GCSE English Language

[basicbob]

Hi,

My son has got a 3 in his mock English language exam but is predicted a 4.

He needs a 6 to get into college.

With 3 months to go is this realistic and what can I go to try and make this happen?

I have paid for an English Tutor who is also an English Teacher but any guidance on what else I can do or how I should guide the tutor?

Thanks in advance

[kenyancowgirl]

If the tutor is an English Teacher, they should surely be guiding you? I'd steer well clear of any one taking my cash purporting to be a teacher if they then want your help as to what they should focus on. Have you actually spoken to the school? They should a) give specific advice as to how he can improve and b) provide extra support in the form of clubs, possibly academic mentors from older years etc as well as past papers and mark schemes - all of which will be free of charge.

Effectively you are asking if he can move from the equivalent of an E to a B in the space of 3 months...that is a big ask - one or two grades is certainly possible but 3 is a big jump - it does depend a little on where he is goign wrong though as to how easy it is to "fix" - the school are the best people to advise on this.

[Daogroupie]

Which board is this?

Does he have some course work marks to add to the mix? DG

[basicbob]

The board is WJEC Eduqas formally WJEC C700QSL and is 100% exam (9-1 scoring)

The problem is his English is just poor and he's never been a reader. I have encouraged, begged and pleaded without success.

I do feel he freezes in exams, in one test he got 2 out 30!

He's not a bad child or disruptive he's an angel but he just doesn't posses that higher level of leaving.

I see his doing 2-3 hours work a night but I think the quality just isn't there.

[Guest55]

The school will be targeting students who get a '3' as they can be helped to get the magic '4'. He needs to get the papers back so he can see where he has gone wrong. Ask the school to send them [or copies] home so you and the tutor are clear.

Might he be an undiagnosed dyslexic?

[JaneEyre]

Timing is a big issue with English papers ( and some other subjects too).
Please ask some guidance about the time he can spend on each question: he has to learn to leave the question unfinished and go to the next one once the time has elapsed. The aim is to get the maximum of points possible for him for each question.

[copella]

I agree with g55 is there an underlying undiagnosed problem? To be working so many hours and still struggling seems to suggest some major gaps, either with understanding or just not having an idea about what he is supposed to be writing. In your previous post you said he has been doing well up until now. What do you think has gone wrong? I would go straight back to the school and ask to meet the English teacher and see what they think. I really don't think this forum is going to help with any guidance to improve grades, the people to approach are his teachers.

[Eccentric]

Undiagnosed problems apart. It is not always the case that colleges insist on what they state in their course details. My niece who was an undiagnosed dyslexic until year 10 barely scraped 2 c s at gcse. The school said she couldn't stay on for a levels so we looked at btecs. The course she wanted to do required 5 c s. I rang 2 colleges and persuaded them to give her an interview they both said that they would interview for. Level 2 not 3. She was offered 2 level 3s on interview with both colleges. They both said that they would help with her dyslexia and were very sympathetic. One made it a condition that she retake English and maths at college. That was the option she chose. They finally gave her help with her dyslexia. She did really well getting merit, merit distinction in her btec and b's in her maths Andy English GCSEs. She has chosen not to go into university but this would have been ample to open doors to many courses for her.
The moral of this tale isn't don't be put of making a few phone calls.

[kenyancowgirl]

Colleges have a whole lot more leeway, though, than schools which have to abide by their published admissions criteria, Eccentric. Also the govt requires everyone to resit Maths and English until they achieve the equivalent of a C grade (by the time they leave compulsory education at 18). I believe basicbob was confident, prior to the mocks, that their son would make his conditional offer for Watford Grammar - they have published admissions criteria.

[Amber]

I used to be employed by a couple of schools to push children on the D/C borderline over it in the right direction. Each student had ten sessions of one hour each and they achieved it in all but one case. It can be done. I am not sure what my 'secret' was, if I had one, other than choosing material which actually interested the child (a lot of work for me) and then devising exercises based upon that. I would hope that the tutor in this case would be doing that. Rocket science it is not. As long as your son actually buys into it and wants to do well - otherwise save your money.

Try listening to Radio 4 as well as reading stuff - there are masses of really interesting programmes on there. Also watch the TV news (many of my students had never seen it) and discuss current affairs with your son. It is all language and it all goes in. I cannot think he needs to do 3 hours a night - unless that is a mix of decent talk (with you, and others), engagement with listened language and interaction over written matter. Try Private Eye for high quality but funny stuff; news websites, satirical websites (News Thump etc); then things like football match reports if he is into sport, or National Geographic or whatever, depending on his interests. It doesn't have to be worthy or highbrow but he does need to be able to start to think critically about the effects of language.