Y11 2025/26 The Final Stretch

I assume that’s CIE IGCSE @FlyingPandas ? Hope the speaking went ok (I am not a fan of the speaking spec as it’s quite rigid, but for a strong candidate it is fine). All the best with the written papers.

Good luck everyone. That's early @FlyingPandas . DD has hers next week and it's her first full paper (excluding art). It's her last week too, last day is 6 May. It does feel like it's gone by in the blink of an eye!

Good luck to the MfL students taking speaking exams today. DS has German listening and writing paper tomorrow. It’s his last week of proper school in school uniform this week, I can’t believe it. Those five years went fast!

I am sure she won’t but a couple of years ago I had a candidate really struggle on a question (unfortunately one I couldn’t rephrase as some are fixed by the exam board) and they pulled it together really well, we moved on and they did better than they had before (I had done some prep lessons with them) in the rest of the exam. They ended up getting a grade 8. Even if you miss a question (this was in the RP from memory) it’s only 1 or 2 marks. Just remind her to say something about both photos (doesn’t have to be an even amount) and then include past and future tense in her general speaking after the photocard. Deep breathing.

@clary AQA. Thanks for this, it's reassuring to hear. She got high marks in both her mocks but she panics so much, i dont know how to make her relax and I'm so worried she will just go blank and cry...

@Caddycat which board for Spanish? I don’t examine that language but I think I am safe to say that the photo cards done in speaking assessments for German and French I have carried out this year (both AQA, where they talk about both photos and Edexcel where they choose one) have been fine. The compulsory questions have all been ok too and answered well. All the best to her.

Oh @3GoldenLamps Im sorry, it's awful they are so stressed.
@36and3 and how it varies depending on the examining board, but AQA has an element of coursework I think.
@BeasKnee we have used save my exam to practise the new format, which has some multiple choice questions. Maybe start with those, they dont involve writing?
@Lemonthyme i think the same, i love 20th century history. One of the teachers is really putting the kids off, and dd is scared to be stuck with him so no longer wants to do it.
She has spanish speaking tomorrow and i keep reading online that the photo cards are really bad, I'm so scared for her 😞

My son has loved GCSE History and while he's not loved the history of Medicine part, the cold war stuff is right up his street and there's more of that at A-level. It sounds far more interesting than the stuff we learned about at school. I dropped it as soon as I can. Far too much on the Tudors for my liking.

My son considering history a level but the gcse content load is off putting. We still haven’t started one topic. Getting through 3 seems like a win!
geography may be better for a level - we’ll see…

Her school sixth form make them start with 4 and then they can drop one . I guess it’s so they’re been able to experience a range and be sure of their top three. She wants to do a law degree so English lit / history are both the best for that but worried about the content load. Tricky!!

The Exam Whisperer on Instagram is great. I’m an English teacher and pick up useful tips from her.

Thanks, I will take a look.

@36and3 that does sound like quite a heavy work load. Will she do all 4 till the end? DD starts with 4 but then does an AS level in 1 if she stays at her current school. She has dismissed history but is toying with Politics or RE. I did History and English (a million years ago) and really enjoyed them both but did only do 3.
I wish they did the IB at some of the schools round here @3GoldenLamps as she's really struggling to decide what to do. I think only private schools near us offer it.

I'm glad he's back and even though shouting at you isn't great it's communication which is always better than no no communication.

DS was. But the school does not have enough students to run it so he has been encouraged to take psychology instead.

Last week he was considering the IB because he's simply not sure about what he prefers. He's doing quite well with STEM, but does not enjoy it at all.

Are any of your dcs planning on history alevel? Dd has put it down with English lit (she adores English lit!) psychology and biology but with the amount of gcse content , the alevel seems terrifying!!

Okay he's back and yelling at me. Thankfully.

Oh another meltdown. DS walked out the house about an hour ago.

I'm just waiting for a bit before I start searching.

@BeasKnee my older one liked Mr Salles on YouTube .. he ended up with a 7 in language and just 2 marks below a 6 in lit which was way better than mocks

Any tips on English Language revision? At the moment even getting the set homework (e.g. answer Q5 from this last paper) is a struggle to get done as DD seems to have developed a mental block with it. I think it's the pressure of knowing it's the worst subject but also one she needs to pass to not retake, and needs to get a 5 to carry on at school 6th form. She just can't get words on paper. Or does and then stops half way through sentences almost paralyzed. I feel like it's a mental health problem at this point rather than the subject itself but it's two weeks until exams start and I'm at a loss. This is all so so hard.

@GreenYarn I've put some fruit teas she likes, some rescue remedy sweets, some starbucks caramel coffees, a pocket hug, sweets and m&ms...

Science is also the main source of anxiety and melt downs here, chemistry in particular. Even the mark scheme sometimes leave me puzzled. I couldn't agree more about the vocabulary point @3GoldenLamps and @clary , that's where my DD seems to be losing points. Nutrient is now a forbidden word in the house as it's never allowed in the answers lol.

A lot of body doubling going on in our house too....

Our neighbours are having a very loud BBQ, so all windows are shut to cover the noise of screaming toddlers. Wishing for rain...

@3GoldenLamps I do think perhaps of all the commonly sat GCSEs, history (sooooo much content) and biology (answers must be soooooo exact with terminology) are two of the most challenging esp when it comes to the exams. DS2 loved his bio (his degree subject) and had a truly inspirational teacher, but even he was weighed down with the need to use the right words. And his history, which again he really loved (considered for A level) was such as lot of content to get through. IIRC they were still covering content after Easter in year 11.

All the best to your DS and I am glad ice cream still works.

DS has had a massive screaming fit about how he is destined to 'get mediocre results'. He's predicted 6s and maybe a 7 which we are more than happy with as it gets him into A levels at his school.

So, we had a walk, and an ice cream and now he is talking online with his BFF. I am hearing laughter so that;s good.

Dad is working away right now and rang when we were walking. I said Ds had a metldown. He asked why and I said ' Bloody biology. Bloody History. Bloody School and Bloody exams'. DS was there and said 'Yep. Good summary'.

Ice cream and friends cure everything though.

I think I hate mark schemes - I absolutely know DS2 is going to fall down on the sciences- his vocab isn’t brilliant anyway - I think I’ve accepted the fact that he may not pass those and letting him concentrate on the 6 other subjects just seems where my gut is taking me .

Brilliant. Thanks. ❤That was sort of where I was going in my head but I simply couldn;'t articulate it properly or at all.

We are in the middle of another meltdown. History this time.

God it's hard on them.