Year 11 - 2024-2025 Support Thread

[QueenMabby]

Hi
A continuation for those of us with DCs going into year 11 - GCSEs are looming!

Joining from the other thread

Thanks op

Hoping to join in this year, DC1 is going into yr 11.

Thanks for the new thread.

Usually we have a day for just year groups 7 and 12 at the start, but it it's not on the calendar.

Thanks @QueenMabby for setting up the thread. It’s going to be an interesting year!

@TurtleGemSaturn0 thanks for this, I think it’s really helpful for the kids to learn from other kids.

I'm just commenting to mark the new thread. 4th Sept return for Ds (3rd Sept for year 7 and 12 only)

Just had one go through GCSES. Ups and downs but ok in the end.

Now going to go through it again with dc2. They are less motivated or interested so it'll be a different experience. Just hoping they'll have less friendship drama as that is a huge distraction
Sigh

I wasn’t on the Y10 thread but can I join this one? We’re in Wales so had some results today, hopefully Y11 will continue on the same track.

Welcome @justasoul - the more the merrier! I'm sure this thread will be a lot busier than in year 10 - much more to talk about!

Hi all, this year looks to be interesting as they may be the first year to go back to pre Covid levels of info on the data sheets when it comes to the exams.

I've had one Ds who did GCSEs back in 2017 and one who had GCSEs cancelled in 2020 both those ds's took A levels then onto uni. I can't believe we are going to go through it all again ds3 takes it so much more seriously too.

Thanks for the new thread @QueenMabby
DS is back on the 5th -one day shy of 7 weeks off in total.
He has to do a 5 min speech on a topic of his choice for English in September so am trying to get him to plan this now with limited success. DD didn’t do this as she was a covid GCSE’r so this is new to me.
Am trying to tell myself that I will just leave him to it and not nag non-stop but we all know that I will find this impossible. I wonder how many posts I will make on this theme over the next year?

I'd like to join too. My daughter starts year 11 in Sept too. Year 10 was stressful and I can only imagine year 11 to be worse!

Hello oldies & newbies. In breaking news DD actually did read ‘off mice & men’. In the style of SB1971 I didn’t nag once & it emerged in-front of her nose each day!

She’s my 3rd but a very different DC to my other two. They’re all different tbh. So although not my first rodeo the challenges will differ.

@CherieBabySpliffUp by ‘data sheets’ is that the info they take into exams - such as equations or whatever? I had assumed it was back to pre-covid already. Was it not? DD has been told what info they’ll be provided with already. I’m now wondering how accurate that is then.

As mentioned on another thread, as a parent, I received zero communication from the school about the Eng Lang speaking exam.

I would have liked to have known P/M/D will be on her result slip, and I assume her certificate.

Do other schools communicate to parents about the speaking exam?

@HammerTimeNC they don’t at ours either. My eldest 2DC apparently did it in yr9. I’ll have to ask DD3 if she knows when she did it. It seems incredibly informal and no one really cares as all native speakers pass. I’m not too sure about kids whose English isn’t their first language esp if new to the U.K.

We got a long email about it the speaking thing @HammerTimeNC . What subjects they couldn’t talk about,adjustments they made as needed and tips on how to construct it.
In fairness to the school they are excellent communicators,we have a list of dates for parents evening and when the mocks start already.
Sometimes it can be excessive but better than the alternative-certainly for a control freak like me!

To answer a Q from the previous thread, DS goes back on the 5th Sep.

@SB1971 wow I’m jealous that you get that level of communication! DS’s end of year report still has an error in it that I’m waiting to be amended despite telling the school before the end of the year. Sigh.

Oh and on the subject of the English Language speaking assessment - DS did his towards the end of year 10. We did receive some communication from the school about it and DS told me he was working on his. He says his went well.

I agree with a PP that it sounds very informal.

Very chill about it here too. DS knew he had to do one but wasn't really sure what it was for and was originally gutted by the "D" next to his grade 8 English Language result as he thought it was something bad!

Not sure when dd does hers. Maybe this term? Will ask her.

Yes DD3 did her speaking thing in Yr9. Doesn’t seem to know what she got for it and I’ve never received anything about it. DD2 doesn’t think it affects the overall grade though. So maybe a tick in the box exercise?

DS also said it doesn’t affect the overall grade.

Hello (Do you just post here and that means you’ve joined?) - following with keen interest!

DS starting year 11 (exciting and nerve wracking- that’s me DS is cool as a cucumber).

hoping to find out about revision styles your DC have. especially those that don’t do or like making notes and flash cards?

👍

Welcome @ThisPerkySloth!

Dd doesn't do notes. She does do flashcards but only digital ones on quizlet. They are easy to test yourself with and there are games with them too which helps.

Otherwise dd does some Seneca and lots of past paper questions.

Physics and maths tutor online are great for revision materials and practice questions for maths, science subjects and geography.