Year 10 2024/2025 - come and join!

[36and3]

A thread for those with kids beginning their GCSE course next month.

Dd is my oldest so this process is a first for me. Her options are: triple science, Spanish, history and food/nutrition.

We've spent the summer organising her room. We've bought revision guides and files etc for every subject and she's excited to get started!

Would anyone like to join me for the ride?!

I'm glad someone else's school is doing 11 GCSEs as I only realised through MN a few months ago that the trend is now to take fewer, which made me worry. DD is doing triple science, French, Latin, geography, drama and food prep/nutrition. She also loves doing extracurricular activities and has a raft of them taking up time. Looking to start maths tutoring this year.

@SatsumaCat yep dd is doing 11: triple science, history, further maths, Spanish and food tech plus maths, 2 English and RE.

Plus 4/5 x training sessions a week for her sport.

I'm definitely worried it's all too much!

I am worried the 11 is too much, DD is highly motivated and very capable, top set for everything, but she puts a lot of pressure on herself to achieve, she is lucky that it seems to come very naturally to her. But you can see she gets slightly irritated if she doesn't get full marks for example in a test. Her and DD1 are so very different, DH was saying over the weekend that we will have to keep a close eye on her that it doesn't all get too much.

She has lots of friends and an active social life so hoping this gives her some balance over the next 18 months.

Were popping out to get her a new bag and a few more bits she needs then going to clear through all last years stuff so it's all sorted this afternoon.

1 week of the holiday left for us, feeling a bit sad as I work in a school too and although I still go in and out over the summer, I absolutely love this time with her.

You've described my own dd down to a T @UncomfortableSilence Dd is such a perfectionist, top set for everything but can put far too much expectation on herself.

I'm a teacher in the kids' school but I teach EYFS. So I'm back on 2nd and kids on the 5th.

My DD was ill last year and missed most of year 9. So on top of everything she has catching up to do. Her health is improving but she'll be on a reduced timetable. Core subjects and three choices, French, music and DT. I worry that might be too much though. My goal is just to ease her back into school life and keep her well. It's interesting to read the plans of others.

Hope your DD is recovering well @Marbleston

I hope you're dd recovers well @Marbleston I can see why you're worried, is happy to communicate with you or school if she is finding it tough?

It all just seems a lot. It works out as 10 GCSEs for dd, 3 science, 2 English, maths, stats, German, history & RE plus two level 2 equivalents (further maths & perf arts). I'm glad she's taken PA to be honest, it just lightens the load a bit & she really enjoys it.

My y3, y5 & y7 go back next Tuesday, then y7 is off Wednesday when y9 & y10 are in then Thursday is a 'normal' in day & Friday is a trip day for y8-11. I'm due back on Monday (head of kitchen in my younger dc Primary) following a hysterectomy in May but physio has said not yet as I've really not recovered as well as expected & i'm having unexpected complications.

What trips do everyones schools offer? We've, hopefully, got Berlin next spring (it was due to go on the payment app in May but hasn't appeared as yet) for History/ German & the West End for PA. Dd is saving all her babysitting money for spends

I'm not sure on trips, except for Holderness and Stratford for geography fieldwork. Hopefully they'll see Macbeth at some point. DS has also managed to get himself invited on the Somme battlefields trip this year, despite not taking history

A trip to Spain for dd so far. I think there's a Berlin history trip in year 11 too. I'm sure they'll be some day trips/ workshops too

I'm Finance not teaching. Back on Monday for Inset. DD is back Tuesday for 1 hour 🙄 then properly from Wednesday.

Marble- wishing DD well and hope she is being supported by school.

DDs school don't offer as many trips in Y10 as the previous years, there is Norway, Barcelona and Berlin so far. They are obviously subject dependant. DD would love to do Barcelona as we took her in the February half term and she just loves it there, however, the itinerary is exactly what we did so we are leaning towards Berlin.

I'm a teacher too. Back a week tomorrow for inset 🙄

We haven't been told about trips yet, but usually there is a Geography trip abroad, History/Latin to Rome. Not sure if there will be a French trip as usually there is an exchange before Y10 but didn't happen.

