Year 11 - 2024/2025: It’s all downhill from here!

[QueenMabby]

New thread to help us get through the next week or so!

@Wafflesandcrepes One of our requests for an accommodation was declined.
I've now found out some students received that accommodation from invigilators despite not being eligible! Grrr!

If that's true, it's maladministration and needs to be reported.

@MrsHamletreported to whom? The school know as they were the ones who sent around the clarification of rules!

To the exam board concerned. The school will have to report themselves.

Thank you!!! Seriously, thank you so much for saying that 😻…. 🤞🤞🤞 for 4 x 4 Celebrations! ( it’s on DS18 Birthday , too…, so could be REALLY 🥳!).

How is your eve going??

Goodness me - this is such a mess. DD’s physio has taped her arm. If they ask her to remove the tape, I’m going to blow my top!

Oh @Wafflesandcrepes I'm so sorry to hear that. They really should at least have pushed for laptop use.

Could you put in a special circumstances form? Not for extra time or laptop but to prove that she was unfit on the day to write which would affect her mark

My friend is a Head of Languages and has said they have done that before for kids being sick etc (one child had to do the exam in a separate office with a sick bin next to him) it's like a sick note, but to show you did the exam but not at your best

No. Unfortunately he thinks he’s only got half marks in paper 1 too. Hopefully he can still get a 6 or he may as well have done foundation and got a very easy 5!

I will too. Apart from maths where he was hoping for a 7 we are praying for 4’s and 5’s for everything else and will be so happy if he can get that!

Thank you. DH is onto it. We have a medical letter so we will be arguing that she wasn’t physically able to write to the extent required…

Does anyone have any exciting post exam celebration plans?

We're letting DS go to the south of France with 4 other boys on their own 😭. Slightly regretting it now. Originally it was 5 days, then a week, then when the flights were booked it became 10 days! It's a long time. 2 of them (inc DS) are very sensible/ don't drink etc, 1 is medium sensible, the other 2 a bit immature but not bad lads. It seemed like a good idea because DS has really busted a gut revising and begged to go. But the closer it's got, the more nervous I am. Even though I have an older DS, there is no way he would ever even want to do anything like this so I've not 'been there, done that'. Some of my friends think I'm totally mad. So I will probably spend that whole time much more stressed than I am with GCSEs! He's missing prom and back the day before we go on a family holiday.

DD just gets prom and the family holiday. We're all going out to celebrate end of exams with family on 21st June as well. I think I'm more excited about prom than she is, she's so distracted with being ill/ stressing about not revising/revising a bit. I keep finding stuff on Vinted and she's too preoccupied to look.

If he currently has 80 it looks like a 5 last time was 73 so he can relax - same marks will give him a 6

the grade boundaries are interesting actually being looking them up

Oh no, when did that just happen? It definitely sounds like your DD / you need to take her RSI matter further….🤞…

I’ve been reading your DS Maths marking journey .. I do so hope he gets his longed for 7 🤞🙏🤞! … and 🙏🙏🙏🙏for 4s and 5s for you… 🍀 🙏

Maths was a good paper for DC today other than the last question which they said they couldn't do at all and one other weird question, but overall hopeful.

History tomorrow and I've just been trying to ask them fine detail on things and they are glazing over and obviously shattered. Just so much you are supposed to know and retain and two sets of dates from the British history versus other topic. ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH

Liking the much more pleasant talk of holidays and post exam celebrations to come. Think we will all enjoy the start of the summer a lot this year! At least once the exams are done you can just park it there until results day, at the moment it's like a constant pressure that you could or should get them revising.

Deflated household here. DD found the last few questions of edexcel igcse maths higher hard despite so much revision. She’s worried this will get her average down and might jeopardise a place at the university of her choice - we think long term in our household :-)

@Wafflesandcrepes please tell her not to worry. Unless she plans to take maths A level/degree or hopes to go to Oxford )or a few other unis for very specific courses, like econ at LSE), all she will need is a 6 in maths.

My DD had strong RG offers (Warwick) with a 6 in maths; DS2 had offers from Leeds and Lboro with a 6 in Eng lit.

I don't know whether to look up grade boundaries or not now. It's exactly the sort of thing I could spend time obsessing over but which won't make a difference to DCs actual results 😆

@somethinggoodisgonnahappen my DD said she couldn’t do the last question either!

