Current Year 11 2021/2022 support thread pt II

[StColumbofNavron]

Thread for those with Y10s finishing July 2021 ready for Y11 in Sept 2021.

All welcome.

@IThinkIMadeItWorse spot on!

@IThinkIMadeItWorse That is so true, except for comp Friday on Overwatch.

Feels really close now doesn't it? Has anyone's kids finished the syllabi at school? Full on still in all ds's subjects. I'm wondering if it's worth finding a tutor for his weakest science, he says no. He's revising after school, but in bed with all his devices... and a fair amount of dozing!

Yes it is feeling like it’s not long now. 5 weeks till the Easter hols and then another 4 weeks after until the first exam!

@aramox1 DD has a tutor for Physics once a week just to try and bring her grade up a little as she feels it’s her weakest science subject. She does it remotely. It’s really helping her. Her tutor is a young lad in his 2nd year doing a Physics degree. DD says he explains things so much clearer than her teacher does at school!

DD has a taster day at her sixth form on Friday. They do actual lessons in their 4 chosen A-level subjects and then they have the chance to change them if they are unsure. Their sixth form is business wear and just had an email from school to say they are expected to wear blazers with a blouse/shirt and smart trousers/skirt. Boys in suit and tie. Nice of them to give us plenty of notice!! 🙄🤦‍♀️

DD has her Spanish speaking mock today. She is bricking it. Then it’s 8 weeks till her actual Spanish speaking assessment. She says she hates Spanish now and cannot wait to drop it.

Hello everyone,

May I join your chat?
My DS is sitting GCSE"s . Some of his mocks were excellent and some not. He will need top grades for the university choices he has set for himself. He is working incredibly hard now , I just hope it's not too late...

He"s at boarding school. Does anyone else have a child who boards?

@Rollergirl11 I don't really understand the suits thing, even most professional services offices I have worked in don't dress particularly traditionally these days. ties in draws type things. That said, I remember being excited about a sixth form near me that had a suit as its dress code and I was desperate to go there so I could dress like an adult.

Really doesn't appear to be very much other than the after school session going on here (unless it is Spanish). I'm being very hands off and me nagging doesn't actually get him to do it either. He is on track, he knows what he needs and I think Easter he will kick in properly. There are assessments next week, but he says just in class, not in the hall like mocks.

DD has her second lot of mocks at the moment. They seem to have gone OK so far but only two days in.

Slight issue is that DS tested positive for Covid on Friday and I tested positive for it today. Am hoping DD doesn't get it....

@Marthavineyardsound, there are some boarding school parents on this thread;

How much revision is your Y11 doing now? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4492396-How-much-revision-is-your-Y11-doing-now

Ds has just had his second set of mock tests - is keeping up in most but hasn't improved and has dropped a few % marks in some. He didn't really revise much so we've had the conversation about how revision = better grades! Hoping there's a lightbulb moment soon.

Have booked a few days away at the beginning of April then hoping he will get his head down. Encouraging an hour a night at the moment but it's half hearted. Really want him to get his revision cards written up in this lull period and do some English Lit revision.

Sorry to hear about Covid in your household@MirandaWest - hope it's mild for you.

Welcome @Marthavineyardsound

Sorry to hear about the Covid @MirandaWest, fingers crossed your DD will manage to dodge it!

2nd set of Mocks start next week but DS is still not doing a great deal of revision. He is going to 3x extra revision classes at school per week and doing the homework they are setting (which has involved some revision) but not much else. He is enjoying the prep for the Physics Olympiad (which is the end of next week.) He is doing a little bit of Statistics most evenings (he is sitting that as an independent candidate so no support from school there other than entering him for the exams.)

I think part of the problem for him is just not knowing where to start with revising. He won't do anything that involves writing (struggles with handwriting and types for English) so we're left with some Seneca (which has been set as homework quite often), doing a few flashcards with me and reading study guides (believe me I have bought him lots of those!) I'm a bit worried that he hasn't had the draft of his drama portfolio back (which he handed in early Jan) as I think it probably needs quite a lot more work.

My ds is doing the physics Olympiad too @IThinkIMadeItWorse but no practice going on here! Oh well never mind.

Our a level options have to be in by the end of the week but the link on the school portal isn't working so I hope they sort it quickly.

We're not having an official set of second mocks but there is an assessment week happening sometime this month - think it's quite casual though. Their January mocks were full on - 2 1/2 weeks off timetable with full sets of papers so they've got plenty of evidence in case the covid gods don't play nicely!

Welcome @Marthavineyardsound.

@MirandaWest - sorry about the covid positives! I had it last month and was v strict in my isolation and the rest of the household stayed negative so 🤞🏻 for you.

Hello chaps - a late entrant to the thread here. DS2 had mocks last week so I am trying not to be too eager about asking for results each afternoon as he gets home.

