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

[QueenMabby]

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

At my DDs school the free choices were very limited - combined science for lower sets or 3 sciences for upper sets, 1 language, either history or geography, 2 x English, maths and then only 1 or 2 free choices depending on how many sciences you were doing.

Good luck with history, chaps… it is sounding like your DC are having to learn and retain an awful lot for very few question options…. I hope it goes ok for them all.. ( and, no doubt/ hopefully the lions share that isn’t put to use in the exam will be with them for life 😸 ( I didn’t do history and totally regret it🫣!)).

So, DS done a bit of “ something” revision wise, but upcoming plan for this afternoon is DS18’s lovely GF going to do hour of physics with him then I’m taking them down to beauty spot nearby where DS18 is working, for 🍦 !
.. I’ll take an hour of confirmed revision for today 🤩!

My DCs school gives a completely free choice of either 4 or 5 subjects (depending if they take combined or triple science). Some kids go for 3 languages while others go wholly practical with art/music/drama/PE/DT. DS abandoned the languages entirely but went for a bit of a balance otherwise. Not sure what DD will opt for when she chooses next year - I’d like to dissuade her from too many ‘time thief’ subjects like art, but she’s not really a fan of the humanities or languages! And her brother’s experience has put her off CompSci and Business Studies. We’re running out of options!

We have that combination too. The amount of content is ridiculous for one paper. I really feel they need three topics not four in history. It seems to be a very overloaded curriculum.

Thanks @clary that’s really good to know. It just came totally out of the blue, so no chance to look into it. Definitely worth reassessing her options after the exams have finished.

The art coursework is certainly a time thief. Dd seemed to spend more on that than the other subjects put together. But she did enjoy it and treated it more like a hobby, and so it was a break from all the academic subjects. She's not tempted by it for A level as she doesnt want to do a job related to Art but due to the GCSE will keep it as a hobby hopefully for life.

We are historying today . The content load is ridiculous we are focussing on the 16 marker historic environment question where the big marks are . You can whittle down the factors , finding the evidence to back it and revise those . We are doing Durham cathedral today . Haven’t touched the other paper yet - think that’s a cramming job. A lot of snacks being consumed .

We are geography today. He tells me to get lost with any of the maths/science type stuff but I have a geography degree so he quite likes me helping with that. Things are much calmer for the next couple of weeks, I think we just have three next week.

A week and half of school left 😭then just a couple of exams to go back for.

He's just been invited to a taster day at sixth form for his computer course, which he's excited about. He's always been adamant he would stay at school but last minute decided to check out his sister's sixth form college and said "I think it's time to grow up" so chose there. I think it will be good for him - he doesn't usually like change so it will indeed help him to "grow up". He doesn't want to go to uni and I think the jump from school to work at 18 would be massive without this.

Apparently the specification is streamlined from next year. Not fewer topics but a bit less content within them 🙄

DD does enjoy art and often doodles in her spare time. So I think she’d enjoy the coursework at least. Just not sure she should DT or any others like that on top too! For DS the music performance could’ve been a time thief had he not already been doing all the necessary practice for other things anyway. Hoping that tactic works for DD with PE - she’s already so busy with her sports training, both in and out of school, that the practical side should just fall into place. But that is a problem for the next three years… for now I am in too deep with the Cuban missile crisis!

Definitely worth exploring BTECs.

DD did one instead of a GCSE option and it's been brilliant.

Having been a bit hmmm about them (coming from a very academic background) I now think that they are just different and for many students a better way of learning.

I would personally prefer to have done A levels, but that's because I'm lazy, have a very good memory and liked to coast for 2 years and then expend energy on revision for a couple of weeks before the exam. BTECs are far too much like sustained hard work for my liking, but for DD who is dyslexic and has very weak working memory, it has meant that she can come out with a top grade as it worked with her strengths rather than against her weaknesses.

I have friends whose children have done L3 Extended BTECs instead of A levels and are holding offers from RG universities. There are still some who want A levels but it's becoming more common for a range of routes to be acceptable.

Interesting about the history. DS still has three elements left - Elizabethan England, American West and Weimar Germany - he has already done medicine through time. History has always been his thing and he has loved it but told me this week he is not doing it for A level because there is just so much content and it has ruined his enjoyment of it. He said, quite rightly, that for something like biology at least you can give an educated guess if you don’t know the answer but for history if you don’t know the content, you’re “cooked”.

