Year 11 2023-24

[Maxus]

Anyone else got kids starting year 11 in September?

@dinomirror points = sum of best 8 GCSEs grades, in the context above

In our borough the schools have 6th forms. Except DS' school which doesn't (annoyingly). Consequently he's had to look elsewhere. He's been fortunate enough to get a conditional offer from a super selective grammar in the neighbouring borough (Reading School). To be able to confirm this place he'll need 56 points from his top 8 GCSEs, much like the grammar @anoukis daughter has applied for. He also needs 8's in his chosen subjects.

His second choice is a large 6th Form college in the neighbouring county (Hampshire) where they have colleges rather than school sixth forms. This is Ofsted Outstanding too and has excellent A Level results. Here he needs grade 6 in his chosen subjects and 5 x grade 5's, including English and Maths, as a general requirement.

All the schools and colleges we went to have slightly different requirements, but we visited schools and colleges in three counties so that's not surprising .

Interesting range of options in different places. Here most of the schools have a sixth form and all are comprehensives, though there are grammar schools in the neighbouring authority. We have one college but it's more vocational that A level based. DD is going to stay on at her comp. No points requirement and it prides itself on being inclusive so there's a range of A level grades and leavers' destinations. Sixth form is outstanding so I'm happy that she's staying on and she'll be benefit from the structure of school.

Interesting how different areas are for colleges 6th forms and minimum grades. Hopefully all our kids flurrish in what ever path they take after GCSEs

DS handed in his first and only non exam coursework for Electronics rest is all exam based now.
Hope coursework goes s going well for all the other kids.

Where I am it's all grades, not points and colleges are more for vocational courses, the more academic kids go to sixth forms, which do also do 'certificate' courses.
My daughter wants to go to her school sixth form which she'll need 7 passes at grade 5 or above.

@Maxus thank you for starting such a good thread. I think we are going to run out of space very soon!

Keep forgetting about this thread. My DS2 has a conditional offer at sixth form college (only the private schools have sixth forms here) but he needs 6-6 in his combined science GCSE to do a-level physics. He got 4-4 in the mocks last month. Not sure what he is going to do if he doesn't get it. Hope everyone else's dc are getting on all right.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5057260-y11-2023-24-continued

I made a new thread 🙂

@elliejjtiny My DD really likes my-gcsescience.com. It’s a subscription site, but we have found it good value at £24.95 for AQA Combined Science.

@Marisquita Thank you for that. Ds2 really likes physics, is ok with chemistry but hates biology and it's the biology part that always pulls the rest of his grade down. He finds it annoying that if he'd done triple science, his physics grade would have been separate and the college would have let him do physics a level without a good biology result.

@elliejjtiny There’s still time to pull up biology. It’s DD’s weakest science too, but I helped her focus on it over the Easter holidays and she gained lots of confidence.

If he will let you help, find as many questions as you can for him to tackle in biology, using his textbook, any revision guides he has, free sites like BBC Bitesize and Seneca, and/or paid resources like the one I linked. Best of luck to him.

Marking for notes.

Well, less than a week until we see how it all actually went. DC is nervous. We've spoken about options and back up plans etc. I think at least some of it is that it feels like everything hinges on these results. Eek. (I know it doesn't really as there are always options.)
How's everyone else doing??

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5124222-y11-202324-thread-5-results?page=6&reply=137582735

We are all over on the thread above as this one and others are nearly full