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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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.

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t875 · 13/09/2016 23:08

History teacher here called to say that dad has gaps think when she had her anxiety which affected her in lessons. Unhelpful teacher that contributed to her anxiety in year 10!
She needs to learn more about medicine?! And Russia ussr but getting her to look up these gaps is proving difficult and him teacher telling us if her grade isn't good enough at Christmas possibly for her drop it which did was let very happy with. It's all so full on why can't they give them a break for a month to settle into a new year.
I'm trying to not let dd feel over whelmed with it all and go with the flow which of course isn't always the case how she deals with it.

t875 · 13/09/2016 23:09

Not dad has gaps. Dd has gaps. Grin

BertrandRussell · 13/09/2016 23:15

Ds has just told me that the work he was doing on castles last year was a controlled assessment and part of his GCSE "But I told you that mum!"

exampanic · 14/09/2016 06:39

So still a bit clueless what controlled assessments are. Will go and search on internet. I thought that exams at the end of the year was all that mattered. Unless you did art when you have course work throughout the year.
Ok, so Wikipedia says they do count, and then a bit later it mentions the with new changes it doesn't. Anyway Ds mentioned something that must be CG for German ("teacher sends it off"), not any other subjects. Could it be because of difference in exam board?

Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 14/09/2016 07:15

The only new ones our y11 kids are doing are Maths and English. So the rest of their GCSEs are the old ones and mostly still have controlled assessments, which are worth varying percentages of the whole thing. e.g. if I remember rightly, German has two speaking and two writing which are each 15% and then the exam is the remaining 40%, but History is only 25%.

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bigTillyMint · 14/09/2016 07:24

exampanic, going on DD 2 years ago, controlled assessments (CA's in most subjects, ISA's in Science!) are always towards final marks. But the percentage they are worth varies. And different exam boards have different types/worth different percentages, etc.
IIRC, CA's for MFL are worth quite a lot (60%?) In Art it was 2 days practical exams twice?

They can be redone if the teacher feels the pupil could do better (but a different assessment IYSWIM)

exampanic · 14/09/2016 10:26

ha ha, so I will be talking to ds tonight.
Or maybe not, better to not know I suppose as I can't do much about it anyway. He won't listen to my gentle persuasion, nudging, nagging, ....
Finding this thread, was probably not a good thing.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 14/09/2016 11:48

My DDs have said that they can keep retaking part of their Spanish GCSE until they get the right grade! Seems odd to me. Either they know it or they don't!

BertrandRussell · 14/09/2016 11:54

Some of ds's class did the speaking and listening part of their Spanish GCSE last term- and some of them are having another go this year.

Laniakea · 14/09/2016 12:32

I I think dd's ISAs are worth 25% for each science - two papers each but they are only having one go at it (chemistry teacher has said anyone who does really badly can have another go in the Christmas holidays).

French is 60% I think - speaking & writing - tgey do two of each then pick the best one. They did one writing last year & are just about to do another one. Speaking is in November I think.

She's also done CAs for history & geography - both last year, not sure off hand how much they are worth but I know they only get one chance to do them (at dd's school anyway).

bigTillyMint · 14/09/2016 12:44

Yes, it is mad, Sandy. But frankly with the way that it has to be taught, most of them are just trying to memorise, not actually learn anythingAngry

I think DS has done all the Science and the History, 3(?) of the French but not sure about Geography.

minesawine · 14/09/2016 13:19

The school have given the DC's a letter with the dates of all mocks, tests and controlled assessments, which is brilliant. Where did I find it? Under his bed with the rest of his crap. I have now photocopied it and plastered it over his bedroom wall. I also have put the dates in my diary so that I can gently persuade him when he needs to step up his revision. Is it really only September?

pointythings · 14/09/2016 13:58

DD has done her French speaking and writing (there is a second shot but she got A* so she is done), 95% of her History and all of her science CAs/ISAs. English is up soon, Geography fieldwork and associated CA in early October. She has one set of mocks in November, another in January so she is steadily revising as well. The school has it all on the calendar, so she has nowhere to hide Grin.

bigTillyMint · 14/09/2016 21:53

Do I get a prize for being the first mum to go to a sixth form open evening?Grin
DS was keen to go and really happy to see his teachers (same school) as he hasn't gone back yet because he is on WE Shock!