Like many I am amazed by how close it all is. It is so easy to think “oh the exams are in the summer” and “oh, that revision can be done at Easter” and then one notices how little teaching time there is left (just 10 days in summer term!) and remembers that there is a limit to how much can actually be fitted in to 3 weeks of holiday.

Welcome new pple! Thank you @Rollergirl11 for the tuition tips, I've found him some Chemistry help, just hope it's not too late. Seems there's a lot still to cover in many subjects- there have been so many absences. I just discovered the portfolios for a practical subject went in ages ago, sure there was a lot more to be done there! Still, stress levels are fairly ok. His, not mine.

I checked with DD and she says that they have finished content with English lit and Lang, History, RE and Spanish. Almost done with Maths. Still a way off complete for all the sciences and Geography.

We are having some friendship group issues at the moment. DD’s group and another girl group (the popular mean girl group) appear to be merging together. It’s being driven by 2 girls in DD’s group who are getting closer to the ring leader of the other group. DD has history with this other girl that stems from primary school days and she really doesn’t like her. She’s managed to steer clear of her throughout her time at secondary school so it’s frustrating that she’s now having to spend time with her. Lots of instances of the two girls from their group being invited to parties with the other group now and DD and a few others being excluded. I have a feeling that it’s all going to blow up soon which is very far from ideal so close to their exams.

Oh that sounds tricky. Is there a chance it could naturally fade @Rollergirl11 to avoid any big fall outs? Will they all be attending the same Sixth do you think?

I think DD just wants to keep her head down and limp on without making waves till the end of this year and get through her GCSE’s. She’s realised that she’s outgrown her group and is hoping to branch out at sixth form. But not sure what the other girls from her group will do. And the ringleader from the other group is probs trying to manipulate a big fall-out knowing her as she’s all for the drama and doesn’t give a stuff about her GCSE’s.

Unfortunately the majority of them will be carrying on to the school sixth form as it’s the best in the area. But they do have students from other schools join so there will be opportunities to meet new people.

Second round of TAGs and Mocks starting for us today.

@Rollergirl11 I agree with just keeping head down, focus on GCSEs and September will be a brand new start. Even if some of the other girls go to the same place, she'll probably create closer friendships based on her subject choices. I know my DD is looking forward to a fresh start even though it's in the same school, as lots are moving on, even her best friend is going somewhere else now which I think will be good for her and like you say, there will be new students joining too.

@Diditreallylookawful DD has looked at Leeds for engineering (but has her heart set on Cambridge 😬).

DD had her mocks in December, some of yours seem awfully late...although probably better since she's still doing content now!

Thank you for the welcome.

For those of you in the know ( I went to school in the US), what do you think is most improvement of grades that is possible at this stage?

His school ( a boarding school ) won't give predicted grades. My DS says they marked the mocks very harshly and only test on the hardest questions. That could just be his wishful thinking.

That sounds really sensible and I totally agree about the new start regardless.

I think it probably depends where you are on the scale re improvement. DS1 (relevant to this group) is at the top of all his grade boundaries so with work he can definitely go one up, maybe two if he makes low end of the second boundary. But, this sort of 1-2 mark off drives DS1. DS2 (14) is (currently) more firmly in the middle of grade boundaries so if the trajectory continues and if I can encourage him to put some more effort in and he steps up for GCSE I would say he can definitely go up a grade with some ease i.e. doing what school say and spending time revising when the time comes. I think like many things, it depends on them as well as where they sit within a grade boundary. I would think that for a young person who is willing to put the work on more off their own back and seek help and guidance when needed and nail the time management/exam tech then I don't think 2 grades is impossible (and no other limiting issues withstanding). E.g. 3-5, 4-6 or 6-8. If you are thinking of improving to a 9 then I think that is a little different because I think a 9 is a certain proportion of people who got the highest 8s I think and I think this is limited so not quite the same trajectory.

That is just me thinking out loud, I am sure someone with more concrete advice/data or info will be along.

@StColumbofNavron thank you that makes a lot of sense. Sadly I think DS will carry on living in a dream world. Until results day that is.

@Marthavineyardsound I believe that's true about marking mocks harshly, to encourage them to work harder for the real ones

[quote sparklyponies]@Diditreallylookawful DD has looked at Leeds for engineering (but has her heart set on Cambridge 😬).

DD had her mocks in December, some of yours seem awfully late...although probably better since she's still doing content now! [/quote]
Second round of mocks for us @sparklyponies, we had them in December too.

Mocks are definitely harsh marking I think and though the school said they were optimistic predicted grades, I've been told by my DD's teachers that she's at the top of those grades so with a little push could easily make it up a grade. She doesn't need to for what she wants to do but I do think it would give her a margin of safety in case something goes horribly wrong on exam day so I am encouraging her on.