Y 11 2023-2024 thread 3

[Techno56]

For when the other thread fills up tomorrow as we all discuss English lit 2 😁

Don't they need to allow different amounts of time to each question depending on the marks for it? Or is that not the case for physics?

DD really isn't a scientist but she has revised for this so I hope she passes at least!

As with most physics today. DS is mot a scientist, so he will do the best job he can.
Apparently, a lot of people at school wrote about MR Birling, not Mrs for TIC! I'm not sure how accurate this is, but poor kids, the ultimate read the question properly mistake

Finally found the thread again. German and Computer Sc yesterday, was good, but DD was expecting a lot better and said CS questions were a lot simpler in previous exams. So none of them were prepared enough to answer tough questions. Let’s see
Physics today, again she has higher expectations and judging by her talks, I am not sure about it. Need to trust her at this point and so keeping quiet.
Just want to share if someone else is struggling, DD managed to write a lot more for her exams than she ever did. We even had a talk and she started crying just before exams about it. She kept on saying she can’t write much and other kids would do 4 pages while she is finishing one! I had to respond to that. Turned out she is so much better now. And don’t care about the handwriting.
Phy today and Eng Lang tmrw and we can breath a little

Physics today too. It’s an A level choice so hopefully will go well. Dc thinks AQA have been kind so far with their exam papers but that the grade boundaries are going to be high as a result.

Yes I read on Reddit that some kids answered about Mr Birling rather than Mrs. That’s really tough for them luckily DD wrote about the Inspector.

DD is dead on her feet this morning and at her desk revising again. I’ve told her she has to go to sleep when she gets home.

DD really wanting to do well in physics. She seemed to take an absolute age to settle to any revision yesterday so I'm not sure how prepared she's feeling. Haven't had my head bitten off yet though which is nice. She is very tired.
Re Eng lit - I also know someone who did Mr B instead of Mrs. Awful for them. DD felt really bad for them as it's the kind of mistake she'd be quite likely to make. Luckily she did the inspector q.
Also maths AQA here and loads of DDs class found it tougher than they were expecting ( though it doesn't sound as harsh as the edexel one). Good luck to all DC.

Physics and PE here.

Good luck everyone!!

Oh crumbs, lots of Mr Birling answers in English Lit AQA for AIC here as well. And after teacher had told them repeatedly to read the question carefully. Still, should get some marks for content. Eek.

@DramaLlamaBangBang My DS found AQA Maths paper hard (couldnt do 2 questions at all which is rare for him) and many did in his school. So fingers crossed the boundaries aren't too high.

DS's behaviour yesterday and this morning (he's just left - 10 mns late and completely low energy) is either exhaustion or avoidance, I cant tell. His ADHD brain kind of grinds down like this and there's nothing I can do about it. Super frustrating.

My daughter's boyfriend wrote about Mr Birling as did a few others in her year.

Physics for us this morning then English Lang and French writing Friday am. I think today marks his half-way point. Hoping for a good paper for everyone.

It’s interesting isn’t it - physics is at a point in the exam timetable when they’re all exhausted and not likely to do their best. But we need more physicists so we need them to have confidence to carry it forwards with better grades. I wonder whether it would make more sense for the country to put at least one of physics and maths very early on in the timetable when they’re fresh?

I do find DD’s exam timetable quite full on. Our other DC took them 2 years ago when there were still some Covid allowances so they were a little more spread out. Having an exam in the afternoon then one the following morning is tough (as are 2 in a day for 2 days simultaneously) when they are already so tired.
Physics is one of her stronger subjects but she has hardly given it any time so I just hope the info is in her brain from before. I agree, having it earlier may have helped.

dd did ORC and said it was pretty good.
but also they ALL finished early and were sitting waiting for the time to end.

DD hates physics and started the day by walking full force into a door, then was late so I’ve just dropped her off. Fingers crossed!

Bah.
Just had an email from dd's chosen sixth form college.
It has just had an Ofsted and has come out as requires improvement.
It is supposed to be one of the best in the area.

Frustrating because she is in an excellent school, which has a sixth form, but for a lot of reasons she is not staying on in sixth form (and she probably won't get the grades to stay there anyway)
I want her to move, but wasn't expecting her chosen sixth for to get Ofsted requires improvement. That's just crap.

mind you, one of the things it dropped on was attendance, and when dd is there she is unlikely to improve their attendance figures!!

Computer science was 'OK' which is a relief, and she is feeling ok about physics.
Honestly after every exam I am pretty much just relieved that it wasn't a disaster!
Looks like she will get a set of GCSEs, even if grades might not be what she wanted. In about February I wasn't sure if she would even sit them.

Two exams for DD today with Latin this afternoon. English Language tomorrow morning and then half term, thank goodness.

Hope physics goes ok this morning for everyone.

I think you need to read carefully and see where they have done less well. Eg if they say quality of teaching is inconsistent stem great history poor, then impact depends on which subjects your DC has picked.

Had a very anxious teen today, physics is really tough. Gave her a hug and just told her one way or the other it's done after today, and that it's not worth this upset. It's so tough watching them go through this, so much pressure on them.

As I understand it if a school gets a Requires Improvement rating they start to get more help and support from the council, and/or the academy so it can actually be quite a positive boost to the school @steppemum

Good luck to all students for Physics this morning, and for PE this afternoon and, @GlomOfNit, for Mandarin writing

DS loves physics so I hope he does okay in this paper or it'll knock his confidence for the rest of the exams. He says grade boundaries are always very high for Physics 1 because they are still getting the equations sheet so there is less to remember. Mandarin writing on the other hand is hard. He was practicing his 75 and 125 character pieces and hope he'll be allowed to revise Mandarin after physics.

Same. With an added ancient history on Thurs pm. She’s exhausted. 😴

Interesting that you say they were more spread out then. I can’t remember. Not sure if I could find DSs timetable again. I know DS said that it was an advantage having all the advanced info and DD has more content to learn!

The aspect of all of this that I am struggling with is not knowing how well they have done - because I kind of assumed that there wouldn’t be any surprises. So for example, ds is mostly predicted 7s and has got 7s in most of his previous exams and mocks. I therefore was expecting that that is what he would get when he opened his results on August. But…. I didn’t really consider that it all depends on the day - however stupid that sounds. So just getting one question completely wrong in English Lit or not understanding a question could completely change the results. I really haven’t a clue how he’s doing!