Y11 2025/26… come and join

DS2 who is doing exams this year and DS1 who did his 3 years ago at a different school didn't have study leave and honestly it was the absolute best thing for DS1 and I think it will be for DS2. However I know both schools have said they would make exceptions for certain student if they felt study leave would be more beneficial than going in and I know a few girls who did this and it worked well for them.

Do most of your DC's schools do study leave? We have been told there is no study leave. They have to be in school all the time, including between exams and after school revision sessions the night before an exam...

Eek, only 7.5 weeks of classroom time here (obvs ignoring half term and Easter hols). Study leave starts on 1st May. Fortunately dd tells me she is going to “lock in” from half term.

He is! Apparently he has to read a book he said he'd read in his applications before the interviews 😁

To be fair, kudos for applying for colleges by himself, I have done applications on my son’s behalf whilst he was sat with me. He is showing enterprise! 😁

It's 45 mins by car and in completely the opposite direction to where DH and I work, so he'd have to get himself there and back. He seemed unaware of the college's location when I asked him about it this evening 🤦‍♀️ Luckily, he's applied for 3 much closer options and at least one of them is a sure bet.

@Caddycat my DS went there and he had conditions on his offer.
@NotDarkGothicMama DD would have at least a 90 min commute each way. Only takes 20 to 25 by car. She fancied a fresh start the 6th form is quite small plus they don't do Law. Hope he hears soon from the closer options.

Good luck to all kids doing interviews.

Not at all. I don't know why he applied for it TBH but appreciate his initiative. Hopefully the closer options will be in touch soon.

That's an awfully long way... do they offer something you dont have locally?

DS also got his first invitation to an interview today, from a sixth form I didn't know he'd applied to. It's 2 hours away by public transport so I screenshotted him the directions from Google Maps and suggested he go to the interview to try it out and see whether he'd be happy to do that every day for 2 years...

@ECT22 DS picked Georgraphy so I'm not help first-hand, but I asked Co-Pilot and it came out with this:

GCSE History Revision Tips Guide (AQA, England, 2026)

Understanding the Exams (2026)
GCSE History remains a linear qualification, meaning you sit all exams at the end of the course. All major exam boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC) continue to use a multi‑paper structure with period studies, depth studies and thematic studies.

AQA GCSE History (8145) structure
Paper 1: Understanding the Modern World
Includes one period study and one wider-world depth study. Written exam: 2 hours, worth 50%.

Paper 2: Shaping the Nation
Includes one thematic study and one British depth study (with historic environment).

Top 5 Skills to Prioritise for GCSE History Success

1. Evidence Use & Source Analysis: You’ll be expected to analyse sources and interpretations—especially in depth studies and historic environments. This includes evaluating usefulness, reliability, and comparing interpretations.
2. Explanation & Analytical Writing: Most longer-mark questions require explanation of causes, consequences, significance or change/continuity. Structure answers with PEEL (Point–Evidence–Explain–Link).
3. Chronological Understanding: Period studies (e.g., Germany 1890–1945; America 1920–73) test your ability to understand developments over time and place events in order. AQA period studies list example: America 1840–1895, Germany 1890–1945, Russia 1894–1945, America 1920–1973.
4. Comparing Themes Across Time: Thematic studies (e.g., health, power, migration) assess long-term trends and patterns. AQA thematic options include topics like Health and the People and Power and the People.
5. Clear, Accurate, Exam-Focused Writing: Boards like AQA award marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar in certain questions.

“10‑Minute Win” Revision Ideas
Perfect for fast, effective bursts of learning!

• Create a micro‑mindmap: Take one topic (e.g., the Weimar Republic) and make a tiny mindmap of causes, key events, and impacts.
• Flashcard drilling: Use flashcards for: Key dates (e.g., 1918 → end of WWI; 1933 → Hitler becomes Chancellor); Definitions (appeasement, containment, autocracy)
• Quick timeline sketch: Draw a 10‑event timeline from memory. Great for period studies!
• Practice one source question: Pick a past paper source and answer a single sub-question (e.g., usefulness or interpretation comparison).* *
• 5‑fact recall challenge: Pick a topic (e.g., Elizabethan England) and write down 5 key facts in 2 minutes.
• Re-teach a topic aloud: Explain a historical event out loud to a parent/carer/teddy bear/imaginary class—it strengthens retention.
• Mark a sample answer: Use examiner-annotated scripts (from exam boards) to quickly learn what examiners want.

