Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

[pointythings]

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

pasanda nothing can be done now except knuckle down for the calculator paper & importantly mentally prepare them so they don't throw in the towel. I'm hoping to persuade Ds to do something fun when he gets back but I expect he'll just want to crash, which is fine.
rockefellar sounds like your Ds did really well on such a tough paper.

Edexcel IGCSE here. DS managed 'well' to my txt message asking how it had gone. Hoping for the best. To be fair he's about to go into Latin verse exam in a sweltering sports hall in full uniform so he has other things to think about rather than conversing with me. I was shocking at maths so I really feel for everyone who struggles with the subject 💐

DD was upset, hope her Latin going ok. Then evening revising for English tomorrow. It's hard going for them all. She says apart from the two hard questions, she got lots of others wrong compared with her friends. Never mind, there are two more maths papers.

There seems to be a lot of memes on Twitter saying that the higher Edexcel paper started off as Foundation and ended up A-level difficulty.

This is exactly what my ds said and it explains the different reactions.

Looking back at my ds's texts about the maths, the phrase "lots of people were really disappointed" leapt out at me. Doesn't that sound sad? As if they had tried really hard but still not been able to do it.......

The trouble with that reaction in my ds comprehensive is that loads of people will drop the whole idea of doing A Level maths.

It does indeed Bert

DS is now fast asleep!

Just want him to pass tbh. He has had a maths tutor since just before Xmas and has been revising really hard since easter and has finally shown me that he has a good work ethic that has been hiding for years!

If he had not been working hard these last few weeks and flunked it I would be mad but as it is, he's tried his best which is all I can ask for.

ready - thanks for the flowers

Edexcel higher here. DS said start and middle easy but the end questions he didn't have a clue. He will be disappointed that he couldn't finish as he was hoping it would boost his confidence for the additional maths paper.

Edexcel higher here. "Fine except the last question which I couldn't do". He needs an 8 to do further maths at A level

AQA maths here - DS initially said it was 'a mixture of easy and hard', then said it was quite hard. He thinks he has done better than in previous mocks though (he is borderline 6/7 level).

Pasanda - I hope your DS doesn't get too disheartened. If he did the bits before the staples well, he may well be ok for a pass. Such a shame it all comes down to this, like your DS mine has only recently shown work ethic but better late than never so I hope it pays off for them both.

Was AQA higher rather than foundation.

DD did foundation and had a question on vectors which, apparently, is a higher question. The school are not happy with it and will be appealing.

DD did first 15 questions okay, but the last five there really hard. A friend has come across something where a teacher has had ago at doing the last question - it took them 15 minutes!

My DS has Aspergers and gifted in mathematics, he attends a super selective grammar, none of the boys could do
The last question, which was a new experience for them.

My DD did AQA higher maths. She said there were more easier questions than there were in the mock papers but still some very hard ones. The last couple she couldn't complete but did attempt so has some working out to show.

I really feel for them this year.

Have spoken to DD now. She did do part of the Edexcel last question, which was good I think, but messed up another one. Latin exam was very easy. She is now revising hard for English.

20 June seems a long way away.

Invigilator for Edexcel Maths Higher this am.

Majority finished the paper 20-30 mins early other than final question which was described as 'tricky'. Don't know what it was because we are not allowed to read the papers.

Pasandra all you said about your son is exactly like our dd
We're hoping she passes let alone anything higher We got her tutoring since end of last year and her maths has come on loads!!

Please remember though that the final question is supposed to be aimed at the 8/9 split and therefore probably only the extremely able will get full marks for it.

Sorry to ask this basic question, but my son is sitting Edexcel GSCE and the grades awarded are still A*-U. I checked with the teachers and everything! Is this a different paper?

Anyway, he said it went well and at the moment is hoping for a A, if the next paper goes well. But again, I have no idea whether he is deluded or not.

He is NOT revising hard for English. He is out on his bike, with his mates. All of whom have English lit tomorrow. Think they're just saturated at this point. Don't think I haven't tried to encourage revision.

cromwell iGCSEs are still the lettered grades.

dd has done an hour and a half of English since she got home, she's watering the garden now. She'll probably do another half an hour this evening but not more than that. She's drained after maths.

Edexcel igcses - the schools can chose whether to opt for 9-1 grades or stay on letter grades I understand. Ours has opted for 9-1 as it is a super selective and anticipate a good smattering of 9s

Ah, thanks. The list from the school just lists everything as GCSE, although some I know are iGCSE. From this September Pearson/Edexcel will be switching to a 9-1 exam.

lania I don't think my dd has done much English for tomorrow.

She's now busy gathering her various costumes for her dance school dress rehearsal show this evening.