Starting Y11 support thread

[AtiaoftheJulii]

(Yeah, I'm procrastinating ....)

For all those with one or two (or more?) offspring going into year 11: controlled assessments, coursework, practicals, performances, GCSE revision (or not ...), being guinea pigs for the Maths and English 1to9 exams, choosing what to do next - schools/sixth form colleges/college/apprenticeships/BTECs/A levels and more - and generally being 15!

It's a tough year academically - in some ways harder than sixth form I think because there are just so many subjects and exams - and a tough year emotionally - not always mature enough to organise themselves, too old to have organisation imposed upon them!

Ds still has an MFL CA, a couple of science practical CAs, and two assessed drama performances, plus coursework to do for History I think. I can't see there's going to be much let up and he's definitely feeling the pressure I think he'll probably end up staying at his school for 6th form (he's very mathsy and his school is a good fit) but we may well look at a couple of sixth form colleges as he's already talking about whether he can go somewhere that won't feel quite so pushy.

Had our session at crude last night for dd and it went really well.
Said she has social difficulties where she can't do group discussions, groups changing, teachers changing ( meaning getting to know have to talk to new teachers) not being able to express her emotions or how she feels so it was very interesting. Felt like we made a break through!!
I'm going to look on Amazon for books on this.
Saying that though she has new teachers but my god they are better than last year! More positive which is helping her!!
We got a phone call from the history teacher and he was saying how pleased he was with Dd so that's good! 😊 I nearly fell off my chair mind you! Ha ha!
Has anyone on here tried my tutor??online tutoring!?

Well DS had another relaxing Friday going to a gig with a friend and his older sisters. Apparently he needs to wind down after a week at school.

To be fair he said that all the lessons now are revision on an on so he doesn't see the point to come home and do some more. Meeting at school on Monday so I'll find out then if that is true.

BigTilly he doesn't have a rain jacket, it isn't cool to wear one, didn't you know? Better get soaked.

Exactly, Fleur

Though DS has footy training jackets that he will wear

She's also got all that time that she's not going to rehearsals this year

That is exactly what I thought, she'll need something that isn't tumblr to fill her time!

Ralph & Madhairy that's really useful thank you! She's part of a writing group where they do a lot of critique ... she's fairly immune (in that it doesn't upset her!) to criticism. I'm going to let her do it, if she under performs in her mocks (November) we can rethink, but I think it will be motivating.

DD's out this weekend but she did 45 minutes of maths this morning before she went.

Really hope that those that are having a hard time have a happier week ahead.

Happy 16th to your dd mad hairy
Dd is 16 October!!! Wahhh

"DD turned sixteen yesterday! Now that is scary"

oh I missed that!

Hope she had a brilliant birthday :)

Dd only turned 15 3 weeks ago!

Oh I missed that, happy 16 birthday to you DD Madhairy! That is scary. DS only turned 15 last day of July!

*your

Thanks. She had a vintage afternoon tea with 10 friends yesterday. Now to clear up the aftermath... She had a lovely time. Teenage girls can make a hell of a noise I tell you.

Yep, she's old for her year, if she'd come on her due date of Aug 31st she'd be in y12 now. Was always glad though as with the dyspraxia she has been quite young for her age.

Oh and the one teenage boy, her boyfriend in the middle of all these girls, felt rather sorry for him but he seemed fine. He has such doe eyes for dd nothing else seems to matter. Aw.

I didn't realise that 6th form colleges (and school???) applications have to be in by 31 December. So early in the year!. My DS does not have a clue about what A'Levels to do except for some vague idea that he wants to study economics. This is despite saying that he is keen on working in mental health. I just hope the school do an options/choices session to help me with my numerous discussions with him.

It's the beginning of the January term for provisional A level options for dd. She's got a fairly good idea of what she wants to do but it still feels way too soon.

Have had a weird weekend - dd had fun. Very long & bizarre story but she was working as a guide on Saturday ... in Mildred Hubble costume & v. happy to have been recognised by lots of kids ... rather than pay her they gave her a kitten! We're off to pick it up in a couple of weeks (we were actually looking for one she was chuffed to have done the acquiring!). She's done some homework, tassomai & a bit more maths so not bad.