Recommended Online Resources (2026)
Official Exam Board Resources
These give you the most accurate and exam-aligned content:

• AQA GCSE History Specification & Past Papers: Includes detailed structure, topic options, and key dates. https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/gcse/history-8145/specification
• Edexcel GCSE History 2026 Content Updates: Critical for understanding what's changed for first assessment 2026.
• OCR & WJEC Specifications: Accessible via Save My Exams’ links to each official PDF [savemyexams.com]

High‑quality revision platforms

• Save My Exams – GCSE History hub: Revision notes, flashcards, exam questions, and specifications for all boards. [savemyexams.com]
• SchoolHistory.co.uk / History Learning Site: Clear topic summaries for many exam-board topics.
• BBC Bitesize (GCSE History): Good for quick-topic recaps across major exam boards.

Topic-Specific Help

• Edexcel 2026 Predictions (e.g., Crime & Punishment, Whitechapel) Useful for strategic revision—but remember, predictions are NOT guaranteed. [kingsbridg...tion.co.uk]

Timetabling & Planning

• GCSE Exam Timetable 2026 overview: Ideal for planning your revision calendar. [examcentre...ndon.co.uk]

Final Tips

• Know your board. AQA and Edexcel differ in structure and question style—always revise for your specification.
• Practise exam questions frequently, especially using board-specific materials.
• Start early, spacing your revision to help long-term recall.
• Focus on understanding, not memorisation—exams reward analysis, not lists of facts.

Thank you so much. DS has been doing practise papers with his private tutor. They do 1 question per week. I have asked him to time himself and be honest about it. I will emphasise the AO2 point to him. I think he uses the methods. His issue is timing. Literature question he struggles to link the quotes to the question being asked. I have emphasised that to him again and again. Hopefully he will get it. He was searching for An Inspector Calls movies yesterday. 😀He will get there. Thank you all for your support. Sorry no help with history, DS has picked Geography.

@Tebheag that's exciting.

Mine has been asked to come for an interview tomorrow and bring something she's proud of to talk about. I think it's just a chat more than anything but we didn't manage to go to the open day so it'll be useful to see it.

I don't think she'll end up going there and she's a bit annoyed she misses her Saturday lie in but you never know!

Would love any tips on History revision strategies, if anyone has some 🙏

English teacher here. There are some great revision tips on this thread - here are some more:

• timing is the thing that most kids struggle with. They should do TIMED practice papers - doesn’t have to be a whole paper, just one question, or a paragraph is useful. They should know how long to spend on each question (for Language, it is very tight), and stick to those timings. They should ask their teacher which questions in Language to prioritise to maximise their marks - eg I tell my students to leave Paper 1, Q3 until last as it is tricky but only 8 marks. Q4 is 20 marks. So it’s a no brainer to leave 3 til last.
• The kids that make most progress are the ones that do practice papers at home, then - crucially - bring them to their teachers for feedback.
• The main assessment objective kids lose marks on ime is AO2 - writer’s methods. So as well as learning the quotes, they need to learn the methods in those quotes - what methods does the writer USE to make their point? Symbolism, metaphors, using a character to represent X idea, even just key verbs (action words) and adjectives in the quote that they could analyse.
• also with key quotes, they need to make notes on how they would use those quotes to answer different questions (get these from past papers). Eg a quote about Scrooge - how would they use it to answer questions about greed, about people changing, about the problems in society etc.

Here from what i understand they may make you an offer without conditions or with low ones (like 6 4s) but without the required grades for specific subjects, they will take them but make them pick other subjects. So a friend's child got in but only got a 6 in maths so they werent allowed to do maths as they needed a 7.

@splenda DS had never got higher than a 4 in Laungage even had a 3 in his mocks. We started doing practice papers togeather his sister helped with some too. We where recommended a book from amazon that was aimed at getting a 5 wish I could remember its name. He actually got a 5 I was so proud of him and glad I never had to look at English Laungage gcse again.

