Good luck ..........

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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nothing-yummy-mum
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:40 pm

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by nothing-yummy-mum »

menagerie, I could have written your post.. I despair when I read other/older threads on the level of prep done. We are battling to get through the 10-11 year books because we have to fill in so many gaps. DS is also on the top maths table in his state school, but it appears that means very little in the real world. They have not done any algebra, for example. Or cubed roots. Or goodness knows what else - we are still discovering what seems like black holes with only a week to go! Silliness is definitely also playing a big role here, helped along by a good dose of post-festive cabin fever. this week an essay ended not only mid-sentence, but in the middle of a quote. It made no sense at all. The explanation was that is was a cliff-hanger!

When I manage to breathe through my panic, I know there's not much more we can do (apart from me calling up every single school in a 20 mile radius and begging for late entry to exams - I have barely managed to control the urge up to now). So DS is winding down to three or four ten minute tests a day. I think you are right about the misfiled old knowledge. Hopefully the adrenalin will unearth all that and more on the day!
Sue123
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: London

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by Sue123 »

Oh dear, I do feel for all of you. My daughter is now in yr 10 but I still remember that time. I do have one strong recommendation for those of you who feel that their children have not covered everything they should have for the exams: I would not attempt to teach them anything new at this late stage. Seriously. I believe that you will otherwise run the risk of pre-exam burnout and I think that it is much better that children know the basics really well (e.g. the times tables) than being so stressed that they know half of everything or make silly mistakes in exams. I think that schools do take into consideration the fact that some state schools may not have covered as much ground as some of the more academic preps. Therefore, from now on, I would reduce the amount of revision and stick to the basics - i.e. I would practise times tables and other basic mental math for about 10-15 minutes each day but nothing else. If the exam includes NVR, I would do 10 minutes of each main type of question every other day. And unless your child is very strong in math and weak in English, I would focus on math and leave English as I think that English benefits less from being practised, especially at the last minute.
Good luck to your kids!
BusyQueenBee
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:02 pm

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by BusyQueenBee »

We have exams on the 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th and 15th!!! Too many, I know I know. :oops: DS is in holiday mood...has slowed down...but keeping up the good scores. OMG Will we have a celebration when this is all over!!!! Good luck to everyone.
UmSusu
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by UmSusu »

Good luck to all :D - parents and children,

We are sitting our exam next week (actually HE is but having had 2 DSs go through this in a 12 month period I feel it is my exam). We are trying to focus on a few small areas and then leave him to his fate after the weekend.

It was very difficult to pick up any kind of concentration after the grammars but he did fortunately, eventually, start to take the exam more seriously...... for all of 2 weeks. Unfortunately, he has now returned back to silly-mode and after an easy question on a comprehension test asked him whether a particular event in the passage occurred and he insisted he was correct to write it didn't because it is all fiction so didn't really occur and to say it did is to lie (btw, he was being genuine: i think he can't see the wood for the trees anymore :roll: ) - well, I just give up.....

I can't wait for the week after next week. I wonder what that brave new world will be like. I heard there are grown ups who took about things other than education? I have heard there are families that invite other families over to dinner? I heard that there are dining rooms and studies out there that are actually tidy and don't have papers strewn all over the place? I have even heard that the sun shines during the day? Could that really be true?

UmSusu
UmSusu
Sue123
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: London

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by Sue123 »

:) @ Umsusu

Yes, indeed, believe me, you will get through this and there normal life will resume. But again, my advice would be: if your DS is showing symptoms of exam madness, I would slow down a lot.

:) also at the English comprehension: perhaps you could explain to him that, while he is in the exam, he should think of himself as being in some kind of parallel universe (I am sure that you all feel like that anyway) and the only reality that matters for those 3 hours is what is on the paper....
Jess
Posts: 163
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:48 pm

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by Jess »

Signing in to wish everyone luck too. DS has exams on 7th, 11th, 15th and 17th. Don't know whether to be pleased or worried that they're all within a concentrated period! But I do know that I can't wait for all this to be over.

Second time round for me-DD is in Y10 of her first choice school and very happy, so if all goes to plan it is worth it in the end.

DS seems happy to continue with the practice papers (well, you know, happyish!) so we're ploughing on for now. It worked the first time round so hopefully it will work this time...
UmSusu
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by UmSusu »

Good to know that sone DCs are still managing to plough through.

Yes, I think you are right Sue: when they start to show signs of madness, it is time to pull back! :lol: We haven't been full on as he we got through most things before the grammars . We mainly needed work on the writing though and that is not an easy fix anyway.

I have a lot of faith in his abilities but I also know that despite many reminders to pay attention to instructions, he missed most of a section in the grammar exam because he thought he had finished and didn't turn over! But there is nothing you can do to avoid that, is there?

Not long and i can stop worrying.

UmSusu
UmSusu
loveyouradvice
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2011 1:24 pm

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by loveyouradvice »

Yup, these are a tough two weeks for all of us - DD starts on 10th and finishes on 18th, 5 exams in all poor love... and she's noticed she's not doing as well now as a couple of weeks ago.... think she's right and have told her its normal!

We're definitely winding down and doing mental maths, sometimes a few VR and NVR and ten mins writing a day starting from 5 words I write, just free flow.... and lovely tip I picked up from someone else on here - looking at her best work with them and reflect on what they did so well and how they did it....

What are others doing???
fairyelephant
Posts: 588
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:59 am
Location: N London

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by fairyelephant »

Hi loveyouradvice! I decided to do very little and keep it low key as dd was doing well at the end of last term and I didn't want to wreck it. For the first week she did nothing, since then she has done 1.5 maths papers and a comprehension. Will do a couple more before school starts but I really think much more would send stress levels rocketing. If she doesn't know it now, it's too late.....
Good luck everyone, just 2 exams for my dd, then it's all over, hope I haven't undercooked it.
menagerie
Posts: 577
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 9:37 pm

Re: Good luck ..........

Post by menagerie »

Hmmm. I just lost it. DS was slouching around being rude because he was asked to do a 30 minute comp because the stuff he has always known, like answer in full sentences, had evaporated last week. So I told him I was sick of his attitude and if he can't be bothered to let me know now and save us any more moodiness.

TBH he did need someone to nudge him up the behind because his attitude had become really surly, but 48 hours before his first exam may not be the time to have that heated debate. :oops:

Any advice on cooling down the temperature? I feel such an idiot.
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