Year 11 - 2024-2025 Support Thread

[QueenMabby]

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

@QueenMabby thanks DS does use seneca (his school provides link under “ GCSE revision” so should be good for practicing exam questions and it has past papers. I was curious what others did. Cheers

Second the physics and maths tutor website. Their flashcards are pretty good too. We also use dr.frost for maths.

DS has got quite a bit of summer work to do. Biology intervention as he didn't hit his target grade for it and also bits and pieces of homework for a few subjects, maths revision booklets, making revision material for music etc
He doesn't mind doing it as he gets to game as a reward. Also he's got mocks in Nov so need to start thinking about revising for those.
How much summer work if any do others have out of interest?

@DataColour DS has been doing Seneca each morning, covering all topics but then focused on maths as you need to complete each topic before opens up access to exam practice questions on each topics (but that’s the paid version).

We also did a non calc math exam paper yesterday “just to see”. If DS was struggling I’d not entertain the idea so as not to frighten him just yet. I’d let the school frighten him 😂Hoping to do one each month before Christmas to see how getting on. Good way to see what needs work re topics and any issues with exam technique.

When school starts we’ll be using Seneca to revise as DS does not like making notes etc!

DS gets lots (prob too much but he’s happy) of time to game etc.

hope helps

Hello - just joining and thanks for new thread!

How can they be Year 11? Dropping DD2 back on the 5th (she's at specialist music boarding school for new thread members, and this will be her second academic year).

I have SO loved having her home so I'm sad already.

She's done very, very little academic work this holiday.

As an illustration of how focused she is on GCSEs, someone asked her which exams she'd be taking this year and she reeled off a list of music grades. I don't know when the reality is going to hit home.

Hopefully soon!

DD was in school today for pre season sports. Same again tomorrow and then same Saturday. She said it’s weird being called yr11’s and the importance of this year has hit her today. Then went to her room to faff about with dance costumes rather than do any more of the maths booklet. So I’m not wholly convinced by her comment.

Must admit I'm a bit freaked out by how little work DD2 has done/has. Her mocks were excellent and so were her predicted grades, but it is all just a bit too casual for my liking.

DD1 had SHEDLOADS of holiday homework at this stage. I'm worried DD2 will crash and burn, especially as she won't be at home.

@minisnowballs how is she feeling about it? Seems like she’s managed the massive change to boarding brilliantly; juggled academia alongside a LOT of music etc and still did well in exams with great predicted grades. She comes across as incredibly capable. BUT if she started wobbling or becoming overwhelmed is she the type to say something? Seek help from school and/or contact you? Given the distance I think that’s the most important thing.

@NotDonna she's one of those people who comes across as incredibly capable until the moment when it all falls apart. As long as that isn't the morning of one of her GCSEs then we're fine. I'm nervous re school as she has a new houseparent she's not brilliantly fond of - she would have told the old one. I'm just going to have to hope she tells me or that she improves that relationship!

Ugh yes a houseparent she’s not fond of isn’t great! Here’s hoping that changes. Out of interest, does it have a 6th form? Be good if she doesn’t have to change again.

Yes, it does thankfully! I think she's hoping to stay.

hi

Would two hours be reasonable after school for homework / revision in year 11?

three seems excessive, taking account of dinner time then not much left for free time? There has to be gaming time!

what do people who’ve had year 11 DC already, think worked / was reasonable?

what are “current keepers” of year 11 DCs thinking is reasonable?

Don’t want risk of burnout but equally early revision start is I think is good idea. DS does not have homework every night but that was Year 10.

I have the feeling this year is going to fly by 😳

Good question @ThisPerkySloth . To me, 2 hours per night sounds loads - I can’t imagine what DD would do with that unless homework increases! But then, sometimes she’ll spend most of the weekend on homework so maybe it’s just swings and roundabouts.

DD is just starting her homework but including some revision before going back to school next Wednesday. Interestingly, her school are going to give them their ‘aspirational’ grades soon to give them a sense of what they think they could achieve if they work really hard. DD seems to think they will be impossible but given she’s already got quite high projected grades, I find that hard to believe.

@minisnowballs glad you’ve had a great summer with dd2, it must be hard to see her off again.

Oh! I didn't see this thread and started another 🫢
Dd goes back this week
I think it's going to be quite stressful...

