Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

[pointythings]

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

DS1 very tired today as DS2 ( who has autism) woke him at 5.30am. He locks his door at night but DS2 just rattles the doorknob. There's not much we can do as by the time one of us gets up, it's too late. Hoping it doesn't affect him today - English Lang is one of his best subjects and he really wants a high grade.

Having posted my previous message, I went upstairs at quarter to, and he was asleep again! Supposed to be in school by half past, so sympathy evaporated (although I did give him bus fare). Having been happy enough about this exam all weekend this morning he was muttering about failing - he's got an hour or so to wake up, and hopefully he'll be more with it by the time the exam starts!

Dd skipped off saying she 'couldn't wait' for this exam. too cocky by half... We'll see.

Fingers crossed DD didn't arrive at school late or too wet! Eng Lang and Geography here today, both AQA.

I had real difficulty getting dd out of bed this morning & didn't really have time to chat before the rushed off. She'll be in all day - Edexcel English then AQA Geography. Tomorrow off thank gawd.

Good luck to all the Dc for today's exam English language and those who are taking Geography today

Drove DS to school this morning in the rain and gales for his English exam - he was groaning about the weather being a pathetic fallacy. I cannot fault his hard work on this, but not sure how one can revise the long creative/descriptive question. There are obviously techniques at play, but some kids are just better at writing original, interesting, thoughtful, inspired stuff - on the hoof - than others. However, I suppose this goes for all subjects. Mine loves history, computer science, music and languages (apart from English ) and finds them all pretty straightforward. Anyway, they're half way through the exam as I write I just hope the boards are kind to them. 9-1 grades and no Foundation paper anymore. Thanks Gove, you Muppet

Good luck to all dc going through gcses atm!

Any tips for those about to embark on this journey!?

My son starts year 10 in August. His year will be the first to stay on at his school for gcses and I can't decide if this is good or bad 🤔

What would your dc say is the tho g they have done/haven't done that has helped the most?

Thanks! X

Really feel for my daughter, she is not a natural academic and finds exams very difficult.She is exhausted and stressed out. We've had tears, tantrums and I can't do it. And this complete emphasis on terminal exams, grade C and above is too much for some young people. Mr Gove has much to answer for!

I won't hear from DD how AQA English went until later. There's a couple of comments on the Student room, one saying they could have picked something more exciting than an "early 1900s hat shop". Someone else saying she understood text but found it hard to find points to write about.

not much detail from dd (edexcel) - it went well, very similar to mock, wrote about aliens, fine for time. Hope she manages to get some geog cramming in now, she's been resistant to learning her case studies

Edexcel English language seems to have gone ok here too. Phew!

DS just arrived back from AQA English. He said it was Okay'ish'. Found the first bit hard (text about Victorian ...something or other) but doable and the creative writing he was happy enough with. A journey or wo people from differing backgrounds. Maths next.......

Ds - OCR - questions were pretty simple, if I was any good it would have been easy, lol.
Oh well, it's done!

German and RS tomorrow.

Not heard anything from ds re AQA english. He's gone to lunch with his girlfriend. 'Victorian something or other' doesn't sound up his street at all though! Oh well....

At least he has a day off tomorrow

Wjec English went well here, aqa human geog this afternoon. He finally knuckled down to revise case studies last night then up at 5 to finish this am. Having had a week off & done next to nothing, so exasperating! Still, he seemed confident
Day off tomo thank goodness an opportunity to revise calc maths. So far the extent of revision towards this has been 3/4 of a past paper. Despite him finding the non calc (which he's stronger in) really tough & him saying he'd need to work really hard for this paper

sprog that sounds tough on you all
polly I wasn't aware of that, the foundation maths was tough enough apparently. I really feel for the poor kids coming out of these exams demoralised. Ds whilst seemingly oblivious, at least is not getting down about it. No doubt when Dds time comes it will be a different story in our house.

Son sat Edexcel English this morning, the extract they had was from The Woman in White. He says he enjoyed it and managed to finish in time. He was so tired yesterday fell asleep around 6ish and slept pretty much right through until 6 this morning, much needed. Day off tomorrow then higher Edexcel Maths on Thursday.

DD said AQA English went well this morning. She wrote a story about two girls from different backgrounds. I think she might have slipped a few political points in... She said the first bit was ok but didn't tell me much about it.
Nothing til Thursday now.

DD said aqa English was a bit boring but there were lots of points to make about the extract, so I hope that means she's done well! She did the descriptive writing but apparently most of the year did the short story. No exams until maths now, good luck to all DC for this one

ready - 3/4 of an exam paper for Maths is more than my DD has done or, in fact, intends to do! I know she wants a good grade in geography and would like to do well in RE tomorrow, but I can't even convince her to give an hour to maths!

Six exams here this week, Maths and English, the others are options she'd be taking at one or other of the Sixth forms she'll be going to.

Mine missed out the whole of Q3 in AQA English and failed to notice the question under the diagrams in Geography, thus sacrificing his probable A!

Dd said English language was ok. She is revising German now with memrise. I tried to test her but it's impossible as I done speak German. She had no clue

Hope alls going well for all who are doing exams today