Year 11 2023-24

[Maxus]

Anyone else got kids starting year 11 in September?

@dinomirror

It's so hard when they are struggling with friends. Teens are so reliant on them for their mental state I find.

Are there any lunch groups/clubs she could join?

Is there anyone outside of school that you could facilitate her to catch up with?

@dinomirror that does sound really tough. I would reach out to school and see if there is anything they can do to support - even if it's just a sympathetic member of staff she can reach out to, I imagine social times at school must be difficult.
Please reassure your dd that all is not lost, for various reasons I had a rubbish time in secondary school and really struggled to make and friends, there were a few times when I had no friends at all, however I thrived at 6th form. I went to college, did some really interesting subjects, made friends, some of whom are still my friends a few decades later, went out loads, snogged loads of boys, one of which I'm now married too..Life got much better very quickly.

I get so cross when I hear the whole 'school is the best time of your life' nonsense, it absoluely isn't, lots of children find school hard, social relationships at high school are ridiculously complex and difficult, especially for girls and after school life definitely gets much easier for lots of people.

Have you got plans for the summer? Is she feeling positive about post-16?

No unfortunately and she doesn't want to start a new activity so close to gcses

Physics and maths tutor?

Lunch groups are geared towards the younger years mostly unfortunately

Thank you, shes applied for two highly competitive colleges and the third is her school sixth form college which see really doesn't want to go to so is now anxiously awaiting offers. For summer nothing much is planned but she does much better outside of school anyway. I have broken it down and basically taking away all holidays and weekends she has 87 more school days left so not a lot

What a brilliant reply. I couldn’t agree more! 👏👏👏👏

Mine does economics. I will check tonight with him.

@WhathaveIdoneagain
Thank you. It will be extremely helpful!

@Thesunisshining888 DS said he is using a website called Save My Exams. I have not had a look yet.

DS said it was not a free resource and he wants me to subscribe.

Looks like DS school have stepped up got daily revision lessons after school everyday. Also had next mock results starting end of Jan.

Just wondering if you've all heard much about prom.
DS is my first and I have no idea what to expect in terms of what they'll wear etc.
He has recently got a girlfriend too.

Our school don't do a yr11 prom only yr 13. It's times like Prom I'm grateful for having a boy, the amount some spend on their outfits and hair /nails etc. is terrifying! 😮

DD doesn't want to go to her prom.

It's an added pressure on her. She thinks she needs to justify why she doesn't want to go to an event which she feels is all about showing off, belittling those who don't meet the style standard, insta opportunities and more of the 'in crowd vs nerds' divide.

I'm really sad there's a Y11 prom that makes some kids feel as though they don't meet the cool kid criteria.

We have no Y11 prom either. Which is good as we have an only so we are doing a late June/early July holiday.

DS had a bit of enlightenment yesterday and realised all the talking about it and prevarication will bot get the job done, so currently he is doing Macbeth exam questions.

4 weeks till Mocks!

My dd has not shown much interest in prom, I’m sure she’ll go, but (thankfully) isn’t wanting to get a £300 dress (which some of her friends have ordered) I’m not really sure what to do to be honest I think she’ll end up with a vintage dress because that’s more her style, she’s only been wearing dresses for the last 6 months, was trousers only previously.
Don’t want it to be an added pressure but also don’t want a last minute panic..

Hope everyone who got results yesterday was happy with them.

ds has a Welsh poetry exam this morning, and completed his music ensemble on Wednesday. It’s pretty relentless for these kids.

Dc is struggling with his A level choices, has to submit them next month ( although I assume these could be changed further on). Are others similar?

@Spacecowboys DD had to decide last term due to early 6th form application deadlines. Does DS have a shortlist, or any idea what he wants to do after A levels?

DS has Chemistry and Eng Lit mocks today and five more exams next week too. It'll be ages before we get any results.

DS had to choose his in November! He also struggled but seems to have settled on Chemistry, Maths and Physics. This will obviously depend on how ell he does in his actual exams as his school wants high marks in these to proceed to A level.

DS has applied for 6 sixth forms - two had application close dates in November, three were in January and one isn't until Feb half term. He's had two interview offers so far, which is promising, although they are from two large colleges who have very large intake numbers annually.

As to whether they can change subjects; this will depend on how many want to do the subjects and how oversubscribed they are. For example if they offer maths to 40 students and require a grade 7, if only 35 get the 7 there will be room for 5 others who did get the 7 to take maths. I think this is how it works anyway! A bit like a university clearing system.

Good luck to your DS @JustHereWithMyPopcorn for his mocks.

DS has decided to stay at school sixth form so his A level choices don’t have to be in until March but we had the open evening in December. His mocks aren’t until after February half term.

He did English lit in year 10, and maths in the summer and November (2023) so the focus there has moved onto additional maths now ready for the summer.

Results are in, mostly 7 and 8 with a 9 and bit of a surprise 6 and 5 but those were french and music which he either didn't revise much for or is only based on a paper, which will only be worth 33% of the real thing anyway (music and its flipping hard) so quite pleased 😁