Y11 2025/26… come and join

@Stowickthevast sure your DD will be fine. Yep new curriculum, supposed to make it more accessible. My DTs state comp are not the most academic or on the ball, but in this case I have full sympathy for the French teachers as they’re doing the best, apparently the heads of mfl across the academy trust collaborated on the best way to set and mark the mocks. After this year when the first real papers and grade boundaries exist it’ll be much easier for them.
just googled and found these
not sure if a levels have changed or not. My 2 not planning on doing a level French so didn’t look any deeper

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-french-german-and-spanish-subject-content

https://www.secondarymfl.com/blog/new-gcse-mfl-2026-changes-explained

I didn't realise that all the languages had changed @Ifonlyoneday ..DD is planning on doing German A level and had consistently got great grades so hopefully it won't be too difficult. She has her German oral the week after they get back, but we're planning a long weekend in Berlin over the holidays to give her a bit of immersion, and some on hands history revision!

No courses here over the holidays either - state grammar - but I think she's in an ok place so haven't book anything.

Really appreciate all the extra work the teachers are putting in though @ECT22. She's got extra drama every day next week leading up to her exam.

We are state comprehensive, no revision sessions provided here over Easter holidays and I agree with that. 1) the teachers should be able to take their holiday 2) the whole system should not be predicated on these revision cramming sessions. The syllabus should be able to be taught in less than 2 years. If not the syllabus needs to be reduced.

in other news

1. we are still waiting on the 2nd prom dress which I’m started to worry has been misplaced by the carrier.
2. another subject has finished its content. So maths and English have finished. So 3 of 9 subjects now in school revision mode. possibility history may be finished soon too. Science seems to the wire and geography where it sounds like they’ll finish just before the exam booklet thingy get’s released.

3)we have no clue on how much is still to do in French. It’s the new syllabus and first exam since the government changes. Talking to the teacher at parents even they’re guesstimating as best they can. No clue on grade boundaries, only 1 mock paper as there are no real papers till they sit it. I hear this is the same for Spanish and German too (gcse only. Think igcse is not affected).

The fear is likely to set in as the real things approach - take heart! I’ve seen many lads who appeared not to care throughout y10 and y11 suddenly get all panicky and hard working after Easter, and do well.

We are also Indy - nothing on offer over Easter , last year State Grammar there was quite a bit on offer . To be fair though I think the support and extra help in the school week that both DC have had has been excellent . Fully appreciate the teachers at DCs schools - I would not want to have many versions of my grumpiest son in a classroom every day !

DS's friend was teasing him this morning about him daydreaming during the mocks last week. I despair.

Indy school - no revision sessions at all on offer over Easter. So we’ve booked a four day intensive course elsewhere.

Bought the prom ticket last night so with the dress (plus loads of alterations) I’ve already spent £550. Luckily dd does her own hair as she’s naturally curly; she won’t let anyone else touch it and she’s already got shoes. This is an Indy school where we’re definitely the lower end earners but this is nothing to most. But I do think it’s excessive for what is only a three hour event (before after party).

Just to give a teacher’s perspective, I can understand why teachers may not volunteer to run sessions during the holidays. This time of year is hugely intense for teachers as well as students. This week, I’ve planned and delivered one after school revision session and one early morning session, a Y11 mentoring session one lunchtime, I’ve had 40 English Lang and Lit mocks to mark (beasts of papers!) on top of a full teaching timetable. We constantly take in past papers from Y11 students and give feedback as and when they want it, as well as supporting them emotionally through their wobbles. I’ll be working for much of the weekend marking mocks, with a data drop next week prior to the second Y11 parents evening of the year next week. So, while I am going to volunteer for one revision session over Easter while my own kids are still at school (different LAs), I fully intend to take the rest of holidays to rest, see my family, and support my DC with her own GCSE revision. The rest of my dept are also flattened with exhaustion and workload, and I don’t find it disappointing if they choose not to volunteer their leave time to come into school.

It’s very likely that the school has online videos delivered by teachers, if students want teacher led revision in the hols .

@anonymousemousesif DD likes English language GCSE she should reconsider the Lot - Alevel language is linguistics, studying language in action and issues around child development, language and paper,change, gender etc. it is nothing like gcse - she should chat to her teachers

It’s fab but we put a lot of effort into telling kids it’s not the same as gcse!

Oh no, dont get me wrong, i was not complaining about having to attend, we understand the importance to attend rather than self study and she's keen for all the help she can get. When the school said no study leave I thought this meant school up to the first exam, I expected the exam period to be just exams and revision sessions. Im still disappointed there isnt science support during easter.

Generally teachers don't get paid to run revision sessions out of normal hours so it is up to them whether they choose to put on extra sessions.

It is quite 'standard' to do an exam then go to lessons for the rest of the day. Whether a school insists or turns a blind eye to non attendance is another matter.

(There is a slight irony in wanting additional Easter sessions, but then not wanting lessons once exams start!)

I do feel any Easter holiday sessions should be viewed as a bonus. The kids can revise at home, and then if needed turn up at the start of term with specific questions of anything they didn't understand.

We have just received the Easter revision timetable. Nothing for sciences or maths... A little underwhelming to be honest. Do the teachers volunteer for this you think? There is French, but not Spanish, photography and sociology but no drama... I would have thought they have enough maths teachers for one to turn up to a revision session?

