Y11 2025/26 The Final Stretch

DD is back to school tomorrow. She has French speaking on the 30th, then history on the 7th and drama on the 8th.

@applecrumblespider goodluck with the physics
@NotDarkGothicMama oh no I hope you don't have to continue paying the expensive tutor.

I’ve tried to write out crib sheets for the poems. Trying to condense it all into 8 sheets (2 poems per sheet to compare) for my son to revise from. He wouldn’t do it himself but hopefully it’ll be better than no one doing anything! So much content for English lit

Dd has been going hard on the Spanish speaking (thank god it’ll be over tomorrow!) and then her favourite/best subjects: she loves English lit and history so that hasn’t been too much of a chore. Physics/ chemistry and maths however…

My DS is doing so little in comparison to his brother last year . I am worried . I have been helping with English Literature which is his second exam on the 11th - there is so much to do and so little being done . He tells me he’s done 60% of his fav subject and 20% of combined science . I’m glad to hear I’m not the only mum rocking in the corner @NotDarkGothicMama

I am very keen for exams not to start. My DS is a crammer and also gets very tired. There is still so much content he hasn’t looked at again since the last mocks, however they were March! We are concentrating on older material. We help quite a lot but there is Soooo much material!

Definitely very much over the revision period here. I think once the exams actually get started the students can get into a bit of a rhythm with it all, and the stress of waiting is over - and more importantly every exam is one more ticked off the list!

German for DS on 28 April too and then next exam on 6th May. And the DT NEA is finally in 🎉

Good luck to everyone with any exams this week.

@applecrumblespider science is my DDs weakest subject so I’ve been ‘helping’ lots. I joke at work that I could now resist my GCSE science and get a better mark 🤣

Joining! French speaking next Friday, can’t believe we’re actually here!

Just trying to stay positive and remind my DD (and myself) that she has done the hard slog and lots of revision up to this point so she is in a good position. Though I did have a minor nag at her this morning after she had a good couple of hours of doom scrolling, happy for her to have a break but not just staring at a screen!

Anyone else just feel like they just want them to start? I’m so over the revision period and most importantly so is my DD!

DS's first written exams are on 11th May too: English Literature in the morning and Business Studies in the afternoon.

After sending him to an experienced, expensive PE tutor, the tutor tells me that DS knows all the content but just couldn't be bothered to write it down during his mocks (he got a 3 and a 4) 🤦‍♀️ Apparently his hand hurt so he had a nap instead. DS says of course he won't do that during the real exams. Anyone looking for me can find me in the rocking and crying corner.

I have been asked to help DD with physics today....send help (yes I have got the A level but it was many cough 30 cough years ago).

German on 28th April here - then over a week to next exam

Apparently we are not revising today really as it’s Sunday. I’m taking deep breaths

Thanks, it is 2 hours too! And he has extra time so if he takes the extra time it will be 2.5 hours finishing at 4pm! He is autistic so revision isn't his strongest point. He hasn't done any revision at all for any subject. He is going to specialist from September so can repeat Maths and English if needed then.

English lit on 11th is our first written one… Spanish speaking tomorrow!

Hi @Haribosweets . That’s really early for a written exam - before our board’s exam season even starts! Is his revision for it doing ok?
Anyone else got any really early written ones?
Here DS 1 seems to think his Drama performance went well, which is great as the written paper is his weakness but at least he’s hopefully going into it in a good place.
Thanks for the paracetamol tip on the brace @wonderstuff , I will have some on hand.

Hello, my son's first exam is Travel and Tourism on 1st May

@UncomfortableSilence thank you for the new thread.

Good luck to all doing speaking, art or drama this week.

Thank you for the new thread...

Our school was just working on statistics for grade boundaries on mfl, using the whole of the multi academy trust, ranking all students and then putting percentages into each band. I am told DS was right at the boundary!

It’s very tricky to predict a grade as we have no GBs so I have been going off the previous years for that board but obvs old spec.

I think some elements of the new spec are easier tho. A lot of my students used to dislike the reading qus in TL for example, and those have gone. Also the prompts for the roleplay for example are in English now which I think could help. The writing prompts are in English – which helps if you didn't understand them in French (! I have known that) but of course takes away the useful vocab you could use from them TL prompts.

@UncomfortableSilence thanks for the new thread, glad to hear art went well. DD had hers last term but still has to finish off bits from the other two projects this weekend. Final hand in is on Tuesday and then they have an exhibition to show it all the week after. It will be a relief to finally have it over with. I agree @notnowmaud there's too much emphasis on the writing and analysis than the work itself.

@SweetDreamsAreMadeOfFizz DD had German speaking on Wednesday and seemed pleased with it.

@Walkingbkwrm DD also did her drama practical at the end of last term. They had an external examiner and had blocked the seats around him so none of the audience could see what he was writing. I really enjoyed seeing them all perform their pieces though, and they seemed to enjoy it.

Good luck to all those doing exams. We have another week yet before DTs French speaking exam.
Im hoping the exam boards are bit lenient with the grade boundaries for all our DC and the teachers doing the new MFL spec and format.

Hello everyone. Thanks for the new thread.

Hello. Thanks for starting the new thread.