Y11 2025-26 - Trying not to melt and pushing through the final weeks

The king better not bloody die as my son on a football tour! I’ll go and check his blood pressure myself every day if I have to

It was in an email with other general info about exams that the school sent out. Much as with everything else out school does, it was communicated really late so I wouldn’t be surprised if some families had already booked holidays based on the date of their DCs last exam.

Strange how some schools haven't mentioned it! I think its for something like King dieing and its his funeral / bank holiday. Not long to go now... the end is in site. My son's study leave starts this Wednesday for 3 days 🤣 - he has no exams Tuesday and no lessons relevant to exams he will have. I wouldn't mind if they revised but they seem to let them play games and chat!

6 and counting every minute!

Tears today due to just being fed up and wanting some freedom from it.

Hot chocolate and snacks on the go to try to calm

Aqa so in the Tuesday morning.
Think most of the school is finished foe physics on Monday morning
Ds will still have further maths and Spanish at that point

When my ds did his we were told not to book anything on these contingency days but they havent mentioned this year. Is it for children who have missed exams or put there for the exam boards just in case there are leaked exams or something and everyone has to re take?

History is such a lot of content. Wiermar and Nazi Germany was covered months ago as it took them up to the exam to finish the last paper. Hopefully going over it will trigger her memory.

I was only aware of contingency day due to these threads. School haven’t mentioned it at all. But we decided if we had to come back we’ll come back. At the time that was because we were expecting DS to have surgery mid July and we need a holiday. I thought contingency day would be used if the King died and there would be an unexpected bank holiday but couldn’t think of any other reason

I believe contingency day was introduced following disasters such as the Grenfell Tower fire. It would have to be a very significant issue for it to be used of course not impossible but unlikely.

I’m only aware that contingency day exists from these threads, otherwise I’d have no idea. Our school hasn’t mentioned it, I’m still not quite clear what it’s for. Independent school.

For those of you going away after 15th June or whenever your child's exam finish - aren't you supposed to wait until after contingency day 24th June? My DS school is very strict about it and keep sending emails not to go away until 25th onwards

6 left here, with 2 double days

Also have 3 x Spanish left - L,R,W - but must be a different board to you as finish next Wednesday 17th

9 left (if counting Spanish listening and reading as separate ones)
So a while to go. Finishes a week on Tuesday

We only have 4, praise the lord!

How many do you all have left? 8 to go here…

@AMatterOfInfiniteHope you sound like you were extremely diligent at your job. I hope most examiners approach the task as you did

At least she is revising something. My son is almost through with it all mentally.
This last few exams is going to be a slog.
I wonder if the exam markers know that children are reaching burnout by this stage and give a little slack?

I have a lots of friends and acquaintences in all sorts of careers at all levels and virtually no one wears formal business any more. Unless eg going to a court. All smart casual or casual. Certainly formal jackets would be rare

Really interesting article @ShesRunningOutTheDoor , thank you.

I'm a governor too @NotDarkGothicMama . If I've been working at home on the day of a governor's meeting, I will generally change into something a bit smart (e.g. skirt and blouse rather than jeans and teeshirt) before I go to the meeting. Is there a governor's thread on here somewhere?

I subscribe to Mr Salles and he really knows his stuff. He’s a thorn in the side of AQA English! His advice here for what students should be taught is helpful. I’ll be using it to help my younger DD with her GCSE’s in a couple of years. Shame there is so much jumping through hoops tho.

However, I have also marked for AQA English Language and I made a very conscious effort to not make assumptions about a candidate based on their handwriting or what they chose to write about for q. 5.

I went as far as to write out answers on paper in front of me if handwriting was particularly difficult to read. For example one students writing at first glance looked v nice but was so loopy and florid I kept losing the thread so I wrote it out. Turns out it wasn’t actually a great answer.

My DD’s writing isn’t great so I’m hoping an examiner takes some time and care when they see her script.

I think I was a pretty slow marker and I never made as much money as some did I’m sure, I’m glad I took care tho. I no longer do it because I work in a junior school now.

Same. Dd hates stem - though biology is the “best” of the bad bunch. She found aqa triple paper 1 “shit” so needs to pull her finger out for tomorrow but is focusing on history paper 3.

This perplexed me as well, either have uniform....or don't.
So many workplaces dont insist men wear suits and ties, and women in formal wear. GPS, solicitors, teachers dont necessarily dress like that and anyone doing anything practical definitely won't be wearing a suit.
Wearing a suit or formal wear to do woodwork, art, cookery etc is completely ridiculous, imo

I'm struggling to get my son to revise for the biology exam taking place tomorrow😕

Any tips to motivate him? The sciences are his least favourite subject.

Funny isn't it looking back. We need to be smart in the office - but the best change is that it seems ok now to wear smart trainers.. so I'm a trousers / smart jeans jacket smart t / top and trainers person when I go in.