Year 11 - 2024/2025: Half way, half baked, half term!

[QueenMabby]

Continuation of the year 11 support thread. Go!

Combined physics was a 2-2 away draw for DS apparently…this is the first non-win descriptor to date so must have been tricky.
Physics usually his strongest science as is ok at maths.
Very unusual to get a text from school from him but assuming they are a bit more lax on this given tomorrow is the last day before study leave

I have an AQA Physics (separate higher) home.
40% of the class (they only have one triple science class) said it was hard, so 60% said ‘easy’, mixed bag, ours thinks it was easier than the practice papers we did, but then maybe that is because he’d done the practice (which would be a revelation in his mind if he stopped to think about it).

Just to point out physics is his favourite science, favourite subject, his passion/hobby so he’s probably not representative of someone taking it as a subject they are likely to stop at GCSE.

But he came out grinning from ear to ear and is having a dance break before we get back on it for a much less enjoyed (or successful) subject, English Language.

This is the same for DS. He gets all the maths questions right and that carries him through to a 6. He struggles with the rest. Will see how he does today. He does not seem to retain information well so it's been a struggle for him. DH spent his evening drilling in vital info into him, including the required practicals and made him rewatch the freesciencelessons vidoes on them this morning instead of going on his phone watching mindless drivel. It's an A/L choice for him so needs to get at least a 7, hit and miss really.

DC just back from higher combined physics, Edexcel. Also said there were lots of equations, more than usual, some of which you had to link to each other or something. Managed to write something for every question but is pretty sure got stuff wrong. It’s fine, just need a 5:5 to do the A levels they want so not too worried. Said it was ‘ok’. Edexcel Maths higher 1 by far the worst paper so far it seems.

Another one done and dusted at least, it’s English lang tomorrow and then a break until 4th June. DC shattered but is really giving it their best with revision and that’s all we’ve asked, to try their best. Proud of all of them just for getting through it-seems
much more brutal than when I was doing them.

DD2 found AQA combined higher physics tough. She wasn’t hugely prepared and her maths is not strong, so not that surprising. Hopefully her biology and chemistry papers will get her the marks.

Just a warning on A level. My DS got a 6 and it was his favourite science. He wanted to do physics and product design to go into design engineering route. Physics was an absolute and utter nightmare for him. He also did maths and they were both nightmares! He absolutely hated it and got a D in both despite tutoring and medium hard work. I think if you're getting 6 out even a 7 with some work than A level you will unlikely get more than a C and that will be challenging. With hindsight I wish I had directed him to some easier A levels as most uni's are looking at grades not subject for the courses he wants to do and most want a B, C, C. He got his B bit with 2 Ds it's challenging. He's working now.

Physics today first time we've had worry from DD2 at all.

Downside of WJEC and welsh schools is they sit many GCSE exams in Y10 when they seem very young then you get to this time of year in Y11 and it's now an upside.

She has a poor physics teacher - very inexperienced and keeps on how hard the subject is - and depsite it supposed to be top 30 doing triple behavior been awful and it took a lot of work at home to get a good grade last year. This year she has glasses and has been sat at front and has manged depsite disruption to stay in lessons and done okay in class tests - so fingers crossed it's not too bad.

I won't know till this evening. Everything else she been calm and collected about.

Useful perspective. DS’ first choice won’t allow STEM or MFL without a 7. He wants to do maths and is predicted a 7. I do worry how hard it will be. Steered away from tutoring partly because I didn’t want to inflate his grade if subject was a bad fit for A level

@PrincessOfPreschool yes, this is what I'm worried about. He seems to think the minimum is enough to get by and will aim for that, even when I said that he'll probably get a C if he gets a 7. Oh well.

@VivaDixie thanks for those links. Very helpful.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest DS hasn't looked at the music appraising paper either. He also said it was hard. Will have to knuckle down on that in the half term. I really want him to do well in this as he's done well in the performance and composition so far, so it'll be good to have a good grade overall for this.

I am a scientist so very biased, but it would concern me if kids were narrowing down ALL sciences into a single subject at age 14 (year 9). I think 2 or 3 qualifications is right for GCSE level, especially when you consider that they do Eng Lang and Lit as separate subjects.