Ah, end of exam plans - DD has an A4 sheet of plans 🤣. First, we’re celebrating her unbirthday because her real birthday was the middle of her 6 exam week. She had cards from everyone and few gifts from family and friends but that was it. We will do banners and I’ll make her cake and she will have her presents from us and her brother. She’s knows she’s getting a tent and cash but doesn’t know I’ve bought 16 things beginning with M (first initial) as an end of exam/16th birthday treat. I can’t wait to give her it! We are also going out to eat.

Following that, she has her prom then she’s planning a camping trip to Norfolk with her best mate. She also has some work lined up and wants to look for other work because wants to earn lots of money. End of summer, we’re off to America which is where we will be when the results come out so aforementioned best mate is tasked with picking up and whatsapping her results. She plans to be busy!

@Wafflesandcrepes oh no your poor DD, what a nightmare. Definitely call the exam officer first thing. Pleased you have a letter already. Hopefully her maths went well! Aren’t those last couple of questions for the grade 9’s? Is she wanting to take to A level (& uni admission- live how she’s thinking ahead!)

I have just spent 7 hours revising history - ended with a flash test of dates. Some of them are in there, others not so much. It will be what it will be now. Have promised Dominos tomorrow night as a treat.

After exam plans - we have to wait for DD (13) to finish school & then we’ve got 3 weeks in the USA. Then we’re back for DS to do some work experience before he gets to pick up his results on his 16th birthday 🫣 I’m so hoping it’s a good birthday 🥳

History for dd too tomorrow. Elizabeth and the American West. Dd is prepared but not doing a lot of revision. She did a past paper this afternoon and has decided that she’ll do the American West section first as she is stronger in Liz and can get a better result in a rush if necessary than she would be able to do on the America section!

post GCSEs dd has prom and the is off for a girls’ holiday with her friend group. Only to a seaside town a few hours away but they have great plans for brunches out and games nights etc. she’s so excited. We then have a big family holiday away too. It’s going to be a busy summer!

Btw I meant to post this the other day in response to someone’s post: but can I tell a little tale for those whose DC are coming home feeling deflated and predicting lower grades? I promise it’s meant to be encouraging not boastful!

DD was the first year of the number grades (2017 – she has a mix of letters and numbers). Eng lit was and is her passion, intended degree subject etc. No one, inc the English teachers at my school, had any real idea beforehand of what a 8/9 looked like in the totally new and not well pre-prepped spec, or how many marks would be needed. She worked so hard, so so hard.

So she had the first paper, R&J, the extract was very bizarre (the opening scene, AQA, look it up), question on male aggression. I recall driving down the road to dance class with her that evening as she went on and on about it – it was a disaster, the extract was impossible, she didn’t know what to say about it, all the things she had revised that didn’t come up… then as I tried to be positive, shutting me down: “I’ve been talking about this all day, I want to stop now”. Me: Hmmmm OK I’ll be quiet then.

Let’s just say it ended well! she got a 9 and fgs 30/30 in all the set texts. The school called her paper back in as an exemplar for future years. So all these dodgy maths papers may well end up being the hoped-for 9. Hoping for the best outcomes for all your DC

Did someone say holiday? 🏖

DS and me are taking advantage of being able to get away outside of school holidays and have booked an AI package in Lanzarote (Playa blanca) for a week. I've never had a holiday like this before. Normally it's me, DS1 (26) and DS2 and we sort it all out ourselves, so this will be quite different.

No revision from DS this evening, but he says they pretty much did history all day at school. He's confident in this subject so the house is calm.

DS also didn't do the last maths question. (Edexcel higher) So it sounds like a theme!

So after the exams, as I say we will celebrate his birthday, he is going out with friends later in the week, then he wants to find a summer job. We have Center Parcs booked the weekend DS2 finishes Primary school (Y6) then a week in Majorca returning the Monday before he picks up his results.

I am jealous of the DCs going camping with friends (and of course the French trip - can't remember which PP)

In 1989 when I finished my GCSEs we went to a friend's family caravan up the coast for a week. There were 6 of us. It was so chilled but we felt so grown up being away without parents. We all had bikes and cycled to the beach. It all sounds so wholesome 😍

@Wafflesandcrepes so glad DH is on it. I wish your DD all the best tomorrow 🤗

DS is going away with his girlfriend to Spain to stay with her family. Which is sweet. I mentioned before that I’ve messed up and didn’t realise they were supposed to be in for a leavers service and prize giving 30th June-2nd July. Seems ridiculous when all the other schools have finished!