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

[QueenMabby]

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

Dd thought eduquas was better than paper 1. Pros were that she finished and it's 60% of the exam. Cons were that everyone else thought it was good.

Not heard from DS yet about English AQA but he's also got Geography this afternoon, so in school, hopefully getting himself some lunch.

I just want DS to pass English (solidarity with others in the the same position) and it'll be such a relief if he does as he was borderline in his mocks and I'm not sure he's gotten any better since then.

Hell of a week coming up next as he's got Biology, PE, Maths, Geography, Further Maths and Chemistry all next week. PE will have to take a back seat I fear as the others are more important for him.

Similar next week. 7 exams Spanish, maths, history, PE, bio and chem. Not even looked at PE 2 tbh..he might glance at it before the exam. Spanish, maths, bio all possible A level subjects so pressure is on. I think DS will want to chill over the weekend so would really like to avoid any arguments at this point. Well done all getting this far. 9 exams to go and 10 days until freedom!!

We are in the same boat with the English. It's the only one I'm nervous about. He said AQA this morning was 'ok' said with a scowl so he clearly wasn't happy. He didn't do an 8 marker but did everything else. I think he did Q5 first.

We are off to town now for a well earned Greggs 😄

"Well earned Greggs" 😂

POV: My highly intelligent PhD brother failed his Eng Lang O level twice (couldn't be arsed) until he realised he wasn't going to get far in what he could be arsed with, without it.

POV - me and my sis laugh and laugh at the usage of POV. Apparently trying to understand how it's used is missing the point entirely. That and plot twist. Our poor kids just stand by eyes rolling out of their heads.

My DS seems quite happy with the way AQA English Lang went this morning. He's had an English tutor for a few years though as historically it's been his weakest subject so he was well prepped for it.

Celebrated the end of another week with a fried chicken lunch and he's going for a round of golf later this afternoon!

Were the same, just need a pass in English so he can do a levels. We got a big shock when he got 4s in his mocks as ideally needs a 6 for his sixth form at his school. Just praying for a pass

Yep. We chatted and played silly games :)

DD2 seemed happy with English -part of it was write about a road trip round UK - so she did where we've been in last few years - Wales/Bristol and Midlands avoided London as driving round there wouldn't be fun apparently.

DS said further maths went surpsingly okay - few things he couldn't do but on shorter questions. I think the format change really threw him last year in As level and blew his confidence. DS has nearly full week next week and DD2 just one exam then final week he has one and she had two.

My daughter thought English language was good. (AQA)

I think she’s looking forward to being able to relax a bit over the weekend as she’s very tired. Only 3 next week for us, then 1 the following Monday and all done.

I hope Geography goes well for everyone doing it this afternoon.

Just reading your posts to get the lowdown on Eng Lang so I can ask "probing" questions.

My DS sent me message to say he's off to the park with a fellow student who he chats to. DS has SEND and is indifferent to friendships and fellow students (he's not found his tribe yet - he will do, I keep telling myself). So this is more intriguing than the exam!

oooh! How lovely! I understand what a big thing that is for the mum of SEN kid who is a bit of a loner.

Keen to hear any feedback for iGCSE Eng Lang today. (Pearson) I scribed and thought it was quite a nice paper. But then i was not actually doing it myself of course! Hope my candidate does well though. He deserves to.

Both DD and DS thought the AQA English paper was ok. DD thinks she did well, but it's so hard to tell. I just need them both to get over the line, and my work will be done (for the moment, anyway!!)

Eduqas Eng Language - DS made a very positive head nodding motion so sounds like it went ok.

Successfully negotiated 3 hours revision today, 4 tomorrow and 3 on Sunday (DS doesn't revise Sundays!). Bribery was involved regards Sunday.

SleepsThroughAlarms has failed to message to say how Edexcel English went and is now mid Geography 2.

Not sure if that means it was terrible or amazing or just in the middle... or that she couldn't find somewhere to text me on the QT.

I am on tenterhooks...

DS said Eng Lang was a 3-1 home win…Having the rest of today off before a big week next week.
Like many others he has Spanish, PE, Maths, Chem & Biology so pretty full on.
Feels odd that his time in high school is drawing to an end now plus my involvement there after 2 kids and 8 years in total.