Less good were almost simultaneous phone calls telling us both my grandmother & FIL were gravely ill. Have spent the day visiting & talking to drs ... think it will be a tough week.

minesawine, I think it varies from sixth-form to sixth-form IIRC from 2 years ago. DS has no idea either!

Hopefully over the course of this term he can make some sort of choices - who knows if he will still want to do them/get the grades, but I'm sure there's some room for manoeuvre. IIRC, DD only firmed hers after she got offers. But I might be wrong!

Laniakea, that sounds intriguing re your DD, but sympathies re your grandmother and FIL - it seems so common to be squeezed from both ends for so many of us.

One 6th form college that ds will probably look at has its closing date for applications as 6th November. Although they do say that you only need to give an indication of your current preferences for A levels, final decisions aren't made until you get your GCSE results. They have a complicated system for oversubscription (and ds would be bottom of the pile), but they said when we looked 3 years ago with dd2 that in practice everyone who wanted a place would get an offer (dependent on results). They interview as well, and dd2 got an unconditional offer after her interview.

Another one just says apply as soon as possible from October - I can't find a closing date. His school sixth form don't have their open evening until December, and they do their 6th form options in Jan/Feb I think. So all different, but yes, surprisingly early for some places.

thinking about open days I'm going to look at the Wren tomorrow (new free school, only has years 7 & 8 atm), I've got younger children in yr5/3/1 too. I think it is highly unlikely that any of them will get into dd's school which I love but we're out of catchment & it's increasingly over subscribed. I need to start thinking about other options. Don't think the year 5 will go but think I need to start looking again (groan).

No train drama today except for self inflicted lateness because she let the rabbit escape.

Anyone who has done this before know how crucial the Feb halfterm is? DS already has a school trip for the last 3 days, but we're trying to get to see family in Hong Kong, and so DS would be away for the whole week and both weekends. Currently have no sense as to when it will be a "good time" for a holiday (especially with January mocks!). DS is useless at "catching up" with anything, so we try to avoid termtime absence at all cost. But I'm starting to wonder whether we have to be careful about some of the holidays this year.

FF, I think it depends on the timing of the schools mocks. It was just before half-term for DD, so I am praying it is the same for DS as we will be going skiing.

Easter and Summer half-term you definitely need to be at home for revision!

Had the school meeting, I feel like I want to hide in the corner and emerge next year on the 24th August.

Mocks starting 14th November, December/Jan sixth form interviews, application Feb/March. What I liked the most is that they put in place intervention and revision groups after school and lunch time, the tutors are their teachers and sixth formers. Now how do I get DS to go is the question.

Oh and we talked about the prom also.

Just got an email confirmation with regards to ISAs exams, indeed they will take it again this term and the highest mark will be submitted to the board in May.

We are a bit torn with next year's holiday as DS doesn't seem to think it matters for him to be home on the results day however I think it may ruin my holiday as the days before the results I may become stressed and so on. So better to be home on the results week, what do you think?

What are his 6th form plans? Some of our local colleges expect them in the day after to sort out courses etc. If he is fairly certain that he'll get what he needs to do what he wants where he wants (!) then he just needs to check how 6th form indiction works.

I missed mine, and wasn't allowed to do one of the A levels I wanted to. I had the grades I needed, but there seemed to be a one-time only opportunity to sort courses, and by not being in, I missed it.

Flying (DD is now y13.)
For us Feb half term was the last proper chance for a break before the final push. It was after her mocks (early Jan, revised in Christmas hols), and she did have some MFL CAs to prep, but otherwise it was have a rest time.

Apart from 4 days away at Easter, DD was pretty solid March-end exams, so I would say go for it.

Thanks T&T. Have just realised that he is down for 2 school trips in the Feb half-term - not sure when the break comes, or perhaps I just have to face the fact that his break won't be with me!

Fleur, we found being away till the night before DD's AS results this year worked really well for us - it all seemed a bit surreal whilst we were away.

I would advise being back for the day though -if he has to enrol immediately on the day, he needs to be there in person to collect them.

You are right, I think it is best to be here on results day, I'd hate it if he doesn't get the results he needs and we are miles away (planning to go to Spain or France) not being able to talk to anybody.

After detention on first day of school (a first, I congratulated him as he never managed such an "achievement") today we got a congrats email from school on his ISA achievement. That is how it is with him, one day he drives you up the walls, another day he pulls himself together and works hard.