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.

That's great Padington so pleased

I really have to speak up here. I personally think that people really need to remember that there needs to be a school work/life balance. Just as I would say to someone working 7 days a week focusing on only on work and not allowing any down time. It is not good for mental health and that is way more important than any grade IMO.

Just remember there is more to life than education, things like friends and family and love and fun and laughter and being a teenager just a thought

School work/life balance here this week/half term is firmly on the social life. Only one set of mocks for DS which is straight after Christmas so I guess that this half term is probably the last relaxing holiday he's going to get. Getting up late around 10 am and arranging outings to the cinema/parties/sleepover, etc. I don't see a huge amount being done so I can see me having words sooner rather than later. Chance would be a fine thing of DS working all hours.

Pressure on those with 6th form entrance exams in a couple of weeks and then November mocks is VERY different from those like DD who are staying put for 6th and don't have mocks until after Christmas hols.

The other group I'm seeing really pushing themselves are the potential Medics who know that their University application needs to show a solid line of 8s and 9s at GCSE.

DD’s mocks are two weeks after half term and she’s done no revision yet - although she’s been getting a fair amount of homework.

I think she’ll need to spend some time on revision in half term - but will be able to have a proper break at Christmas. I totally agree that working 7 days a week is unhealthy. Thankfully it’s not likely to happen in our house!

We’re in half term ds now refusing to do anything. Don’t really know where to start, what to do and how to fit it in. I suspect he’s overwhelmed.Help!

Two days into mocks here. Surviving so far! At least half term will be a rest.

First day of half term for dd too - starting with a birthday party! I really hope she gets some revision done this holiday....

It's been a busy half term though, glad to have a bit of a break!

On the plus side, dd has decided on her 3 A Level subjects plus a reserve. Two more sixth form open days to visit!

End of half term mocks in three weeks and no work done. Sulked over lunch as explained the realistic expectations of no work means no results.

littlebillie what grades does he need to stay at current school? When my DS wasn’t taking revision seriously I started leaving brochures for alternative, less demanding courses on the kitchen table and offering to book for open evenings.

Really need half term now, thank goodness one day left. Took 3 DC to a sixth form open evening this week which had high hopes for but was sadly disappointing and none of them were particularly impressed.

Difficult when they won’t work for mocks but I think bad results at this point are a lesson that some have to learn against the context of sixth form options and it does mean there is still a reasonable amount of time for things to turn around.

Yes, we really need 1/2 term here. I'm more knackered than Ds1.

How much revision/homework during this Oct half term (this coming week for us.) is fair to expect my yr 11 son to do? I’m thinking 2 hours per day (for 5 days out if the 1 week hols).

DS is doing two hours a day over half term. No mocks until January.

2 to 3 hours work here - about 1 third set homework, 2 thirds revision including Tassomai. Mocks in Jan.

If dd’s mocks were in Jan, I wouldn’t be expecting any revision now?! But they’re two weeks after half term so I think she’s planning on doing a few hours every day. She was off yesterday and did around 4 / 4.5.

I had a bit of a spat with DD yesterday about planning and organisation ...so she comes down with a revision timetable of 5 hours a day over half term with one day off (prom dress shopping in.London) totally unrealistic considering she has been moaning about life being 'All work no play'. She does have mocks two weeks after half term but I'm not sure she needs to be doing that much. I suppose my own fault for asking where her plan was ...her plan seems to be work most of half term
We will be looking at that plan again tonight. Scared because the results really effect her self esteem.
Music, English Literature and Sociology have been chosen as A levels poss History or Religous Studies as a back up. At moment plan is to do Musicas academic subject at best Uni possible with the aim of having a career involved/related to music but not performance so something like marketing or arts administration

Crazycrofter I think 4-4.5 a day will be ok for DD actually ..It is only a couple of hours on top.what she does already with the potential for as It being all over by midday if she can get her bum out of bed

Yes, I think you can achieve quite a lot in 4 hours if focused and still have plenty of time to relax. DD’s grandparents are taking them out on Wed afternoon and evening so she’ll only have the morning and she has plans next weekend. I think squeezing in three or four hours around other stuff probably results in more effective revision than sitting at a desk all day?

History, Geography and Psychology are the A Level choices here with Spanish as a back up!

DD's head of year sent an email to all year 11 parents, saying that the pupils should be working 5/6 days a week over the 2 week half term, 6 hours a day. 😐
This was in the same email that wished them a relaxing and enjoyable break!

That's ridiculous @alwaysplayspiccolo makes you wonder if they are actually still learning or expected to.learn things by rote from now until final exams!

@Alsoplayspiccolo are you going to be encouraging that amount of work or not? I think it’s a bit too much, my feeling is 4-4.5 hours is more productive and leaves time for relaxation.

Dd ostensibly revised all day yesterday (well, starting from about 11:30) but it wasn’t particularly productive and she got very distracted. She definitely needs to revise around other things in shorter bursts.

Glad you also think it's ridiculous! I think it's the school's way of absolving itself from any responsibility for results - "we told you what you needed to do, so it's not our fault if you didn't do it".

Mocks aren't until January, and DD still hasn't started the poetry and a unit of history, so still loads to be taught.
No mention of revision techniques or extra revision sessions at school.

Bugger all work or revision going on here! I am a bit worried!

DS has mocks 2 weeks after half term (we're on half term this week, here). He suggested about 1.5 hours a day would be a good amount of revision. I said "mm". his maths teacher has sent him 3 papers to do over the holiday, so that in itself is 4.5 hours.

yesterday he did 4 hours revision. I'm hoping he can keep this focus up for 3 weeks. We have seen a change in attitude in that he insists he does want to do well but that's not yet fully translated into doing more about it than saying it ...
We also got his mock timetable. He has 19 papers over 7 days. I really really really don't know why school hasn't used a full 2 weeks (which would still be hard going). on the first day he has Chemistry (105 minutes) followed by Biology (105 minutes) then Maths (90 minutes). With about 20 minute breaks in between them. If he gets anything right on his maths paper I will be amazed.