Y11 - 2026/27 thread

English Language and maths are the most important. Try to relax a bit as he is probably picking up on your anxiety. They do need a break as they have lots of pressure at school too. He needs 5 GCSE including English language and maths with a minimum 4. Can he drop any subjects?

Maybe try teen tablets if his energy levels are low. We use wellteen. For his exams anxiety and needle fear I wanted to suggest solution based hypnosis.

Hello, hoping I can jump on this thread too please!

DS1 is stressing about his exams and school to the point where he is feeling and/or being sick at least a couple of times a week. We have been to the GP who wants to send him for blood tests but he has a fear of needles/blood so is currently refusing to go.

He is not, however, stressing to the point where it’s actually making him do any revision. I am trying to encourage it but he is spending a lot of time sleeping and says they are going on and on about revision at school and he just wants a break from it when he’s home.

He is having English tutoring for an hour once a week and science tutoring for two hours every other week - these were at his request as he’s worried about not passing them (he got 2s in English language and physics in his end of year 10 “working at” report).

His English language teacher is quite difficult, I am yet to find a student or parent who actually thinks she is any good, and there are a few in his class who are having English tutoring as they are worrying about not knowing enough for the exams.

His school no longer has a sixth form, so we have got to find somewhere else to go next year. He wants to do A-levels but not entirely sure which ones. Possibly history, politics and business or law. We’ve only visited the local college so far, which we were surprisingly impressed by, they have a sixth form centre and I think the set up there will suit him. It’s unclear if they are offering politics though. We have a couple of school sixth form opening evenings booked in November and we are going back to the college for another look around as well.

They have more mocks in January, straight after Christmas.

I wasn’t anticipating how stressed I would be about it this early in the school year, although obviously I’m not letting him know I’m stressed.

We have no holidays booked and no plans to go away until next summer, which is already booked and we are all looking forward to!

Half term also for us - going away for the last relaxing school break until the summer, as DC has mocks after Christmas.
They sent reports out and the grades were very good - which is great but important to not get complacent!

Half term at last! DD has been working hard (mocks start a fortnight after the break) and needs a rest, though I think she will be quite diligent and do a decent amount of revision.

She had a breakthrough last week with revising for a science test, and really felt she knew the material after testing herself on some initial questions, then watching videos / reading material, then doing some final questions. I think she'd just been doing passive revision before - reading her notes etc. She is not a fan of flashcards or mind maps, but actively testing her knowledge with exam questions is working for her. She has probably worked this out just in time!

We had parents' evening earlier in the week, and DD was a bit affronted that another of her science teachers (who only took over their class in September) doesn't seem to think her capable of a top grade, and was only talking about 'securing' the grade she got in her Y10 exam. She has decided she will show him! We'll see how that goes...

6th form open evenings are coming up mid-November. Irritatingly, there are clashes on two evenings - on one she won't go to her school (even though it's her preferred choice) but she and I will go to another, and the other evening she and I will go to one, and DH to the other. They are all school sixth forms.

Have a great break, everyone!

DD is looking to do English with History/ Classical Civilisation and French so I would agree it's a common combination.

We are limping to half term here, drama devising went well on Wednesday but she is absolutely shattered. Looking forward to a week of revising for mocks and doing her college applications (we have two big colleges, hardly any school 6th forms so she is going to apply to both) but at least she can have a lie-in!

This surprises me. Back in the old days one of the 'standard' combinations at my school was English Lit, History & French. Seems to me English Lit & History would be quite a common combination.

First sixth form open evening for us - think it's ruled out already as English Lit and History are in the same block so can't do both.
It's given us more ideas on what we need to look at so was still helpful.
Half term for us now, revision to do before Nov mocks but for now they are fast asleep!

Then Btecs if more suitable would be fine IME. I am not aware that it matters where you did your nursing degree (not my area tho! but when I worked for an NHS trust, we certainly were not fussy about the uni for the nurses we recruited). Be aware tho that apparently it is not the certain route into a job it once was due to a freeze on recruitment. I think some areas may have more openings though.

Her aim is Nursing or Primary teaching. We are looking at university requirements now.

(My next question, which may be too slecific for this thread on Yr11... once a nurse is qualified, does the university matter?)

