All Quiet on the Western Front

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JASMINE
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:56 pm

All Quiet on the Western Front

Post by JASMINE »

Its very quiet, where is everyone?
surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Post by surreymum »

Still here :)

Can't believe how quickly exam time has come around again. Drove past Wallington yesterday and it all came flooding back.

Remember it is the same for everyone-will all have had summer holidays and feel underprepared. I think Wallington is the most relaxed of the exams and they are good at processing the boys quickly to get through into the school (not like Sutton where the queue goes the whole way round the school!), they make the boys feel comfortable and welcome and of course put you out of your misery in a timely fashion (last year they even put the results out a few days early to avoid the postal strikes!!) It is also the shortest of the exams.

I think the hardest thing in our area is maintaining the momentum if sitting all the sutton boys exams. I really thought Wilsons and Sutton would bring their exams forward to come into line with national recommendations and wallington. It was clearly a successful strategy for Wallington last year as they had more people choosing it than previously.

For that reason I think you have to try and keep it all in perspective and I guess the plus side of the Sutton arrangements are that you get 3 separate bites of the cherry and I know plenty of people who passed one exam but not the others and they are all good schools.
JASMINE
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:56 pm

Post by JASMINE »

Hi Surreymum,

Nice to know your here :wink:

I know what you mean about the exam time coming round quickly. We (my ds and I) honestly thought we had plenty of time to prepare everything but to tell you the truth it has all of a sudden sprung upon us.

I honestly think he won't be able to keep the momentum going and in all honestly I don't think I would at that age. He is getting sick of doing the extra work now and I am wondering to just quit the study for now and give him a complete break.

We managed to improve his writing, thanks to your advice and Melinda's and I am hoping Wallington is going to be essay/story as we have practised.


phew.
surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Post by surreymum »

Hi Jasmine

I would suggest having a break after the Wallington exam-maybe a couple of weeks and then starting again. We kept it ticking over gently until half term and then started seriously again. I think the hardest bit was keeping going over Christmas, but actually by the end they were quite relaxed about it and we got into good routines on exams day.

I started off following Patricia's advice about porridge for breakfast and so on, but have to confess fried eggs on toast was far more popular by the final exams and didn't seem to make a difference.

The other thing we tried to do was always go to the exam with a friend so they went in chatting and happy and couldn't dwell on the exam too much afterwards and we always planned good treats for afterwards-they found themselves looking forward to the day of the Wallington exam as we had a trip to Go Ape and a sleepover!
surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Post by surreymum »

Forgot to say-one of mine was a bit maths phobic so gave him a really easy maths paper a few days before so he did really well and then stopped. Did nothing really most of the week before other than some chatting about words. We used to do tables in the car and some mental maths and have competitions to find good adjectives-it all sounds rather sad doesn't it.

Can't believe the boys are actually starting there in just over a week :)
JASMINE
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:56 pm

Post by JASMINE »

Hi Surreymum,

Yes definetely taking easy this week. Ds is feeling more relaxed aswell.

I like your idea of mental maths and words in the car. They certainly learn more when they are relaxed and out of their usual work environment.

You know you mentioned one of yours is a maths phobic, mine is careless at maths and will make the most silly mistake and then in other questions will not read the question and will assume he knows what the question is and then get it all wrong. I don't why he does this?

He did a paper the other day, the difficult question about distance and time he got right but a simple addition he got wrong.
I feel like strangling him honest but trust me I stay calm, just !

You must excited and the boys about starting next week :D
melinda
Posts: 226
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:40 pm
Location: surrey

Post by melinda »

Hi Jasmine
Just thought I'd jump in to say that I felt Wallington was too close to the hols (for my son anyway) and he wasn't ready. But it is good practice for them to sit a test in an exam situation. The rest are much less nerve racking once he knows what's coming.

I was often close to giving up throughout the year, it isn't easy to stay positive when your son is continually making the same mistakes as mine was!

Anyway, my son is now excited about starting at SGS next week and I am the nervous one!! I hate sewing name tags!!!
JASMINE
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:56 pm

Post by JASMINE »

Hi Melinda,

Yes I know what you mean being too close to the hols, some children in my son's class have chosen to go on holiday and some haven't. We didn't go away purely that my son would have been too relaxed and still in the holiday mood.

You must be glad the hard work is all over and now its a exciting time for your son to join his new school and meet new friends. Don't be nervous he will do fine.

Is there a easier way to put on name tags ?

I have always sewed name tags on, I am wondering if the iron ones are any easier to put on and are as effective as the sewn ones.
I remember putting names tags when my son started reception, the uniform still managed to find itself in the lost property. It was like a jumble sale every week.
melinda
Posts: 226
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:40 pm
Location: surrey

Post by melinda »

I have never trusted iron on tags, mainly because they seem to come off in the wash. Perhaps they have improved since i last used them!
I am sewing a little at a time, although it takes me a while to thread the needle!

Hope it all goes well at Wallington. Last year the PTA put on some refreshments in the school field for parents, much better than trying to find somewhere nearby.
I am sure that once your son has done one test he will feel much more relaxed about the rest. Mine had an ear infection (from the holiday pool!) a week or so before the test and he still coped with it (infection had gone, by the way, I wasn't that cruel!!)
:)
JASMINE
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:56 pm

Post by JASMINE »

Hi Melinda,

I know what you mean about threading the needle. I'm terrible.

We have totally relaxed this week and my son was saying yesterday how he would have liked to meet up with some friends from school. But everyone is so busy beavering away we just went out by ourselves.
poor kid!

Wallington certainly make a effort to make it easier for parents and children but I can honestly say I don't know whether I will be able to stomach any refreshments that day. I know it sounds silly but my son is one of those children who either do really well or completely do everything wrong and usually its the latter.

Your son coped really well, ear infection kills, its the worst esp when your
revising.
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