Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

[pointythings]

Because we need a new thread now that things are really hotting up!

Ds was ill during his business yesterday, said the paper was easy but he just couldn't focus at all, poor thing. He had left his water on the train, which didn't help.
Luckily following a trip to macdonalds he picked up in time for physics which he said was quite easy. I managed to hold back & not ask if he thought the questions were tricky.
He's tired now didn't get up in time for a shower, I pity his mates in a hot exam hall with him! Non calc was his stronger paper by far in the mock, he got a 7, so he's gone in happily. His amazing English teacher is doing a one on one session with him before inspector calls & war of the worlds tomo. He's weakest on wow.
He's looking forward to cricket on Saturday then he's off to lords on Monday with Dh. I hope I can keep up the momentum over the hols but it's a struggle, particularly when he has a whole week stretching ahead of him.

Edexel Maths today. It is ds best subject so not worried about this one.

Maths here too. Def not our best subject, but she's revised well so she can only but try her best. Hoping for a pass but we shall see. She is doing foundation so can only get a C anyway which is a shame as her maths def had improved thanks to my tutor maths tutor she's been amazing!
Good luck everyone for the maths!!

Readyforsunshine hope ds is better today bless him. Sounds like a great weekend coming up xx

Dreaded maths here too - have just walked with DS to school - have to say I am far more nervous than he is. He's been happy with all his exams so far, but this is definitely his weakest subject (well, as of Year 10...) Then he has an English Lit revison classe from 11am until either they or the teacher can cram no more. Am hoping that the revision momentum doesn't drop off a cliff over half term, but if this gorgeous weather keeps up it's going to be hard to find the motivation to sit indoors and study. Huge amounts of luck and hugs to all DCs doing the 9-1 maths today. Hope you're happy Gove you utter twat

DS very nervous this morning. Maths has traditionally been one of his very strongest subjects, but the mocks really threw him (school also set the grade boundaries very high) and his confidence is low.

On the plus side, he has decided to take it into 6th form, as one of the 4 ASs he starts off with (noble might remember that he was someone with a 6 at Year 6, got to the Kangaroo round of the Maths challenge, but felt he wasn't good enough to do A-level as a result of his mocks). I have reassured him that he doesn't need his aspirational target - a 9 - to do this, and he has submitted to a rare hug...

Ready, hope your son is ok today. The MacDonalds obviously gave him much needed energy, carbohydrate and fats to carry on!

Mine was in no rush to wake up this morning, hopefully she's just arriving at school now.

Edexel maths here as well. DD forecast a 7 which is great, but she's in a class of high achievers (grade 9s will come from this group) who is comes natural to. I normally get the brush off, but she happily accepted me telling her to keep track of time in the exam and not waste it on questions she's struggling with.

He has worked his socks off on it, too, over a long period - piles and piles of 'best guess at' papers, pretty much all of the CGP Level 9 book, weekly after school revision sessions.

I just hope that the first 2 questions are OK, because if he can do them, it tends to settle him for the whole exam. He has gone off muttering 'call the unknown x' [algebra isn't his first choice tool, whereas it is one I reach for automatically, and he has been much frustrated by my ability to say 'well, if you call the unknown x, then you can....']

Well DS had a decent night's sleep and carefully repacked his pencils etc into a new non broken pencil case (why have most of the ones around got that stupid plastic zip?! ) this morning and went to school at 7.45 with DH for a pre-exam maths session.

At 8.00 I spot the pencil case and all its contents in the bathroom so have just done a mad dash to school to get it to him! Asked on the phone whether he'd forgotten anything else and he helpfully said "I don't know as I'll have forgotten it"

We have agreed that after the English exam tomorrow he can come home and have the whole weekend off study so he feels like he gets a break but Monday morning he will be back into working 10-4 for the week. He seemed to take it ok.

First stint nearly over so time for after tomorrow I think! What I'll be having on 16th is another matter

Maths is a tough one. Despite getting high marks over the past two years, DD is convinced she won't be able to answer a single question. Obviously I have reassured that it doesn't matter etc. Hope it's not too hard. The uncertainty this year is a bit concerning, but they are all in the same boat.

Giraffe!! My ds forgot his water bottle this morning. It's like they don't think things through...

Edexcel Maths this morning. He keeps saying 'I'm doomed'

He was getting a lift in with his girlfriend this morning and as he got out of the car said he was going to revise 'circle algorithms' on the way to school with her. Whilst eating a croissant. I just thought, surely you should have revised that before now, but managed to hold my tongue!

He got 21/80 in his mock but had done no revision whatsoever. He's aiming for above 50% today but with the doomed comments, I'm not so sure...

dd was miserable this morning - only upside is that it will be over by lunchtime. She got 33/80 in the mock for this paper, she did one at school last week and got 61/80, highest ever was 64. She's aiming for more than 40. It is grim.

Feel so nervous for her.

26c in the shade and climbing here. Great DD is doing her maths in an unventilated innrer hall which you swelter in!

Laniakea - hang in there, if she's capable of 61/64 on good days, hopefully the paper will go her way.

I should be able to report on Exexel Higher before lunch, so watch this space!

Lots doing Edexel Higher today. I feel so sorry for them sitting in stuffy sweltering rooms.

DS texted, Edexcel higher hard ...

Waiting to hear from DS

Maths was v hard apparently, none of her class could do two questions. Edexcel

DS said it was 'OK' (though as I said, his confidence is low, so that means he didn't find it utterly impossible, rather than that it was genuinely OK.) He said I would enjoy the last question, which means it must have been an algebraic one of some type, probably involving shape, as he knows I like those!

aqa - no-one cried, it was hard, not impossible, she answered 62/80 marks worth, reckons take off 10 for mistakes & it isn't a disaster. Didn't need to know formulae but did need exact trig values for the last question.

Foundation maths for DD she said was ok but had someone faint in class and that made her anxious! She thinks she done ok but she is very stressed bless her!!

DD back here with two friends, all done Execel higher.

One says got last question wrong (she's far ahead of others, definitely a grade 9 candidate)
One (mine) says it was okay, reckons she'll have got in the 50s (she's around grade 7)
One says was horrible, also had questions she couldn't do (not sure what grade)

Message from ds -AQA Higher "Lots of people crying but I thought it was OK. Lots of people very disappointed :("

Referring to post above, DD now tells me she didn't really do the last questions. On pressing her she put something down and maybe got a couple of marks.

Also, now telling me another friend did it all (guess she's around 8/9 grade) and happy.

ds back from Edexel higher maths. He often gets a 9 (an 8 at his lowest) and he couldn't do that last question either.