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

[QueenMabby]

Continuation of the year 11 support thread. Go!

DD says she’s glad it’s over. She started at the last question and then jumped around, finishing on question 2 where she ran out of time-she wrote a finished piece but it could have been better. But yes, it’s done now!

@VivaDixie I am aware the picture is usually a prompt for a description and they can use it as inspiration however they like.

But I’m asking about the story prompt and for that I’m not sure how close it needs to be. Usually as PP have said it is quite broad- disagreement, abandonment etc - yesterdays was about no technology or technology failing I believe- while DC did include this it wasn’t exactly pivotal to their storyline and that is why I am concerned. Have not mentioned any of this concern to DC who is already a worrier (no surprises where they get that from)…

Also I am fully aware what’s done is done but given this is usually a strong subject for DC they probably are prioritising it less in terms of revision - if they may have missed a chunk of marks on P1, I’ll encourage some more focus on strategy to help them make up on P2 (which is already more time pressured).

I don't generally talk to dd about the exam, unless she wants to
I ask how it went but tbh even if it went well/not so well, dd tends to not want to talk about it again
So, for example, with physics the response to "how did it go?" was "it went!" accompanied by a grimace
The response after media paper 2 was "it was a gift"
And that's it. Not mentioned since.
I don't know if that's unusual? 🤔

@Writteneggs
Perhaps your ds strengths are more suited to paper 2?
Lots of marks still to pick up

@Writteneggs I would have thought as long as they referenced the prompt for the story (which they did), it will be fine. I think the markers want to be able to award marks, and if the prompt has led to a good creative piece (which sounds like it has) they will mark it on its merits. We have had an ex English teacher and marker tutoring dd and this is pretty much what she said. My dd went in with a story outline in her head, and managed to shoehorn in the prompt, for which I am very relieved!

@Writteneggs my DS is in a similar situation, in that English is one of his strongest subjects, and English Language was the exam he expected to struggle the least with. And so far it’s been the worst.

I’ve spoken to him and he’s agreed he needs to plan more carefully for paper 2. He needs to study the format and have a clear time plan, and a mental list of the features (metaphors etc) that need to be included. English comes naturally to him and he’s been good at “winging it” in the past, so it was a shock to him when the pressure of the exam threw him completely.

DS also needs to prioritise English language paper 2, as that's a weak one for him and it's going to be tough.

But we are easing into revision today with a bit of Music which has been neglected so far (i.e nothing done), so needs some time spent on it.

Same here, sometimes DD tells me a lot (often on the subjects where I am clueless eg physics) and other times very little. I don’t ask for details really, I worry that looking back might worry her!

I was thinking this yesterday, that it’s really interesting on this thread to see the different approaches and again what works for different children.

My DD is similar. She has plenty to say but not enough time to write it down. She said during her debrief that she had a really good idea for another paragraph for question so and so but needed to move on to the next part. At least she is disciplined enough to get something down for each question but I think it’s generally a difficult exam from what I’ve heard.

I went back to sleep! It wasn't intended to scare you...

It's not my paper but all reasonsble responses are rewarded.

And a lot of internet advice is terrible. Some of those people really should be ashamed of the crap they peddle.

Half term at last! DS was happy with AQA paper yesterday, but the invigilators only wrote up the time on the board as 1h 30 rather than 1h 45. He put up his hand and told them and they changed it, but that could have gone very badly wrong as they all need all their time in that paper! He’s in the concession room as he uses a laptop, so I’m hoping the main hall is a bit more on the ball.

They had a lovely day at school with shirt signing and year books and a leavers’ assembly which they all felt really emotional about having not had the same for Y6 in lockdown.

DS is having today off studying, though he was up bright and early for a music lesson which he really enjoys. He’s taking tomorrow off as well apart from writing the remaining revision timetable which will probably take a couple of hours. I’m encouraging a couple of extra half days off here and there across the week too, as he’s really tired and needs a rest. At least he can have a lie in every day rather than the usual 6:30am starts in term time.

It’s going to feel better after half term when each paper sees the end of another subject (apart from Maths and FM which still have two papers each to go here). Hope everyone is managing a restful weekend.

DD feels she’d rather do some revision every day, then take days off and have to do more on other days, but we’ll have to see how it goes. Meanwhile, XH is causing stress by visiting from abroad but failing to nail down exactly when/how long for.

