February, but are thinking of pushing them back three weeks as exams are being delayed. They don't want them to peak too early and run out of steam.
But they have also been told that every exam and homework handed in is important as if exams are cancelled there will need to be proof that predicted grades are realistic and based on coursework and previous results and not inflated. So for the exams the kids took in September and those upcoming in December my daughter revised/will revise for hours and hours. She is academically competitive however.
My son was the opposite, thought he could pull it out of the bag last minute. He came away failing most. However much I encouraged him, helped work put a timetable togethrt, got all the revision books, even got a tutor (the ones he passed), and even bribed him, he didn't do it. But in the end it is their life and they are responsible for it.

I teach Maths and generally would expect an increase of a grade from December mocks to summer exams.
It will be interesting to see what this years mocks bring and the impact of the lockdown last academic year.
If we go to teacher assessed grades then yes - my school would definitely use mock results but I would expect (particularly if they are lower than usual) for a later set of mocks too that will, hopefully, show progress towards a 'normal' set of results. We do a second mock for Maths and English in March - if we go to teacher assessed grades I 'd expect this to extend to all subjects.

Yep my ds is laid back no mocks until jan but he is convinced gcse will be cancelled in summer which I have tried explaining even more reason to get good mock grades etc

My older ds though seemed to do too many mocks and when it came to the real thing did worse than in any mocks but this year they may be more important than realised
Glad ds is doing in jan so more time to finish learning the content

Thanks for replying @woodlands01

@Pipandmum how is your son doing now? Did he get into college?

DD's mocks are next week, and she is working really hard. She will do really well, I'm sure, but has very high standards for herself and won't be satisfied if she doesn't meet these. She said all of her friends are really stressed at the moment.

My DD's mini mocks are finishing tomorrow, the last test! She has been so stressed over the past two weeks. She is usually self disciplined and good with revising etc but for some reason-for these mocks I think she found it so difficult to focus, no motivation whatsoever worried that she wouldn't be able to see her friendship group outside school due to second lockdown, etc she lacked focus and motivation and this had an impact on her. Also, everyday they hear something new like; grading will be lower this year, A level entry requirements will be adjusted, there will be more mini mocks and oh no this was the mini mock and the real mock is in February or March - all these mixed messages I think mess up with their teen brains even more

My DD's mini mocks are finishing tomorrow, the last test! She has been so stressed over the past two weeks. She is usually self disciplined and good with revising etc but for some reason-for these mocks I think she found it so difficult to focus, no motivation whatsoever worried that she wouldn't be able to see her friendship group outside school due to second lockdown, etc she lacked focus and motivation and this had an impact on her. Also, everyday they hear something new like; grading will be lower this year, A level entry requirements will be adjusted, there will be more mini mocks and oh no this was the mini mock and the real mock is in February or March - all these mixed messages I think mess up with their teen brains even more

Ds is doing no study. He is getting fails in his mock mocks as are many of his peers. So hoping he will buckle down for his real mocks. His geography teacher rang to say he can easily pass he just needs to put some revision in.

So laid back I have to check he still has a pulse.
His mocks are next month. Only thing he seems remotely interesting mock wise is English and because he is going to fail that one and in his words "I don't want to fucking waste another year resitting that crock of shite"

Just gotta survive this year than we can be done with the bastarding school system.

Ds never gets that stressed, very laid back. He is studying though finally and seems to pull it out of the bag in tests despite being very relaxed. Although home learning was a dent so I hope he can get back to predicted grades which are high.