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Original poster

Year 11 support thread

999 replies

pasanda · 10/02/2017 09:37

I can't find a new thread, moving on from the old full one, so I thought I would create one (please tell me if I'm wrong!)

Last night ds stayed up till 4.30am doing his biology coursework Shock

This time the tsunami affect didn't work and he left it far too late to do a reasonable job. Which is a bloody shame because he wants to do biology A level and he has done so well in his other controlled assessments.

I wait with bated breath to find out his mark

Oh well, thank God for half term!!

OP posts:
Ontopofthesunset · 03/04/2017 17:58

As I understand it, the double award is three 2-hour papers, one for each of Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Those are all before half term. Then for the triple award you do three additional 1 hour papers, one for each subject. So 9 hours of exams for all 3 sciences. But there aren't completely new topics on the one-hour paper - it's just more depth and extra sub-topics for each of the topics on the double award. So a few more things about waves and a few more details about genetics, for example.

Draylon · 03/04/2017 20:30

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AtiaoftheJulii · 03/04/2017 21:34

Yeah, I've never met anyone who did the core/additional/advanced, but it seemed to be a way of spreading out the exams. All exactly the same modules, just rearranged differently.

Interesting to hear more about how other boards work. ontop I checked the CGP books too, lol, to make sure modules 5 and 6 were different Grin

noblegiraffe · 03/04/2017 23:18

From what I've heard about Core, additional and further science, the advantage is that you get a gcse for your B1, C1 and P1, then one for your B2, C2 and P2, then cram them through B3, C3 and P3. If they mess those up, you've still got 2 top science grades for your progress 8 bucket and the crappy Further science grade can be binned. On the other hand, if you do it the other way and they mess up B3, C3 and P3 because they're rushed at the last minute, you end up with 3 mediocre GCSEs.

Laniakea · 04/04/2017 12:26

Had to drive dd to school this morning, she was too tired to get out of bed. Roll on Easter.

She redid her creative writing critiques last night (having read through the spec) & spent ages digging out all of her first drafts to quote from. Hopefully that's the end of it now - it's taken up a lot of time over the last couple of weeks.

It hadn't occurred to me that the triple ppl could still do core/additional/further, for some reason I thought that it had been done away with. They've timetabled physics/chem/biol rather than science from y7 - I think because it appeals to middle class parents dreaming of 'grammar school education' in a non grammar area.

Draylon · 04/04/2017 17:22

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pointythings · 04/04/2017 17:29

Annnnd.... Dd1 has realised that they have given her so much revision homework that she is going to need to do at least 5 hours a day every day of the Easter holidays. I am actually hopping mad with the school. Do they want their students to burn out? I know they're shit-scared of the new spec GCSEs (the culprits are maths and English) but really? I am also hopping mad with the sodding Dof E.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 04/04/2017 17:38

DD is going to have to do five or six hours a day too - they have provided long history and language booklets to learn. A bit late now????

She has given herself one day off between now and 21 June; the rest is full of intensive revision. One day! That sounds crazy to me, absolutely crazy. I wish the school didn't make them all do eleven GCSEs. Feels far too much. She will definitely burn out this way.

errorofjudgement · 04/04/2017 17:42

I'm not sure how the whole core/additional/further works, this is what DS2 did and I'm sure he has separate Grades for Physics/Chem/Biology.
Which is why on balance, DD is aiming for 2 top grades in double, otherwise it can be pulled down to 3 less good grades in triple.

errorofjudgement · 04/04/2017 17:48

Yes, yes to burn out. We have deliberately arranged for friends to come visit over Easter weekend (Sat-Mon), and a half day trip on each of the 2 weeks in the Easter hols.
DD had a 2.5 hr English mock today. Haven't had much chance to speak to her yet, but I gather she didn't manage the time well, spent too long on a difficult unseen poetry piece, rather than move on to the next question. Still at least she recognises this now, better than learning it next month ....

Draylon · 04/04/2017 18:07

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Giraffesaretootall · 04/04/2017 19:06

All this homework sounds so different to us, DS has been given the sum total of 2 maths papers to do all holidays. No other work given for any other subject apart from being told to keep up with tassomai. Not even sure he has been told to revise much!

I would prefer them to give him more prescribed work which would save me being the evil one who is making him work 😬.

Laniakea · 05/04/2017 10:27

Horrible evening with dd yesterday - because I said she couldn't go to an all night party on Saturday (between her revision days). I said I'd drop her off at 8 & pick her up 11 but that's obviously completely unfair. Fine said I, don't go at all. The not bovvered attitude is hard to tolerate.

TeenAndTween · 05/04/2017 11:22

For DD1 we ignored some of the Easter holiday revision homework where it didn't fit with revision plans (e.g. P2 questions when P2 was her final exam mid June).
Otherwise we worked out how the homework could be made part of the schedule, so a maths paper could be done at the end of a block of maths revision or whatever.
So try to fit revision homework into plans rather than seeing it as 'extra'. (Unless of course your DC has no plans to revise!).

ps It is amazing how much time can be gained by sticking to term time getting up times. They can start revising at 8:30/9 rather than 10:30/11 and gain a whole 2 hours.