DD2 has a plan for week - little bit every day including today. Her focus the two written language papers left and RS which not really been touched so far with maths thrown in though she has more time for those ones.

Her plan is to try and come home after next friday exam and to miss following Friday when she has no exams. She says some teachers are encouraging them home anyway - and there's only a few stopping. Seems to be SLT with mission to keep them all in as long as possible.

TBH DS the issue most of his start after half term but he's already fed up with revision and fed up with A-levels.

If any child is still worried about the AQA English language paper, the Reddit gcse page www.reddit.com/r/GCSE/ may cheer them up. It includes some very funny memes about the paper and an almost universal belief that the extract was hard.

YouTube English teacher Mr Sales actually sat the paper and he says on his channel it was hard too!! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w4wRQyU0OFI&pp=ygUJbXIgc2FsbGVz

I think dd is more stressed than she's letting on

Watching the teacher’s YouTube I can see how so many people fail English Lang. What is the point in setting an exam in a fundamental subject that a high % can’t pass? What is it testing? It reminds me of the pointless SATs grammar paper.

The exam boards don't decide how many pass. That's decided for them. The grades have to be awarded on a bell curve - so you could make it the easiest exam in the history of ever and some candidates would still have to be awarded grades U-3

If everyone passed English Language GCSE tho it would have no value as a qualification. I don’t disagree tho that there is a place for a different exam for some students.

I think it’s quite sad that a percentage of children are guaranteed to fail regardless of how good they may be. I can’t think of a ‘better’ system but it does seem harsh especially for subjects like maths & English that are vital to progress in both education and employment. I know we’ve already discussed how teens need to fail GCSE English twice before being allowed to take functional English - that seems cruel too. I understand the rationale but still…

I’m not arguing with any of that. I think I have posted before that my DS1 has got 3 x grade E in GCSE English and was finally allowed to sit FS2 which he passed.

It’s tricky isn’t it but I honestly don’t see how you could have a GSCE in maths that everyone would pass. There would be no point passing it. Maybe the answer is for employers and FE to recognise that a grade 2/3 still has value. And tbf some do – DS went to college post-16 and was able to study despite not having 5 x grade Cs.

I had no clue about this reference testing. Interesting… (someone has started a thread with it - so thanks to them!)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-a-level-grading-what-you-need-to-know/gcse-and-a-level-grading-what-you-need-to-know

There's still value in a qualication that everyone passes eventually. We can understand that the brightest top set kids get their 8/9 in y10. Most kids get anything from 4-9 in y11 and then there's a cohort who get to the necessary standard in y12 or y13.

That's not true tho.

IME very few state schools put DC in for exams in year 10.

About 30% of students sitting maths and English in year 11 get a grade below a 4 so it’s not the case that “most” students get grades 4-9.

And it’s most definitely not the case that all the rest (which may not be what you mean, but your post suggests it) get a 4 in Eng and maths by year 13. Numerous posts on this thread alone make that clear. My DS1 as I say, despite repeated attempts, does not have a GCSE grade C/4 in English.

I feel like the ‘pass’ mark for English and Maths should be one that is seen as competent enough to functionally use language and numeracy in life. If you reach that standard then you can pass. That doesn’t devalue the qualification - it just means that the qualification at that ‘pass’ level is about competency. Ideally we want everyone to be competent so if everyone reaches that set level of competency then everyone passes.

In my eyes a fundamental qualification that is used as a measure of core competencies by workplaces and educational institutions shouldn’t works on a certain percentage passing/failing every year. I think that devalues what most see as the fundamental purpose of the qualification. It seems unfair that you might be competent, as evidenced by achieving a level equivalent to that which would’ve passed the year before, but you just happen to be in a year group that is really clever so you find yourself failing because you’re in the bottom 30%.

Alternatively, you acknowledge that English & maths GCSEs are one way to demonstrate competency but that this isn’t their core purpose. In which case you need to have a system where it is perfectly fine for students to demonstrate it via an alternative functional skills examination if that suits them better. But to do this properly you have to let students sit that as a first option and not put them through multiple failures at something they just can’t do (let’s face it - for how many of us is creative writing a skill we need to use in everyday life?). It’s the tail wagging the dog - the system is set up to fit with standardised metrics and targets for schools, rather than being in the best interests of the children involved.