Y11 2025/26… come and join

DS's school has finished teaching the content for all the subjects except the sciences. They're in every weekend for 5 hours of biology/chemistry/physics but it's revision only so that statutory school time is all new stuff.

He doesn't seem to be stressed at all and is busy taking bets with his friends on their likely grades in the next round of mocks after half term 🙄

I have to say the pressure is a lot. We have about 22 exams and still coursework to do

Still ploughing through content here too with topics tests being after school for some subjects 🫤 Thankfully not much homework being set. She’s not got another full set of mocks but English, Sciences and Maths are doing another one after half term.

DD is a real talker and she did say for the first time ever ( she’s a very laid back, calm girl ) that she is feeling a bit stressed when she works out how many days at school there are left. I can hear her upstairs now tapping away on her keyboard.

I said to DH yesterday that I’m most worried that if she doesn’t get this full set of top grades she’s expecting/predicted she’ll be really disappointed and that worries me.

Yes 2nd set, they do them at DDs school either side of February half term so starts next week.

Is this the second set of mocks? dd’s second set are mid March

Seems to be a real juggling act here too. DD admitted she was getting stressed and anxious between homework, revision questions set by teachers for doing better for paper 1 and trying to revise for paper 2 mocks as teachers have said they are harder.

Good luck to anyone doing Mocks this week.

DS2 is also still covering new content in all but one subject . It’s tough .

My DS also still covering content while trying to find time to revise old material. He went over gaps from year 10 in the summer holidays and November mocks at Christmas but now trying to cover all of that for February mocks, plus homework

Yes, we are in a similar situation. My DD was revising for tests on materials for paper 2 right in the middle of prerparing her mocks which only covered paper 1. It's now February, she is preparing for her second set of mocks, and apart from English Lit and Maths, they are still learning new content. It's so stressful.

My dd is struggling to find the time to revise as she has so much homework (grammar) and also topic tests ongoing. So she is revising for topic tests but hasn’t had much chance to go over her ‘gaps’ from her mocks.

Anyone else finding similar? Our first time through so very new to it all! Seems to be so much content

Hello

Joining you if that's ok. Trying to help my DD navigate this...

Eldest DS also did 2 x A levels and 1 x BTEC, and this stood him in great stead for his degree (which was all coursework based). The only thing to be aware of is that there is no B or D grade equivalent with BTECs, so you can only get distinction star (A star), distinction (A), merit (C), or pass (E).

They are a brilliant alternative to A levels but it's worth bearing the above in mind as it feels like quite a big drop from the distinction to the merit.

In case it helps anyone T levels are equivalent to 3 A levels.

Interesting! Only alevels on offer at dds Indy sixth form. I’d never heard of Tlevels before Mumsnet either!

Ps. In case anyone here doesn't know, BTECs come in 3 sizes:
Certificate (1 A level size)
Diploma (2 A level)
Extended Diploma (3 A level)

So a school or A level college may offer a few Certificates alongside A levels, whereas vocational colleges tend to do Extended Diplomas. (Not hard and fast rule of course).

@TeenToTwenties My DD has chosen 2 A Levels - one coursework-based, one exam-based - and 1 BTEC. I’m delighted - she is finding the pile-up of revision at the back end of Y11 really stressful, and I’m so pleased she will largely avoid that at sixth form 😊

@TeenToTwenties that's great and I also just want to mention even if your child is academic and would do well with A levels don't fall into the trap of thinking they are the only option especially if their current school has a 6th form. I completed A levels and a degree mostly because I didn't realise there was another option. Which ultimately turned out to be very expensive and (apart from meeting my now husband) completely pointless.

For those with less academic kids worrying about next steps, there is a new thread in praise of BTECs: Bouncing back from poor GCSEs - in praise of BTEC (edited by MNHQ at request of OP) | Mumsnet

Dd has now finished the syllabus for maths, further maths, history and biology already. Other subjects are nearly done too. I’m impressed they’ll be a lot of time to revise together.

@splenda DS accepted both his offers as both where conditional.. He got the grades but waited till almost last min to choose where to go, had both places emailing asking if he was coming.

That's a lot of work for you teachers
@ECT22

DD had a melt down again getting bored and fed up at school as still repeating work when still got lots of the syllabus to do going to be a very long few months. Surprised as she is normally very patient had been even helping other kids in her class. She actually helped tutor her brother who is 2 yrs older in answering GCSE papers !

@36and3 really common I think - my mellow one threw me by being really quite horrid this time last year . DS2 is much more volatile and has had a couple of flip outs lately . We’ve made some changes though and fingers crossed he seems ok ( at the moment ) - I fully expected this year to be a rollercoaster though just because of his character

Sorry to hear that. I hope she is feeling ok now. DS seems to be ok for now. Putting in some work every evening. He has got dates for 2nd Trials in 15 days. I am a bit worried but trying not to show it.

Dd had a meltdown last night which really surprised me as it’s not like her. But!…5 months from now it’ll all be over and she can drop 6 subjects so that seemed to placate her.

Hi been lurking but thought I would join.

With regards to revision in the week - my DD still gets homework every night, this takes at least an hour. She also does extra revision sessions at school 4 hours a week and we pay for 1hrs maths. So feel this is enough!

DS has been to some sort of event for offer holders at the college he has applied to go to for a T level in Health where they did some little taster lessons and got to use the equipment in the simulated ICU unit etc. He is now absolutely buzzing with the idea of going there so hopefully that will give him a push revision wise. Although he has actually been doing OK if the mock grades are anything to go by but it's hard to know really because he refuses to let us be involved in anyway.