Y 11 2023-2024 thread 3

[Techno56]

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

I also can't believe there are only 2 weeks of secondary school left. I can't wait for the exams to be over but I feel quite misty eyed about DD finishing secondary school. Feels really momentous. I'm quite a soppy, sentimental nostalgic person!

I was thinking that too @WhereAreWeNow DS is staying at school for 6th Form🤞, but they are officially done with school on 26 June.
The best bit is no more school uniform to wash 🤣

@Waspie DC is doing Art A level, and their EPQ was very much in that vein. The other two A level subjects are essay based. Given that their plan is to go onto Art school, and that their EPQ was actually an artefact (with accompanying essays/diaries/journals), you're right that it could be seen as a duplication of skills (for NEAs). As a mum though I could see that the EPQ gave DC a chance to pursue a passion, as it was in something that they absolutely loved. It was also extremely good for their self esteem as the EPQ, by nature, is very niche and is obviously on something that nobody else does. It's nice to get that additional validation.

Interested to hear what topics your DC chose for EPQs if you’re open to sharing.

Thank you for sharing your child's experience @Neveragainisaid that's very helpful.

@Tiredalwaystired my son is thinking of doing something along the lines of: chess and it's role as a weapon/propaganda tool during the cold war.

He's a chess nut - taught himself during lockdown, has an excellent ranking and plays for a club online and over the board. He also has tons of books on the subject and studies to improve his rating daily. Although he has put that to one side during the GCSEs as he doesn't "have the headspace" (his words) for both. He's looking forward to get back into it after the exams finish.

Wow that sounds brilliant!

I was in Georgia (the country not the state) and it's apparently still taught in schools at a very high level there.

@Tiredalwaystired If DD does an EPQ she's planning to look at AI and it's impact on the creative industries. Don't know if this is feasible but she'll talk to school and take it from there.

Thanks @Tiredalwaystired - what about your DC? Are they thinking of doing EPQ?

I understand it is in quite a few countries in the old Soviet block @MrsHamlet. I was talking to a young student in a club I help run and her mother is Russian and her dad is Romanian and they both learned in school in the late 90's and say it's still taught now. DS's chess club has lots of eastern European players of a very good standard.

@Philandbill - that sounds like a great subject, and very topical at the moment.

I have persuaded DS he needs to do some history revision for Tuesday. Hallelujah! I feel like breaking open the bubbly But I won't; I'll go and do some gardening instead.

I'm just looking forward to bloody English Language being over on Thursday.

Our youngest (Y8) has assessments in all subjects over next few weeks but has been on scout camp most of this week. He has ADHD and isn't very mature for his age so he doesn't even know where to start but we are trying (with relatively low expectations for now).

dd is my youngest (of 3) and she and her siblings have been going on the train to the next town for secondary school since 2013, so we have had 11 years of it.

It is hard to believe that that will be over in 2 weeks. No more worrying about trains, no more uniform. It is all a bit unreal.

She’s considering an EPQ, yes but exploring ideas

Dd choice of sixth form college is very large (2000 +) and so not all do epq / 4th a level although timetabling apparently not an issue. Apparently they are selected at the end of y12 to do an epq in y13

Well DD I think is in full panic mode now as she’s been working all day , mainly history.

still not a sign of any maths revision! She said she learnt it all for the first exam 🤷🏼‍♀️

ds Is finding it so difficult to keep going. He just wants to spend some time with his friends and girlfriend. Suddenly realised that 2 weeks today and it will all be over

DD seems to be back in the game today. She's focused on Maths, History and a bit of business today. I'm a bit worried about the lack of focus on English and biology because they still seem to be out of sight out of mind but hoping that will pick up after Tuesday.

History is definitely her nemesis - the content seems never ending- and there's still paper 3 next week

DDs second choice for A Levels only aks for x 3 As and says they only recommend a fourth for a highly motivated student. Otherwise there is a real danger your spreading yourself too thin.

I think some kids could really struggle with 4 if compulsory and the time spent on that fourth (to be dropped later) covid have been spent on a third. Instead of potentially wasted. And I think this would be the case for DD.

I can understand if all providers did 4 but they fact they don't makes me question if it's right for all kids.

Just my view

re. Doing 4 A Levels - DS's state 6th form does let them but the majority are those doing Further Maths (they do Maths and FM one year each). However, when he asked the 6th form Director about doing 4 (not FM!) he said 'I think you could probably manage that, try it and see' (they do fit ok in terms of timetabling as far as the four timetable blocks they had to choose from go). I still think the 4 he's chosen will be really hard going (AND he wants to do EPQ...!). I think he should start off with the four and see how it goes. I did that (my 4th was Fine Art, so not an academic 4th A Level but one that took up a lot of time, and I did end up dropping it at the end of the first year).

DS has been pretty stroppy the last few days, once he'd definitely used up his grace time as days off, and had to get back down to it. I think having the half term off exams is essential or they'd collapse - but it's so hard to get back into the swing of it.

Thanks @Waspie. We are taking dd to see a very experienced eating disorder specialist. I am hoping this will slow and eventually stop the very alarming level of weight loss, almost 1kg a week, otherwise she will soon end up hospitalised. I am so glad she’s doing IGCSE for several subjects. Only 2 exams to go. Finished Wednesday. Thursday the appointment.

@Mummyoflittledragon This is all so much extra pressure for you and your DD at a time you both need to focus on her health. I hope the appointment goes well on Thursday, puts it all in perspective when your child is suffering like this.

My DD is feeling positive about her maths tomorrow, just gone to do a final past paper in preparation. It will be a tense morning for me waiting to hear how it has gone.

Two weeks to go.

The half term has done DD the world of good. Lots of downtime front loaded and a gradual ramping up again over the week.

Geography focus on Thursday and Friday (which left her feeling so much more confident) and maths yesterday and today - again, she was really confident last night on maths paper two, so today is more maths paper two and a look at further maths papers to get ahead. After Maths tomorrow she will be back on geography and then mostly on to biology although as far as is possible she will look at English lang this week too.

A much lighter week this week overall before a killer week the week after. Only one more after that though!

I do hope your daughter's last two exams go well, and that the specialist is able to help her @Mummyoflittledragon

I also really hope maths goes well tomorrow. DS felt he didn't do as well as he wanted in paper 1 so the pressure is on. He has been watching you tube tutors videos this morning walking through various papers and is going to do a past paper later on.

It sounds as though you and your daughter have planned the half term break well @Tiredalwaystired.

I really hope that I take what I've learned from this GCSE exam period and don't make the same mistakes in two years time. I have been so keen to support DS and help where possible but I seem to have just got his back up and stressed him out.

Very best of luck to all of your young people tomorrow!

Is anyone else today overwhelmed with the sheer amount of content in the history? DD has Richard and John and also the Cold War on Tuesday-so much to know…

So I keep having this horrible panic that tomorrow DS forgets the calculator, or it breaks or it’s stolen or…….

I’ll pack a spare!