Y10- 2025/2026

Hello,
I hope I can join you here: DS1 is starting y10 in September.

I was a science teacher, left this summer, so happy to help with science stuff.

Has anyone had older kids go through? Do you have any recommendations for English literature companion book brands - DS will be reading An Inspector Calls first. We have a copy of the book, but of all the companion books available, which is the best type?

Thanks!

It should be ok to move @LetItGoToRuin as the problematic classes weren't options or set by ability. Rumour was they were planning a rejig of them anyway, I think Y9 was a challenging year across the board so they may have been hoping to try and smooth out some problematic relationships!

I'm really hoping for a better year 10. She's really not interested in the drama of teenage relationships, she just wants to get on with her work.

Can’t believe DS2 is starting Year 10. He is really looking forward to starting his option choices and not doing all the subjects that he really hates.
Following on from the others thread asking about what they want to do after school…he basically wants to follow in his older brothers footsteps. It’s good for him to have that motivation but they are 2 completely different people and I know DS2 won’t find it as easy as DS1.
My older DS is at Loughborough doing a Sport Science degree. He is very focused and very academic.
DS2 has ASD (only diagnosed in Y6) but is an extremely talented sportsman in 2 sports. He doesn’t exactly struggle academically but everything is so so much harder for him. I don’t think he’ll go down the A level route and will instead do a Level 3 BTEC at College.

My youngest DD is starting year 10 in September. She's looking forward to some new subjects. I'm hoping she hasn't overstretched as her 4 option choices are a language and 3 essay subjects rather than including a creative subject.

She got the choices she wanted though and was very involved in the selection. It's already quite a different experience to that with my elder DD who has ADHD and ASD. That was a roller coaster ride for sure.

Hope it's ok to join you? My DD is starting Year 10 having started her GCSE courses in Year 9. She enjoys all the subjects and is doing well academically but socially it has been a challenge since Year 7. She has received an ASD diagnosis over the summer so hopefully this will help her during the next two years, it's all a bit new still but not a surprise and she is ok with it (although, typically, wants people to know but is worrying about how to tell them.) I just hope she manages ok, the difference between her anxiety levels during term time and the holidays is vast...

Also checking in! Eldest DD starting in year 10 in Sept
she is excited to start her options so fingers crossed it all goes smoothly
school isn’t plain sailing for us, DD is ASD and finds school very overwhelming at times so hoping she can take it all in her stride

Thanks, @CouldNotStayAway!

The summer holidays are flying by. DD is having a good time, but is more relaxed than I am about starting Y10! There was no summer work set, but I suggested DD at least tidied up her books and perhaps read through the GCSE science topics they had started in Y9 (most of it doesn't start until Y10 at her school) but she rolled her eyes and said that 'nobody' would be doing that...

She is really looking forward to focussing on her options subjects (the highlight being an increase from one music lesson per fortnight to five!) and is, on the whole, happy with the teachers she has been allocated, apart from the sciences where she has two 'meh' teachers and one 'bad.'

@RosieRivetingAgain I hope the class moves are granted, though I would guess it might be trickier during the GCSE years? DD found that the alpha girls / bullies had calmed down during Y9, so fingers crossed...

Thanks for the new thread! Hope all those starting GCSEs in Y10 enjoy their new subjects and are happy to dump some old ones. It was a Y9 start here so we are old hands in this house. There was some issues at the end of last year so I'm hoping for a better Y10. We've asked for some class moves due to bullying and I'm really hoping that happens and allows for a new start. Also hoping maybe some of the attitudes have changed over summer and they'll have grown up a bit for Y10. Things might start feeling a bit more real for the teenagers!