Y11 2025/26 The Final Stretch

My dds teacher told them her predictions for the paper and her first one was there will definitely be a 4-6 marker on sand dunes as it’s never come up before and basically the only topic that hasn’t! Turns out she was on the money and prepared the whole class for it… think that’s worth a bottle of wine 😆

@Moneyordream that must be incredibly frustrating for your son (and you) .. I can only imagine how hard it must be for a school to organise GCSEs full stop but to overlook something so important that he was promised is really unfair. I hope improvements are made. Have you been into the school banging the drum? It’s not ok is it.

Dd is really worried about today. AQA higher. She’s capable of a 7 or possibly even an 8 but she has so much self doubt when it comes to maths / the sciences. Lots of negative talk from her today.

@Moneyordream that's additional stress for him, definitely not what is needed today!

Thanks @Ifonlyoneday I've convinced her to take them anyway. She definitely needs her own pens and pencils so I was surprised at the maths kit. It's a state school in a "sought after" area with very good results.

@Moneyordream that's awful. It's not like this is a surprise to his school so no excuse to have not sorted this for him.

Not had much sleep. I hope DD has after being upset yesterday. She seems ok this morning, just frustrated at herself for such a silly mistake. I've been worrying she might have missed more than she thinks but if she has I just hope she doesn't find out. Hopefully won't be the difference between passing and failing as it's a subject she is pretty good at. It probably will make her drop a mark though but hopefully not enough to stop her taking at A Level. We're all looking forward to the weekend now (although I think she's a lot less prepared for next week's subjects than this week's so not much chance of having lots of time off).

Fingers crossed maths goes well for everyone today.

Joining the page to help get though these weeks. DS seems to have been positive so far, he needs a grade 8 in Maths and panicking for today. He is Visually impaired and the school kept promising a large print scientific calculator and 2 weeks ago they said they sorted a tablet app he can use, to be told this week it hasn't been able to get working. So he is back to normal size with a magnifier. Then they moved his spot in the exam room to somewhere too bright for his eye condition and he had to request to be moved. Just the last of support is driving us nuts

It's actually usually the below average schools that do provide the equipment in my experience. My 1st DS did his GCSEs 3 years ago at a different school to current DS and he didn't have to take a thing to any exam not even a pen, everything was on their desks when they went in to the hall for each exam. I think it was because some kids (and parents) couldn't be relied on to being what was necessary. They also sent a mini bus round to pick up the kids most at risk of not turning up for exams.

We also had AQA geography here yesterday and the sand dunes question. One DT was a bit down as they had not included a reference to the case study in some of the answers, fortunately she did in the question that explicitly asked for a case study. She realised this because other DT and bestie in post exam debrief were saying what case study they’d referred to. Argh. I have just said it’s one of three papers for that subject so at least she won’t make that omission again.

Like everyone we have maths today. Ours is non calculator Edexcel higher. DTs are strongest on this paper of the 3 so hoping like many this one goes well today, to counter balance the 2 non-calculator ones. Good luck to everyone today for Maths and other subjects.
@caddycatmy DTs have also said school gives them a pack on their desk with all the stuff, protractor and the like. They have to ask for a calculator if they don’t bring one. Not that is calculators today. I was surprised to hear this news as there are 200+ students in the year. There must be a lot of money being spent to provide all this kit to each student and we are just at the local (below average in gcse results) comprehensive.
i did think they’d have some spare kit the invigilators would dish out for those forgetting it , something breaking or the calculator batteries giving up. But 200+ pens, compasses etc and who knows how many calculators seems a large outlay. However I guess not everyone’s guardian/parent sends them equipped for the exams these days and this is one way the school can help.

I am loving the idea of your invigilatorometer based on the sleepometer in the exams.

AQA is non calc dw. But as others have posted, some boards start with a calculator paper.

I'm really confused and worried now. DD is doing AQA higher tier maths, and is insistent that it is non calculator tomorrow, but reading here it seems that for some a it a calculator paper?

She even says her timetable stipulates non calculator, but I can't see that on my portal.

So is it non calculator or calculator,?

Last minute panic here because I asked DD to check her bag for protractor, compass etc and she said dont worry, we get given it all. Is this true?! I am sure we have it all but I dont know whether she was planning on taking it in!!! She does Aqa non calc tomorrow.

Ah apols for the calc/non-cal confusion. It would be easier if there was more parity eh :)

AQA Geography here, a bit of a harder paper with unexpected sand dunes the teacher told them never comes up, but DD was OK. Did some baking and seems chilled about maths.

Maths is our biggest concern, just hoping he can get a 4 and he doesn't have to resit.

Dd is doing OCR Foundation and it’s calc. Maths is her weakest subject but she’s oddly unstressed - I think because we pushed for her to be moved to Foundation recently, and she feels way more confident than she did floundering through a higher paper. Anyway she feels ok so I am going with it! She also split with her boyfriend today, but also feels ok about that. Not ideal timing but perhaps a relief (it was long term but fizzling out for ages)

Maths IGCSE is with a calculator too

My DS is allowed a calculator tomorrow for maths. Must be a different exam board

Thanks to everyone for clearing up the Pearson Edexcel confusion.

Also please remind your children rather than sit having a panic because they don't have a protractor or a calculator with working batteries or whatever it is they need just put their hand up and ask.

Just on the calculator @3GoldenLamps - tomorrow is non-calc I think? Agree tho it's worth checking. Before DS2's maths exam I was scouring the shops at 7pm looking for a protractor – everywhere had sold out and I ended up buying a whole Helix fancy boxed set. And then he never used it! heyho. And yes I know school would have given him one. :)

All the best to everyone's DC for maths which is a biggie and I know some love it, others are less keen. Hope everyone finds it OK.

Thanks and no worries @FlyingPandas – just had my tutor session and feeling positive for tomorrow.

On the grade boundaries for biology - AQA last year was 71% for a grade 9; Pearson Edexcel (yes it's one board) was 84% – so quite a variation between boards. I presume the AQA paper was judged to be a lot harder last year tho tbh that's fairly typical looking at the last couple of years and then 2018/19 (no point looking at 2020-2023 IMHO).

@BeasKnee hope your DD didn't miss too much with the missed question. Onwards and upwards.

Head of MFL here. Use the 5 minutes reading time to annotate with vocabulary, highlight key parts of the question. Distractors are often tense-related, someone else's opinion etc. Ensuring words like 'without', 'except' etc are known helps. Be specific enough when it's the questions where they are writing rather than just putting a letter etc. Listen for connectives such as however, on the other hand for positive, negative or both questions as that will mean it's P/N. Check verb endings carefully in the translation. Revise less common past participles

DD mentioned the same no Idea how you can get full marks on the sand dune questions.
She is currently getting stressed over maths norigets 90 % but has decided it's going to be an awful paper. Just running her a bath to relax.

This will no doubt seem SO obvious to everyone else, but - check the batteries on your Dcs calculator!

DS just had a weepy meltdown because his calculator stopped working. Apparently it has been playing up for a few days and today in geog he had to keep tapping it to get it to work.

One simple battery change later...... Just happy we found out now rather than at 9.43 tomorrow.....

I think DD is dreading maths tomorrow, it's her least favourite and she seems to forget how to do the questions overnight! She's been doing past papers tonight, but she's so tired she can't think straight. She's gone for a wellbeing walk with her friend, then I'm making her have an early night. If she doesn't know it now she'll never know it!