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

[QueenMabby]

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

Usual drama saying the exam had been leaked, but as a previous poster said it’s just some random having a guess based on past papers (and thereby getting tons of views on their TikTok page).

So...
Dd very happy with the paper!
She does edexcel (which I don't think is a very popular choice...)
She did the suffering Q for AF and loyalty for MofV.
She says she wrote an intro, 3 paras and conclusions for both.

Back to maths revision!...😬

Dd woke up this morning with a migraine at 4am and went into the exam saying she couldn’t see straight. I’ve just fetched her home at schools request and managed to speak to the schools exam officer to let her know. Apparently dd should have told the invigilator at the start of the exam she wasn’t doing so good?

Anyway school have asked me to take her to the doctor (yeah right - not a chance in this area!) so I’ve rung them and “hopefully” someone will give me a call from the surgery this afternoon.

dds in bed asleep - school have said that as she’s not been formally diagnosed (still waiting for an appointment at the headache clinic) there’s not much they can do!

feeling huge mum guilt that I didn’t chase her referral before now but dd has been managing them well enough for school - never even thought about her having one in an exam. I really feel for her as she wants to do English lit for a level and she says she feels she’s done really badly (was on track for an 8/9)

DD reasonably calm and happy with Macbeth and J&H questions.

The Bach's drops seem to have done their job (just as well I didn't polish them off this morning then! 😁) . She tells me she also had a Calm tea with her breakfast and listened to chilled music on the bus. Very glad she's taking my advice that being calm is more important than last minute cramming. She's uncharacteristically chilled... Or maybe It's the potions overdose 😂

We also picked her up straight after and brought her home, which helps. I went in ready to fight off the poor receptionist but no objection was raised.

The exams officer can apply for consideration if you get a drs note.
You may need to pay (it's £30 here).
You can also organise a box of meds like nurofen (or similar) and buccastem anti nausea (both other meds)
If you're lucky the dr might prescribe a triptan spray which can be kept in school too.
Good luck x

That should read both otc meds

Poor you. What a stress. I really hope you get to Dr. Or a GP walk in???

@whojamaflip so sorry to hear this. Hope you can get something sorted out with the school and GP

DS said it was ‘alright/ decent’

On to Biology

Ds2 says his lit was a stinker, with an obscure text, whereas the other paper was on the biggest and easiest topic of all. Oh well, we've talked it over that it can't be changed and grade boundaries will be different in both.

Sorry to hear of migraine @destiel00, hope dd feels better, and school sortall the rest out.

Apparently R and J better than ACC - he forgot one of his quotes and was frustrated that he remembered it after. Reckons could be anywhere between a 6 and an 8. In the middle (as predicted) would be fine…🤞🏻🤞🏻

There is also the Livi app you can sign up to for emergency doctor’s notes (private) - some friends of ours had a kid vomiting on the morning of an 11 exam.
Sympathies, my DD also gets migraines and we saw the GP pre exams and it is on her file because we know that if she were to get one during an exam or shortly before, she cannot write at all and just needs to lie in a dark room until it passes.

Hi this is absolute bobbins - the guy on first class maths explains

Minor panic for dd as she forgot to tick which question she was answering in the novel question and is worried she’s going to get a 0. I’m sure it happens a lot. She’s emailed the exams officer so I hope he can give her some reassurance.

Anyone else had similar before who can offer some comfort????

I’m sure it will be ok. They are not that mean!!

Can I ask, for poetry are DC focusing on 5 poems or trying to learn them equally?

I absolutely hate how so much hangs on whether a child is ill /hay fever / noro/life struggle within the exam period. There has got to be a better way to assess them.

@Oblomov25
Hi. That was @whojamaflip who posted about her dd :(
But, sadly, I have lots of experience with migraines - dds and I both suffer.
It's so rubbish for them if one strikes on exam day :(
I hope you get something sorted @whojamaflip x

sorry, clearly @whojamaflipdd.

Wrt poetry - dd has said she's focusing on memorising 5/6 and then hoping she can contrast/compare as required on the poem chosen.
I don't know if that's what's suggested by teachers.

Oh, no :(
Which board did he sit?

Thanks for the good wishes

So dd is still asleep and I’ve heard nothing from the doctors….

does anyone know how quickly mitigating info has to be sent in to the exam board? I assume it needs to asap?

So, DD found R and J and Christmas Carol tricky, (particularly CC). She has read online that Macbeth was an easier question. Do they adjust grade boundaries based on the text studied or just across the board? @Hollyhedge same experience but my DD is not working at such a high level, so it will be a real issue if she drops a grade!

Oh I’ve no clue sorry @whojamaflip but you’d guess you’d have at least a few days given GP access is as it is. I’d also assume that given she’s known by the GP to have migraines it’d be a straightforward process! 🤞🏼🤞🏼
DD said English Lit was ok - she had Of Mice & Men plus the poetry comparison & the unseen poetry analysis today. So that’s Eng Lit done as all other texts were covered by coursework. On to Biology, which will be trickier…