Starting Yr11 Gcses 2020 Support Thread [Edited at OP's request]

[OrangeCinnamon]

A continuation of a Year 10 support thread
previous thread

Last thread was great and supportive as some of us tried to navigate year 10 and some very helpful peeps steered us through.

@Madhairday - our boys could be twins. Getting DS to reread any of his English texts is torture, I've dreaded this for years! He's never been a reader ( not fiction anyway!) so Macbeth is just hideous

@Madhairday it won’t be enjoyed. It will be endured 😂

@namechangedforthis1980 - they sound very similar! DS does like reading, but only to an extent, and only books he already likes (he'll reread Harry Potter and The Hunger Games a thousand times, but getting him to try new authors is like pulling teeth) - so the English texts do provide a challenge! I'm trying to get him excited about them - I can wax lyrical about An Inspector Calls, but he won't catch it off me - sigh. But he is very gifted in maths, science and computing, so I do get where he's coming from.
Macbeth must be hell - we're on Romeo and Juliet, and at least there's a bit of humour in that!
@Wrongdissection - I get that about enduring! Hope it all goes well. I have fifteen 18/19 year olds next week for DDs 19th, a 'pre-university blow-out' which of course had to be hosted at my house. For some reason they like it here

Hope a good summer has been had by all!
DD is very much of the mindset it's one term to mocks (January) and one to real thing (study leave May)
She socialises a lot both in the virtual and 'real' world but SM use hasn't affected her grades so far. However, she's acquired a boyfriend and the poor dawg's paws are being walked off
Homework this year is 13.5 hours per week and that's not including work set from the extra curricular GCSE she's sitting

DD’s school has tweaked its opening times so pupils can work in the library until 7. It has been used well this week - we’ll see if it continues!

Can I join the discussions please?

DS started Year 11, it has been 1 week in school, our mocks are in Jan and he is getting lots of homework. Looks like a busy year for us.

I haven't booked any holiday this year. Looks like we will breathe in June after exams.

We were wondering about maybe going away for a few days in the February half term (DD's mocks are in January) but she said she would prefer to stay at home.

Mocks either side of October half term for us. Very early. Then more after Xmas I think. Holiday already booked for end of June!

DD says her mocks aren’t until February!

Holiday already booked for end of June!
Remember they need to be available on the 24th, just in case an exam needs to be rescheduled.

Going two days after that - luckily I emailed school to check and they told me about the contingency day. I had no idea !

No info on mock timing from school as yet, and the diary doesn't seem to have been updated ... info evenings week after next so guess we'll find out then...

DS knows there are two lots but can’t do months so doesn’t know. Talking to others it sounds like November first. I think i’ll Email ihis tutor,

Mocks in early December here but DS is also taking a couple of BTECs and their exams are in Feb I think. I've been pondering when to go away during the year too, we usually have a couple of days away somewhere 2 or 3 tines a year but I think DS might not want to this year. Maybe Feb half term. We can't go straight after GCSEs because younger DC still at school, also DS will hopefully do NCS.

Sigh.

First weekend of XBox only on a Friday night and had a horrendous night last night, with DS cajoling, hounding, begging for it after "4 hours work" during the day. Massive FOMO with friends who mostly seem to be allowed it on a Saturday night. His behaviour to me got so bad I took his mouse and phone away.

It's week one FFS!!!!

Allen welcome to my world except I sometimes have dh( who never did any homework and had very lax parents as regards school) backing him up.🤯

I am going to age 10 years this year.

Just to say there is a good thread with year 11 revision advice on AIBU.

Crafting our revision plan today, I have twins. Shoot me now.😩

Alpen

We're away for a couple of days during the May half term . It's for my nieces wedding and we had it all planned to go away for the whole week until recently when I realised it was slap bang in the middle of the exams!! So we've scrapped that plan, and will now go for just two days.

We might even leave DS will the in laws if he feels he can't afford to go away.

Thanks to whoever said about the 24th June being a back up day, I had no idea!

Alien you have to stand firm at this point after his behaviour . But if he redeems himself with sensible behave towards you for a bit would you consider maybe introducing a Saturday night session? In my head it was him who suggested he was going to have it Friday night session but I am probably wrong.

I’m not limiting DS’s computer use as he hit good marks in his mocks and report so no reason to if that makes sense. I would if I fe,t I needed to but I personally feel that one night a week isn’t much and if he is working during the day on a Saturday maybe there is mileage considering letting him have it Saturday night ? But only after he has redeemed himself for yesterday’s behaviour.

Alien?! Sorry that was supposed ti be Alpen.

@OneHamm3r - would you be able to post a link to the revision thread please? I can't find it!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3685594-To-ask-what-amount-of-independent-study-is-reasonable-for-Year-11-students-per-week

Thanks!

We all agreed to one night a week, he chose Friday.

DH away this weekend and I just knew he'd try it on!

We agreed that if his study is going to plan (he did a v broad revision and "life" timetable for himself the other week, including breakfast items (!), exercise etc) then we will review Saturday night. We expected this in a month or two, not the first bloody weekend!!

I admire the fact he has even thought about breakfast - however cross you are at the moment (and I would be very cross) , take heart from that as shows he has some life skills!!

Not on to kick off like that, especially when DH away. Sounds like though he was maybe a little over optimistic in the reality of what he came up with and now has start of term panic.