Oh I know this feeling - my heart swells whenever DS1 mentions one of his three friends (one of whom has been constant throughout High School and two of them are recent additions). He rarely socialises with them but when he does I feel so happy for him. It was a long bloody time coming.

DS2 however is the one who always has the posse around him, which I love but makes me sad for DS1. Bloody parenting!

The Greggs was successful @rosemarble 😂and has pepped him up for 2 hours of Biology - I have then promised to take him to Asda to look at the reduced food aisle - his new fave obsession.

I love being a ND parent of a ND child - we have so much fun 😃

DS said he was pretty happy with AQA English this morning and felt his writing bit had gone well. Also pleased with AQA geography and said for once he actually finished with a few minutes spare to check his answers when normally he struggles to get through it all in the time.

Next week is a bit lighter with the final geography plus biology, chemistry and maths

Played the system - do you have any idea what SEN families have to go through. Every SEN child has to be evaluated under strict conditions to see what extra help their entitled to. It's not a case of you have dyslexia you automatically get 25% extra time. My son has dyspraxia which means its very difficult for him to write for long periods of time it, I automatically assumed he would get extra time but he didn't qualify he does however qualify for a laptop in exams. You clearly have no idea what SEN children and their families have to go through.

DD2 thought English Lang 2 AQA was "Ok, better than paper 1", so I'm hopeful she'll have pulled back a pass after paper 1, which she said was "horrific". She was another one a bit miffed with the question asking for similarities between the 2 sources, rather than the usual differences. Hey ho, at least English is done now, nothing more we can do until we get the results.

We've just run through her Physics P2 (AQA) flashcards for the first time, and I was really impressed with how well she seems to know the topics, especially in comparison with the first time we did the P1 cards. She's doing A Level Physics, so hopefully this is a good sign!

Biology flashcards shortly, followed by a couple of past papers this evening, then some Design Tech flashcards after dinner. She's taking tomorrow "off", although she is working at her Saturday job, but seeing her boyfriend in the evening, so I'm glad she's taking a break - she's working incredibly hard, I really hope she gets the results she deserves.

My son (English is his boogie subject and the one I am worried he won’t get a pass in), said it was “Good” - which is one step better than “OK” which is code for dreadful .

afternoon off and then a full weekend getting ready for the week ahead. Biology, Spanish, Latin, Maths, Chemistry and probably something else I have forgotten!

roll on 18th of June and he’s done his final one!

My DS has returned home. He's furious with himself for only doing paragraph for Q4 in English on similarities. He ran out of time but said it was "a ridiculous' question.

But said the rest of the questions were fine and very much enjoyed Q5. But he likes persuasive (arguing his point) writing.

Apparently the chat at the park was "good".

Not posted for a while but have been keeping up with the thread intermittently and very relieved to have AQA English language out of the way now as it is also my dd's nemesis (seems the case for a few on here!) She thinks it went ok anyway, and appears to have written something reasonable and finished, so very much hoping for a 5 at least!

Incidentally, without exam access arrangements (25% extra time and a computer reader) she would probably still have been pulling in 3s and have no chance of getting into 6th form for her chosen subjects (sciences) - after diagnosis of dyslexia with processing on the 1st centile (ie 99% of people are faster!). Recent mocks she has been bordering a 7 which is a huge achievement in context. So I have absolutely no qualms about 'playing the system' (not that I would use this terminology, or think it about other people, who have access arrangements in place for a whole range of valid reasons).

Anyway, that was my two-pence worth regarding the extra time debate - I personally don't care what people might think, but nice to see the support on here for people with dc with SEN.

Geography was also good, apparently. Good luck to everyone for next leg - all the sciences, geography and maths paper 3 here.

I’ve been lurking on these threads for a while, very grateful for a lot of the advice shared.

DC is currently distraught as clearly misread AQA q4 and wrote about differences… i am trying to play it down but given it’s 10% of the whole grade they are understandably distressed.

I am emphasising that there is no point in worrying, and that it will be far better to move on, but I can feel the gut punch myself. Some exams have been less of a joy than others but this is the first one we’ve had such distress 😥

Much relief that English is over with here. DS wrote a whole review without... doing any actual reviewing. Hopefully he's done enough on the rest of the paper + the other one!