Year 11 - 2024-2025 Support Thread

[QueenMabby]

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

Here, it's pretty full on from January
The 6th form college older dd attended insisted on mandatory attendance at every event (at least 5) - even when we were being told exactly the same thing!
I get that they want keen, invested pupils, but...seemed like overkill to me

Maybe your area is different but schools here only offer open evenings in October and expect applications to be made by November/December. Taster sessions (if offered) are only for existing pupils.

That includes 6th form colleges as well as schools.

That’s a shame about tasters. All of them here do post GCSE tasters. But like yours they apply soon - Jan at the latest.,

It's interesting how different it is in different parts of the country. We went to sixth form open evenings in July (though I think there may be a few more next month), applications need to be done this term (all dealt with at school) and then there are taster days in the summer after the exams are over.

Ahhh I’m meaning taster lessons, for new subjects etc. Whereas yoyre meaning taster days at new schools once you’ve been accepted etc. Both are such a great idea. Luckily DDs school offer taster lessons - so she’s already tried out Business, politics and psychology but because she’s not staying (as they don’t offer sociology) the taster lesson isn’t very realistic as it’ll be different teachers, exam board etc. It did give her a bit of an idea around those 3 subjects.

Hi all,

DS now has 2 1hr15 after school interventions per week. This seems a lot? With that and homework can’t see how he could do anything else…

Yes that is a really long time. At my daughter's it's lunchtime interventions for 30 minutes every week depending on the subject although if you have to go to Physics it's a whole hour after school which I thought was excessive but that is even more. Are these all compulsory>

DD’s school has optional history after school for 1 hour sessions every week. They are doing interventions but not sure how often it is or for how long. Very very surprisingly DD has been called up! She’s very shocked. A few ppl in sets above her have, so maybe it’s more about not meeting expectations and they aren’t very high for her 🤷‍♀️

For DS’s school it is all pupils. 3 a week.

They are compulsory. It is a school with v high levels of disadvantage so maybe they think better the children are in school, not sure 🤷🏻‍♀️ DS is going to see how useful he finds it.

If it’s everyone and compulsory then what does he mean ‘he is going to see how useful he finds it’? Doesn’t sound like he can opt out even if he’s unimpressed. Hopefully it’s great! DD certainly finds the history sessions useful - they’re quite collegiate with lots of discussion from what I can gather. I don’t think 2.5hrs a week is a lot. But yes, it does need to be meaningful.

DD2's old school has changed its school day for the entire school to give extra periods to Y11 for 'intervention'. I can't work out whether its heavyhanded or a good thing. Our godson was on a revision weekend from his state school last weekend - like a PGL thing where they worked and had fun as well. He said that was really helpful and it sounded fab.

At DD2's new school seems to have a list of interventions she could go to (termed 'lunchtime help clubs') but she's not been asked to go specifically. Not sure whether she would be. Again, she feels so far away.

It was good to have her back for exeat - and to chat with her about sixth form thoughts. Good news is we have confirmation that her government funding continues for sixth form so she can stay. Her english teacher also reckons she'd be a good candidate for an academic scholarship for Sixth Form.

It looks like a daunting process, and she'd get no more money off as she already costs the school an absolute fortune, so just trying to work out whether the faff and possible prestige would be worth it. Don't want her not taken seriously academically of course, but because she was state educated up to Y10 now she really isn't prepared for this stuff and is too busy with music to do much at the moment.

I’ve heard of a few revision weekends schools are doing. I put a typo in my first message. DS has an extra 1.15 hours three times per week. So 3.45 hours extra per week. We’ll see how it goes. Whatever he does there he doesn’t have to do here I guess…

Ooof those interventions sound hefty! DD's school runs subject clinics at lunchtime but I don't think they are compulsory.

Dd is currently auditioning for the school musical. She has recalls for both a dance role and for a main character role (which she won't get) so it's a busy week for her.

She's at a private school and is planning on applying for scholarships to the sixth form. Your comments @minisnowballs have reminded me that she needs to crack on with the application process!

@QueenMabby Dd has decided she will go for it - with no expectation of getting anything.... I guess it at least puts a marker down for her teachers that she isn't 'just' a musician. Seems to be quite a process though, which i guess is fair given it is money off for most people, just not for her.

@minisnowballs - good on her. DD's one is a form and a scholarship exam. Maybe an interview but perhaps just for external candidates.

For the school musical she's had two recalls. Fingers crossed!

@QueenMabby exam in two subjects - she has to pick (although amusingly one of them can be academic music), interview, 'thinking skills test'(?) and she has to handwrite an essay beforehand as well.

Still trying to pick the two subjects!

Good luck with the recalls. Sounds positive!

Just had DS’s yr11 parents evening online! Gutted I forgot last week to book so was late and only got a few appointments / subjects but we got the drift re progress!

two themes!

developing the points made not just stating and improve handwriting - was assessed for laptops, had it for a while not keen, assessed again but not need now. Advised by one teacher to form letters larger so can make out letters and therefore words.

so whilst been using Seneca for revision, now going to get some CGP books so has to hand write more, still alongside Seneca.

DS was not keen on past papers when I asked him to do them recently but that was advised by all teachers and will also help practice handwriting so that was great I have more backing now 😈 😂

That’s quite an early parents eve but I’m guessing it’s useful being this early as they’ve provided excellent pointers, also early! The difficulty with past papers is that not all the content will have been covered yet. He’ll need to tease out the appropriate questions. Easier for humanities / English; less so for maths & sciences.
DD is meant to use a laptop & reader but they just appeared in the end of year exams and hasn’t had any instruction with them. She’s emailed the senco asking for an instruction session prior to November mocks (they only have one set of mocks) but she’s not replied as yet. I’ll give it another week and then ask her myself. I’d have thought Yr11’s would be a priority as yr13’s should be all set up by now.

Physicsandmathstutor.com has past paper questions by topic for sciences, maths and a couple of other subjects.

DS is putting in some effort for his mocks in Nov but it's such a lot of content to cover. Especially the sciences. He's being doing some question papers from physicsandmathstutor website and I think he prefers doing questions than anything else. A lot of the time is the exam technique. I marked some biology work he'd done yesterday and I can tell he kind of knows what he needs to write but doesn't use the right terminology, and stepwise explanations, which he finds frustrating.
We went with DS to a 6th form open day at the weekend. DS didn't have a 3rd subject in mind when he went and now wants to do further maths alongside maths and geography. Not sure if it's too narrow a selection with 2/3 being maths. I know some do 4 A/Ls with further maths but it sounds like far too much work and not really necessary looking at degree requirements. DS is likely to do a Maths degree so hopefully this combination is enough. But he also likes Geography but at the moment Maths is winning.
DD who's in year 10 also came back wanting to do Maths and Further maths and Politics!

@DataColour - reviewing the mark scheme is really important especially for sciences. I'd be encouraging your ds to mark the papers and pay particular attention to what structure/terminology the mark scheme is looking for.

Dd is still plodding on with her crazy busy life. Dropped her at 7.40 this morning and she won't be home until about 8.30 this evening! She's in a play next week so rehearsals are being crammed into every available slot.