@BirdLandedonmyHead Btecs are not considered lesser as in, they are accepted by many universities and are a great choice if they will suit. Bette ra high grade in a Btec than a lower one in the A level, surely.

But it does depend on what her final aim is. It's fair to say that unis such as Oxford, Cambs, Warwick for some courses, LSE and a few other unis will not accept them, or only for certain courses, or only in combo with one or two A levels. Also I think I am right in saying courses like vetmed, medicine, dentistry will not accept them, or again, only in tandem with A level chemistry or similar. If her aim is anything of that order then research now.

She will suit BTecs better than A levels. Just the worry they would be considered lesser.

The choice would be
Medical Science BTEC vs A level biology
Pyschology A level vs BTEC

Werent overly impressed with Health and Social Care BTEC (they seemed to be putting off the science students).

V Level Education.. they were honest. They dont have the final details. They are working on the presumption it will be considered the same as BTEC Early Years its replacing. Good choice for those considering Primary Teaching.

Maths and Chemistry were a bit overwhelming.

Its the logical Sixth Form choice. (It used to be part of her school, separated 10 years ago). Very highly regarded.

There will only be a very few V levels for next Sept so unless those specific subjects appeal, that's an easy swerve.

A levels vs Btecs IME is around the kinds of subjects you like and the way you like to work.

If you like Eng lit, chemistry, history, maths then A levels are your badger. If you prefer more applied subjects like H&SC, business, applied science - and crucially if you are better with ongoing CW that has to be kept on top of (but then les emphasis on exams after two years) then Btecs are for you. A mix is also possible.

ETA 800 is a big sixth form so there should be a good range of subjects on offer.

First Sixth Form Open day.

Its confusing. A levels. BTECs. V Levels which havent even got the final syllabus yet.

She was worried it was foo big, but it seemed smaller today. About 800 per year.

Thanks for your reply @Echobelly The kings school want him to stay (obviously good for their stats) but it’s a long way to travel and he’s done 4 years there and many will move on as he was studying two classes above. His brother (currently yr9) is at a local grammar (equally good IMO) and he’s keen to move there. I have spoken to the head of house and he’s been very supportive and seems to think my son would have no issues getting in. Academically smashing it (if not a bit hard on himself) socially-needs some work. I’m thinking the grammar school option might help him as it’s much bigger than the private school and could help him adapt a little before uni. 🥴

Hiya, can I jump in on this thread please. DS is in yr 11 and planning to go to 6th form. I’m a bit out my depth 🫣 He’s already done Maths, Further, Statistics and got 9,9,8. Mocks coming up for triple science, business studies, English, French and Religion & Philosophy, history! I’m worried he’s studying too hard.. he has autism and academically a bit of a bright lad but in his head failure isn’t an option. Hell bent he’s off to uni after 6th form. Currently attending a private specialist school with two day release at Kings for science (also study A-level maths) to keep him on their timetable. I’m just overwhelmed with it all. ExH is far removed from it all - typically.

Its tricky as the reason we are looking is she foubd tge Sixth form college overwhelming.

This would be smaller, but still 350 per year, and she eould not know anyone.

Other option is a Catholic school. (She is athesist!)

Nothing to lose.

It may help completely cross it off the list.
Or, if a potential, you could ask if it would be possible to go another day with DC to have a look. Obviously it won’t give the full experience but better than nothing.

One of the Sixth Form open evenings is the same night as one if the performances of the current school production.

Do you think it would be worth going alone?

Dd went to a sixth form taster day this week, came back unimpressed, they didn't even go in into the sixth form building and she wasn't inspired by the day. Think we're crossing that one off the list.
She's been selected by the school as a super student, email from the deputy head saying they are looking forward to getting to know her this year. She's been in the school for 5 years, the cynic in me feels like they should have made an attempt before now?!

Just joining in this thread.

Can’t believe DS is now in Y11. Although I have an older DS (he is 21), his year got TAG due to Covid so a completely different experience of Y11 than DS2.

DS2 has ASD and is academically not as strong as DS1. He is predicted relatively good grades for English and other subjects but finds maths/science quite challenging so it’s going to be quite a slog to get him the grades that he needs. He has spent a lot of time over the summer on Cognito (online learning platform) and doing past papers, all his own doing.

He wants to stay at 6th form to do a combination of 3 BTECs, school is his safe place and I think him changing at this point is not a great idea.