Y 11 2023-2024 thread 3

[Techno56]

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

I love the sound of the two lost soldiers @DramaLlamaBangBang that's a great idea! DS said his was set historically and was a disagreement between a peasant and his lord travelling to visit some distant village for a wedding. The peasant revolted and tried to run off with the camels. I don't think he wrote a comedy but it sounds quite comedic to me!

Good luck to the French students for tomorrow.

DD is fast asleep in my bed! Wondered why she was so quiet ! She enjoyed English but has barely spoken to me which is unusual, she’s so utterly exhausted.

She has French tomorrow so I think I will
make an early ish dinner in a bit and use that as an excuse to wake her …

That sounds excellent 👌

More context now DS is home. The short answer questions were okay (not great, but as expected) but the two Cleopatra longer questions were really hard. The first one - Cleopatra's issues with her father - wasn't really covered by any of the sources (as in the syllabus materials) and the second one was really oddly worded. All his class found it hard.

Ds based his disagreement story in a bar and had Billy Joel's Piano Man as his inspiration...

Yes that seems to be the broad feeling here too. Ah well, hope for low grade boundaries. It’s better if they ALL find it hard!

Good luck to yours. We can finally remove the multitude of timelines from round the house!

Oh I love this!

Sounds like DD channelled her inner Taylor Swift for her disagreement thing with an ex boyfriend- such much material!!

I was struggling to think of what I would write on a disagreement ( despite being on mumsnet!) but these stories all sound brilliant!

The twins loved today’s Eduqas English language. The last two questions about the passage were quite weirdly worded but other than that, all good.

Ironically Dtd’s prepared narrative was set in a desert so that would have been amazing if she’d done the AQA paper!

A pic of a desert? Lol I asked sleepy ds and I thought he said they had a pic of a Tesla. I thought that was a good prompt though a bit odd for an English exam.
I'll chat to him properly when he's recovered a bit and comes down to dinner.
He said he thought it went well though.

my son was told to do q5, then 1,2,4 and 3. He was so happy with the desert image. It’s interesting how schools teach exam preparation.

They can teach whatever they like round here and my son will ignore them - not in terms of what needs to be written in each answer but he will not be told what order to answer and will also ignore being told to make a plan. What can you do in the end, it's their exam and their results (I wish he would listen though)

DD had set herself an alarm. She’s just appeared and says she feels so much better! Last push before a few days off .

DS said the English Language exam was 'alright'. Wasn't keen on the text but said he found enough to write about. His disagreement story was about a friend spilling vinegar on his chips set surfing on a beach so he could shoehorn his descriptions of the sky etc into it! I get the impression he thinks it could have gone better but not a disaster. He's more confident with paper 2 and scores better in that one so is hoping for marks to pull up his grade.

dd home, and reluctant to talk about the exam, but the little she said it really did go badly.
Not sure if paper 2 will save it, that isn't any better.
She doesn't even seem to know what will be in paper 2 🙄
(and she didn't sit Eng Lit, so it is all on this one)

anyway. She's working in school tomorrow, no exams, but rest of school on an INSET day, but in school study kids allowed in if they want.
That's pretty good actually.

Bless her
there are lots of past papers online to help

My daughter says everyone really appreciated the sentence "Dick swallowed"

Very happy teen. She wrote about the calm desert with flashback paragraph of a storm that happened earlier, and then back to the calm of the desert She was determined to use the words polychromatic kaleidoscope anyway that she could 😂. She says she was running out of time and her last answer wasn't the best but she just wrote all that she wanted to say so hopefully she will get some marks for that. Her poor hand was cramping. She's enjoyed taking all the post its with her words off her mirror. That's been the best but, getting rid of the notes and revising materials after each exam. My dining table is starting to empty.

Half term at last!! She's having the weekend off to spend time with her friends and then will be starting again Tuesday. Hope everyone has a peaceful half term and your teens get some well deserved rest.

DD Edexcel lang. Said it was very good. All done now, as the school did the coursework option for paper 2.

Hopefully she is ok. It's tough when they have a bad exam. This week has been very up and down here depending on on the subject, we have had tears and smiles. Sometimes on the same day. I get so anxious waiting to hear back from them both, just wanting to hear it went ok.

Can she speak with her English teacher to see if they can offer any support with paper two?

I know a lot about Aqa paper 2

DD said Eng lang was good and seemed pleased about the 'desert' when asked straight after the exam. However by the time I got home from work, she's convincing herself she could have done more etc etc. And thinking back to physics yesterday she might have got this wrong.... and so it goes on. It'll be a long wait for the results in August! 😂

French writing tomorrow and we are finished with 4 subjects. 8 more exams after half term, so we really are making progress. Downside is she feels there is a lot riding on her paper 2 performances so stress will still be high.

Positive vibes to you all xx

DS seemed happy enough with English Language today. He's been on a fairly even keel till now but think the tiredness is now showing. Will be very glad once French writing is done tomorrow morning and there is a bit of let up. Roll on half-term!

I said to DS earlier 'Good it's half term now so you get a break from exams' I then muttered 'I'm quite glad to get a break too'

He replied, 'Why do you need a break, what do the exams have to do with you?' !!!!!

Obviously he's not really wrong... but also honestly!!!! They literally have no idea do they?!

No exams today but nothing done for tomorrow's Spanish. He had half a day off, after the 3 yesterday, did some further maths and has now gone out to play football with mates. Clearly taking the Spanish seriously (not!). It's his worst subject and he doesn't like it at all. Am praying for a 4 if possible.
Loved the comments on TSR on Dick in the English today! We don't sit that board.
Will be so glad when half term arrives.'Only' 8 after HT.