GCSEs come at such a difficult time. I actually remember writing about this in my own GCSE English exam (the unseen creative writing bit I believe). Surrounded by a hall of 6th formers doing retakes, it was such a distraction. That’s the thing isn’t it – hormones are raging, kids are wanting to be adults – staying up late (drinking), doing their own thing. Not realising about working, earning money, they just want to play computer games and hang out with their friends (or whatever the equivalent is in your house).
Luckily our son has always done well, so there was never ever any doubt as to whether he had got ‘good grades”. But with the introduction of iGCSEs, and talk of Maths and Science exams being made harder, the high standard set by his school to get into 6th form was a bit worrying (he needed an A* in Maths, which he got last year; As in Sciences – and then a further A and B in any subject).
When he insisted that he had done “enough” during the revision period (and to us it felt like 5 minutes a day, it was hard to argue with (as he has always got the grades). That so wanting to help give him that little nudge, to ensure that he got the grades he was capable of, and giving him the best possible start to the future – and balancing it with letting him grow up, to make his own decisions, even if they are mistakes. The mental conflict as to whether this really was the right time to do it.
Clearly he knew what he was capable of (far better than me), and that I need not have worried. As today he collected the rest of his grades. He did Maths, English and Religious Studies last year (Gaining an A*, B and A respectively). This meant that he had to do Additional Maths this year – which also fell on the same day as his Physics GCSE – all sounded like a lot to me (my highest grade was a B).
I’d like to point out that at 5 years old he was continuously excluded from school – he was in his reception year. They could not deal with his behaviour. May be they should have helped him instead. After his diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome (at aged 10) he has flown by. I want to thank his junior school for all their hep and support, I don’t think he would be where he is today without it. Also that a lot of people would expect him to fail as I was a teenage mother.
I saw, as I impatiently waited in the car, that some mothers DID go in with their sons to collect the results. I wanted to so much. But he’s 17 this year, and at some point I have to let him grow up (and I was only in the car, a perk of the school being 13 miles away!).
Now we are off to celebrate. I hope everyone else got the grades they needed.
