Year 11 2023-24

[Maxus]

Anyone else got kids starting year 11 in September?

All the school sixth forms we visited prioritised their own pupils ( not London though) so by default that will be state school over private. But in my DS's school there are always several kids who have moved over from the Private school to State 6th form.

That make sense, but the admissions for the schools in our borough are 1 - current pupils; 2- external state pupils in borough; 3 - out of borough and private pupils.

Ours give priority to students all ready at the school if it’s a school with 6th form. The colleges I’m less sure

@newmum1976 Are there good schools and colleges in neighbouring boroughs you could look at, which might have more flexible admissions arrangements?

Yes, thankfully the neighbouring borough has grammar schools who recruit on average GCSE point score, so we probably have a solution. Bit annoying though, as we expected her to stay local.

Ah OK, so all is not lost by the sounds of it. But I also wonder whether there are academies and/or colleges in your own borough which don’t apply the borough-wide rules you’ve identified?

DS is off sick today. He's been under the weather all weekend, and when we were talking this morning, he just burst into tears and said he is so stressed about school that he doesn't know what to do.
This is not the life I wanted for him at 15!

Is anyone an English teacher amongst us? Would love to pick your brains on Language paper, question 5

@Panic71 which board, which paper? Creative writing or writing for purpose? MrsHamlet is a helpful English teacher who frequents this board.

huge thanks
AQA paper 1 question 5. I’d be super grateful @mrshamlet

Shudder. Paper 1 writing gives me the heebie jeebies. But the mark scheme for my far superior paper is identical. Ask away, @Panic71

@TeenDivided polishing my "helpful" badge ;)

Huge thanks!
So in terms of question 5, the creative writing. If the prompt was to write a story involving an encounter with an animal, how much of the story needs to be about an encounter with an animal. If for example, in the time given, the student haven’t quite got on to the ‘encounter’, perhaps because they were zooming out or writing a build up, how problematic is that in terms of the mark scheme?

Hard to say without seeing the work, but I'd say it might well struggle to get much into "clear" which is level 3.

Are you familiar with the mark scheme?

Yes had a good read and the content level 3, I can see why the ‘matched to purpose’ might be questionable but the rest of content seems ok as does the level 3 organisation. DM you x

My son has made it to the end, he's at school taking his last two mocks today (computer science and french writing) sore balls and all.

The only one he has to make up later is the full day DT exam ...so could be a lot worse.

We are absolutely knackered. Me from driving him about while he can't get the bus, plus working and helping with revision, and he seems to have some kind of brain strain as I keep finding him sat staring into space he's so worn out.

Hope everyone else is ok and those of you still with a week to go (or more) good luck, so thankful he breaks up on the 12th! 😴😴😴

DS got his results just sent me a pic of them. Gutted for him he badly failed English lit and Lang got a3. Passed everything else except for Spanish even got an 8 in one subject.
Really need recommendations please for English I only scrapped a pass in Lang my worst subject.

Eng Lang.

Get the paper back, see where he lost marks and why.
Each question is specific what they are looking for.
Did he know what he was trying to do and just not able to do it / didn't do enough detail, or was he not trying to do the right stuff?

One of my y11 said today "miss, you've already told us this".

Yes, Bob. That's because paper 2 question 3 always wants these things.

"Always miss? That's well easy then".

Yes, Bob.

DDs results came in today.

A 5, 6 couple of 4s and then 3s and a 2 in maths which was our fear. She got a 2 in Maya mock and needs a 5 to stay on for As.

Feels like it's such a huge mountain to climb and all school are wittering about in this week's newsletter is how with a positive attitude and growth mindset anything is apparently possible.

We are clinging to the unexpected silver lining of a 6 in media.

Going to have a few glasses of red this evening then focus and regroup tomorrow I think. If nothing else I know she's a bloody hate working trooper

Can anyone recommend a science online platform which is good for higher revision?

Anyone use this? https://www.tassomai.com/gcse-science-revision-app?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlfup1MmAgwMV1vftCh0MowY7EAAYASAAEgIIPPD_BwE

Have you tried Seneca? My son finds it really useful.

We use Seneca and Physics and Maths Tutor....

No experience myself but Tassomai has got good feedback on previous y11 threads.