DD got her first offer today for college 6th form. Reading the email there is no conditions set!
Just wish the commute was shorter as it was her first choice till we realised there was no direct buses. She picked Law Further maths and physics.

Thank you for sharing. Will check her website. x

It was http://www.gcseenglishsuccess.com/ and DD2 just did literature with her, but you can do both. DD2 did 8 x 1 hour booster sessions which are large online groups with screens off. Apart these, watching the films and spending a couple of hours revising quotes, she did nothing else. Clearly that wouldn’t be enough to get a top grade, but for those looking to pass, it was an easy way to get the grade.

Thank you. Well done to your DD and to you for supporting her. I have made note of all points and will look at the English success booster course. Which company was this and did it focus on literature? My friend has also recommended a private tutor they have used apparently who got them a grade 9. DS is not keen on changing tutors at the moment. But good to know all options going forward.

DD2 sat GCSEs last year and she’d never passed an English lit mock. She had a tutor for language but she’d almost given up on passing literature. In the end we did 4 things that helped.

1 - watched all the plays/books in film version as a family (Romeo and Juliet, Inspector Calls and Christmas Carol)
2 - picked 12 ish key quotes for each book/ play that could be used in any essay
3 - focused on 4 poems that hadn’t come up in previous papers (didn’t look at the rest as too overwhelming)
4 - attended GCSE English Success booster course at Easter and the day before exams (I promise I’m not affiliated to her, but they were so good- just an hour each and covered the basics needed to pass)

Dd2 got a 5 in lit - 2 marks off a 6 - after never passing a mock before.

thank you, That is so helpful. I will print it out.

@splenda these are the English revision tips from the pamphlet DS's school have given out to parents:

Understanding the exams (AQA exam board - texts vary by school too)
English Language

• Paper 1 (Fiction): Includes reading a novel/story extract and writing a narrative or descriptive piece.
• Paper 2 (Non-Fiction): Includes reading two non-fiction sources and creating a non-fiction text (e.g. a speech or letter).
• Key tip: Creative writing is worth 50% of the total GCSE, so regular practice is essential.

• Paper 1: Essay questions on Macbeth and A Christmas Carol. Students will have an extract to help them.
• Paper 2: Includes Modern Texts (An Inspector Calls), Power and Conflict poetry, and Unseen poetry.
• Key tip: Students must memorise key quotes from all set texts and poems, as they will not have the full books in the exam.

Top 5 skills to prioritise

1. Memorising quotes: Revisit key quotes and practice how to analyse them.
2. Knowing expectations: Students must understand exactly what each specific task requires (command words, length, how long to spend on each question, mark scheme).
3. Targeting weaknesses: Focus on challenging topics rather than just the comfortable ones.
4. Creative writing: Practice both story openings and non-fiction formats.
5. Attention to detail: Proofreading is essential for high marks in technical accuracy.

The "10-minute win": quick revision ideas

• Read/cover/repeat: Say a quote aloud, cover it and try to rewrite it until it's 100% correct.
• Flash cards: Create cards for characters and themes with info on the front and questions on the back.
• Creative workouts: Spend 10 minutes writing just one paragraph, such as the opening to a speech.
• Daily tasks: Check the GCSE English Google Classroom/online resources for quick-fire revision tasks.

Recommended online resources
Avoid "quick fix" services that charge a fee. These free resources are highly recommended:

• YouTube: Mrs Whelan's English, MrSallesTeachesEnglish, and MrBruff.
• Interactive platforms: Seneca Learning and GCSE Pod.
• Audio: GCSE English RevisionPod on Podtail.

Thank you all. DS watches the youtube videos, Mr Bruff, that is what school recommends. But he struggles to transfer that information into his writing. He has a tutor for English Language. I’m tempted to ask the tutor to cover Literature, but I’m worried it might take time away from Language practice.
I’ve been looking online for model answers for Literature to give him a clear idea of what examiners want. He has CGP books, but they don’t go in-depth enough.
Any suggestions for focused, practical revision methods for GCSE Literature would be really appreciated. Thank you.

@splenda My eldest liked Mr Salles on YouTube - he ended up with a 7 in lang and a high 5 in lit - he is a STEM child . DS2 like Mrs Rumsey but he is IGCSE .