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.

DS's last day is 11 May. No news for us on leavers' hoodies yet. I don't want to think about it!!

@IThinkIMadeItWorse @Silkierabbit - I don't know much about the maths challenges but well done for your dcs. It sounds like they're fantastically mathematical! My dd (year 8) is doing the intermediate maths challenge Cayley (no clue how to spell it) next week I think. Any idea what that is??

@QueenMabby Well done to your DD. She has done really well to qualify for the Cayley (that is the right way to spell it!) The Intermediate maths challenge (IMC) is aimed at those in year 11 and below and the ones who do really well (about 600 each) qualify for Olympiad papers, yr11 Maclaurin, yr10 Hamilton and yr9 and below Cayley. It's a 2 hour paper with six questions which require full written solutions. It would be worth looking at some past papers with her if you have time so she has an idea of what to expect. More information (and past papers) on the UKMT website ukmt.org.uk It will be on Thursday next week.

She should also have a chance to do the Junior Maths Challenge next term (aimed at yr8 and below).

How is everyone?
I am busy panicking that DS had left too much too late. Da is cool as a cucumber and tells me it's all fine.

I suspect it's somewhere in the middle.

@StColumbofNavron wow that’s pretty late for mocks. After that it’s the Easter hols and then only another 4 weeks until the real thing!

We still haven’t been given info on study leave. DD suddenly said yesterday that she’s not 100% sure that they aren’t expected to stay on school for revision sessions during their exams. I think surely not although I wouldn’t put anything past our school.

@IThinkIMadeItWorse - thanks for that info. She says her maths teacher has given her some practice things so I'll get her to look at that at the weekend.

@Rollergirl11 - some schools do teach right up until exams - ours only start study leave one week before the first GCSEs - I guess if they're in school then school know they're doing some work at least!

That’s what I thought @Rollergirl11. They won’t really have time to get results back before revising for Easter. They are mostly in class assessments so perhaps they will do them slowly.

DS1 has officially turned down the offer of another sixth form that is about an hour away but quite academic and not affiliated to a school. I mean, I knew he was planning to do this anyway (largely on account of the units studied in history) but now he has done it so will 100% stay at his school.

Ds study leave starts 6th May but think there are some revision sessions on 7/5. I'm going to take a bit of time off work leading up to the exams so I can help with testing. Not looking forward to this but it's the final push I guess. School have cancelled the after Easter third set of assessments now that the real exams are going ahead. I'm glad on one way but anxious that Ds has slacked off somewhat.

Interesting to hear about all of your dc's plan for university. I've made the mistake of meeting with two acquaintances from primary school whose children are laser focused and very driven and know exactly what they want to do and at which university so my anxiety is rising. One has even started their EPQ!

I would just like to put it on record that my lovely dd who hates school, and maths in particular, messaged me IN FULL CAPS today, so excited!!!

After many, many tests in which she has only ever managed grades 2 or 3, she has actually passed one of her Maths mock papers - achieved a 4 and was three marks off a 5!

She is SO happy, and pleased with herself, I have to share for any parents sharing this experience. She has been doing a few past papers (I’ve had to pay her ) and I think it’s working but god I’ll be glad when it’s over.

For context, her brother got all 9s and is off to Oxford if he gets his As, but I felt more achievement at her 4 today than I did for any of his much more easily achieved results.

@Notonetojudge well done to her and to you for helping her get there. We are in a similar situation with DS3 who is on target to get expected in his SATs after being c. 2 years behind consistently, he has worked so hard. Good for her and this will boost her confidence so much to push through for that 5. I feel a bit teary about this. Have a bloody lovely weekend!

@StColumbofNavron thank you - will do!
Then it’s back to ‘nose to the grindstone’ for the last few weeks. Don’t want her to lose momentum…

@Notonetojudge fantastic news and well done to your dd - it's so great when they take a leap forward.

@Lightsabre it really is! Thanks

That's brilliant @Notonetojudge so pleased for you and her. So encouraging for them when they can see their hard work makes a difference!

Thanks @IThinkIMadeItWorse. It wasn’t exactly what I would call hard work, but it was some work, and given how much she hates it, it’s an achievement.

@Notonetojudge that's so uplifting - I'm sure it will improve her confidence.

Are any of your DC taking any combo of art/music/drama?

DS1 is very me and picked the sort of subjects I did/would so was relatively easy to advise. DS2 has options coming up and along with compulsory language and humanity has two totally free choices. He is being courted by these three depts (I mean taken on trips, invited to tasters etc which never happened for DS1's academic subjects). He plays two instruments but has never taken any exams and obviously no theory. He likes art and is good, but he usually whacks the work out and is very very social so I am concerned about the time commitment. Drama is a new entry - he does love going to the theatre and the trips are an appeal, but he does enjoy lessons and the two teachers are very good (DS1 does drama but through covid so we don't actually have an idea of commitment levels really).

He doesn't know what he wants to do after other than A levels in history + two others. Music tech is a possibility and doesn't require music GCSE but able to demonstrate ability and aptitude which he can do through instruments.

The other option is to encourage geography, which he is keen on as he likes the field work with just one of these.

Basically I think keeping it broad, but also that he is not really a perfectionist and he likes working with people.

Slight short derail and hope that is ok.

My DD is doing art and art photography GCSEs and will be doing art, maths and biology at A level.

The art A level is art, craft and design so you can do almost anything creatively which DD is really looking forward to, I think she has some grand ideas for projects.

She wants to do her degree in game art so doing art A level is an essential, the other subjects though will be useful from a computer art point of view and she really enjoys them.

@StColumbofNavron
My DS does drama and really enjoys it. He enjoys the theatre trips, written work and group practicals.
He hasn’t had a lot of homework over the two years but has obviously had to do extra rehearsals during lunch and after school for the performances. The only negative is that you can’t really control who is in your group and he has had issues with members not turning up for rehearsals or messing around in class.
He also gets very nervous before the performance and spends weeks worrying about it as he is a perfectionist. He loves it on the day though!
He was tempted to do the A level but the small number of boys who will do it and the lack of control over who he would have to work with, put him off. He is going to miss it though I’m sure!

No study leave here! One day off before exams start. Tho ds seems to think the days in next term are optional (!) Ds has spent ten days revising for one mock, rest in next two weeks. Odd to think we may never see his school again.

Yes no study leave here. Infact they are supposed to go to lessons inbetween exams. Mid mocks here. No practical subjects here.

@StColumbofNavron my ds is v uncreative and struggled with the free options. Ended up with geography which has been great- v structured, clear content , tho lots of detail. He does history too.

No study leave here, but from the beginning of June (halfway through exams!) they only have to go in on exam days.

School still haven’t informed us of arrangements for study leave/last day. I know there is a leavers assembly and mass so would assume that is their last day in school.

We had study leave for mocks in December so it would be weird not to have it for the real thing. We don't have any dates for leavers or anything yet. The teacher in charge of GCSEs is also in charge of options and timetabling which we are going through with DS2 so I assume he is bloody snowed! expecting to hear soon though about Y11 before options go in and he gets bogged down with that.

Thanks for those who shared. It looks like DS2 has decided to keep music as a hobby and go for art and drama. His school does Ebacc so he will be balanced by language and humanity.