Year 11 2023-24

We went to Tenerife at Christmas and got DS to do all the speaking- asking for things in shops, he asked a bus driver for directions etc. It really improved his speaking and listening, and boosted his confidence, as so many people complimented him on his Spanish!

My DS has a CGP study skills book, which is really well set out fir this. It has pages in for the best ways to revise for each subject, then there are spaces for lists with a self assessment then weekly revision timetables.

@Sofrustratedwithmyself my DD is on track for 1’s and 2’s. She tries she really does but is just not academic. However we did get a surprise in her last English language mock and she got a 5! Very surprised and pleased for her. I recently received a message from school that she had been assessed and is to get 25% extra in her exams. Now looking back over her school life I am kicking myself as she has obviously needed extra help all along.

One very run down miserable DD in our household. She has just got a constant cold and I am sure it’s underlying stress as well. She is doing mocks now and next week. I have said power through but seriously she could only manage an hour’s revision last night and had also been to extra revision after school. Really feel for her. Last exam for her for this week though. What ever her results she has tried.

Helping my son with a little last minute revision for his geography mock tomorrow and we spent 8 hours over the half term revising for this subject too. Im so worried about his exam tomorrow. He got a 2 in his last mock 🫣 but he didn’t work hard enough in year 10 and didn’t prep well for the exam. He’s an average kid but I just can’t see how he’s going to pass these things!!

She made a list of all subjects and the topics within them and we have tried to divvy them up between the days and weeks.

No set revision plan here. I think it’s going to depend on how the mocks go (they start tomorrow)

Ah thank you. You have reassured me. Can anyone share their revision plan?

No, I don't sit with her though in the evening I'm usually on my laptop doing my work. This week was half term and I had an essay to write so I did that while she worked. She likes DH or I to read the end of unit quiz to her if she is using a revision book. And apparently having me to write out her revision timetable every three weeks (we do it in three to four week blocks) is essential to the process😁

Absolutely no sitting with ds here.

Encouragement, offers of help if wanted (he’s not wanted any!) provision of any books/ equipment needed, drinks, snacks etc only.

My dc doesn't want me involved in his revision at all at the moment. He hasn’t done as much as I would like. I’ve told him if he needs anything from me to just ask and I’m there. I’ll have to leave it at that I think.

just wondering if you are all sitting with your children to help them revising. My DS doesn’t allow me (although I have a degree in biology and I could help him in all sciences) but I would like to.
should I force him to be helped?
ps: his marks are far from being excellent!

@Gazelda I'm sorry your DD is feeling so poorly, DS had a similar viral thing going on the week before half term, he also kept going to school (dosed up on paracetamol) but cancelled all his sports. H was left with a residual cough which has cleared up now thankfully but your DD sounds worse.

Hopefully once mocks are out of the way she will be able to crack on again and get back on track.

DD had an awful cold last week, so didn't get much done. Half term this coming week, so I hope she can catch up.

She's struggled with managing the time commitment for art, and had finally got it together and was ahead with response one. Now she's behind again 😞

Mocks when she goes back next week, so we're back to 24/7 revision and art. She'd refused to stay off while ill because she was worried about missing lessons but I'm certain it's prolonged the cold and she's now got a horrible cough that leaves her breathless.

I know it's a fact of life, and we've all been through the GCSE years, but I'm sad that there's so much stress at this age.

History exams need to be answered in a specific way. DC spent a LOT of time on exam technique, as well as learning the stuff. Practice was key for us.

How are the Art takers getting on? I was hoping DS would get a lot done over half term but the procrastination is too strong! Looking forward to the panic on Tuesday night when it finally dawns on him that his first artist research and response pages are due in on Wednesday. 🙄

Good luck to all who have mocks this week. DS has a few more to go. Found all the dates of his exams so printed out and handed to him he has been revising in between seeing mates.

*Write not right

@MamOfTwo I think history marks are all about getting the structure of the answer right (as well as knowledge of course). You don’t necessarily have to right a lot but answer the questions in the way the mark scheme wants. Can you look at your exam board’s mark scheme?

History is proving much harder than we thought in our house! We have been practicing past papers alongside the mark scheme which I hope will help in his mock next week. Some of the initial questions don’t need as much detail was the main thing I found.

pm'd you. thanks

@humtv on what basis is it a 4? Grade boundaries used for mocks are rarely very useful.

Feel free to send a pm if it helps.

it's AQA

@MrsHamlet pls can you help? DD just got a 4 in eng lit mock. Is predicted a 7 and has had a tutor since Sept! also only got a 5 in eng lang, predicted 7.with not that long until actual exams, what should her strategy be to improve? especially eng lit. thanks.

Been lurking for a while on this supportive thread but time to step out of the shadows! DD very stressed about history (which she wants to do at A-level) as she just can't nail the timing. So much content to get on to the paper in a short time. Any tips other than writing really fast?! Good luck to all for upcoming mocks.