Year 11 22/23 support thread.

@ThePenOfMyAunt oh gosh, how shocking for him!

Sorry for the rambling I'm on nights this week and not had enough sleep today.

Things have gone from bad to worse here. DS2 mocks started this week, we had no idea until last week because he's attending mentor group, so no letter was given to him with timetable etc. I went to a yr11 school meeting and it transpired his mentor had no idea DS2 had been in school this year.
He tried to go to his mocks today but I ended up bringing him home as he got in a state. He was in a state for most of the morning. I really don't know what we're going to do; his only interests are maths and sciences, his identity is really tied to being academic so he's just so lost atm.

@PennywisePoundFoolish im really sorry to hear of your DS struggles. I’ve been researching alternatives for my youngest who is autistic and after only 6mths at secondary isn’t going to last in mainstream even with a really supportive school. I’ve found a lot of really good information on the face book group “Home Education UK - exams & alternatives” their wiki information pages are full of really good information and it’s given me a lot of hope I can find an alternative route for my DD.
Meanwhile my 16DD has done minimal work this half term, I have printed off different past exam papers and suggesting she does some with her books alongside and that has helped to give her some structure for chemistry, biology and PE.

Thank you sounds very very similar to here except the exam date. Really frustrating as it has really put my DD off she has always been into coding etc and now cannot stand it.

@GinGella if it's OCR then we're using the revision flashcards bought via Amazon. DD has also had to pretty much teach herself as her teacher is hardly ever there and just sets work online for them to do. Or does massive catch all sessions where everything is so rushed that the kids don't have time to learn anything. For example, DD has an assessment this morning on three full topics that they only covered yesterday in 40mins.

@PennywisePoundFoolish I’ve name changed as this could be outing but just wanted you to know that you have my sympathies and support, as my DS in Y11 has had an awful secondary school experience due to MH issues, injury, diagnosed with ADHD. It’s been a journey, one I’m glad is almost over.

DS has a reduced timetable and is only taking 5 GCSEs. We did have the help and support of a local charity who have been great at putting things in place with school. They are there to support children, young people and their families. DS originally was supported by one of their counsellors (when the school couldn’t offer help due to there being a waiting list).

I’ve no idea currently if DS will achieve any GCSEs as there are many gaps in his learning. He did manage 4s in English Lang and Maths his mocks before Christmas, so we’ll see.

Main priority is getting him through these next few months, then we’ll cross that bridge!

That’s awful @PennywisePoundFoolish

DS also struggled in year 10, luckily school were brilliant with a counsellor and other support and he is doing better, though I’m keen to keep the balance of encouraging and not pressuring!

Hello, good to see the thread active.

I'll do a massive rant about DS2s school then try not to mention it anymore!

His school's starting response to him being unable to attend due to anxiety was "mental health issues are not illness" and they put it down as unauthorised. What makes it even more staggering is a Yr11 pupil took their own life when DS1 was in Yr7. We live in a semi-rural area and the school serves the local villages, where everyone knows everyone or at least Friend of friend kind of thing.

They have since backed down after I pointed out the DfE guidelines etc. But have yet to actually respond to my letter on it.

The SEND Team have been kinder than the attendance, but in saying that the promised action from the meeting has not happened. The school have not replied to my emails asking about iMedia Btec and Geography.

DS2 managed to go in for the last 3 periods last week which was a massive increase.
The headteacher came in to observe a lesson and sat next to DS2. Picked up his workbook and said it was very scruffy. He said "yeah". She then said it looked like he was missing a lot of work and he said yeah I've been off for a while.

Now I know they will say the HT didn't know who he was. But as it was Children's mental health week, I've pointed out that perhaps the HT needs to reconsider they she interacts with pupils she doesn't know.

Rant over

DS did mocks in Jan and I think Nov and Feb would have been much better for him! It’s been a bit relentless and he wants to kick back, but the art is due in about 5 weeks so he has to crack on!