Have been browsing Amazon for flashcards but couldn't decide which to get!

Dd got her teachers list yesterday. Generally she's very happy, however!... Physics is the subject she finds hardest and there was one teacher she really didn't want for this: surprise, surprise!! She's gutted. I've tried to reassure that 10/11 teachers are brilliant and she's got at least one friend in each lesson but she's focusing on the one negative. Still awaiting timetable but she's less fussed by that.

DS happy with his timetable - they have a 2 week one, so 10 hours of music and drama with his favourite teacher has him happy 😆

Some other teachers he doesn't know so much, but none that have the deadly bad reputation with his peers (probably perfectly nice, fine teachers!)

For any London-based folk, An Inspector Calls is on at the moment at Ally Pally. We're going in September.

@BernardsarenotalwaysSaints we've got a German exchange arriving soon and then return trip in March I think. I believe there's also a year 10 ski trip in February half term. We went to Germany & Austria on holiday last Easter and think it helped DD1's German.

@RealHousewivesOfTaunton what subject is Borneo for? It's on my wishlist so wondering if I can persuade DH it's GCSE relevant!

Wow all these trips! Dd has just finished Y11 and she went to Normandy battlefields trip but that was the only one, I understand why but I think it’s a shame they don’t do language exchanges anymore. DS is going to Berlin in January which they are running as a joint History and German trip, his school is very small (different to the one my older dd attended) which I think does limit them on trips a bit.

I must find out if the school is going to Inspector calls, I took dd a couple years ago, watching theatre with an audience of 90% teens is definitely a different experience, I really enjoyed it, they don’t hold back with reactions to the performance in the way an older audience would.

Trying to persuade ds to get art homework done, he was super pleased he’d done some today, but he hasn’t actually done the task asked, that was tricky so he did something else! He doesn’t quite see why he can’t just do as he pleases! Going to be a long 2 years I think!

We've got no timetable and no class or teacher info yet so much nervousness. But the bag is packed and the desk is tidy and she's good to go.

Only trip here is a WW1 battlefields whistle-stop in the summer but she's already looking forward to it. We've booked to go and see An Inspector Calls as a family as school aren't running a trip in her Y10, only to find that she might have the only English teacher who doesn't teach it! I expect we'll enjoy it anyway...

My DD is starting year 10 and she really struggles with how to revise. I struggle to explain it! Apparently the way I did it isn't how she could do it 🤦🏻‍♀️ any tips on revision?

Best revision is active, answering questions much more effective than highlighting or copying out notes. DD used to make flash cards with a Q in one side and answer on the other and have me quiz her.

Hi everyone!
DS1 starting yr10 next week although he started his GCSE courses last year (in yr9). His options are history, geography, drama and sociology. He found last year a bit of a struggle- really wasn’t ready for the increased focus and workload (he has ASD). I’m bracing myself for this year as he finds schoolwork quite difficult and hates any form of revision…..
Think I’ll be glad of a supportive thread!
No trips that I know of yet but hopefully there will be something. We aren’t back until next Weds and he’ll get his timetable then - hopefully with the same teachers 🤞.

@Stowickthevast I'm getting such a pasting on AIBU for the Borneo trip that I'm determined to go just to spite them! It's for a module called "Forests Under Threat" in Edexcel Geography B.

DS doesn't have his timetable yet. There's one maths teacher he doesn't get on with so I'm hoping he doesn't get her.

Ah damnit - mine isn't doing geog. I'm sure there's some biology benefits though.

Does AIBU want you to go to Skegness for hols instead?!

Link the thread!!

Here it is! A good proportion of the posters think I'm singlehandedly responsible for the destruction of the rainforest or guilty of gross neglect, others think I'm taking the P.

WIBU to take one DC and not the other?

The school's taking them to Skeggy. I'm not averse to a Butlins weekend but I prefer better weather TBH. @Stowickthevast I'm sure a trip to Borneo is also essential for your DD's biology and history exams and of course her art coursework 😉