Y11 2023-24 continued

[Techno56]

New thread for when the other one fills up, I need somewhere to panic away from my son 😁

Where we live, the sixth forms are attached to schools and are for more academic choices eg A levels and the colleges are for vocational courses. Funny how it’s different depending on where you live. DC only applied to one sixth form which is attached to his current school. Has been advised he can spend the first few weeks trying out a couple of different subjects if he’s not 100% on his choices for A level. I think that’s because he had five he wanted to do but obviously won’t be doing that many.

Checking in - thanks for the new thread.

Thanks for the new thread @Techno56 Checking in for the next stressful weeks!

Marking my place. Ds2 who is "fine" and his wreck of a mother!

Checking in... all starting to feel a bit real now!

Our school still hasn't sent out exam timetables. We have built our own but would be good to check it against something!

Thanks for the new thread.

We have had to get DS spoken Spanish brought forward a couple of days as he has urgent dental surgery (4 teeth and GA). So we will be full on flash cards for 10 days.
3 weeks tomorrow until our first paper 😳😭

Thanks for the new thread.

Gearing up for the first proper exam next Thursday and Friday - 5 hours art each day.
Then MFL speaking on Monday.

Email came out today for hoodie orders. I really didn't think DD would want one, but she's surprisingly keen.

DD and classmates have their hoodies already! They’re allowed to wear them over uniform for the exams. Three weeks from today is her first written paper (Drama).

Checking in too. Second day of art today. She's out to her youth group tonight which will do her good as she is weary and full of cold. We sat and made a multicoloured grid that she can tick exams off on after we'd eaten this evening 😁

Ours are ordered due 8 May

Ds has a Welsh lit oral exam tomorrow then he kicks off properly on May 10th, the last day that they have to attend the full day of school!

I really need to help him sort out what he wants to wear to the leavers prom….

Hoodie and yearbook ordered here too. DS was all teenage boy about it, and has refused to have his name on the back of the hoodie, but I ordered both. They won't get them until after the exams though.

Good luck for art exams.

DS has a morning at school tomorrow prepping for MFL orals, which are next week. First written exam is on 10th May - Biology paper 1.

That's a nice idea

@JessyCarr My son is in his hoodie now until the end of school. He chose black, but almost everyone else chose pink! It's a sight to behold at drop off on a morning 😆

My son has been predicted really good grades and he's academic and fairly assiduous in getting on with revision, but he's SO fed up with it all! School has been virtually 100% revision and consolidation sessions since January, and to be honest most of year 11 so far had very little new curriculum content - it seemed like they were aiming to finish that up by Christmas. He loves learning and did love most of his classes - now, the continual exam technique sessions and going over and over is dull and I think he finds it oppressive. He seems to be compensating for this by learning Latin (using a modern kids' Latin book, the Minimus one), writing short stories set in a fandom he's into, and now he and his peers have decided that in the run-up to GCSEs they are all going to get into D&D! I see it as a much-needed outlet though I sometimes have to bite my tongue to not say 'Latin's great but what about your bloody MATHS?'

he has bugger-all engagement with sports or any physical activities - I'm seeing posts here about sports clubs providing a good destress and I'm so envious. When this pissing horrible weather abates a bit I'm going to take him out on nice evening walks round the village, just 45 mins or less.

My main concern is that he's so flat. He comes across as quite depressed and says 'I don't know' when I ask him what the matter is or if I can help. I'm really worried. Even the animals aren't really getting through to him. Anyone else struggling with this sort of thing?

Sorry to hear that @GlomOfNit. Could it be something to do with the prospect of transition after exams? Are he and his friends staying at their school, or moving on and dispersing?

I can’t work out if DD is on top of it all or cruising for a bruising! Her monitoring report came out yesterday still predicted 8s and 9s, she is working fairly consistently but not for hours at a time or anything, & seems to rely fairly heavily on videos… she’s had mental health challenges so really I’ll be perfectly happy if she gets what she needs for the next step, which she probably will…

they have their hoodies and can wear them to school which she is very happy about!

the majority of his peers will stay on at the school's 6th form and he's looking forward to A-levels (he's always said that a lot of the twerps who annoy or low-level bully him will be moving on elsewhere, or at least not on his chosen A-levels). I don't think, in all honesty, that it's a transitional thing. Though to be sure, GCSEs are a big deal and that sort of thing might feel very oppressive to him.

I think a lot of it is that he has less free time than he's used to, and can't spend as much time shuttered up in his room painting models, listening to podcasts and comedies, and watching films...

@GlomOfNit it is so hard for them. DD is also resenting the time that this is taking, she took would rather be doing art of her choice whilst listening to an audio book or watching a film. We did a cross off the exams sheet and she has twenty four separate exams, it's such a slog. One bonus is that she'll finish mid June so I'm encouraging DH to take her and DD1 away for a few days as it'll be term time and things will be cheaper. I'm restricted to school terms but I really want them to go as she deserves a treat.

Just checking in

DS is happy with the way that his Welsh oral went so that’s another one ticked off.

Because his school stagger a lot of exams starting in January of year 10 and finishing in the summer of year 11 he’s only got 12 papers to sit and then it’s all done!

Really concerned about content now- it's still not been finished in majority of subjects. Obviously its all paper 2 stuff but DD says they are in no rush to finish it all!

What would you advise re study leave? School finishes before half term for study leave but with lessons still on for students that want to go in and revise there... it isn't clear whether these are taught or simply a space for self study (and potentially mess around with friends?).

DC is not a self starter or very motivated and was very bored of working at home by the end of Easter hols and looking forward to seeing friends at school. But my worry is that revision at school won't be as good as revising at home where I could supervise and test (but would that be unwanted?).

Any thoughts/advice welcome!

@alwaysplanning Can you confirm with the school what the arrangements are? My DD has subject teachers available in the usual lesson times during study leave and is keen to make the most of that opportunity (and see friends!) but it won’t be the same everywhere, no doubt.

Different schools seem to do this differently - DS's school mandates that once exams start you come in for your timetable as per usual, but use those for revision. I don't know if any of this is going to be programmed or guided revision like they're already doing in most classes - I can imagine that if it's just a matter of 'sit down and get out whatever revision you have in your bag' it might not be all that useful, and I'm wondering about classroom discipline too. But programmed, supported revision would be good. Anyway, they have to come in for the full day. I must say it makes my life easier, as they'll just get the normal bus there and back!