Year 11 - 2024/2025 - In the thick of it!

[QueenMabby]

New thread. Sorry. Forgot to start it - I hope everyone finds this!

My DD did Edexcel Maths Foundation yesterday and echoed what @GCSEnerves says – the paper started easy (one early Q was name an odd number between 10 and 20) then questions got more involved as it went on. The format was also different to mock paper but fortunately unlike with the Higher, the questions were mostly one pointers so there was more wriggle room to get them wrong. Really feel for anyone whose DC struggled with the Higher paper, it sounded brutal.

DD also had History this morning and we had tears last night because she said nothing was going in and she couldn't retain dates etc but it sounds like once she sat down stuff came back and she thinks she did okay. Medicine wasn't her favourite module either and she's hoping to claw back some marks with America/Civil Rights.

Positive feedback on both History and Latin here too, with some focus on Catullus and Cicero and love vs faithfulness or something along those lines.

History included one question on a bit of the syllabus that they hadn’t covered in class but was in the revision book so DS had luckily had a look at it. They don’t ever seem to have quite enough time for History, or Biology, and there’s definitely more self teaching relied on than I would prefer.

I’ve suggested he takes a break now for the rest of today - thank goodness it’s the weekend! Hope everyone else found history ok?

Txt

Me: That’s Friday behind you! Feeling OK?

DS2: yes
what’s for dinner
do i deserve a steak

He had history and business today.

DD said Edexcel History went fine. She said she could answer the shorter answer questions and knew enough to write about the longer ones.

Pleased for her as essay subjects are her least favourite.

@clary
Thank you for your advice re French listening exam. My kids do their end of Year 9 test next week.

Hi @groovylady just wondering what the thinking is on the advice above? So I think Kamikaze was used for AQA last year so assumed in that case it won't be used this year?

Those in the know about AQA English lit, what sort of questions come up for war and conflict poems? Again heard last year was about the effect of war, but what other themes might they be questioned about?

DS's school is doing World and Lives poems. Is this a new category as none of the past papers have this option? Very last minute revision here on the poems front and I'm stressing out a bit. I've ordered an AQA World and Lives poem revision guide, but fear it's too late for DS but at least it'll be the same for DD next year, at the same school.

I definitely think he is low on iron and needs that steak!!

Do you make your teens study on a Friday evening?

No mine is not studying and now has a friend staying for the weekend, because her parents are getting a divorce and the poor girl needs some space. And well my DD hates being alone. They are in the garden acting like they are 7 and having ice creams and doing a water gun fight with my DS who just finished SATS.

Power of nature eg Ozymandias
Personal conflict eg My Last Duchess (please no)
Abuse of power (lots, charge of the lb for example)
Destructive nature of conflict (again loads)
loss due to conflict (eg expisure)

And more tbh.

We have received a very stern email from the school principal as some students aren’t coming into school. I know there are circumstances that won’t be able to be helped but what a shame if some aren’t bothering and don’t have the support behind them.

Not coming in for exams?
You can only be responsible for your own student though.

For the exam or study? I think some at DS’s are not coming when no exams although supposed to be in..(including him, although I now feel he is prob best in)

Some won't because they study better at home.

With DD1 (10 years ago!) we were flexible with when she went in as she was revising 1-1 with me for maths & sciences. MFL were over early, she went in for English sessions but mainly stayed home with me otherwise. School were fine because they knew I was on the case.

DS has had the afternoon off and I’m not going to suggest any revision this evening - 6 exams this week , 5 next though with Wednesday off which should help . Knowing the character I think he will revise most of the weekend

DS says history ‘good’ - medicine, his best topic currently. Says he is doing chem and physics tonight. Slog on!! He has a lot to do for next week so am glad he’ll do some tonight. Maths intervention tomor he is going to as I think he is worried about getting a 7, which he needs…

Hell no! It's the weekend, it's been their first full week of exams and they need some down time.

Perhaps it's just a turn of phrase you've used, but we don't make DD study at all – I don't think handholding her through these exams will help her in the long run. Kids need to learn to self-study IMHO. DD knows she has to revise and she does – if we tried to make her do it, it would have the reverse effect!

Anyone’s DC got the Love and Relationship poems ? seems to be lots of war ?

Dd is in school til 6.30 doing drama rehearsals. It’s a real break for her. She may have an hour or so to do but not much.

she has a brunch out with her sports club tomorrow morning so may need to make up for that.

She’s very good at shuffling her revision blocks around though so she gets it all done but still does her fun stuff too.

DS is in school fulltime until next Friday when study leaves starts after their English exam.

His school are doing a mix of normal lessons, interventions and exams. He can be in from 8am until 4pm Monday to Thursday. He has English intervention on Saturday mornings 9am to 11.45am every Saturday until last English exam. As well as intervention in half term break.

I agree by and large I let DD manage her own way through revising and what she is comfortable with.

She is teaching a dance class at the moment having spent the afternoon outside revising. She likes to do an hour or so after dinner before watching some tv before bed but that is very much her routine

she works at Stagecoach in the morning tomorrow before a flute lesson and we will then pop to a local fair her friend is selling crochet at

tomorrow evening we are having pizza and watching Eurovision!

DS seems fairly happy with history today, one of the sources questions he wasn’t sure on so left it until last and just did a quick answer at the end, but his teacher said what he put was on the right lines. He said some weren’t very happy with it though.

I’m not suggesting he doesn’t anything this evening, he’s had an exam every day this week and needs a break.

Mine has, but I’ll be honest and say I know nothing about them! English Lit is his least favourite subject so I haven’t heard a lot about it.

We're having a Eurovision catch-up with friends whose daughter is one of our DD's best friends. The girls are talking about doing some physics revision first but we're not putting any pressure on them too. We want them to relax!