Year 11 2023-24

@Panic Make sure you/DC revise related stuff to the past papers, otherwise you will only revise stuff that has been on previous papers, and not the whole syllabus.
e.g. If something on Banquo hasn't come up in last 7 years then don't forget to revise him properly in the same way as Macbeth / Lady Macbeth.

Our school website has a page with the breakdowns of each paper. Yours might have the same if you go digging.

Or contact the relevant subject leaders and ask.

We are going to do lots of past papers and revise areas we don’t know as we go. I’m off over Easter so I’m going to mark the papers as he does them. Not sure is that’s a good approach or not?!

Over Easter we are thinking to focus on Paper1s which are before May half term, then after Easter continue but add on paper 2s then May half term really hammer paper 2s. The mocks last month were paper 2s so quite recent.

I have no idea at all if this is a good approach!

We’ve just heard (couple of weeks ago) that they won’t be leaving school before the exams and will need to attend lessons throughout. Once exam in a subject is completed, that lesson becomes revision time for a different subject, all on site following a strict timetable. The rules are new for this year.

dd had planned to go in for optional revision sessions anyway so she isn’t bothered but I think she was hoping the naughty kids would choose not to and it would be quite nice… now they’re all still in school. I feel for the teachers but maybe it’s normal in other schools. It was brought in by the MAT rather than school’s leadership.

Anyone else still waiting on school to give them exam timetable?
DS did a new revision plan listed all subjects then topics for each one numbering them which he needed to do the most work on. He has downloaded passed papers too.
Good luck to everyone getting mock results.

The AQA Science GCSE revision apps are good too. DS hasn't used any of the other AQA ones but does rate the science ones. BBC bite size app is also good - you set up a profile and chose the subject and the exam board and it tailors the content to you.

@TeenLifeMum well done your daughter! I had been trying not to be "that mum" for a few weeks but could finally wait no longer 😂

@Tebheag - unconditional offer. Fantastic!

DS will get mock grades back from next week and we've had the GCSE timetable through from the school and it matches my "cobbled together from the exam board websites" version. No clashes, which is good. A very busy first two weeks and then only a scattering in June. 22 papers in total. It's going to be a tense few months!

If you don’t have the revision books for each subject, you can go on Amazon , search for the GCSE exam revision and practice books for each subject ( pick the right exam board) . Then if you scroll through the images, the topics are actually listed! They are for aqa anyway.

@nervousskier24 DD and I spent ages last summer going through each syllabus from the examining boards’ websites and listing it out topic by topic. There must be a mint to be made for whoever designs an app whereby you enter your subjects and boards and it churns out a revision timetable starting from today’s date!

Some revision guides do the topic list for you e.g. DD has an AQA Geography revision guide which splits out all the topics.

CGP do a general GCSE revision guide but I haven’t (yet) bought it as I don’t see what it can add other than a blank timetable to enter your topics in - which may as well be any blank calendar page. But if others have found that guide to be more useful I would be interested to hear.

Is there any links/tips/posts regarding drawing up a revision timetable for the Easter holidays? I fear DD is not that effective at revising and I would like some sort of guide in place! Ideally I wish we had a list of topics for each subject so she can tick off as she covers each one but apparently doesn't have these.

Does anyone know much about ALIS points? I was just wondering if Triology award science would could as two grades?

How to work out ALIS score
Add up the value of your top 7 results from the following:

• 8 points for: GCSE A/9, BTEC (level 2) Distinction
• 7.5 points for: GCSE Low A* - High A/8
• 7 points for: GCSE A/7, NAT (level 5) A, BTEC (level 2) Distinction
• 6 points for: GCSE B/6, NAT (level 5) B, BTEC (level 2) Merit
• 5 points for: GCSE C/4&5, NAT (level 5) C, BTEC (level 2) Pass
• 4 points for: GCSE D/3, NAT (level 5) D, NAT (level 4)

@Thesunisshining888 I am surprised/confused too not sure if they are undersubscribed for his chosen A Levels. He did get an email day after interview saying he has to be available for a day in August after results to register. We are very lucky here though don't appear to need really high grades to continue even his outstanding 6th form school have offered him a place conditional on a G5 in English.

Unconditional?!? Wow

Does he have capacity to do the extra work? Not really!
Will the grade boundaries be the same? (Unlikely) who knows!
Does it make a huge difference if he gets a merit? I guess this is the thing. Does it look better on paper when you are asked for your gcse grades?

DS got his mock results back he did 2 papers for some subjects. Eng lang and lit he got 5 so he is happy also got letter from 6th form wishing hm good luck with his Gcses and saying he has an unconditional offer!!

