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Original poster

Starting Y11 support thread

999 replies

AtiaoftheJulii · 05/09/2016 13:02

(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 Sad 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.

OP posts:
Madhairday · 12/12/2016 16:52

Dd is really disappointed with her maths - she had been getting 7s and the odd 8 in tests but she got 34/80 in first and about that for others, she's in set 1 and says this is average for the class, hill ghost was 64 and second highest 40 - this is very concerning.

She doesn't know all results yet but her chemistry teacher told her she has a B and a C so she's annoyed as she wants a B and has been getting A*s in coursework. She's feeling really stressed over it all.

Good luck to those only just starting or having to wait til after Christmas Sad

Madhairday · 12/12/2016 16:52

Highest not hill ghost Hmm

QueenofQuirkiness · 12/12/2016 17:36

DD is going to be cramming over Christmas I think - she has three concerts this week in music and dance and the teachers are still setting lengthy homeworks!

Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 12/12/2016 22:13

Ds started his last week of term with a German writing controlled assessment - did loads of work on it yesterday and thinks it went ok, remembered most of it. Also got back some exam results, all fairly good except for the German listening that he did after a maths Olympiad, and had his mind full of maths still! (He spent a lot of his time in his exams after he'd finished, working on maths problems that he hadn't got in the Olympiad, lol.)

I'm hoping that a halfway decent set of results will inspire him in the new year Smile

OP posts:
pasanda · 12/12/2016 22:31

fleur

I'm not surprised you're dreading it, I know the feeling!

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but have you read the book "He'll be OK'? It talks about how lots of boys seem to leave everything to the last minute and use the analogy of a tsunami and how there is no point in doing homework/forms/revision until the last minute in case a tsunami strikes before then and it all would have been a waste of time!!

It's a really good book and has helped me try to understand why ds does what he does. It's so difficult being a highly organised 43 year old woman, who was a reasonably conscientious student, neat and tidy and who just got on with things, who has a highly disorganised son who often appears to not give a damn and who's room/desk/bag is a complete and utter chaotic mess!!

His school have the opportunity to go on a month long trip between Year 12/13 and he did not get the relevant forms, has not therefore filled them in and has now missed the deadline. He REALLY wants to go Hmm. So now he wants me to phone the company and see if there is a space. Because he is disorganised. ARRRRGH!!

I am now no longer pre-menstrual and am in forgiving mode, trying to be sympathetic and understanding of his disorganisation. It will only last until next month....

No more results so far this week for us. The suspense is killing me!!

Sprog19 · 13/12/2016 07:49

DS1 has now had a maths lesson and it turns out he got 35% which translated to a 4 minus.

Is this about right compared to how other schools are marking? (Higher paper by the way)

Sprog19 · 13/12/2016 07:50

And I know no one knows the grade boundaries yet but approx what % would be need to get a 5?

Fleurdelise · 13/12/2016 08:20

Thank you for the book recommendation pasanda I'll go on Amazon to get it.

Sprog no clue, we are still waiting for the mock results, should be out by Friday. I think the school will mark them based on last year's results, so let's say hypothetically 10% last year got A* then this year the top 10% papers will be marked as 8, 20% got As then 20% will be marked as 7 and so on. I think the expectations are that app the same no of pupils will get similar results to last year. Of course it depends how the schools perform nationally but unless a school's standards are suddenly falling way behind last year they should see a similar result, if that makes sense.

pasanda · 13/12/2016 18:43

Sprog. I have no idea either. I'm still waiting to hear what DS got. Am slightly nervous...

Laniakea · 13/12/2016 19:05

sprog I don't really have any idea either but dd got 56% overall and was told that's a 5. Obviously that's just the teacher's best guess.

Laniakea · 13/12/2016 20:06

English speaking & listening done today, it was okay so that's one more thing off this list. She's doing her last big essay for production at the moment - they'll have a presentation to do next term but it will really ease up after that.

Think they are getting their chemistry results tomorrow which is a bit argh. The biology teacher has already said she's disappointed with their marks overall, hope chemistry is better!

readyforsunshine · 14/12/2016 07:29

Morning all Smile
Ds has progressed from near shut down response to any gentle suggestion of revision to actually saying 'I really need to get on with my revision. I can't believe mocks are weeks away!' Hmm I'm hoping this is soon going to progress to actual revision. As ever towards the end of he has been racking up the behaviour points but it's apparently ok as he won't get enough for a detention in the remaking 21/2 days of term Hmm
Parents eve was predictable, lovely supportive teachers saying how able he is to achieve As & A* but he has every chance of Getting nowhere near unless he starts taking things seriously & knuckling down to work.
Am also off to buy the book thanks pasanda

BigSandyBalls2015 · 14/12/2016 10:25

God this is all so stressful, and these are 'only' mocks. What's it going to be like in May/June Angry.

Both my DDs have done very very little revision - I expected this from one of them as she's always needed a push to get motivated, but my usually self-motivated DD seems to have done the same. I'm tired of asking them to put down their bloody phones/laptops and get on with some work.

I'm drinking far too much Wine, and DH seems to breeze around happily oblivious to the whole school thing. Just the occasional 'how did it go girls' in the evenings.

Maybe he's got the right idea.

Dancergirl · 14/12/2016 23:14

Hello all stressed Year 11 parents!

Dd has had two English mocks so far. She said the comprehension was pretty hard but she was pleased with the writing part. English is the only subject this term, everything else is next term starting on the first day back 5th January.

Can I ask you all about revision? I had a chat with dd's form tutor about revision and he said they recommend a full day's worth on most days throughout the holidays. There's no way I can see dd doing that. The thing is, dd's teachers all say she is hard working and conscientious but I see her doing very little at home! She hates me nagging her and says it is all under control.

