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

Sending huge good luck wishes to those who are taking exams having been out of school for so long. It’s a massive achievement.

My eldest DS has ASD and ADHD and whilst studying was able to get into hyper focus mode when in the right mood. But with an awful lot of procrastination. Body doubling really helped with him too.

Stupidly hot here, I find myself going for drives just to get the benefit of the car aircon! DS got a couple of hours of revision done this morning. Very glad it looks to be cooling down a bit next week.

I’m another one with a student who has been out of school. DD is doing 8, with a little bit of tutoring (both English exams) but mainly just dh (computer science) & me (the other 5 subjects!). We’re finding the early morning treks up to the external exam centre exhausting. It is probably the most stressful time of my life.

She needs 5s & 6s, I couldn’t begin to predict what she’ll end up with. Anything from 3s to 8s on past experience!

I am so impressed with all the kids who are doing GCSEs as it's such a HUGE thing anyway. But absolutely super impressed and in awe of @Tickingcrocodile and @FatLarrysBanned 's DCs who are coping under such circumstances.

Sounds very similar to my ASD DD who has also been out of school. She also needs five grade 5s and at least one or two grade 6s to access the only 6th form that might be right for her. It's added stress at an already stressful time. We are just trying to focus on getting through the exams and dealing with what comes next after they are done.

This weather is not conducive to study for anyone!

DD was in the garden this morning and has now gone back to her bedroom. It’s so hot up there bless her, but that’s where she wants to be. I’ve got her sushi as a treat but she is very fed up. I offered to take her out for brunch as it’s the bank holiday, but no, can’t not be revising. I feel sorry for her.

Dd2 diligently doing physics at the table in the garden, slathered in factor 50, umbrella up, cap on.

dd1 and her best mate are having a revision session. Bf turned up about 12.30 then they headed out for ‘revision snacks’ and have yet to reappear. Sigh.

That's amazing @FatLarrysBanned. Well done her for ploughing through the syllabus. I hope it pays off.

We have managed a bit of French in the garden but retreated inside. Will try a bit more later.

Checking into the new thread too. DTs did revision at home on Friday, I let them have a day of revision from home. Our school granted no study leave so they’re in till 15th July. They’ve had Saturday and Sunday off from revision. Hoping they can get some revision done today but the hot weather has finally arrived with us in the midlands and it’s very difficult to get much done in this heat.
the school has put a maths session on in half term for half a day which they want to go to, so at least I know some revision will be done then.
Think we’ve done 27 of 51 here but only 3 subjects complete, 2 per twin.
roll on mid June when this over.
the prom shoe saga continues

What an achievement already! And what committment and resilience. Congratulations to her (and you).

I hope she gets everything she needs.

Having not mentioned exams or revision all weekend seems to have paid off as DS was happy to sit down and make a revision timetable with me, and other than a few football related activities, has scheduled in lots for every day. Whether or not he sticks to it is another issue but it feels like a win that he’s even thinking about it!

Thank you for the new thread
a little jealous of the weather forecast posted on the other thread- ours is a little more grim .

DS2 is white as a sheet as he struggled to sleep last night - not sure much revision will take place today

I have my fingers crossed that the weather will break soon

We’ve offered to put camping mattresses up downstairs as it’s so much cooler down there but that is obviously an incredibly stupid idea - as any change is in this house 🤷🏻‍♀️

Just checking in - thanks for the new thread Stowick.

DS has been for a bike ride before it gets too hot, and will probably do some revision in a bit.

6 down and 7 to go for us. DD hasn't been in school since Yr8 due to her ASD and anxiety around attending school. The burnout took years to recover from.

Last July she said she wanted to do her GCSE's with the rest of her cohort, so she's studied the whole curriculum for 6 subjects (English x 2, Maths and 3 x separate sciences) since then.

School agreed to keep her on roll and put her in for the exams but wouldn't support any teaching outside of school so I had to pay for private tutoring. She needs 5 5's to get into 6th Form so we're keeping everything crossed. She got 4's in her November mocks and 5's in March mocks.

Just want to get her back on track and where she should be. 💐 to all, but particularly those dealing with SEND children.

Adhdh here too but meds aren’t really strong enough but stronger made her feel rough. Defo struggles still to get started although can focus in bursts. Half term & heat is not conducive to revision.

Thanks for the new thread @Stowickthevast😊

@StowickthevastThanks for the new thread, apologies had such a busy weekend for DD1s birthday just logged on and saw we are full again thanks for the prompt @NotDarkGothicMama

DD is 12 down 12 to go. She has hardly done anything due to our weekend. She did some ethics for RE last night and is going to meet some friends in a coffee shop for some Maths later today. She seems like she’s a lot more relaxed about it all now and I wonder if that’s because she’s found all the papers so far fine? I’m not sure if this is a good thing to be honest, I’m trying to leave it to her as up to now she has been more than capable of managing revision and she’s always worked incredibly hard and is so focused however I’m having to keep my mouth shut a bit!

Tomorrow she’s got a hair trial for Prom, which is far from bloody ideal as it’s forecast 34 here, she’s meeting some friends on Wednesday but hoping around that she’ll be on her grind as she says!

I need to catch up on the last thread but really hope all your DC are doing well.

Thank you!

To answer a question on the other thread- mine also has ADHD and is medicated. (And autism) When he is in the zone he is unstoppable. He likes the exam hall. He was offered his own room because he has OCD as well which manifests in severe anxiety but he turned it down because he said he 'wanted the traditional exam experience'. He also has rest breaks and has never once used them.

He hates having ADHD but his psych did tell him that often kids with ADHD can hyper-focus, which is part of his autism as well.

Right now he is moaning about getting started though. I'm making brownies.