It will not help the teacher shortage if science is made so narrow so early IMO.

Totally agree. This is basically what has happened with MFL. Fewer GCSEs = v small A level numbers = unis closing courses = fewer teachers

I'm also a scientist and it does seem crazy to me the idea of opting out of a single science at GCSE level as they all complement each other. Especially doing chemistry without physics and vice versa.

DD back from Edexcel Triple Physics Higher. Said she understood 75% of the paper it was better than Chemistry paper for her but worse than Biology! We aren’t targeting high marks just solid pass!

Which is why this single mixed science GCSE would be a great option.

Then kids can do history and geography, or an extra language or something that they actual enjoy.

Instead of loathing every lesson - if they even have a teacher. DN's school are teaching the entire Y10 year group in their assembly hall en masse with all practicals being demonstrated rather than done by students.

I’m new here so ‘hello’👋. I have a year 11 daughter - she works hard and has been predicted good grades but is getting a bit despondent re. AQA science trilogy (higher tier). Whilst biology was ‘good’ she felt that the chemistry and physics papers this week were ‘odd’ and picked really obscure topics (said that she could have had all her chemistry notes in the room with her and it wouldn’t have helped!) She managed to answer all the questions but isn’t confident, and the general consensus was that they were hard. English language tomorrow then half term, so a week to prepare for the next lot!

I'm also a scientist, and I agree it's important for people to understand science and how it applies to life. That's why the AQA synergy course is actually great. It's accessible, applied science that covers all the key areas you need to know about. The questions are straightforward, and it's meant to be a good foundation in scientific thinking.

Because most people do 2 or 3 science GSCEs now, you can drop most humanities and all MFL and creative subjects at 14. That's not any better. I wish there was scope for young people to study all the subjects for longer, and scope for those more inclined to creatives subjects or Humanities to take three of those subjects instead of one.

@SpringerLink that synergy course sounds great. Applied science is the way forward for sure.

Oh it is bonkers.

The staff at our school are pushing for being in school and in uniform (oh the emails) but if a student is needing a bit of time out after exams, they are turning a sympathetic blind eye (unless taking the rip).

Re: stem A levels;
You really need to be getting 8s or 9s in sciences, maths, FM to consider A levels in them IMHO
Dd has a friend who is SO smart. 9s across the board at gcse, 3 x A*s at A level and she has struggled at uni doing maths and physics (oxbridge). In fact, she was advised to drop maths and is now doing just physics.

I'll be glad when today's over.
It's a horrible day for dd.
She hates physics (not the subject, more the teaching, sadly) and wants to do well in media.
And, of course, English language tomorrow 😬

Had same positive feedback from our DD for AQA Triple Higher Physics – said it was straightforward, even though there were a lot of maths calculations. It is her best science though.

Re A level – yes very much agree, I would not advise physics with a 6 at GCSE. Unless that 6 were a total surprise due to some exam disaster (forgot to turn over paper, had massive headache on exam day). And physics A level is best accompanied by maths – again, it’s not advisable to attempt that with anything lower than a 7. Yes same for MFL. It’s because the nature of these subjects is linear learning – if you didn’t bag a 7 at GCSE (nothing wrong with a grade 6 or 5 or whatever ofc) then you don’t have the skills needed and assumed when you start A level.

DS2 got 8 in maths GCSE and as I have posted before (!) gained a hard-won B at A level.

I would like to argue tho against the idea that some subjects are easy or even easier at A level. For some, maths a level is easy – and they might think history was impossible.

But it's true that A levels are a bit of a game and it’s about playing to your strengths. Which subjects will get you the highest grades? Probs a good idea to take those (other things being equal ofc; physics and maths A level are needed for a lot of engineering degrees; otoh if those A levels will be a struggle, then maybe a degree and career in engineering is not for you? Which is fine btw).

Positive feedback from DS about AQA physics single higher. He felt it was his best science paper so far, so that's great.
Plodding on with English this afternoon.

Science was ‘good’ apparently.

Text from dd - AQA higher physics was 'fire' apparently, which is a relief (and makes up for French sounding dubious yesterday!)
She also likes the maths questions (less so the describing physics concepts) so maybe that is why.