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

[QueenMabby]

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

I don’t think GCSEs can be mainly this side of half term as core subjects are pretty evenly split. Must be another qual? IGCSE I guess

However depending on options it could fall like that for individusls? Eg MFLs used to be early, and my DD1 did 2 of them. (No idea of current timetable bar maths).

Anyone else’s DC getting really tired from their revision? DS is working a decent amount (5-6 hours per day) and is sleeping well but is just really shattered from all the studying. He had a few days off last week at a music residential but is now working hard as he has German speaking on Monday and his first written paper (also German) on May 8th. He has thirty (!) papers in total: 18 before half term and 12 after. We will all be glad when it’s over!

There are 3 sciences, 2 maths, 1 English after half term for a start for anyone doing core GCSEs

Yes iGCSEs

30 exams?! How many GCSEs is he sitting? My DD has 14 written exams as she is only doing 8 GCSEs and 2 of them have no final exams. This is still plenty!

I think I am more tired than he is tbh 🤦🏻‍♀️

He has 22 exams having done one GCSE last year. Feels like a dream tbh, one GCSE 🤪

@Hollyhedge Like me, I suspect you are expending quite a bit of emotional energy

My DD is currently "having a nap" .....

Exactly it’s the stress of it all. And I am a single parent so no one to step in!

DS is tired of me nagging that is it….
He is back to school tomorrow and we are both relieved I reckon.

Same as others, some work done, not enough. I too am worried and don't know whether to back off or insist more.
my friends dd had her first exam on Thursday!

Ds has 28 exams in total. Plus french speaking next week. He is doing 3 sciences plus further maths so that makes a few more exams. The first is on 8th May. Citizenship. They all have to do that. Last exam on 18th June.
Back to school today. I think they have to wear uniform for 2 more weeks, I will be glad with no more uniform.

They have a PD day on the Tuesday after May bank holiday Monday. So a nice long weekend. The school have always had a PD day after that bank hol.

@icanbewhatiwant are you saying they don’t have to wear uniform for exams?

@bobbyrobinno uniform. Ds1 stopped wearing uniform after Easter, it was early that year in March. Ds2 was Covid so no GCSEs. So it is longer in uniform for ds3. I thought no uniform was normal.

Still waiting for leavers hoodies to be given out here. 2 weeks until study leave. They can wear them for exams but seems like they won't get many days wear out of them.

No ours are expected to be in full uniform. This is a very ordinary state school that appears to have delusions of grandeur. They have to have their blazer on and tie done up even in heat waves. I hadn’t thought about that in relation to summer exams. Some teacher do allow blazers to be removed once they are sat in class if it is hot but not all.

@BobbyRobin

So not all teachers allow them to take off blazers at your DC's school?

It's similar at DS's- they have to wear blazers (and jumpers in winter) at all times in school, including lessons, unless there's 'exceptionally hot weather' and the head allows them to be removed.

They do look smart but must get hot in summer!

It’s so hard to know. We had a talk tonight and DS said he wants to be left alone to do things his way. This would be fine if I could be confident, and previous experience has made me less confident. His way has meant an easier way with not much work. Will probably continue trying to tread a fine balance and expecting the rocky road to continue to the end.

I am taking the attitude that ds will get the grades he deserves. I know he will get what he needs to progress so I might be more worried if he was borderline. I think if he gets 7s where he could do better he will be disappointed and hopefully learn a life lesson. I also don’t think you can force a 16 year old to work, they have to want to do it. He has asked for help a few times and I’m happy to help but it has to come from him.
I also think living in a stressful argumentative household is counterproductive so I’m keeping questions about revision very light.

That is very sensible. DS is borderline which is driving the stress. But it isn’t v productive tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️

We all need to remember they can resit certain subjects if needs be too or do foundation years at some colleges. I like to have a back up plan.

No study leave here; lessons and uniform until the final exam is done and dusted. Leavers hoodies aren't available until GCSE results day for reasons I don't understand. DC2 isn't staying on at the sixth form (where hoodies can be worn) so I can't see it ever being worn but they're determined to have one.

DC2 has done a good amount of work over Easter but found it hard to balance their own revision timetable with the 37 tasks put on 'Satchel'. Some were revision, some were resources, some were something else but it meant a lot of wasted time for them trying to work out what needed to be done to hand in and what was just information. It meant their carefully crafted timetable went out of the window in order to prioritise the homework tasks which has been something of a frustration. It's probably been 3-5 hours a day on most days but feels as though it's been more than that because DC likes to spread it out across the day.

Anyone else have a child still finishing art coursework? Exams are next Monday and Tuesday so will at least be over then!

@newmum1976The 30 exams are from 12 GCSEs which is why it’s so many. His school makes them take at least 9, then he’s taking triple rather than combined science, plus Music and Further Maths as extras.

DS’s school gave out Leavers’ hoodies in January, so they’ve had some wear out of them in the colder weather at least. Shame they didn’t tell us that was going to happen, as I ended up buying a new blazer last summer for just one term of wear! They also stay in uniform throughout exams, including blazer or hoody and tie, so I’ve bought him some short sleeved shirts in case we get a heatwave.

@Soundofshuna Yes! And nobody’s is completed yet 🤷‍♀️