The letter also confirms that there is no study leave. It says the lessons will run as normal until May half term (But the exams start before, so I'm not sure how this works) and revision sessions after the break organised per the exam timetable. It seems to mean that you may have an exam in the morning and have to go to class in the afternoon, then to a revision session after school... It all seems a little intense, but I guess they know what they are doing.

DD is really feeling the pressure now as so far she had nearly all 9s in 2nd mocks just an 8 in RE 1 mark of a 9, just waiting on Science. She is dreading the real exams as had great mock results.
@Caddycat presuming it's in the hall for safe guarding or something as rest of the school is shut. All pre exam revision sessions are done in class either morning before exam or afternoon the day before.

Hope all is going well for any kids doing Art and NEAs.

@Caddycat I think they've only just started the last history topic - Elizabethan England - at DD's school. Feel like they'll be down to the wire as they do go on study leave in the first week of May. They've still got a bit of science content to complete too.

She's got an English lit mock on poetry and Inspector Calls today but has had very little time to revise as had art final exam this week too. We've just been memorising quotes before she left. But have told her not to worry too much as we know she didn't have much time for this one - it'll be different for the final.

@ifonlyoneday DD has finished content in all subject bar chemistry and a couple of lessons in history. They have most definitely rushed through the last topic in history though, as when we had parents' evening in february they had not started on conflict and tension (25% of the content!). They rushed through because it was obviously in the mocks. The school said not to worry as the overlap with germany was massive but still...

No study leave at all at our school. They even run post exam revision sessions for the exam the next day. Ill see how dd is, the aim will be to try and keep her from worrying and crashing out. Shes still very stressed and anxious despite mocks being over. Revision in the hall doesnt sound great @tebheag 😕

My DS has finished his 18 extra mocks. One serious cock up with Maths, courtesy of the school getting the timing significantly wrong telling DS he had the wrong amount of time (far too short) so the school have agreed to discount that mock completely. Not helpful but I guess mistakes now minimise the chance of mistakes later. No idea when any results will come back. DS is still doing content in all humanities (history, geography and Religious Studies) but content in other subjects finished and in revision. Some revision classes over Easter, no idea what they cover, no study leave until after half term in May.

@Ifonlyoneday DD is still learning content in most classes, they are meant to be finished by end of this month!

They have 8 revision sessions 2nd week of Easter hols, though I was surprised to find out there is only room for between 100 to 120 depending on the subject there is about 240 kids in the year. Revision sessions are in the hall so not sure how that works !
Study leave starts May half term, we will allow DD to study at home if needed before then she mentioned several kids stayed home during mocks to revise !
Leaver hoody ordered though after all the fuss and giving students a colour chart with 100 options they have decided to do grey again. Last year they had a problem as not all jumpers where the same shade of grey some where a weird greeny grey !

No study leave af dd school, going all the way through to the middle of June. Also think they have 8 sessions in the Easter Holidays too.

Study leave is from wb 4th may here. That said they can access their teachers via teams in what would be their regular lessons

Well don’t to @Caddycat Dd. The maths mock drama is resolved.

DTs recent mini mock exams are over but only 1 result so far. I’m happy that school lessons have returned to content again as almost all subjects have not finished the syllabus yet. I am concerned the teachers are now rushing through the content just to complete it all but haven’t paced it well so not going into as much depth.

are other DCs still learning content?

no news/info on study leave so working on the assumption they’ll be in school until the last exam. Although if the school lessons whilst exams are on are not productive, there maybe some unknown illness at our home and I’ll let DTs study from home. I’ve heard this mid May illnesses struck some of last years year 11 too!😉

How is your DD today @Anonymousemouses ?

For those who followed DD's maths mock drama, the mark for her second paper has appeared on the maths portal and it's a 9, so hopefully, if all is well with paper 3 she should get an 8 overall. She's still too scared to check, so hopefully she will get them all back at the same tîme and she wont dwell too long on the 6 on paper 1... 🤞

@Anonymousemouses your poor Dd, very shocking for them to have to deal with the death of a friend. I think you're definitely right to keep her off. She'll be able to catch up.

if you can afford it, there's normally character shoes on e-bay for around £15-20.

I think sociology is a good A level. I'd encourage her to do what she's interested in rather than what your DH wants.

We panicked and applied for 6 six forms as managed to miss out on the open days. But I think DD is quite likely to stay where she is . She does need six 7s but should be ok. Haven't heard from any yet but I think it's normally end of April here.

DD has drama in 2 weeks but it's all been about finishing art. Final exam day 2 today, so she'll be elated when that's done. She literally worked 12 hours on Sunday to finish her book prep and only got to bed at midnight. Then had to leave at 7.15 to be at school by 8.
But they have drama rehearsals every day after school next week and on Sunday so should be ok.

They're all going to be exhausted by the time Easter is here.

So sorry @Anonymousemouses your poor DD, and the poor family of the girl who died, it must be so awful for everyone. Keeping DD off sounds sensible for now. This kind of thing just puts everything in perspective doesn’t it.

@Anonymousemouses it is the right decision for your DD, especially if the teachers need the support too, that leaves few adults to properly support the children.