Year 11 - 2024-2025 Support Thread

[QueenMabby]

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

Sorry to hear. What was the reason?

@Elizo oversubscribed. They only have 15 external places anyway. Priority goes to LAC, PLAC, siblings, etc. I’ve no clue why she’s in the top half of the waitlist as opposed to the bottom half unless we were earlier than others sending in the forms or live nearer than the others. They don’t have a distance criteria. She’s also been rejected by our local college (which has a couple thousand of places) as we are in a neighbouring postcode. It’s still the nearest college and it’s usually the ‘go to’ college for teens in our village. Not this year. And if all those teens in the surrounding villages aren’t getting into the college then there’s a domino effect. It’s looking like obtaining a place at 6th form will be tough this year. Annoyingly she has to move as they don’t do her preferred subjects at her current school.

Sounds frustrating. Deadlines for DS are Jan so we are on a slightly slower timeframe. He has his heart set on a Catholic school which only takes 30 externals - Catholics and then ballot (we are not Catholic). I need to try to manage his expectations. It's a lot for them to deal with on top of GCSEs themselves

Ooh good luck @Elizo

@NotDonna that is crazy - particularly the sixth form college - it does feel like everything is massively in flux at the moment with the VAT etc - no-one can plan for what people will actually do, so I suspect waiting lists will move much more than usual.

Sixth Form application stress is not what they need really @Elizo - at least that one sounds like it is in the lap of the gods rather than something he has to do more work for (DD2 currently deciding whether to do the online entrance exam for Harris Westminster on the offchance the government does something awful to her funding scheme at the spending review)

Literally in the lap of the gods that one🤪

He has two other options which are both great imo. You just want to see them happy. Am sure it will work out for all of them! Good luck all

I’d definitely have a plan B, C and D @minisnowballs

@NotDonna - that's frustrating for your dd. I hope she's successful at one of the others.

Our deadline for our school (dd is staying put) was December for internal applicants and Jan sometime for external applicants.

Dd is doing some revision every day at the moment. She got CoPilot to mark an English exam essay today by giving it the exam mark scheme. It gave her 12/12 which seemed rather generous!

When does study leave happen? DD has her Art exam immediately on return after Easter, then 2 weeks before exams start.

Are they expected to do a normal school day until the first written exam?

And do they finish content before Easter?

It's all going to be upon us so quickly!

@HammerTimeNC every school differs but I believe the first exam is May 5th so all will be on leave from then onwards. Some allow leave a week or so earlier, some allow similar but provide in school study sessions and others have them in right up until time. I asked our school this at an info event in September and they didn’t know. I’ve a feeling it’ll be the very end of April. Albeit I think there’s an art exam end of April.

Schools definitely differ. Round here quite a few don't do study leave until May half term. I think this is due to a disadvantaged intake and sense that they can ensure students have the space/ quiet etc they need in school to study and stay focused. DS seems ok with it and we don't have a choice anyway - his teachers have been great so I trust them to use the time well

@Elizo that makes a lot of sense.

We don't do study leave until after the main bulk of exams is complete - so the second week of June.

I thought the exams finished 18 June? Are they not done at that point?

I thought the exams finished 18 June? Are they not done at that point?

There are always some after that - we keep them until English and maths are done. I've not looked at the timetable yet. That's a future me problem!

Fair!

Our last day is May 7th I think. Dd has her first exam the next day. For DS there was a week between finishing and the start of exams. Dd is not impressed.

Yeah, I've an awful feeling that they won't grant much study leave, given how they organised study time in lessons between mock exams.

I think DD would do better studying from home.

Just noticed your name on Japan threads @QueenMabby - I'm at the early stages of planning. Do you have any tips for finding flights or were you restricted to Avios?

Oooh what Japan thread? We are also wanting to visit - aiming for Easter 2026.

@NotDonna there are lots, and I'm kind of overwhelmed already, but this one is particularly good

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/5152514-japan-planning-thread?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=shareJapan planning

I think 25 June is the last day, the last contingency day. And the 29 June is the date they can officially leave school, the last Friday in June.

We're flying ANA. Out indirect and back direct. Price dictated what we could do. It's my job this Christmas break to start pencilling in the itinerary and start looking for hotels that don't break the bank!

@QueenMabby and @NotDonna enjoy your Japan planning! We had a wonderful time there when the kids were younger. I recommend ‘hakone tent’ if you’re going out that way, and I think we often found apartments on booking.com made life easier than hotels elsewhere - but the girls were littler. It’s a magical place!