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

Not much happening here either. I am now getting worried because DS worked so hard yet the wheels have fallen off and he's checked out. DH and I were discussing the possibility of crammers last night. He's gone to the library today though because he thinks it will help him study. DH said what if he just wanders around town, but actually, he won't. If he says he's gone to the library then that is what he has done.

Oh the poor thing. All that work and then to to be ill! I am glad she is feeling better.

Not private - my dd has had extra tutoring at school since the beginning of the year in English, Maths and science. Had a full day of science yesterday- 5 hours of it in the heat! The teachers bought in ice lollies.

My sisters kids go to private and don’t have anything like this!

DS isn’t at a private school or anything like that, but his school are offering extra revision sessions in some core subjects. He seems to prefer doing his own revision though.

I’m not sure much revision is happening here but I don’t want to put too much pressure on. He’s conscientious usually so I’m hoping the work he’s put in before will help. It’s so hot (London).

Those with extra revision sessions at weekends and half term - are those private schools? Nothing like that at our son’s comprehensive school (it’s a good school, I’m not complaining about it).

DS2s half term plan of revision is pretty much in shreds now . He’s in school again this morning and I’m hoping he buckles down on the other 5 subjects tomorrow . The break in the weather keeps moving further forward here though .

Good luck to all DC trying to revise today - it’s what my war years child Dad would have called character forming stuff

Weekend mainly off here. Trying to get back to it now. Hard in the heat. History and geography so lots to do.

At this stage I’d make the half-term plan smaller than feels comfortable. For each remaining subject, pick the two papers or topics most likely to cost marks, do short timed sets, then write a correction log from the mark scheme. If they are flagging, one clean hour beats four resentful hours staring at notes.

I'm glad some of your DCs are having a healthy break from revision. I'm a bit worried about DD burning out (and not from the weather). She's always been a bit of a perfectionist, but really started to spiral after one bad exam last week. She now feels she has to know absolutely everything so that nothing can possibly go wrong in the rest of her exams. So she's working too hard, feeling tired and very reluctant to take proper breaks. We're doing our best to help her manage the anxiety and to drag her away from her books - but it's horrible to watch her being so panicky and hard on herself. I'm trying to share evidence with her about burnout/ overworking/ the importance of downtime etc (as obviously me saying it is not enough) - let me know if you have any good links

Hi all, gosh another thread already!! Well done to everyone knuckling down.

It’s been 33 degrees here past few days. Sickening. Dd has been doing her best to work through it. It’s her birthday tomorrow (howwwww is she 16?!) so we’re off out for lunch and then she’s going to dinner with friends. Bless her though she said she’s still going to do some history in between.

Sweltering here too. No sign of the thunderstorm we had been warned about.
A bit of revision today, finishing off a a predicted paper 2 for maths, some chemistry and a bit of history.
And also a trip to the dentist (somewhat overdue) which I had deliberately scheduled to give us a reason to leave the house! DS not particularly impressed with my strategy as inside remained colder than outside for most of the day and it was a 20 min walk away!

Just checking in on the new thread. DD has done very little since her last exam on Thursday. She ended up missing one exam last week due to having a double ear infection and a chest infection so she definitely needed time to recover, which thankfully she has. Then we had a family wedding this weekend. She tells me she’s done some today but Im not sure when. It’s soooo hot though, and we are in a first floor flat so it’s unbearable in here!

9 to go and all except English Language are ones she doesn’t enjoy so think she’s going to be reluctant to get back to it. It’s hard to know how much to push as she does work hard usually.

well done to all those taking their exams after being out of school or other difficult circumstances.

We have a mobile unit - we run it all evening (venting through the window) to get the bedroom nice and chilly, and then turn it off and shut the window when we are actually going to sleep. Makes a big difference.

ETA: we 'seal' the window around the venting pipe with a squashy pillow, so bugs don't get in!

