Year 11 support thread - keep on keeping on!

6 marker on radioactive toothpaste edexcel P2

Sorry - OCR here too. And ds too exhausted and relieved to give me any details about anything now . Thank goodness they're over!

Bert sorry I can't help.

Ontopof DS is 16 end of July so just in time to make it to Reading.

minesawine I feel emotional as well. We were the other way around, massive shouting and fallout and nagging before the exam but I feel the exams have brought us together somehow as he suddenly showed he cared and I could see his stress. But yes, I keep pulling out photos from his first day at school and I actually don't know when I blinked and ended up with a 16 yo.

Sorry Bert just checked and my DD did OCR Physics. Anyone else do OCR?

minesawine I couldn't have put it better myself and I am so relieved to read your post - at times the shouting in this house has reached deafening levels, yet we have come out of it friends. He has stayed far calmer than me and, I hope, done himself proud. There's one more exam to go next week, but we're nearly there - and just when I thought he would crash and sleep (as he has done every afternoon when there has been urgent revision to do), he has decided to tidy his room. What's that all about?! It would appear he is ready for his next steps and I am joining you all in a few pangs and private tears. My baby is all grown up.

If anyone's got an Edexcel Physics person handy could they ask if there was a question about radioactive toothpaste? They're talking about it on Twitter, and ds is panicking that he missed it.........

Nearly 17... Mine isn't 16 for another couple of months and still not officially old enough to go to Reading without an over 18. But no more school uniform in this house now. Time to stock up on 'smart business wear' for the second time.

Well done to everyone's DCs who've finished and not long to go for the remainder. It's such an endurance event particularly with the hot weather.

OcelotnotGiraffe I am so glad it is not just me going a bit gaga. Although next week he does have prom and leavers assembly, it is over. I think the build up to the exams, the massive pressure, the nagging and resistance have really taken their toll on both of us and now I look at my baby who towers over me and feel both relief and sadness. However, the little tinker has taken advantage of my weakened emotional state and got me to agree to hold an after prom party at home next week. I must be mad

Slightly at all those whose DCs have finished...

DD says both her exams were fine today - when she says fine, that means fine so happy with that.

Two more to go, Monday and Friday next week.

minesaswine - me too, very emotional today. I even looked at him and had a little tear earlier. He is so grown up and whether results go well or otherwise he will not be going to his school sixth form so whatever happens it'll be a big change (his and our choice as he's never liked the school). How did my baby end up nearly 6 foot and grown up?? And mine will never go back into school (apart from results day) so he really has left school now - I really do understand you.

GCSEs all done here. AQA Physics today was good, apparently. No idea whether ds only said that because it is over and he wanted to go out. He really wants to go to his school 6th form. Only got the letter today about an induction day but we are on hols. Between NCS and both GCSE and A level results we were struggling to fit in a family holiday, so too bad. Not sure he will get the grades, though. He needs a 7 for Maths which he was well capable of but doesn't think he has done enough. I know I need to forget all about it but I don't think I will fully exhale until August.

And we're done!!! Had a call from a very happy son, DT went very well, design question a bit tricky but ok. He's off out with friends, I am having a celebratory ice cream in the garden! Also feeling strangely emotional, he will move for 6th form so that's the end of our time at this wonderful school, starting in 2009 with DS1. Wrote emails to some of his best/most inspirational/hardworking teachers this morning and have had some lovely responses. Hats off to all of them.

Thank you to everyone on the thread for the support, let's hope all our DC do really well. See you all back here in August on results day?

Awww littleho yes this thread has been a fantastic source of support. Well done to all our dc.

Just wanted to say thank you everyone. You have allowed me to download when I was missing my lovely Mum. It has really helped.

Ive watched these threads roll along but not joined in until now. DS is sitting DT now and that's it over. No real idea how it's gone but it seems to have been one long slog from Christmas until now with mocks being split over 6 weeks and course work ruining Easter break. All I get is fine when I ask.

He's off to a belated birthday party tonight, sport for the weekend then another party on Sunday. He will have a better social life than me in the next few weeks.

Dreading August but I can't do anything about it now. In two years time is both A levels and GCSEs at the same time and then again two years after that so lessons learnt just now should come in useful.

I don't know why, but I am feeling a bit emotional today. It has been such a massive build up to these exams and I have never rowed, argued, confiscated or screamed at my DS as much as I did in the last month. But it is now over, he has accepted places at his school and a sixth form college and will make his final decision after the taster days (and his results - fingers and toes crossed). But either way it is a new start for him and me. During 6th form I wont be on his case as much as I have been, he needs to get his shit together and not rely on me to organise his life, revision and exams.

But my baby is nearly 17, his is about to start the next chapter of his life and I feel a bit weepy. GCSE's are definitely a milestone, albeit a crap milestone, but its over and I am feeling emosh.

"Mum you are acting weird" is the response I got to my request for a mummy hug. Oh dear!!

Twitter post of the day, I can't stop laughing

Gateway 21st Century Physics - DD she is was "ok" in a positive tone. She's shattered and still three more exams.

I really hope she gets her predicted grades, but being a pessimist I'm worried she'll drop some by a grade.

I'll still be here madhairday!

Madhair I'm sure there are quite a few people with exams next week, hang in there!

Ceci DS is also going to Reading festival it is our present for his GCSEs (if he gets into sixth form, otherwise I'm going 😂).

DS has sixth form induction days on 26th and 27th June and then prom on the 28th June. He's got a job lined up over the summer also. We're in holiday for a couple of weeks in August and then the results should come through. Then Reading festival. The summer doesn't seem so long anymore when I put it in writing.

I hope that now we've bonded through hard times we will have a year 12 thread but let's not jinx it, let's open it first week back.

Lovely picture dingit bet you can hardly believe that's the same person!

Well done to everyone who finished today

Good luck to anyone who still has exams next week - nearly there now!

Dd found the RS paper yesterday (Philosophy) 'very hard' but hopes she's done well enough in the Ethics paper to get a decent grade.

Her reaction about finishing exams yesterday - complete and utter exhaustion as in lying on the floor unable to move exhausted...followed by tears Think it was the anti climax of it all. But I know dd, an hour later she was fine again, said she felt better after the cry. She had a huge dinner followed by a late night pampering session (she decided to scare me and dh by coming it to us with a face mask on )

Today she's gone off to Westfield with her best friend

DD still has 3 next week so I'll be on this thread for a while longer, it's going to feel a bit lonely round here

Hope all the DC's who have finished enjoy relaxing and have a lovely summer.

Yey, it's all over here too

DS has finally finished school and won't be going back for prom or leavers day as we are away. He didn't want to go to prom anyway but leavers day is a shame. We did try to move the holiday after the dates came out but couldn't. He has said lots of goodbyes to people and said he is pleased in a way as he only had to talk to the people he wanted.

He has gone out to Nandos with a group now. Nobody drinking tonight but there is a party tomorrow night where I imagine they will all be trollied.

August really is all up in the air for DS (and us) and I genuinely have no idea whether he will get into the sixth form of his choice. I am hopeful but it really is 50/50, 60/40. For now though we have to forget it and be glad it's over, I'm sure the worries will come creeping in again in August.

It's been a pleasure and good to have a virtual sounding board.