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

I agree @Tebheag . Also, last year's grade boundaries for Edexcel higher math were incredibly high. The 2023 and 2024 were lower. So it's probably not worth agonising over. I feel unless you are borderline in your mocks and past papers, maths is probably the one subject where they are most likely to get their predicted grade...

DD Just googles the topic she wants to look up or maths question and clicks on a few links till she finds the one that works for her brain !

No idea what board but DD said Maths higher went really well. Currently got revision before Geography exam so will not find out till later.
Till the results are out no one really knows how they did as grade boundaries are all over the place.

I just messaged my son to ask how maths went. His reply: 'idk. not great'
(Edexel Maths Paper 2 foundation)
😕

Dd said OCR higher was not great but thinks shes done okay....

to pile on the misery, geography this pm - dd2s favourite and she is pressuring herself to get a 9 so in a tizzy, dd1s second most hated subject after DT. She used to be really good at it but disruptive class/poor teacher means she slipped from a 7/8 to a 4/5. Given she’s dropping it like hotcakes post exam
it wasnt worth a battle but I did want her to at least try. But if this morning was awful I suspect she’ll crumple :(

I am away with work today so won’t see them until bedtime. Dh has been given a three line wip to offer cuddles and comfort but history tells us this will be akin to being comforted by Stalin….

My daughter was also hoping for an 8, but she said Edexcel iGCSE was insanely hard 😢

Haven’t heard from DD yet, she’s trapped in a History revision session, but I’m worried for her now. Also wanting to do A level and hoping for an 8 (or ideally a 9 as she’d like to get the same as her big brother).

Thank you. Mr Salles does AQA and I have warned DD not to rely on him, she knows to use what she has learnt in class, I was so scared after Lit paper 1 when she said it went really well, I followed something I saw on youtube last night!

Do be careful with english. It really does need to be specific to the spec - as the way different specs require the content and structure of answers is slightly different. Hopefully the school have given them techniques for each type of question for English language.

Been lurking but DS also a bit upset about higher maths today. He’s been working so so hard as he wants to do Economcs at A level an needs a 7 in maths. First paper went well but this one he said was very hard. Trying to reassure about grade boundaries and that he still has one more paper.

Feel for them!

Last year a 6 was 50.4% so even if it didn't go terribly well, she's probably done more than enough to secure a 6. A 7 is 65%, it can also not go incredibly well and still be good enough for a 7. Tell her not to worry.

ohh, that is a lot for science

Science they do 2 physics, 2 biology and 2 chemistry. I think the foundation exams are 1h30, higher are 1h45. Maths is 1h30 per exam. English exams are all 1h45 except Literature paper 2 is 2h15min. All on different days.

Oh dd1 just messaged me to say she cried (edexcel higher paper 2). Maths is her big bear and she needs a 6 for a level science and she’s been working so hard. Consistently getting good 7s in past papers so was feeling hopeful going in. Her twin sister is much more math-y and was hoping for an 8/9 and to take on to a level.

some comfort if they all find it tough though, grade boundaries etc. better than dd1 finding it hard and everyone else finding it ok…..

How long is each paper? How many questions 🙈? Are they on different days?

what about science?

Are all the papers in different days?

Thank you. Had no idea there were that many. I believe DC is doing foundation maths and science. I feel so clueless and responsible that I can’t support DC.

Thank you. If you can please share the links that would be helpful

4 english papers (2 language papers and 2 litterature papers) and 3 maths papers (1 non calculator, 2 with calculators).

I'm not British either, it's a lot to get your head around. Especially the different exam board, the choice of history topics, the higher/foundation papers...

My son likes this guy for night before maths recaps. He'll be watching this one for Paper 3:

DD watches Mr Salles for English, and she watches a live stream for science and maths the night before, which is all on the same Youtube channel. I'll ask her for links tonight.

DD just called to say that maths (Edexcel higher) was very good, although not as good as paper 1 which she described as "amazing". She couldn't finish the last question. She's predicted an 8.

Can I please ask what websites/videos are your kids watching for revision for English and Maths? If you can please share here that would be very helpful

How many maths papers and English papers there are? I am not English and completely lost with GCSE