Y11 2025/26 The Final Stretch

Mine has geography iGCSe tomorrow.

He's explained waves to me. And tectonic plates. He's had a rescue remedy pastel and a shower. He's now in bed reading The Jungle Book.

I realised about an hour ago I'd forgotten to get him his preferred breakfast so dashed out to do that.

Geography is the subject he feels least confident about. But he's taken on board that cramming right now is fairly fruitless and better to get some sleep.

Good luck everyone- see you out the other side.

My son stepped it up massively. God love him.
it’s so much to learn and retain though!!!!

DS announced this evening that he's going to try and experiment. He didn't do any work at all for the mocks, so he's going to work really hard at school for the next 3 days and see if it makes any difference. Bit late, sunshine, but hopefully better late than never.

Well we have had an email from school at last explaining what is going on. Lessons compulsory until half term. After half term, if there is an exam in the afternoon and none in the morning, they can either go to a revision session that morning or stay at home to sleep revise for it. It also says if there isn't a revision session for the next exam they have, they can stay home, but having a quick look through the timetable they sent, DD has a revision session every time she doesn't have an exam.

Right am going to pop to Rymans on my way back from work - so far don't have any spares. Are they allowed to use uniball pens or is it strictly black biros?

DD has a busy week with last full day today, Leaver's assembly and shirt signing tomorrow then German listening and reading on Thursday. I keep nagging her to do some German and she finally did a reading practice last night but says she finished it in 15 minutes. Hoping the exam goes as well.

@applecrumblespider we had discussion of Frankenstein themes over supper last night. Her school does slightly weird texts, their Shakespeare is Much Ado About Nothing which I'm far less familiar with than Macbeth. She did say they've watched a movie with Keanu looking hot in.

For those worried about phones, watches etc being taken in by mistake-students should have a verbal reminder to switch off phones and put things into their bags as they enter exam hall (or side room) AND the warning should then be repeated as part of the announcement that is read or played immediately prior to the exam. So there should be a two stage process of reminders even after our paranoid parent reminders 😀

At DS’s school they play a recording but where I work the lead invigilator will physically read out the announcement before every exam. We literally say ‘please have one last check to make sure you don’t have any of the following with you…’ and then read out the full list which includes phones, watches, earbuds etc etc etc. So even in the exam hall minutes before starting, students get the chance to hand items in and reminded that they risk disqualification if they have any banned items with them. And there is ALWAYS someone, in every exam series, who will raise their hand and sheepishly hand something over at that point! But honestly, there are enough reminders to ensure that even those who’ve brought stuff in by mistake get a chance to hand it in.

Our school has a phone turned off at the bottom of the bag policy, so DD wouldn't have her phone in her pocket I don't think but now I'm worried lol. I will make sure it is in her bag when I drop her off.

DS's school collect phones in before exams. I've made him leave his Garmin at home though as I know he would forget to take it off. It's an old one so I don't even know how 'smart' it is but he has agreed just so I don't panic.

I also have spares of absolutely everything. I could open a stationery shop!

We are also thinking he leaves his phone at home. It;s the classic thing he will forget to remove. I'm lucky that I can wait outside his school at the rough time he is likely to finish so he does not need it to call me.

We bought spares of the old model. Think DD found on Amazon

I seriously considered sewing up DD1's blazer pockets when she did GCSEs to make sure she didn't accidentally take anything in. We compromised on leaving her phone at home (walked to school).
(Dyspraxic with disorganised tendencies.)

I made Ds empty his blazer pockets today. He had erasers, tissues, his various bits of asthma and allergy medication (that went back again), some random flashcards he had forgotten were even there, a fidget toy and a squashed cadbury fudge bar.

So funny! Someone should tell Casio to bring the old one back!

@Caddycat we have the same reaction to the calculator upgrade here - DS2 now has DS1s old one as he trashed his own ( yes really !) … he is fortunately much happier about maths these days and much less likely to self destruct ( touching wood)

The correct model of calculator is vital for extra marks! My maths teacher husband is always banging on about it. They don't make that model anymore but you can get a good copy on Amazon. Good shout on the batteries, I didn't think of that! I'll tell my husband to remind his students too! I mean, he probably does but I have ADHD and these things always catch me out :p

And I’ve now got spare clear pencil cases, biros, pencils, rubbers, rulers, protractors, compasses…

I realise this is ridiculous, but I also feel better for it, and they’ll be used for A levels etc. as well.

We’ve also got two of the previous version of the Casio calculator 😄, what a palava.

@waitingquietly Good tip thank you! I got dd a second calculator because hers is the old casio model and when she lost it in year 8 i bought her the new one and it wasnt as good apparently and she cant possibly use the new one. I hunted for a second hand one and then she found the first one so she has 2. I think if something goes wrong they get lent one but it could be a different model so we arent risking it!

DD is using online tests and past papers but hasn"t asked us to test her at all.

Earlier she put her head round the door and I asked her how she was doing, she pulled a strop and stormed off telling me I need to stop asking, then a few.miutes later came back and started non stop whittering about Latin and whatever she's been revising (to which I did nodding and smiling as I have no clue).

This included another I hate English lit "argh Macbeth" to which I replied "out damn spot". She then rattled.off a.load of Macbeth quotes so I said she'd be fine and she said I didn't understand.

A positive interaction nonetheless. I need to just ignore her I think and she'll come and talk at me!

Dd is officially on study leave now and is on her own at home tomorrow. I’ve just bought her a meal deal and loads of snacks because I know she won’t otherwise bother to make anything to eat. I’ve prepped her for me calling regularly to check she’s working! She does have the option to go to work at school or to my parents so we’re just going to take it day by day.

Just a quick onec - DS1 has maths yr12 mock tomorrow .. and has just come asking for batteries for his calculator .. fortunately I had some .. just thought I would mention it as something worth checking 🤦🏻‍♀️

I am quite a decent swearer. Recently i said to DS 'We both have to stop swearing I think'. His was silent for a little bit then said; 'But we can still say 'this fucking government, can't we mum?'.

Yes BUT not until post results day… JUST INCASE of any resits!!

Yes! I am looking forward to having a really good clear out with my DD. Her room feels so cluttered at the moment with past papers and revision books everywhere.