Laniakea · 15/12/2016 00:44

dd didn't manage any more than 3.5 hours in a day ever (that was over half term). On school nights she's been doing 2-2.5 hours but that includes any homework she's been given, similar at the weekend too.

She's going to aim for 3 hours a day over Christmas - but that includes lots of maths, she's way behind where she needs to be & has a lot of catching up to do. Also I honestly don't know how effective her revision has been. She tends to take the yeah I know that move on attitude - she kind of knows it but is losing marks for missing details. I've bought her some work books (joy) to use over the holiday in the hope she'll be more focused.

Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 15/12/2016 07:37

A full day sounds completely ridiculous. If you read any advice about revising it says to take plenty of breaks, get outside every day, etc.

I think even my very hard-working dd revising for A levels would probably only manage a maximum of 6 hours of actual sitting down working, and that was in the run up to her A levels, not GCSE mocks! I suppose 6 hours might count as a full day.

Ds's school ask some kids to come into school to work during GCSE study leave, but they let them go home at lunchtime, saying that they wouldn't expect them to spend all day revising at home (see my first sentence) and so they don't expect them to stay in school all day.

My ds might do some history over the holidays as he has a controlled assessment when he goes back, but I don't suppose he'll do much else. Before his mocks he probably averaged about an hour a day for a fortnight. He's no role model though!

OP posts:
Fleurdelise · 15/12/2016 09:43

Well DS considered that the revision time is over after the mocks he'll start in January again. And to be fair for the sanity of my family I agree, I plan to have a quiet Christmas but that is because lucky the mocks have been in November, thinking of you all with the mocks in January.

DSs school also asks kids (depending on their teachers assessments) to come in during study leave to revise. I honestly can't wait for all this to be over.

LittleHoHum · 15/12/2016 10:32

recommend a full day's worth on most days throughout the holidays

No - don't do that! She would burn out by the real exams. It is a marathon not a race. Build it up gradually with loads of nice things in between.

ds has just done his last language speaking exam. Glad those are over. Smile

LittleHoHum · 15/12/2016 10:33

Thank goodness ds had his mocks in November. ds is also planning a complete break this Christmas holidays.

Dancergirl · 15/12/2016 13:45

atia well not quite a full day. He said to 'start early' work in 45 min stretches then have a 15 min break. Take an hour for lunch then start again. And hour for dinner then stop working at 9pm.

I think it sounds way too much for the mocks. And I think even if someone worked this hard for the mocks and did well, it might lull them into a false sense of security and not work hard enough for the real things.

Laniakea · 15/12/2016 14:11

He said to 'start early' work in 45 min stretches then have a 15 min break. Take an hour for lunch then start again. And hour for dinner then stop working at 9pm.

Shock

I honestly think this is way too much. Maybe he's saying it in the expectation that none of them will actually do that much? I didn't do that much for A levels, finals yes but GCSE mocks?!?! Wow!

Dancergirl · 15/12/2016 14:23

I'm glad you said that lania Dd will be exhausted by the end of term and likes to catch up on sleep like most teens. I can't see her surfacing much before 11am tbh. And I'm not going to go in to wake her up to start work.

Gnome134 · 15/12/2016 14:35

Sympathies to those with mocks after Christmas. DS had his in November, results this week. His predictions are A/ B and he got B in most things. Bit disappointed in a D for geography, and 4 in maths! He revised for around 2 or 3 hours in the evenings and a bit more over the weekends for the six weeks before the mocks. He apparently has to go over the geography paper for homework over the holidays, and they have a second set of mocks in February. Think he needs to make sure his revision time is used effectively, and practise writing answers for past papers. The subject knowledge is ok, just getting it down on paper for the longer answer questions can be challenging! Sixth form applications done- one to stay at school and the other a Sixth Form college.

Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 15/12/2016 16:33

Yes, that sounds way too much. One revision preparation thing my daughter had at school said to do 20-25 revising, 5-10 minutes of rest. 45 minutes is too long for a lot of people (including me!) but my dd liked to do 45 minute stretches before having a break. I honestly think the most important thing about revising for mocks is working out what works for them (or perhaps it's just my kids who didn't always revise particularly effectively up till then!).

My thoughts on revision:
1 - Have a good list of topics to be covered, preferably broken down into pretty small chunks, so when you want to sit down and do some work you can just pull out a book and get on with it, rather than spending the first 15 minutes deciding what to do.
2 - work for a while, twenty minutes, an hour, whatever works for you.
3 - have a break for a bit, have a little reward, but know when you're going back to work.
4 - rinse, repeat as many times as you can bear.
5 - try to get outside each day, walk the dog, see a friend, etc.

Amendments, additions? I'm sure we could create the ideal MN revision guide Grin

OP posts:
pasanda · 16/12/2016 09:31

I think that is a good revision guide op! For ds's mocks, I created a timetable for him and broke the subjects down into smaller chunks so that he was literally 'spoon fed' what to do. He is very disorganised and would spend ages trying to work out what to revise, that by the time he had done that, he wouldn't want to sit at his desk much longer! 45 mins was the absolute max he could do at any one time.

The teacher who recommended revising until 9pm every day must be bonkers!

DS got his maths result ... 28% Sad

One boy got 95% Shock Shock and his girlfriend got 60% Smile so he is realising that he needs to revise hard for maths. I'm glad in a way. It's given him a wake up call.

He has decided to have a week off before Xmas which I think is a good idea. They have been working so hard at school with CA's etc that he needs some downtime. He has asked for one of his Xmas pressies early - Fifa 17. His logic is that he will want to play it a lot when he first gets it and if he doesn't get it until Xmas day, he will want to play it afterwards when he is supposed to be revising. This is typical ds logic and I have agreed and caved given it to him (but will re-wrap for the day!)

Fingers crossed he keeps his word...