@ThisPerkySloth Two hours sounds a lot every night but I guess it really depends what time they finish school, commuting and other after school activities. I’ve just asked DD1, who was in yr11 5 years ago now and DD2 3 yrs ago. They say…

1. 2hrs every night may be heavy going as it’s quite intense from Sept to May
2. if doing 10 subjects then likely to get an hour or so per week per subject, which works out at 2hrs per night Mon-Fri
3. their homework was targeted - so essay questions or part of a paper etc. So had little time for their own note making or their own revision.
4. they both say that 2hrs a night to include homework would be plenty. They both did slightly less than this. But did study some weekends and holidays.
5. they both stress that it’s important to have balance and down time or time for hobbies/friends/activities.

It’ll be different again for DD3 as she does sports 4 nights a week for 2hrs per night. So by the time she’s home and had dinner it’s already 830/9pm. And she leaves at 730am so there’s no morning time either really. She’s given up one sport which has freed up one night and Saturday morning! I still wonder how she’ll fit it in but…

@DataColour DD has some maths and art homework. They have numeracy GCSE in November, so homework is revision. DD hasn’t touched it yet 😫 she’ll probably cram the whole lot over the weekend 🙄

@NotDonna thank you to you and your DCs for sharing their thoughts / tips, much appreciated as very helpful.

homework will be the priority and if time left then some revision. guess we need to see what the homework will be like this year - hopefully targeted. Sunday morning DS will do some homework if needed on a Sunday morning but Saturday is off limits!

hope your DD3 finds a balance between the sports and study that suits.

As someone who did their GCSEs in 00s, i'd just like to say how impressed I am with everyone taking their child's exams so seriously. I was never "good" as studying and wasn't encouraged to so it's really admirable to read these comments and see parents be so involved/in the loop! That's all I wanted to say haha!

Oooh - thread's been busy! DD's not done too much work. She's had physics, history, German and English holiday work which I think she's done. She has a history test the first week back and wants to bring her science flash cards up to date before the end of the holidays.

Her mocks are not until January.

That’s a fair amount of holiday work @QueenMabby was is set or what she’s decided to do?

@NotDonna - set. Apart from the flashcards she's not done anything that wasn't set as homework.

I don't think Ds has done any work over the holiday. My older 2 dc's definitely did not spend 2 hours a night doing homework/revision in year 11. Ds2 is always telling ds3 to stop doing so much work. He seems to get away with doing the minimum he can for the grades he wants. Ds3 does more work than both the older 2.

My older 2 ds's want me and ds3 to meet them in Japan early Jan. they are both in Australia. Japan is way out of my comfort zone as I never go abroad (been abroad 3 times in my life) Ds3 really wants to go. But it'll mean missing some school, so I'm not sure. Mocks are December. So they'll be out of the way. He's told me it won't matter and he can catch up. But I'm still undecided. My ds's don't get on, especially ds1 and ds3 so that's another put off. Plus ds3 is always a nightmare on holiday. But on the other hand, it's something I'll never get to do again with all 3 dc's.

Dd has been doing maths revision as they were unhappy with their mock result
Also, some textiles and media which they enjoy.
I'm pleased that they've also been walking and exercising at home, so they haven't been stuck in their lairroom the whole summer.
Extra curricular start again next week too so I'll be a busy taxi service again:)

@icanbewhatiwant - Japan sounds wonderful (we're going next year) but I'm not sure I'd pull a child out of year 11 for a holiday. Tough decision.

@destiel00 - my DD's not been very active but she's had netball club pre-season the last couple of weeks and has school pre-season at the weekend.

Reading with interest here. Ds2 done nothing all summer. I told him the other day that he's in for a shock because I intend to be tougher, starting september. He's back Thurs 5th. He does bare minimum. Does 'ok'. Only really uses flashcards for revision. 2 hours per night? Pfftt. I'll be lucky with 1/2 an hour here. I downloaded his maths syllabus into excel so he could tick them off, totally non -interested. I've told him he needs good enough grades to stay on - at his very good current local school which is walkable, (ie zero stress for me) - whose 6th form is as equally superb as the main school, at 6th form, (they require a 7 to do it at A' level) - I wont be accepting anything less.

I fear this year could be quite tough for me, trying to chivvy along a very laid back ds2. Ds1 just got on with it. Ds2 is far too laid back. I'm starting to cringe now even at the thought of this next year.....

@QueenMabby I'm hoping that if we go he'd only miss a couple of days. I think that would be ok. Ideally fly home 7th. That is the day they return to school. Possibly he'd miss the next day catching up on sleep too.