Dancergirl · 05/04/2017 11:31

I don't think 5 hours a day is unreasonable actually. I'm hoping dd will put in that amount but that remains to be seen! She's on a History trip to Berlin at the moment, back tonight.

I remember revising for GCSEs and putting in about 3 hours in the morning, having a good break for lunch then about another 3 in the afternoon with the evening off. It seemed to work for me.

Laniakea · 07/04/2017 16:29

Finally Easter here - dd got back an hour ago & is being a total arsehole. I've locked myself in the bathroom to escape her. She's refusing to do anything & is in a massive sulk because she's got four compulsory revision days over the next weeks; me telling her she's incredibly lucky & she needs to get over herself & be grateful did not go down well.

It isn't looking good for the party tomorrow night.

Dancergirl · 07/04/2017 18:40

Oh dear laniakea do you have any wine? Grin

My dd got back from Berlin on Wednesday night, had a fab time.

She had the science tutor today, other than that not much work. She's struggling to come up with a revision timetable she will actually stick to. I've had a look at a few online resources but might just help her write it by hand in pencil.

Monday will be a no revision day (dance festivals) and also Thursday (I'm taking her to the ballet) so she needs to work this weekend.

Jungfraujoch · 07/04/2017 18:49

DS was in school today despite inset day - finishing RM. anyone else's DS/DD take Graphics AND RM? It's a lot of work!

Tomorrow I've told him he needs to do a new revision timetable
taking into consideration the fact he is in school over Easter on 5 days - 2 hr revision sessions each day.

HappyMum543 · 07/04/2017 19:12

My ds made a revision timetable and hasn't stuck to it he's been doing 2-3 hours a day of revision that's it and on his timetable it was 3 subjects a day.
He just cannot concentrate wants to go out on his bike I don't know wat more I can do. Tomorrow he sed he's only doing 1 hour of maths I cannot win .
It's the weather sunny everyone's out he just cannot come concentrate in his room or downstairs I'm beginning to give up

pointythings · 07/04/2017 19:48

We were travelling most of today. DD1 has still managed to fit in a couple of hours.

I don't think 5 hours a day in the holidays is a reasonable expectation, to be honest. I think schools have to budget for rest and relaxation in their revision demands. Rest is just as important as revision and doing 5 hours a day every day from 6 weeks in from the exam really does risk burnout. DD1 will be revising while we are here in Holland - on days we don't go out she will be doing about 4 hours a day on her Macbeth and An Inspector Calls. On days we do go out it's 2 hours max on poetry. I think that is perfectly reasonable. She has done all her maths, all her biology and a chunk of Macbeth already. The school need to understand that they have some hard workers out there who need rest more than cramming.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 07/04/2017 20:10

On her first day of revision this Easter, DD1 said she was sick of revising, and tired of it all. She has been working and revising very very hard all term. We have therefore decided she is going on holiday to Spain with the rest of the family. Originally it was just DH and DD2 going for three nights to Spain, but after some hasty booking activity, DD1 and I are now going too, in a few hours.

It has really energised her, and I think it is definitely the right decision. For the past couple of days, she has been doing 9 Hmm hours of revision a day to compensate for the travel time, and she says she may even consider taking a half day off whilst there.

She is terrifyingly motivated, and I think this working holiday will be good for her. If she 'only' does 4-5 hours a day, it will still give her switch off time. My aim is to persuade her to have one complete day off, so fingers crossed. If nothing else, it has helped her to enjoy revising the last few days, and she has been very positive.

Our bags are heaving under the weight of science text books, but it is great to see her so happy. I think she will now also feel ok revising when she comes back.

Good luck to other DCs revising -
it's very dull!

Draylon · 07/04/2017 23:36

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Ontopofthesunset · 07/04/2017 23:50

I really get that some diligent high achieving children are busting a gut here but 9 hours a day? She must have learned it all weeks ago. There really isn't that much to learn. There just aren't that many past papers to do. No wonder you are trying to get her to take a day off.

I have the opposite problem. This thread makes me freak out about how little my son is doing. Actually I think he's doing a reasonable amount but then I read this thread and panic. He points out quite sensibly that it's not how long it takes, it's how much you learn, but I still worry.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 08/04/2017 04:47

I agree, there is no need for her to work this hard, and I keep telling her so. Rather illogically, she admits this, and acknowledges that, bar unforeseen disasters, she could get all a stars and 8s/9s tomorrow, with no further revision at all. But they have recently been given new material, so she feels she is going to have to fresh learn that.

But it is just her personality. I'm afraid I was the same, so do feel a bit hypocritical telling her not to revise. But they have 11 rather than 9 subjects, and have to cover a lot more than I did, so I do feel sorry for her. Her friends are all very similar - some planning 13 hours a day revision. I don't know how they do it, so it's all relative. My DD is extremely unstressed by it all, just a little bored. She would however be stressed if I stopped her from working.

Hopefully all DCs will do the amount of work that is right for them.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 08/04/2017 05:09

I am also pretty sure that 9 hours was just so she felt she could go on holiday. 5-6 hours will be the norm I think. We are in a cab to the airport now, and she seems in high spirits, despite intending to learn for her Latin exam at the hotel this afternoon, so hopefully no danger of burning out just yet. But pacing will be important - I've given her the 'it's a marathon not a sprint' talk.