Year 11 - 2024/2025 - Support Thread - the final stretch

[QueenMabby]

A new thread to take is to exams and beyond! All welcome.

Sorry I’m not being clear. I mean he is learning quotes with gaps in the middle, but I suppose if it makes sense it is ok. I look at them and they don’t make sense, but I should probably butt out as i don’t know the texts

"No prisons... no workhouses" is fine. It makes sense. But "look...flower" doesn't - quotations are part of the communication assessment objective, so it's helpful if they're used in some kind of context.

Agree with your conclusion.

My DD is very focused on her exams with a timetable, everything on flash cards etc… Everything except ….maths. I realised this earlier on this week, was initially firmly dismissed and after much pleading on my part we’re now going through the whole curriculum together and I’ve called in a tutor.

They really keep you in your toes.

@Hollyhedge When testing on quotations is he giving you any context? There is no point him learning 50 quotes if he can't use them to make a point. He needs to be able to talk about characters and key themes.

e.g. If describing Mr Hyde I would show how he is referred to like an animal using Quote, and Quote and Quote.

e.g. If discussing who came up with the murder plot I would use 'when departs .. tomorrow, or so he plans' as indicator of fact Macbeth is already thinking Duncan may actually not depart as planned.

(these may be rubbish, not an Eng Lit expert!)

Thanks. He seems to understand the significance snd has quite detailed notes on context, characters etc. He is learning around ten quotes per text I think. Practice questions / plans would be good but he says he is getting solid on the content first.

DD had topic tests throughout the GCSE years, however, after her mocks in Dec, they haven't been tested on topics taught in the final term just finished. School said they don't have time to both finish content and test.

So she's been finishing notes. Some topics are quite chunky. And some require lots of practice e.g. Moles in Chemistry. They started Science GCSE content in Y9 so it's a shame they couldn't schedule in a tests for the final topics.

Having a maths wobble today. Can someone help please?

if f(x) equals the square root of 2x+7, the values of x that must be excluded should be written as x<3.5 (and not inferior or equal to 3.5)

Am I correct?

Thank you!

I would agree @Wafflesandcrepes

How is everyone doing? That is the end of the hols then! Exams virtually here

DS got some work done, but less than hoped. Bit stressed as he still has gains to make to get required grades. I am wondering if my ‘involved’ approach is not working. I did a plan with him, ask what he is doing, sometimes check. This all started because he wasn’t doing much earlier in the school year and his grades came down. I’m worried if I step right back he will do very little/ be very disorganized but actually I don’t think this is really working. If he can’t get motivated/ organised me pushing isn’t v productive anyway. Also how much difference to these last weeks make.

I’m at a bit of a loss as to what is best. Any thoughts, especially for a boy who is young for his year…

I'm feeling much more stressed than DS! He seems to be unbothered by it all but at the same time not because he is ready but doesn't seem to understand how much work is still required.
He's done quite a bit over the holidays, but there's still loads to do as there's so much content. I'm hoping there's still time for improvement as lots of gains need to be made. It's difficult to gauge how well he will do as when he does practise papers he takes so long over them and sometimes if we aren't around in the house he doesn't sit down and really focus, which is really frustrating. He got a 5 in a recent maths paper even though he's never got less than a 8 at school. He did another one, this time he "focused on it properly this time" his words, and he got an 8. So it's difficult to know where his strength and weaknesses lie when he does substandard work even when he is good at it.
Other subjects are even more challenging, less said about them the better!

After a slow (non-existent) start 3 weeks ago, DC have got some revision done. Much less than the amounts suggested here. Mostly doing sections of the online material provided by school. Tiny portions of the workbooks/practice papers I bought have been done.

I'm quite sure that I've spent more hours nagging than they've spent revising 😩

Nothing left but to hope that school really crack the whip when they go back tomorrow.

SOME work has happened, but not enough. I'm terrified that she still keeps finding things she doesn't seem to know at all (inverse proportion and the Spanish Civil War yesterday for example), and she goes back to school today where I'll have very little influence, and though she has study leave she can't come home as she needs to be at school for symphony orchestra and bassoon lessons placed neatly at either end of the week.

Just going to have to trust she can answer a high enough percentage of the questions to be ok. The mocks were really good, but I'm worried they weren't representative enough of the real thing.

In a school where the majority get all grade 7-9, I'm hoping for a few 6s

There seems to be no "structure" for some subjects...for example in French Writing, the text book doesn't cover the sort of topics that could appear, or rather it covers the 12 marker, but not the 28 marker. In the heat of the moment, I would find it daunting to write in English about the future of fashion, let alone in French. Surely it should be a test of vocabulary and grammar, not what your views are, especially when there is nothing in the text book that could have guided you.

So yes, very much panicking and feeling useless that I can't help more (sympathies but no advice to @Hollyhedge )

Edited to add...I think other pupils in our school are far more proactive and independent learners. My young and "average" 15 year old had no clue this was expected in Year 10 and it's now "too late".

@queenofthesuburbs - normally DCs playing bassoon and in symphony orchestra and a school getting mainly 7-9s are going to be absolutely fine! So relax…
MML is tricky. My DC is self teaching the most bizarre French vocab to themselves, when they should really be doing past papers! Too late to worry now, better to keep them positive and focussed in the exams. Sleep, good food and positivity are important as the real marathon now begins.

I understand what you mean. Can’t be easy being around a lot of high achievers either. I find it odd that DS finds it so hard to work out what he should do, maybe it is common for 15 yo boys (other than those heading for 8s and 9s). Solidarity. What a relief it will be to move on from this

On French writing, there are videos on you tube discussing the alternative types of connectives and complex structures and tenses you need to put in to achieve a high mark. It is the grammar and language used that matters. It’s contrived like English language.

We have this week still as holidays and dd was back at the revision today after four days of no revision. Was planned for as we were away but it still makes me feel a bit jittery!
I have no involvement with her revision and she is pretty conscientious but after effectively standing over ds while he did his back in 2022 it feels like I’m not parenting properly.
dd has her Spanish speaking exam on Friday. @queenofthesuburbs- I feel your pain over the mfl. It’s not ordering in restaurants and asking for directions like it was in my day. Dd is discussing drug abuse in young people and deforestation!

It’s less than 3 weeks until the first one. I’m actually getting nervous for him. Dont think he’s done enough revision but he has done some. Just hope it’s enough for 4’s and 5’s.

They are revising during school now and I really hoping he carries on after school too. I’ve reinforced it’s just for a few weeks and then it will be over.

I am trying to encourage him to revise for the first exams before half term but a bit worried the bulk of them are after half term and there won’t be enough time to focus on them but I guess it’s a start!

Sadly the bassoon and symphony orchestra is another poster!

You're lucky having the bulk after half term. Our first is in April with the bulk in the first weeks of May...

Not enough time left !

@Araminta1003 - and sadly the bassoon and the symphony orchestra are absolutely no guarantee of good GCSE grades - rather the reverse!

DD's first is May 8th, and nearly all are done before half term. It all feel very soon.

Oh really? I think we have 7 before and 13 after.

DS has virtually 50-50 split before and after half term

We also have a 50:50 split. 11 full days off between exams before and after half term, so hoping to get enough time to concentrate on those after HT during that time.