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

[QueenMabby]

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

DD finishes at 2pm on Thursday 26th- the 3 days prior are supposed to be work experience (despite one being the contingency day). DD has been too busy to seek work experience for two days. I’ve asked a couple of friends but no can do. It’s not worth the paperwork for 2 days. She’ll be trying to find a summer / Saturday job so…

That’s so good to know! Hurrah.

My DD goes in for a couple of days at the end of term, but they are free to go on holiday between their last exam and then.

@Hollyhedge "Leavers' mass" brings back memories of my last day after GCSEs at a Catholic School in London back in the day!

I took DD1 away after contingency day etc (6yrs ago) and absolutely nothing happened. There wasn’t even a call to ask if she was ill. They apparently did an ‘activity week’ - some cooking, sports, reading / maths with junior school, finishing off any DofE stuff. She missed nothing. And it would have been the last Fri of June so adheres to what mrshamlet says. She returned for 6th form and no one ever said a thing.

Ah that’s brilliant and good to know! I am panicking less now!

She didn’t skive on purpose. We had no clue that there’d be an ‘activity week’ until just before exams began, by which time we’d booked & paid for the holiday. Honestly nobody cared despite us both feeling a tadge guilty at the time.

Yes to be fair this has only just been communicated by the school. I was focused on the contingency day!

I think they'll be optional days other than 25th?
Dds last exam is 16th
FM seems to be the latest exam for most

@destiel00 not sure what you mean by ‘optional day’. The 25th June is a National contingency day.

That's what I mean.
Other than 25th, which is a national day, other days are optional, surely?

@destiel00 Last GCSE is on 19th, I believe.
There’s another contingency day in the midst of the exams but I forget when that is as I know we won’t be away given it’s in the middle of exams.

I know several schools expecting students in on 23-27th June. Not optional. Given ours have ‘work experience’ for 2 of those days, contingency on another, theme park trip on the Friday but leavers assembly on the Thursday, I think they are expecting students ‘in’ until that Fri 27th. After which…

Dds prom is on 27th

Interesting how other schools deal with the post exam period.
Dds "finishes" on 16th after last exam and leavers assembly then prom on 27th.
We were planning to go away for a few days between 17th - 27th but dh has to go away with work now :(

@destiel00 could you still go? Without DH? I’ve really enjoyed holidays with my 3 daughters one on one.

@destiel00 you could go 17-24 as should really be around for 25th just incase. It’s still a week,

I'm contemplating...might even go to London for a couple of nights

I have asked and DD’s school says she’s not expected to attend after her last exam, which is on the 11th. We’re not going away until after contingency day though.

18th June is the last exam and then the Prom in the evening. Not expected back in school after that unless they’re going to the Sixth Form taster day on 27th (or they have to use the contingency day, obviously).

DC2's school have something on 20th and then the prom straight after. I'm assuming they don't go in between their final exam and 20th but they're in the rest of the time (another Lewisham comprehensive like @minisnowballs). Sixth form tasters are the following week and overlap with the contingency day as well as with each other which is helpful.

It’s good to hear what all the other schools are doing. Doesn’t seem like any are back in that week of the 30th other than for optional things.

Our 6th form taster is 24th June so he’s here for that.

There’s also no study leave (which for him is a good thing!) So he’s in every day until exams finish.

We finish today. Don’t have to be in after that unless for exams. Pupils are allowed to study in the library though if they want to.
Our 6th form day is 20th June and the prom the week after. DD’s last exam is FM on 18th June.

Oh I forgot the 6th form taster days! (Dds school doesn't have a 6th form..)
They are first week of July

I had no idea school attendance was required after exams, 26th June onwards. There is no info re this anywhere.
Ds2 wont be, I can assure you. We are going on holiday to Turkey on the 26th, the day after contingency, 25th.