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Secondary education

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

Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

999 replies

pointythings · 22/05/2017 17:00

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

OP posts:
Merrylegs · 24/05/2017 07:26

Good luck to all today. Dd has run out of steam a bit. She realised she's done 17 exams so far but only completed 3 GCSEs. Not the most helpful calculation at this stage.I told her to save the number work for the Maths exam

readyforsunshine · 24/05/2017 07:35

Ds did very little in the way of revision yesterday despite my best efforts. He was looking for his business book (in his business folder) obv not looked in there Confused when I went to bed
He has business & physics today & ive just asked him how he feels. "Business is easy & physics is just maths but easier. With a bit of science." Sigh.
Edexcel maths & AQA science here too. Got maths & 2nd Eng lit left after today then holidays, phew. He's def not so clued up for 2nd Eng lit paper but I fear he may be over confident (le dismissing it out of laziness) as he felt the first went well. Deep breath, there is no more I can do. Good luck today everyone Smile

pasanda · 24/05/2017 07:56

Yes, OCR Biology (B1,2 & 3 ) this afternoon and Edexcel Business Studies this morning.

I marked it... not sure how correctly!! Really can't figure out the 6 mark questions and struggled to read his writing which I'm now stressing about and trying not to mention too many times

He averaged 18/19 out of 25 (by my reckoning) so not too bad.

Good luck to all the dc today. Hope they don't get too hot!!

t875 · 24/05/2017 09:59

No exams today here as we have done physics core
Nice for her for the break.
Good luck all with what your dc have today!
I feel sick to my stomach non education - we are due to go to the O2 next week and are really apprehensive now as really worried after Manchester. It's soo close.
Would you still go? We're thinking of not going but dd really wants to go but I'm being over ruled by head to protect her!!

t875 · 24/05/2017 10:00

To add its saddened and shocked me so much. Still feel like it today. Sad

AtiaoftheJulii · 24/05/2017 10:12

I felt really angry all day yesterday, don't remember having that sort of reaction before. I think, go. There's absolutely no way to try to predict what could be picked as a target. It's completely shit.

Laniakea · 24/05/2017 10:21

My parents are going to the Albert Hall tomorrow & dh & dd have got gigs booked all the way through the summer, starting next week. DH had a wobble when the threat level was raised but they are going to go as things stand now. I think the biggest treat is people hanging around outside venues, he's going to try and avoid doing that.

DD gets the train through a big commuter station twice a day - I've told her to try and be aware of what's going on around her & to avoid hanging around in crowds as much as possible - wait for people to clear the turnstiles before you go through, wait on the quiet platform not the packed one etc. I don't know what else I can do.

ifonly4 · 24/05/2017 11:10

We're all on here with 15/16 year olds and it really brings it home to you that a 15 year old girl (Olivia) lost her life.

Back on thread, DD admits she feels tired and I've noticed a decline in revision. Physics isn't her best subject and I don't think she has the energy to put into it, she feels she's not going to learn anything else new in maths now, so is trying to go over the poems in Eng Lit.

Her school aren't on study leave. However, I've contacted the school twice over the last couple of weeks and said she's certain am/pm off for study leave at home and to let me know if they have any problems. On her record it's been granted as authorised absence.

t875 · 24/05/2017 11:18

were still unsure, thank you for all your comments
I Hope all the shows goes on ok with no problems. It certainly is very hard to decide!

t875 · 24/05/2017 11:20

Ifonly4 dd is the same about maths. We don't expect too high. A pass would be great but she puts so much on herself. We have told her to not stress about it. She is trying that's all that matters.

We are home study leave.
Are who are at school just studying designated places or still having lessons?

AtiaoftheJulii · 24/05/2017 11:30

My dd's school didn't do study leave - you went to the lesson if you still had an exam in that subject, and so the lessons were basically supervised revision sessions with the teacher available for questions. She quite liked it and went in most days, but the downside was that she'd waste quite a bit of time on the travelling!

Cromwell1536 · 24/05/2017 11:44

Physics this afternoon (booted son out to go to school and revise in the library, after yesterday spent at home, before late afternoon maths session at school, seemed to produce not much work), maths tomorrow morning, second English lit (just 45 minutes - one question, View from the Bridge) on Friday. Then a blessed break of 10 days before final haul - history, second maths, DT. And finishing up art bits and pieces before 'mounting and hanging for marking and moderation' (which sounds a bit S&M to my overheated brain).

Is it just me or is it now really dragging on? I thought this week would fly by, being relatively packed with exams, but it really isn't. I think my son is now just bored and fed up with the whole business. He certainly doesn't seem particularly driven to be doing lots of revision, and quite honestly, at this point, he's probably not going to take much on board that's of much use. I am hoping he knows himself quite well and has made a reasonable judgement about what he can and can't usefully do! As opposed to being 15, and can't be arsed. We'll see what the rest of the week brings. I have to say, I quite admire his sang-froid, and general air of hardiness. Also his ability to keep me, very politely, at arm's length!

