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

Reddit looking like maths was hard!

Surely it's blatant discrimination!!

Its been horrid, we have fought the school so much with his requirements and they just seem to try and get round stuff. They complained this morning how much a large print scientific calculator is! Told them its free know a tablet so no excuse. DS is a quiet lad and won't speak up and just so used to coping with what they give him

My son's a good sleeper thankfully.
He went to bed at 10 and spent an hour watching the Maths paper 2 walk through which seems to help him best with maths. Maths is a tricky subject to revise for as the questions are so varied. I guess that's why they give them 3 papers.

I am so anxious waiting. DS school isn't on study leave so have to wait til 3.30 to find out how he got on

@Moneyordream I'm so glad that it's been sorted but it's absolutely terrible that you had to deal with that so close to the exam. I don't understand what the school were playing at - it won't have been a surprise to them that your DC had those needs. I hope it goes well for him.

@getwiththeprogram yes. And I just can't concentrate until that phone call once the exam is over.

How is your DC's sleep? Mine won't go to bed early, she says she can't sleep so might as well do some flashcards on save my exam. Last night she was in bed with her laptop doing flashcards. She does this because it doesn't require too much energy but also helps her calm down. It was midnight though ;(

@Callmejudith Glad it's not just me!

@getwiththeprogramerrrr yes, every single time

Currently praying to the maths gods. DS said he thinks he failed non-calc so has to do well today and next week. I think he’s probably being a bit dramatic

Does anyone find themselves (I know this is daft) attempting to send positive vibes via thought to their child as an exam is beginning?

I know it's pointless, but especially just as an exam is starting I'm talking to my boy in my head and saying you can do this, stay calm, read through the paper first, take a minute, breathe, you got this! 😄

Oh bless him, that's so unfair to go through such stress! I hope the exam goes well for him this morning.

@Moneyordream I'm very pleased to read that update though still flabbergasted the school can be so utterly useless.

Good luck to all today. I hope your DS made it on time @getwiththeprogram.
@XelaM and @NotDarkGothicMama I don't know how your DCs calculate the marks, mine struggles to remember the questions but looking at Reddit she said she got all of the math questions right except perhaps one she can't remember. I'm trying not to ask, she will panic if she knows she got stuff wrong so we usually go onwards and upwards, but yesterday she checked Reddit... If 68% of the paper was the maths questions, that would be fab!

Well done, I’m pleased to hear it, good luck to your DS this morning.

Sons VI teacher went in all guns blazing about discrimination today. The senco offered someone to read the numbers off the calculator. Told them we would refuse the exam based on school not supplying equipment they jave in writing they needed to provide and would be escalating and suddenly they was able to source a tablet. The stress was not required this morning

DS2 had edexcel combined physics yesterday .. not seen anyone else mention edexcel ( not IGCSE) .. he seemed really happy - reckoned he got 50% … which if he’s right would be amazing for him .. worried he’s missed the point . Also glad to see him happy as chemistry was so awful .

maths and geography today which I think he will be tired about by …

good luck today all

My 1st alarm didn't snooze for some reason but luckily I have a second alarm at 7.05, so we are up half an hour late 😬

My son infuriatingly is very rigid in his routine so will not dress and eat breakfast at the same time, and refuses to give up his morning hair wash. Everything is done 1 by 1 at a slow pace and in order.
It's now 7.30 and he is in the bathroom when he should be calling for his friend to walk.

He'll get to revision 15 minutes late.

He seems very unstressed about this. I, on the other hand . . . .

Does your son know how much of the paper the calculations were? Someone in my daughter's class said they were 68% of the paper, but not sure if that's right? According to my daughter, her and those she spoke to found the calculations easy

@Moneyordreamthats absolutely dreadful your poor son. I would be writing to anyone and everyone!

DS said AQA triple Physics yesterday was "fine" and ~76%. I hope his optimistic calculation is correct!

@Ifonlyoneday My daughter also said that she wished there was no half term between exams as it just prolongs them and breaks the rhythm

@Moneyordream that's shocking, your poor boy.

@Callmejudith I googled "sly chopped" and I think your interpretation is correct. I read this FB post this morning, which made me laugh (language warning!): https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18zXz6P6bL/

Dreaded day of maths & human
geography today - yippee 🥴 we’re heading off in 5 minutes (long drive to exam centre).

Happy days 😭

DTs reported OCR combined science physics higher as “good” and “ok”. Glad this went ok as chemistry paper 1 was not so good, biology paper 1 was good. DTs have 6 this week.
physics Tues
maths then geography Weds
history then french reading Thursday
English language Friday.

this means this week will complete history and English language. But still leaves a big week next week.

My 2 are wishing they didn’t have half term break and they could just blast through them in 4/5 weeks back to back. I think the half term break has given them time to rest and go again.

i am intrigued as if there are any stats whether marks on papers are higher or lower after HT? Or if paper 1, 2 or 3 have higher/lower average scores. Anyone know of any stats? Also I guess it does depend if school teach in order of paper 1 then paper 2, as last content can get squeezed. For DTs history they learnt them in reverse order of papers.