Year 11 22/23 support thread.

Not many actually have study leave these days. DS will be in school all the time, when not doing exams they will be in revision sessions.

That's interesting. I only know of one school that doesn't have study leave, pretty much all the schools near me send them off a couple of weeks after the summer term begins.

It depends on the individual school. Not many actually have study leave these days. DS will be in school all the time, when not doing exams they will be in revision sessions.

Does anyone know what to expect in terms of the next few months? We got the exam timetable on Friday. Do they finish school a while before exams start, or just on Friday 12 May? Do they then only go into school for the actual exams or do people normally go in anyway to revise?

Yes my DD mentioned the other day they hadn't finished Biology syllabus and they are told to read on independently.

Ds has finished the chemistry syllabus but not the biology or physics.

Interesting those doing triple are all still teaching, DD has now got chemistry instead of Physics (she doesn't mind as she prefers both bio and chemistry over physics) as they haven't managed to finish the Chemistry syllabus yet. We have finished mocks waiting on results aside from one more English paper which has a random March date. She is off on her history trip tomorrow which is great after all the covid disruption- she gets her mock results tomorrow but doesn't want to open them until she's back. Lots of anx during mocks, think we will all be glad when this year is over! College interview still to come, she has high levels of social anxiety so will be a big deal for her to articulate what she's thinking possibly but she really wants to do IB so I'm hoping her want overcomes the anxiety and nerves!

minisnowballs, sorry to hear about the music composition, my DS is in the same boat but is now working after school on his medieval composition and the music teacher has been very praising of it. He said want to give it up but now seems to think he'll get through it.

DS is definitely feeling a bit down, he says school is not fun anymore and I think the pressure so early in the year is actually demotivating. He seems to think he doesn't learn much with the revision in class and he is better at revising at home. Obviously that is not an option at this point but he tells me he has loads of revision to do over half term before their second round of mocks and he is not going out once. Tbh I am surprised by this as his social life is quite important to him but apparently there is no time. I think I'm a bit worried that he is going to burn out but DH thinks he is right to think like this. He was pulled out of science class about 2 weeks ago and told he was chatting too much and will be moved down from top group and not be able to do triple science so I so think this has had a lot to do with this new attitude.

While it is welcome that they are considering this, I am not sure the DfE have a grasp of the realities of school life. The case studies made me laugh out loud - the idea that our school could muster a team of ed pysch, education welfare etc to work through problems with attendance after missing a few days is ridiculous. That is absolutely what should happen but there is no capacity in the system to do that.... So do take with a pinch of salt, but it is useful as it gives a clear picture of the legal position for schools who are not doing everything they could..

Thanks for sharing @handmademitlove I’d not seen that and it’s very timely as my youngest is really struggling with school based anxiety.

@PennywisePoundFoolish the DfE have just released a new document relating to attendance and mental health which may be helpful in case you haven't seen it www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-issues-affecting-a-pupils-attendance-guidance-for-schools

@PennywisePoundFoolish sorry to hear about the anxiety - that sounds very stressful for all. Glad school is being more helpful now.

DD1 is OK, we think. She's just asked for Tassomai (used it before a bit) which we are paying for and she is doing, and we've got her a couple of science tutors. She's never had a tutor before but it feels like quite an efficient way of doing things (especially as due to lockdown they are struggling to cover the whole triple syllabus - it's one of those schools where you get no more time to do triple than combined, you just have to work faster).

First lot of mocks done - mostly fine - science massively improved by tutors, so now she has higher predicted grades in Physics than English (which is what she actually wants to continue doing). Second lot after Feb half term. Music composition currently the main nightmare as they had a very interrupted few years with no music teacher and now she's working after school every day to finish. Will be glad when that and drama coursework is sorted.

Sixth Form applications also done. She'd like to stay put and predictions should be fine for this. Had her interview yesterday and they seem happy for her to at least start four A-Levels and suggested she looks at Oxbridge. This is unexpected - not least since she thinks she wants to do nursing - but it's good they are pushing her and thinking of different options.

Good luck everyone!

Sorry to hear about your DS @PennywisePoundFoolish i have a child in year7 whose unraveling fast who I don’t think is going to last until yr8 in mainstream. I hope he can find a path that fits him.
My eldest had mixed mocks but is ok and making more effort on doing some past papers now, the school alas are still teaching the curriculum in the science subjects so they are all struggling!

As I killed the thread I thought I'd try and reanimate it.

Things have really unravelled here, DS2 became too anxious to attend school after Christmas. School were not at all helpful to begin with, but have got better.

Looks like he won't complete his BTEC or GCSE Geography, but his wellness is obviously the priority.

How are others doing?

I don't think so NCTDN but the communication from the school is always patchy at best, so it's possible. the 6th form application has to be in early January, so he;ll have to put down his latest results. I am actually pretty clueless on the process, DS1 has an EHCP so I am more used to that system. I guess he could be rejected at this point but if his actual results are good enough, he could see if they would accept him in August? He does have some medical conditions and an ASD diagnosis, so I was hoping they will accept a lower English (predicted 5 rather than 6 that's needed) His predicted Sciences and Maths are above the minimum entry requirements

@PennywisePoundFoolish my sons school is doing 2 lots of mocks as extra evidence. Is he not doing any later on?

DS2 missed some mocks as he was ill. Not ideal as it included English which has now been done as a teacher assessment. His science grades were good enough and maths remains very strong, but I'm not convinced he'll get accepted onto A Levels. He has zero interest in and Btecs etc.
He seems to think it will all work out...

Checking in as DS is on track to fail a couple of gcse's. Will hopefully get 6s in a few.
He's a bright kid and has zero behaviour issues but he doesn't care.

DD had mocks in October and another lot due in February. She didn’t do too badly in the October lot but the school have set up a lot of interventions for them to attend ( although some clash with other subjects), and she is making an effort to go to as many as she can .

@NCTDN I started out teaching physics, but now I teach philosophy and RE!

Our school hand them all a results slip on a specific day in January, which is supposed to replicate the real thing. Then they have a parents' evening. This combination has been known to galvanise some erstwhile laid back types into action! (But will cause utter woe in just as many because they haven't got 'perfect' scores).

@PhotoDad didn't realise you were a teacher. What subject?

@Hellocatshome Good for him! I will always remember a particular student like that in my subject. The mocks were his wake-up call and he managed to improve something like two whole grades across the board just through hard work. That's wonderful!

My DS is the exception that proves the rule. He has messed about and generally had a shit attitude to school his entire life. But this year has been to every revision class going, has requested he be able to miss core PE to go to extra English sessions and has even been found in the library!!! All this and he will still be looking at 4s and maybe the odd 5 but his teachers are amazed. If only he had bothered his arse for the last 10 years at school.

I'm a teacher, and the students who turn up to revision classes etc are normally the people who don't need them! DS finished mocks two weeks back, he gets results next week. Thinks they went OK, and he did an appropriate amount of revision; not to the exclusion of his normal weekly activities. I hope that was a healthy balance!

Just about to start 2 weeks of mocks here. School have run some revision sessions at school in lunch times plus lots of online revision after school and at weekends. Great in some ways, but has also piled on the stress for those who are already taking it very seriously and doing lots of work. Very difficult to cater for the whole year group who have such different abilities, expectations and attitudes.