Well done to your DD. DC2 hasn't been in school since the beginning of year 9 due to severe MH issues, but stayed on roll with section 19 provision, funded by the council. Sitting the same GCSE combo as your DD. It's terrible that you have had to fund it all yourself. Best of luck to your DD, and all the other DC who have had a bumpy path.

@EducaatingRita do let us know how you get on with it . We considered that but worried about the need to vent out through the window on everything we looked at . DS2 doesn’t like his window open at night as he seems to be the preferred target of any mosquito or bitey thing that comes in the house

We have an AC unit but it's "too noisy" for DS. He's decided to go nocturnal instead, sleeping through the heat of day and waking up at night. I decided to allow the experiment until tomorrow, when he really needs to start getting his body clock back on track.

We've just bought a mobile aircon unit delivered tomorrow. So it'll go for now in DD room as she revises in there, make it nicer for her. Then wherever needed! Then the garage in winter.

Good luck to all the kids who have been out of school . I didn’t realise how many there were … though thinking about it I do know of at least 4 irl . Hope they all achieve what they need for their chosen next steps

DS is in school a couple of mornings this week just on one subject - but has returned a bit more positive than how he left !

Ive got DH trying to organise a quote for aircon .. we had this conversation last year too - but I’ve been a bit more pushy this year . 29 degrees in the bedrooms at night is just too much and not conducive to good revision ..

Well done her for going for it. My DD was exactly the same this time last year (ASD, ADHD, anxiety, burnout missed year 10). She had similar mocks at the start of year 11. Just through sheer determination she ended up with grades 5-7 in 7 subjects. Tell your DD it is possible!!

Checking in, a bit of physics, history and French done yesterday. But by the late afternoon it was way too hot so her and I sat in sitting room with curtains closed and binge watched the Kylie Netflix. Possibly not the best use of her time 🤣

Half term split dd’s exactly in two. She’s got eight more exams to go but five of them in the the first four days next week 😭

She’s definitely flagging, panicking that she isn’t covering all she needs to but finding it hard to focus. I think she’s planning geography today (when she gets up!), also maths, physics & computer science to worry about.

Thanks for the new thread! Catching up on all the posts. All these kids are just brilliant.

Zero revision done here this weekend, I let him miss the Saturday revision session at school as he looked absolutely exhausted. He was out with friends and we had some family bbqs so he looks a bit more refreshed and has a nice tan going on! He's at a school maths revision session today and then tonight we've got to make a plan for the rest of the week.

He has 12 to go after half term and he definitely realises that they aren't his best subjects so he does need to knuckle down. Though same as a PP he's found the exams "fine" so far so isn't stressing one bit when I think he probably should be.

Another one who’s missed a lot of school here, due to a combination of medical issues, ASD and burnout.
We’ve taken the pressure right off. Getting into exams and staying in the room is an achievement enough for now, so revision is no more than about ten minutes the day before each exam. The results won’t be what the school set as target grades, but they should be enough for sixth form and if not, we’ll just work out a new plan. Recovery has to be the priority at the moment.

Checking in - on a very very hot and stuffy Monday evening! 📚

@FatLarrysBanned @Tickingcrocodile

I am not in this position this time round but was this time 3 years ago with DD. As others have said, GCSEs are no mean feat in the first place but to have all of the other complications on top is such a achievement. DD missed most of year 9 to 11 with a odd sporadic few week period where she felt like she could go in before it all falling apart again.

It takes over your life doesn’t it? We got EOTAS with tutors coming round for the core subjects a few months before GCSEs started and I was amazed when she said a few days before the exams started that she’d go in school and take them. She’d not set foot in the building for 6 months. They really can pull it pull it out of the bag and surprise us can’t they!

She didn’t get the grades for 6th form but passed them all and her EHCP meant that she could do A levels there.

Admittedly that turned out not to be the right thing for her but that’s another story and she’s now away travelling- but mainly - she’s happy! Good luck with yours this time around 😊