Year 11 - 2024-2025 Support Thread

[QueenMabby]

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

Good to get that application in @SB1971 , is the acceptance based on GCSe grades or anything else?

DD is either going to stay at her current school or move to another, which we’ve already registered for. She has to sit some entrance exams (independent school) in November for this. Her current school will let you stay on if you get 6 Grade 6’, and 7’s in the subjects you want to study.

The interesting bit is that aside from A Levels, the two schools have different things going on in 6th form. One offers the EPQ and one offers different short courses. So there is that to consider as well. I don’t mind which she chooses, both are very good, as far as I’m concerned.

Good luck with all the open evenings and the revision for November mocks. I’m sure those will provide a bit of impetus for the summer!

@SB1971 I am so impressed with the organisation. I know DD2 just wants to stay put, but I would really like to know the VAT implications on the music and dance scheme before we decide whether we can afford it. The bulk of her fees are met by the Department for Education, and they decide what we pay, but there seems to be no decision on whether they might think we can all pay an extra 20 per cent.

Also, she has no idea what A-Levels which doesn't help. Better get ourselves in gear.

I think there are November mocks but they don't tell the parents much. I feel so far away!

@minisnowballs - I would hope that as your dd is an MDS pupil that her VAT would be covered. In actuality it's unlikely to be a full 20%. I would expect school to pull out everything that's not the education to list separately (our day school are separating out lunch and books/stationery) as they don't attract VAT.

Also, most private schools that are in any way financially sound are reducing fees from January so that the overall increase to parents is minimised. I think our overall increase is going to be just over 12%. Still a lot, but more manageable. I've never been more grateful for DD's 25% academic scholarship and the fact that she only has three years left!

@QueenMabby dd2’s school will be 10pc for not mds but it actually has no jurisdiction at all over the fees and vat for mds students- that is the government’s decision and I assume will be the same for all eight schools in the scheme . Can’t say I envy them the complication!

@minisnowballs - complicated indeed!

Dd has now got her prefect badge and is in full drama flow for a school play being put on in October.

Not much homework yet but several tests over the next couple of weeks.

@BreakfastClub80 -sorry for the late response. I think they have to get 5 x 5’s to get into the college but some subjects ie Maths & Spanish say a 6 but really reco a 7 especially for Maths.

He didn’t have to input predicted grades just what he was taking, there is an interview too I believe so that will be interesting!

English Language spoken thing happened on Friday-he said it was “decent “ but it’s done .
The teacher just picked people at random each lesson so he was on edge waiting for his turn so good that is ticked off.

The homework is being piled on here! Poor DS. Not sure how much he can do on top of it, but mocks early November. Info evening this week and then 6th form open eves start. All go!!!

Homework is manageable at the moment it seems for DS, they've never had that much homework to be honest compared with some.
He's at home today as his school is closed due to entrance exam day. Gaming most of the day I presume, but also been doing a bit of Seneca physics and a bit of maths from what he says.
He's had a very busy sports weekend, so the day off is good timing.

I find with dd is that a lot of homework is to finish off class work. She's a pretty fast worker so often doesn't have much left to do.

Oh my DS’s is all different to class work. I think it should reduce revision though. Fingers crossed.

DS doesn’t seem to have too much to do so far homework wise.
How much do you get involved with what homework they have and when it’s due etc? I ask what he has etc but generally leave him to it,I used to be able to access his teams account where it is all set but I decided to leave him to it as we were falling out on when he was working etc. I obviously would step in if he was getting detentions etc but I do wonder if I need to get more involved this year.

Mine also don’t seem to have that much homework… not noticeably more than previous years anyway. They don’t get detentions and seem to get the right effort grades for class work and prep so I assume it’s fine! I’ve said they need to be spending 30 mins each day on something revision-related though… flash cards or Seneca or something, to start building up a revision base. It’s hard though as I don’t want to be on their backs every day when they seem to be doing fine. They have assessment week in October (then proper mocks in Dec) so will see early on if they need to ramp up.

