Comments for School Success

Comment on Science GCSE by Bob Foster

Bob Foster — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:53:35 +0000

This is a hot topic amongst teachers! Now that year 9 is not spent teaching for the SAT exams, many schools are starting their GCSEs early. All science modules can be retaken once. I don’t know which course your daughter is following, but i assume she’ll be taking one of the core science modules. The idea is that, if successful, they can save time in year 10, but if everyone is getting bad grades it seems like a waste of time and maybe a de-motivator.

Tell you daughter to look at the exam as just another mock – a way to test her knowledge. There will be time to retake.

Do get in touch if you have questions about this.

The new GCSEs (for taking in 2014) will all be linear – no modules. So that doesn’t affect the core science that your daughter is taking, which is usually a one year course which, I assume, she will complete in 2013. I’m assuming that she is taking one of the three modules this year and the others next year.

If you want to get the details right, ask your examinations officer at school – they’ll know all the ins and outs of retake and resits for your daughter’s course. The idea of taking a module early is that the school will have more flexibility next year and your daughter will have plenty of time to take the resit. Another good source of information is the exam board themselves – I often call them to get up-to-date details and they are always very helpful.

Comment on Science GCSE by Denise

Denise — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:53:53 +0000

My Daughter is in year 9, and is due to take a science GCSE the beginning of March, they have just taken a 2nd mock GCSE test and she got an F (which was the highest of the class!!!) in the previous mock everyone got a U. I cannot not understand why they are put in to take these GCSE’s in March this year, if these grades are going to be shown as part of their GCSE results. Is there a reason the school are putting them in in year 9, could they not hold off until year 10?

Comment on by Bob Foster

Bob Foster — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:53:02 +0000

Hi Colin – good to hear from you! Do get in touch if you like – bobfostertuition@gmail.com, mobile: 07989412319; skype bobfostercoach.

Say hello to Callum for me,

Comment on School success newsletter almost finished by Bob Foster

Bob Foster — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:51:07 +0000

Hi Stephen – sorry for the delay in replying.

Because it is a new course, there are no past papers as such, just specimen papers. If you go to the edexced science website http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/GCSE-science-2011/Pages/The-exams.aspx you will find a number of resources. Some are password protected, but you should find papers and marking schemes.

You can find the course specification at http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/GCSE-science-2011/Pages/specifications.aspx.

I’ll be creating a video showing how to navigate the site and what you can find – should be done by around February 10th, so keep in touch. I’ll post on my newsletter if you’re subscribed.

And – http://www.cgpbooks.co.uk is good for revise guides, workbooks and sets of practice papers.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions – bobfostertuition@gmail.com or mobile 07989412319

cheers

Comment on by Colin Sayer

Colin Sayer — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:38:56 +0000

Hi Bod
Hope all is well. I am now based in the UAE. It is a bit of a long story but in between me coming here and leaving Bristol the children are now schooling in Hertfordshire. Callum had a tutor until recently who is now moving to India on some sort of pilgrimage. When callum was with me in the UAE over christmas he mentioned you and we wonder whether we could take up tuition over the web. Then today, I saw your profile on LinkedIn after updating mine.
Callum will be returning to bristol from time to time as we still have a house in bradley stoke.
Happy New Year and best regards
Colin

Comment on School success newsletter almost finished by Stephen King

Stephen King — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:19:54 +0000

I am helping my son, who is in year 9, prepare for his Edexcel Core Science Biology and Chemistry exams due to be taken in March. Physics will be sat later in the year

I understand the course has changed and the exam will be “new” this year. Any direction to helpful exam questions and answer schemes would be gratefullt received.

Stephen King

Comment on Science GCSE by Bob Foster

Bob Foster — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:30:23 +0000

Hi Rachel,

This is a VERY common complaint! You can’t take it privately unfortunately while your son is ‘attached’ to their present school. The dates for foundation and higher are the same. But it really is no problem for the school to enter your son for higher. It all comes down to how much energy you can put into persuading them. The controlled assessments are not tiered. The school needs to see some evidence that he is capable of more than a C grade. There are two people that you might talk to, apart from the teacher – the exams officer and the head of science. In my experience, the more you keep on at them, while being polite and respectful, the better your chances. Next year, if your son is taking Additional Science, he can go for higher anyway, so taking core science in year 10 is not a disaster; just very annoying.
Hope this helps – good luck.

Comment on Science GCSE by Rachel Symss

Rachel Symss — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:23:51 +0000

My son who is in Year 10 has received his statement of examinations in the post.. He has been entered in the Core Science GCSE at Foundation level. It seems that the whole year has been entered for this meaning that noboby has been put forward for the higher paper. Given that he is a high achiever – is doing the higher Maths paper – am I able to get this changed or take this externally?