So now the dilemma. Do we just take the grade and focus on his GCSEs or resit the exam part in the hope of gaining 4 more marks to push it over to a merit? I’m just not sure it’s worth the time??

Does he have capacity to do the extra work?
Will the grade boundaries be the same? (Unlikely)
Does it make a huge difference if he gets a merit?

Feeling a tad all over the place today. Mock results in and really pleased with the progress. Got 6/7 in science which was a massive improvement however also got back the btech sport which was a sad shock. He got all merits in his units except the year 10 one which turned out to be worth 40% so got only a pass overall. So a grade 4 ish compared to gcse. I was cross at the school for not alerting us back in year 10 and getting DS to improve the unit, annoyed but then delighted at DS for saying that he knows he didn’t work hard enough in year 10 but is now working his socks off…..hence the much improved gcse grades…..
So now the dilemma. Do we just take the grade and focus on his GCSEs or resit the exam part in the hope of gaining 4 more marks to push it over to a merit? I’m just not sure it’s worth the time??

School said he could do the level 3 as 1 Alevel at 6th form in September and he’d be fine to get a merit plus in their opinion of how he works in year 11, but did say last year he just didn’t apply himself. So he can do the course, but it’s wobbled me. Gcse and A level seem more straightforward?? He’s planning on A level politics and either a science if he gets a 7, or Btech science if not - he thinks the applied science looks more fun but again the coursework worries me!!! I don’t want a repeat of the gcse issue.

@Waspie thank goodness you emailed! It’s hard because you want to step back and not be “that parent” but sometimes it’s needed and your situation has just proved that.

Dd got on really well and the last question was “what will you bring to our school?” But the teacher said “nope, you don’t need to answer that. We’d clearly be lucky to have you!” So I think she’ll get a place. Just needs the grades now - mock results come next week.

Hope the interview goes well @TeenLifeMum and that your daughter's mock results show the progress I'm sure she's made since the last set

I was getting worried about DS not having had a response from one the schools he'd applied to for sixth form so bit the bullet and emailed them yesterday. They hadn't had his application. thorough. DS had applied using their online form. Luckily they have said they will arrange an interview for him. So pleased I emailed now as this school is one of his top choices.

Just come across this thread - dd is my eldest and in year 11. I’m trying to hide it but I’m more stressed than she is! She’s finished her final mocks today and has her sixth form interview tomorrow for her first choice. She’s already got a place at her second choice (which is a strong option) so she can go in feeling confident and see what happens.

prom dress and shoes are bought, just needs the length altered. Honestly though, I’m wishing the year away to July! She’s working so hard and I am just hoping her results reflect that - last set of mocks were not quite there sadly.

Typed scripts really ought to be double spaced. Lots of people don't know how to do that.

@dinomirror Ds is a typist. In his school they’re in a separate room so the noise doesn’t disturb other students.

He uses it for everything except Maths and French - if he has a written explanation for a science question, he does it in a separate document and prints it off at the end.

School should give her a tutorial on whatever program they use, one thing to watch out for is formatting esp with English - if paragraphs don’t print, she’ll lose marks.

It’s made a massive difference for ds, good luck to her!

Until very recently I've invigilated so may be able to answer ...

We generally try and seat laptop candidates on the edges of the room so they are close to a socket (laptop is always fully charged but just in case).

They will always have all papers and additional materials in paper provided too and they don't have to use the laptop but can't chop and change in an exam IYSWIM

Laptop won't be provided for maths or science papers due to need to complete graphs or tables etc

Paper will auto save throughout and Once exam is over we ask candidate to save (with help if needed) then they are escorted to exams officer where paper is printed off, signed by candidates and put in secure storage. Laptop is handed in and wiped ready for next exam as candidates have same machine throughout

Dd has unexpectedly been approved for laptop in exams. Can i ask how this works as shes done all mocks with pen and paper? Will she have to save?

@wonderstuff Well done to DD and DN. I agree it is a good thing about our Hants system, non of these stupidly high requirements, just sensible requirements of will they / won't they cope with courses.

Dd went back to school on Friday, they really looked out for her and her group of friends, they let them do tutor together, sit their mock together in a separate classroom, let dd skip a class she didn’t feel up to and sit in her tutor base instead. They have INSET tomorrow, she needs to practice her food tech NEA which is on Wed (actual gcse assessment), my mum is going to come over, we haven’t even bought ingredients 😔.

DN is going back in on Tuesday. The world just doesn’t stop spinning. Thankfully they’re both on track to get into college comfortably and interviews were last week, so they both have a confirmed conditional offer. At least it’s one less thing to worry about. We are lucky in Hampshire that sixth forms are really good but not competitive to get into.