Fleurdelise · 14/09/2016 22:04

DS has done the ISAs last year and should be done with it unless he's aiming for A*s which I am sure he's not. He's done Geography CA and French but not sure if he'll do them again as I have no clue what he got in them.

BigTillyMint yes, the price is yours, very organised, I am impressed! Grin

pointythings · 14/09/2016 22:05
Fleurdelise · 14/09/2016 22:15

Oh, and DS is indeed doing Macbeth Grin. Just asked about French, he did a CA last year but he's not sure, he thinks there is another one coming up. And he has 2 hours left in geography. Any DCs doing computer science? DS hates it! Predicted an A bit thinks he'll fail it.

Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 14/09/2016 22:28

Yes, you win the prize. Chocolate or Flowers? Grin Is he planning on staying on for 6th form?

Was looking at the school calendar for the y11 parents evening (couldn't find it) but did find various controlled assessments, so checked with ds that he knew about them too! Physics has just started today, after that is Chemistry. A German one (they have about 3 still to do I think) straight after half term, same week as his next Drama assessed performance. History gets done this term too I think, and then the mocks are first week of December. If he makes it to Christmas, next term should be reasonably ok!

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Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 14/09/2016 22:29

Oh, and yes, he's doing Computer Science - loves it though, sorry Fleur!

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Laniakea · 15/09/2016 08:53

we've got an information evening for year 11 parents next week. Hopefully we'll get actual dates & stuff (!) dd is still vague about it all.

Last night she did 15 minutes of mymaths homework (all they ever get, not nearly enough practice for dd - all it does is give her a false sense of security which leads to utter panic when given a proper exam question), 30 mins of tassomai & then I bullied her into doing another half an hour of maths. Massive strop from her. Two hours is ridiculous etc etc ... not impressed when I pointed out she'd only done just over an hour. Oh & in the last three days she's written over 15000 words for her book (i.e. 'better things' to do than work).

At bedtime she came in & asked how exactly she was supposed to revise & how much she should do & when she should do it. It's so bloody hard for them, I wish they just had exams at 18 ... so much growing up happens between 16 & 18.

Anyway she has formulated a plan - maths & production at the weekends & during the week tassomai & 30 minutes each on two subjects except Monday (theatre group) when she'll only do one. She has a free period on Thursdays (doesn't do RE) & does homework then. It's doable bu I suspect it won't last more than a couple of days!

BigSandyBalls2015 · 15/09/2016 11:22

And so it all begins again. DD seemed happy enough to go back to school last week, no major issues getting her up and out. However, just had a phone call from school office to say she's sitting in there crying saying she hates school and feels sick and anxious. Says nothing in particular bothering her just hates it all.

She's bright, she has lovely friends. Gives off a very laid back, easy going persona, but does struggle with anxiety around school. Her attendance in year 10 went down to 86% and there was talk of the education welfare officer getting involved. She just can't do that this year, a conversation we've had many times over the school hols - but it's not that simple is it.

How are the pair of us going to do this until June Sad.

Laniakea · 15/09/2016 13:53

:( BigSandy, poor dd & poor you. Particularly hard to address if there's nothing specific she can say is bothering her too.

bigTillyMint · 15/09/2016 15:14

Sandy, my sympathies (I have a DD diagnosed with PD and you would never guess it!) It is not an easy road for them or us. Has she had any CAMHS support/other support? What is the Pastoral support like at her school?

Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 15/09/2016 16:43

Sandy my sympathies - I could have written your post pretty much word for word - ds didn't make it into school today. He's not feeling great, but not ill enough to actually stop him going into school if he were ok.

His school are very good, and I emailed his form tutor this morning (new one this year, I was on first name terms with the last one). He was seeing an educational psychologist last term and they're going to make sure that carries on this term. Although he thinks that he's done everything she suggests and he hasn't got better ...

I gave him a little notebook this morning so he can write down one thing to do each morning and tick it off in the evening - in the hope that he can see that he is achieving things, because he feels like he doesn't.

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Original poster
AtiaoftheJulii · 15/09/2016 16:44

How is she this evening anyway?

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