Y11 2025/26… come and join

I think it's better that they are spread out. DS only has one day with two exams on the same day and some days with no exams at all. I'm pretty sure when I did them once got started there was no gaps and I mostly had two per day.

They do seem to go on for longer than when I did them back in the dark ages.

DD has German speaking when we get back. We're in Berlin for Easter to give her some practice and thought it will be good for History too as she's doing the rise of Hitler and cold war. So far she's mainly interested in the street art though!

I don’t think they’re earlier?

dd has Spanish speaking 20th April then written exams start for her on 11th May and last one (Spanish again) is 17th June. It’s 4/5 exams a week with half term in between.

I think they decided after covid that slightly more spread out was better for pupils didn't they? At least for maths and eng lang having a bit more time between papers meant if you are ill you are less likely to miss both papers so you can still get a grade.

Are they starting earlier? (I'm out of the loop) It used to be 2 weeks before half term going on for 2-3 weeks after. With language speaking and practicals well before.

For science and history it isn't unusual for some schools to be teaching nearly to the end due to the (ridiculously) high content.

Does anyone know the logic behind gcse exams getting earlier & earlier? Is it so less are on same day? My dd is saying they are only finishing context on some right before the exams. She’s definately overwhelmed and language speaking exams are almost on us. She struggling to prioritise what to do: get her language or get better grades in the ones she needs for college. I’m also thinking she’d be better at a 6th form next year as more specialised support.

@36and3 have you looked at save my exams - they have questions not just notes - you can get at quite a bit of content for free - I printed some PDFs but have now paid for the year for both of mine to use it

Any recommendations for study websites specifically for RE? We’ve got cognito but doesn’t seem to be anything there. Dd wants something with exam questions not just notes.

Just catching up hope everyone’s DCs are coping. DDs summary was she’s stressed but coping!

All sixth form offers in so she will wait for the taster days to help her make her mind up but pretty sure she won’t stay on at her school. All mocks bar 1 or 2 done, they were dragged out across several week’s frustratingly. Still has a bit of content in History to get through so some after school sessions booked in, bit worrying that they can’t cover the whole course in school time but I remember it was the same when DD1 did hers and that was 5 years ago.

She was in school yesterday going through final bits for Art, their final exam is the first week back and she’ll be glad to get that one done, she’s spent most of the holidays so far painting in between revision.

She was at a party Friday night and most of them seem to have picked up a virus so she’s had a really heavy cold all week but she’s ploughing on. She’s got a couple more in school sessions next week as well as some hospital appointments, feels like a really busy break.

We’ve been given a full timetable for the first two weeks of exams with structured revision between papers and they are expected to stay in school for this and then study leave will start after May half term.

Dd isn’t doing Spanish alevel either but she does want to go to an RG university. She’s targeted an 8/9 in Spanish so we’ll see. She likes the fact it’s split into four areas so no big pressure for just one part.

Same with my dd. Tbh I’m not putting any pressure on re the Spanish speaking exam. She didn’t want to do a language but had to. She doesn’t enjoy it or need it for college. She’s not looking to go to a top uni which will scrutinise every gcse grade. She finds the speaking exam incredibly stressful. For the sake of her well-being I’m encouraging her to focus on other subjects.

I can’t believe how early it is. Hoping my DD does enough to scrape a 4. Perfectly capable of doing far better but refuses to revise properly as she’s not enjoyed it

Last day of the revision course today. DS has got the long weekend off but I'm considering taking him to work with me next week so I can ensure he's revising rather than playing FIFA.

Hear you on the music @FlyingPandas - here we we still listen to CDs in the car (I know, we are out of touch dinosaurs), so I’m getting DS1 a portable CD player for his birthday next week - music without a phone/tablet! Though I do worry slightly about him then struggling to do the actual exams in silence.

We are also struggling with timing and getting revision actually done here. According to the theoretical revision timetable DS1 is currently halfway though Monday….On the plus side, new shoes and a prom outfit have been acquired so I’m taking that as a win.

Spanish speaking exam is in 18 DAYS!! Trying not to reflect my panic on to her…

@FlyingPandas my son the same. He is working fairly consistently but takes AGES to do anything. Eg an 8 mark, 12 min geography answer will take 45 minutes. He refuses to do stuff under ‘exam conditions’ as says he knows he could be faster if he wanted to be. So day disappears quickly with not much achieved

DS has also made himself a timetable based on the school day - it’s sticking to it that is the problem! So much of the time he just drifts and faffs and it drives me nuts. I’m lucky in that I’m around in the holidays as I work in a school so I can chivvy him along but it’s painful.

I try to confiscate his phone but he likes to listen to music whilst revising so that’s a battle too.

He’s focusing on past papers which is great but he’s getting nowhere near as much done as planned.

At this point I think I’d quite like to swap him for a diligent, hyper organised DD who needs reminders to stop revising rather than the constant need for reminders to actually get started 😂

12.08 and nothing has been done yet…

Last day of revision course today then dd will crack on independently from tomorrow. Over the years she’s tried various structures: an hour of multiple subjects a day, half a day of a subject but has settled on a whole day per subject on rotation. She’s timetabled herself alongside her normal school day in terms of breaks etc.

I have one dossing about - it’s so frustrating . He was ill last week and has just lost the momentum and self confidence think . Done about 2 hours all week . I’ve suggested he do 2 subjects today same as would have been expected of him on a school day . Hoping I can break the cycle .

DS is on a revision course this week too. Geography in the morning and maths in the afternoon. He's scathing of the whole thing and wants to know who Justin Craig is so he can call him a scam artist! He's mostly furious that I'm making him revise rather than doss his way through the holidays and has mellowed somewhat from calling me "controlling" when I booked it on Friday. Oh well, he'll thanks me later. He did a maths calculator paper in his head yesterday because he'd forgotten to take a calculator - I marked it and he got a 9. He can do it, he's just being a PITA.

It may be slightly different in Wales? They only want a D in maths for it, so you could retake that alongside but not apparently English :(. Crossing my fingers he can pull off a C somehow otherwise we may have to make speedy decisions in August.

Sorry it’s also really stressful your end @Ursulla42 - only recommendation from DS1 is little and often with maths is far better than less frequently. Also find the topics they are ok at (not always the “easiest” ones near the start of the paper) and do those first (before they have got themselves panicked/stressed by the rest of the paper…).

Sorry things are stressful @Ursulla42

The short answer to your question is no - it very much depends on the course DC wants to study. So whilst a 4 in GCSE maths won’t be enough for some (especially STEM courses) it will be absolutely fine for many many others.

Have linked the UCAS ‘course search’ page - every course will have an ‘entry requirements’ section that you can check. My eldest did a criminology degree for example and for that you only need a 4 in GCSE maths at many unis.

www.ucas.com/explore/search/courses-beta?query=

Not sure about universities but there is still time to swap to the foundation paper if they haven’t already x

Tears here tonight. It’s been coming a while and of course I am the bad one. Mocks back and all passes but maths remains a 4 as per the last mocks. Do Unis require a 5 in gcse maths?

Allowing resit alongside means they don't "require" the pass to get onto the course.

Dd is on a revision course this week. It’s hardcore - 6 hours of lessons a day. She’s done two days of maths and tomorrow starts two days of chemistry. Expensive but she’s come out saying it’s been really useful so far.