@SB1971 - my commitment to monitoring DD's homework is normally to ask if she has any and then before bed to ask her if she's done it all!

To be fair she is pretty conscientious and her big standard level of effort is high so I don't worry too much about it.

When she did her one gcse last year I did help her make her revision timetable but that was about it.

DS needed more oversight but I try not to get too involved - it just causes arguments!

Bog standard. Not big. Sorry.

spoke to DD2 last night - first time in a week (!) She doesn't seem too snowed under if we're honest - well she is with music but spectacularly unbothered by GCSEs. Not a great sign. No-one has spoken to them about A-Levels - but I hope they will soon as her list has now been whittled down to 8, but definitely needs to go down a LOT further.

Mostly seems to be finishing English coursework and composition. It is so weird to trust that this will be ok when I'm so far away - and English is my thing. Don't think I'll even see what she produces, so let's hope the English teacher is as good as he thinks he is! His track record is good, mercifully and he's complimentary about her ability.

I can't help with the composition, but she seems to be on it.

I don't really get involved with the quality of homework or deadlines as DS is OK at doing it and handing things on time, although I guess I do remind him to check his to do list.
I do tend to get involved in his revision though and plan it together and suggest things for him to revise. But he is getting better at realising what his weaknesses are with regards to certain topics in subjects and targeting his revision and I let him decide that. I have printed out papers etc for him to do with maths and science and get DH who is a science teacher to go through his answers in science....I'm better at the maths although it's starting to get beyond me now!

Went to Yr 11 Welcome Evening with special talk from Michelle Miller who was interesting, but I knew all her stuff from ds1.

Michelle Miller?????

Donna, she's just a speaker that was there last night, that our school uses to encourage the children to get organised, plan, revising to get info stuck in their long term memory, all to avoid last minute panic. I thought she was very good indeed, but most of the info I already knew, but it's good to have someone like her condense it.

I don't get involved with homework at all because ds2 does get it all done. They don't seem to have very much atm. I didn't do anything with revision with ds1, but I think I might have to with ds2 because he's far too laid back. I might try and help him create a timetable at least.

I have zero clue what homework DD3 has. If it isn’t done she’d get detention marks and I’d find out about those. I haven’t helped her revise either. It’s not something I every mastered. She says she’s making notes as she goes along. I don’t think she has Seneca. She doesn’t use quizlet but maybe she’ll use that nearer the time. I think my other DDs did but found putting questions on took a while. I don’t know how it works tbh. I sound very hands off but she’s ticking along nicely and if I ask too many questions she’ll probs start stressing. So hands off it is.

She has a 6th form taster day at her current school today. All day! My other two just had taster lessons. I don’t recall it being a full day off timetable. But it’ll be good to try out her choices. Unfortunately they don’t offer sociology (her top choice) so she’s ‘tasting’ Psychol instead alongside Business and Politics. And tomorrow is some activity day also off timetable. This I’m much less keen about! 🙄

That's early for a taster day @NotDonna. Ours isn't until after the GCSEs finish! We do have open morning this weekend. DH and I are going to look at the sixth form. Dd isn't - she has a drama rehearsal. 🙄

@QueenMabby it’s an Indie and I suspect they’re worried about retention. A lot leave anyway after yr11 (probably half) and now with the 20% vat, which our school is passing to parents, I expect it’ll be a very quiet 6th form! They’ve had a lot of sessions about how great the 6th form is and open eves for parents. Although she definitely won’t be staying, the taster is fine as psychol would be her 4th back up option. So it gives her a chance to try out 3 totally new subjects. Fingers crossed she enjoys them otherwise it’ll be back to the drawing board.

You've all panicked me - I've finally got round to emailing `DD2's tutor about 'what happens for sixth form'... We've had nothing - no Open Days, no emails about dates and she hasn't had any talks on A-Levels.