End of year exams - Y7

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West Kent Mum
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Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:32 pm

End of year exams - Y7

Post by West Kent Mum »

Oldest DS is sitting his Y7 end of year exams in June. He is at GS and the pressure is on from teachers and fellow students. In my understanding, the math results will be a base for the setting in Y8. I don't know how/if the results of the other subject exams will have any importance at all. :wink:

How important are these exams in Y7? Is it worth getting stressed about them or can we have a more relaxed attitude about it all?

Any advice, especially from more experienced parents, appreciated!
Belinda
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Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by Belinda »

Relaxed. With a little revision for each subject.

Although DC will be expected to revise a little for each subject. This may be a few hours of each subject. The exams are likely to be only an hour or so long. Look at it as a learning curve for Y11. Maybe now is the time to stand back and let DC see that there is some truth in the saying... failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

It's not how much you eat between Christmas and New Year that matters; it's how much you eat between New Year and Christmas. The same applies to school - cramming the week before? Or working hard all year? If your DC works hard all year, then exams are easier to deal with.
pheasantchick
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Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:28 pm

Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by pheasantchick »

Although the exams are important, teachers consider the year's work when placing children in sets also. I know this because my dc managed to forget his calculator in one exam ( but still scored higher then others in that exam!), and when I contacted the school about this, the maths teacher mentioned this. Possibly with a better exam result, he may have been put in a higher set, but he's top in the set he is in, and has gained a lot of confidence as a result of this ( and loves maths).
West Kent Mum
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Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:32 pm

Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by West Kent Mum »

Thank you for your quick and valuable replies!

I will take your advice and let DS do his own way of revising (or rather non-revising...). If exam results are worse than expected, it will be a good lesson learned for him for future tests. And I will make a large poster with the quote "failing to prepare is preparing to fail" to have in his room! :D
KB
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Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by KB »

I agree not to get stressed but I would suggest that it is worth talking through good revision practice - as good practice rather than actual results this time.

Bright children can probably wing it through school exams for the first few years but that doesn't set good foundations for when they need to set to work.
Many can do 'well enough' without working so they don't necessarily learn any lessons from lack of revision in year 7!

Also agree that huge amounts shouldn't be needed but what they do could be done in a focussed way - ie not just sitting in front of a text book for a couple of hours :)

Maybe choose say two subjects where revision might be helpful - either DC struggles a bit or the type of subject where they need to learn facts - and come up with a strategy together for those?

And don't worry too much about setting - usually there is fluidity between sets at this stage.
scary mum
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Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by scary mum »

My DS had his year 7 exams a couple of weeks ago. I think they let them in fairly gently and tell them what to revise, give them worksheets to practice on etc. While not wanting to put pressure on, I do feel that this is when they start to learn how they revise best. I told DS that he should do some work for each exam, but I didn't nag (not like me at all) or get involved unless he needed help. He was quite conscientious (unlike my other 2 at the same age) and did a bit and I think he got a feel for what exams are like without getting stressed (I hope!).
scary mum
ginx
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by ginx »

I'm rather mean - my son is not in year 7 but year 10. He had end of year exams/mocks two weeks ago. He was so laid back I sort of wanted him to do badly so that he learns the hard way that he has to revise and keep up to speed.

However, the results are trickling in and he's getting B/C's, which is good for him - but now I have the attitude if he'd worked harder, he could have got A/B's.

Failing in year 7 might make a child work harder for next time. However, for my son in year 10, next time will be year 11 - his GCSE's!
scary mum
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Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by scary mum »

ginx, I was the same with year 9 DS who was so laid back about the whole business that he was horizontal. My feeling is that year 9 isn't a bad time to learn what you need to do. No results yet, or none that I've been told about :D
scary mum
pheasantchick
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Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:28 pm

Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by pheasantchick »

I actually test my year 8 son which he says is helpful. I 'm trying to get him to write is own tests, but he hasn't got into that habit yet. He has learnt by removing the computer for his room, he revises better as he is not tempted to check Facebook, or look at a YouTube video... .
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: End of year exams - Y7

Post by Daogroupie »

OP, It would be wise to check the policy of your school. Our school allocates top set places based on the end of year tests and not on the year's work. We know students who have got low marks all year but then did a lot of revision for the end of year test. These students have nabbed the top set places from other students who did not focus on the end of year test but thought their work all year would carry them through. There are lots of different approaches on this forum, some parents work hard to get their dc's into gs and then take a step backwards. Others stay involved. I have Y8 and Y9 dd's and I want to make sure that all the hard work to win a school place is not wasted by losing out on the top set opportunities. There are activities that are only offered to the top set students which are fantastic things that you went to selective school for. Sitting and watching tv and playing electronic games in the days before tests when your peer group is revising in my opinion would be unwise. DG
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