GiraffeorOcelot · 24/05/2017 11:45

you went to the lesson if you still had an exam in that subject, and so the lessons were basically supervised revision sessions with the teacher available for questions.

Same as for DS's school. In theory you go to every lesson before half term (even those you have done the exam in!) and then after half term they have to attend every lesson that they have not yet had the exam for.
In reality quite a few kids are suddenly having headaches. DS had one day off last week and revised very well at home but I don't think that would be consistent.

Is anyone else worrying about half term? I am slightly concerned DS may see it as a break when really he needs to be working several hours a day to revise for the neglected (and in his case harder) post half term exams. Of course having a break too but he does have a lot still to cover.

ifonly4 · 24/05/2017 12:01

Ours are still meant to be going in (even though DD has had some authorised absence for study leave). DD tells me teachers are setting work/revision in their subject but most of the class are revising something else, ie she was in maths yesterday revising for her geography in the afternoon! DD tells me she didn't go into lessons one morning and sat in the main reception on the floor revising - no one questioned her!

GiraffaorOcelet, yes, I think after half term is going to be hard. They'll have had a break and either over studied or not done enough, and in DD's case she's still got three weeks of exams to go.

Laniakea · 24/05/2017 12:12

I'm not looking forward to half term - dd has the two maths papers she needs to do well in to bump up the mark from the one tomorrow, both history (most worried about subject), human geography (most hated subject) & all the part 2 & 3 science papers which she needs to do really well in (& Eng lang x2 but no revision for that)

And she's knackered. And fed up of revising.

I've booked her cinema tickets one night & she & her girlfriend are gong out one afternoon. She really needs to get masses of work done the rest of the time but struggles to put the hours in.

She's gone in for physics now - made her promise to listen out for announcements, avoid crowds & please keep her phone turned on (often on aeroplane to save battery for podcasts). She did a physics paper this morning & have an hour on tassomai. This week is really dragging.

pointythings · 24/05/2017 12:34

DD has revision at school after half term - compulsory sessions. She will be getting some downtime over the week and has adjusted her timetable accordingly. She has been revising since Easter on top of normal school.days and she knows her stuff by now.

In other news, DD2 in yr 9 did an 'exceptional' English language assessment - high band 5 in everything. We made a fuss of her because we don't want her feeling like a second class citizen.

OP posts:
Dancergirl · 24/05/2017 12:35

Physics this afternoon as well for dd. Good luck to all Smile

Fleurdelise · 24/05/2017 12:44

Physics here also good luck to all the dcs sitting it!

I am still in a state of numbness after the Manchester attack, the story of Saffie the 8 yo and Olivia the 15 yo have really made me cry with anger, my kids being the same age... it makes you think about the world our kids need to live in...

LIZS · 24/05/2017 12:55

Yes physics here too. I found myself getting irrationally anxious that dd hadn't caught the bus this morning, even though I had dropped her at the stop. The pictures of such young faces who will never even reach dd's age are heartbreaking Sad

tiggytape · 24/05/2017 13:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LIZS · 24/05/2017 13:18

I'm a bit concerned that next week's hiatus in the timetable will mean a loss of momentum rather than renewal. Dd has 2 school-based revision sessions planned so far.

Fleurdelise · 24/05/2017 13:26

Lizs I feel the same, I am concerned that he'll lose his drive next week and decide he has pleeeenty of time to revise.

He is exhausted though so he will benefit from the break. I'm hoping he'll only mess about the first half of the week and go back to heavy revision the second half.

HappyMum543 · 24/05/2017 14:40

Good luck to the dc that are taking sconce part b in core and wish my ds all the luck in the world because he has been revising hard since December when he got a wake up call from us and school.
Got a letter from my sons school for his revision classes that will be taking place in the week of holidays for science, twice english language different days obviously maths (calculator) & history. I'm glad the school has given the extra lessons because my son enjoys revising more in school than home.

teddygirlonce · 24/05/2017 14:41

@tiggytape I'm totally with you on how drawn out these GCSEs are....By the end of this week DS will have only done 11/28 exams (and only completed two subjects - Eng. Lit. and Spanish - out of 11). The last week that DS has exams he will have 11 papers to sit - by which time they'll being losing the plot and getting mentally drained...

It is very hard for them to keep up momentum over five weeks (pretty sure when I was at school we didn't start until after this upcoming half-term holiday and the exams were more evenly spaced too).

And yes to half-term getting in the way really. Good to have the extra free week (given how many exams there are still to go) for revision but it just prolongs the agony.

HappyMum543 · 24/05/2017 14:42

Spelling mistake (science)