Our half term in next week DS has had mocks all week and will have 2 more weeks of mocks after half term. He has actually done some revision but we are talking less than 1 hrs a night whereas lots of people seem to be saying their kids are doing 2 to 3. He is going into school for 2 days over half term to do some revision classes so at least that is some structure.

Aargh, still not much happening on revision and coursework. How are other teens doing this half term??

I hope the photos DS1 had done for his final piece are ok, he was a bit slow at doing them and not sure if the art teacher saw them before the break.

i don’t think he’s done much yet this break, though I have bought a stack of CGP revision books.

Hope everyone is doing ok - young people and parents.

@PennywisePoundFoolish - how is your DS doing? One of my DD’s friends is taking a much reduced GCSE set of exams because of mental health difficulties over the past 18 months. Hope the school are being supportive.

@SheilaFentiman - I helped DD make a timetable for half-term just in a table in Word and printed it out to stick on the wall.

She also has art to do this half-term and that combined with music practice means revision comes a distant third. At least writing it down on a table looks more like it might get done. Am starting to realise that she is much better at doing something concrete - e.g a past paper or a worksheet but if it’s just ‘revision’ without an actual task she flounders a bit.

For art she has to do another photo shoot for her final piece as her teacher wasn’t keen on the last one plus go to a gallery and do a gallery page. I will probably help her do another timetable after half-term. It needs to be something in between the school’s suggested version - which has back-to-back revision suggestions and no time to eat or actually travel home from school - and her own version which has 3 hours of music practice and not much else 🤦‍♀️.

School had them in for a revision session for half a day yesterday. And we had a panic over the weekend - she had a go at a past paper and marked it with the marking scheme, looked up the grade boundaries for that year and read it as she would have got a U. Cue me downloading the exam spec to see where I could possibly have a go at tutoring her myself before checking the grade boundaries to see she had read the table wrong 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️. It’s going to be a long 4 months.

Has anyone got a good revision planner template/wall chart? Happy to buy!

I wish DS1 had had Nov and Feb mocks, not Jan mocks. He’s supposed to be doing art this half term, haven’t seen much done yet!

Signing in

Not college interviews, DS has got a conditional college offer without an interview but he is currently doing apprenticeship assessment days left right and centre, quite a few of them keep trying to schedule them during school time which is fun to try to work around.

Have any had their college/6th form interviews yet? DDs is next week she is desperate to do IB, they only take 50 students and it is a big college so 🤞 she's not the most talkative so I'm trying to encourage her to practise which is apparent mortifying 🤣 has anyone used anyone online for computer science? DD teacher hadn't taught them over half the mock exam she is doing bitesize but I am slightly out of my depth with tutors etc and the benefits.

My DD will be starting Y7 in Sep 2023. I'm obviously mad to think about this already but had a question please for parents with children heading towards GCSE. So when my DD started prep school I was naïve enough to think tutoring would not be required and the school would prep her for 11+. Realized well in time that was not the case and got a tutor.
Am I being naïve again to think that if she is at a top selective secondary school G&L and LEH - she should not need a tutor? Would I still need a tutor for most subjects?

DD has her exam timetable (sourced from the exam websites, not school afaik, with her study leave starting one day prior to her exam. She is not happy as last year study leave started a full two weeks prior to exams, but tbh I prefer it this way as I can envisage her staying in bed till lunch times (at the earliest...) on study leave!

Mocks went reasonable well, but fortunately has still give her the kick up the backside I was hoping for

We haven't had any timetable or anything else yet.

I have no idea unfortunately, I'm lucky DS has told me this much. The school as per normal have communicated absolutely nothing directly to parents.

Sorry @dew141 missed your message in between. I think that's what we had when I was at school, but that was a long time ago now. Can't decide which I hope ours will be. On the one hand DD is terrible at getting out of bed, but on the other finds it difficult to revise around other people as she hates the sound of them breathing!

That's useful to know, thanks @Hellocatshome. Is a revision session like a lesson, or just sitting quietly in a room and working independently?