He has done anywhere between 1 and 3 hours a day. It will have to be enough. He was out all day today at his Saturday job and is now asleep on his bed. He is knackered, bless him.

Have an additional teen year 11 teen here today
geography is a crossover subject
just run through a past paper
god that was difficult!

We’ve also got Weimar Republic but that’s the week after so that’s a job for next weekend!

My DS has a similar view on history A level - he’s enjoyed the content but finds the amount of material hard-going. He says the maths/sciences are an ‘easier’ proposition because there is a ‘right’ answer and can make educated guesses.

DD's history teacher said A level is very different - less content and more thinking/ analysis. Their A level course has a coursework element and sounds so interesting. DS1's school had a dire A level course which would have bored me, let alone him, so it very much varies from school to school. DD wants to do History (yay, one of my kids does!).

When I did GCSE history in 1989, we did medicine through time (can't believe you can still do that!) and the Irish 'troubles' for examined content. I think that was it, plus an assessed project on a bit of local history (we did St Alban's Abbey and I remember working on it over the Easter before GCSEs). I don't think there was any more to it than that. It's got a bit silly now.

DD also does Weimar for P3 so that's a popular one.

So many messages! @ChannelLightVessel just wanted to give some solidarity. Sounds like exh not only not helping, but actively being unhelpful. Grr. I know how hard these times are when other parent not there..

DS seems to have done well today left to his own devices. I tested him on chemistry and history Elizabethan and he did well on both. A relief as both been a bit iffy. Elizabethan we did the questions on the Pearson cards, which are brief, but it gets overwhelming to do it all. Will do some 'lucky dip' testing on whole cards. I see the eye roll coming. He is ridiculously excited about the prom and it is v sweet.

I am very excited about freedom day in 16 days!!! I already feel the anticipation of the sense of relief. Keep chipping away everyone - we are almost there!!

Hey… been rushing round after DS18 and lovely GF and trying to police DS16, checking he is ok, so only popped on to say “ Night Night”, but just read yours, oh, I’m so very sorry. I definitely think XH needs to spontaneously recognise just how hurtful his actions are…. I admire you so much for dealing with all this on your own. Lovely GF has known DS16 for two years, adores him, but only today, when she spent all day here just her, DS and me ( DS18 and DH out) and he was teetering on meltdown and she had offered to help him with a maths past paper, and his ADHD bounced his focus from some maths question to him shouting “ Mum! You know what a Deadman’s Switch is, don’t you!! “Lovely GF doesn’t!!”.. did she realise how neurodivergence is compounding the difficulty in revising.
I think at times, her and DS18 both get frustrated with his seeming lack of revision and zero importance he appears to be giving. When, in fact, he is like all our DC, drained and exhausted, at this point, but his little brain is running up a down escalator just to keep up…….. Your DD sounds like she is the same, having so many complex things spinning round in her brain, and maybe not liking uncertainty and change of plans that may be beyond her control. I’m so sorry that XH seems like he is adding stress to an already complicated situation, not alleviating it for you and DD.

I truly hope you both had a ok day, regardless ( and, no offence to the history crew, ( or you!) but YAY no history for your DD!!) 😸

Night, all! I hope you all get some rest!! ………41 minutes till 1 June!!!!! And, we can say “ thank God the bloody exams finish this month!” 😈…, or, I’m going to go for sleeps! 16, I think! 😸

ps- Well! DS was tucked up asleep an hour ago, he was shattered…. So relieved! But, I just walked past….. yup! His lights still off, but I can hear him happily and excitedly chatting away! It’s so lovely to hear him laugh, so…..🤷‍♀️.. let him be..

Night! 😴

😹… last off, first on! Good 1st June morning! Downhill slope….

So, been trying to work out DS new “ timetable” from tomorrow… definitely does appear he is meant to be in EVERY morning, at least! That is not going to appeal, esp after the half term, he’s drained.

Anyway, got to take Lovely GF to her summer job, back to get DS18 up and off to his, ( joys of countryside and no public transport!), then back to wake DS16 up and start fresh revision Hell, with a mix of “ we have to be up and out by 8am tomorrow!”……🤷‍♀️😈🙀🤞!!

Good luck for a Sunny Sunday ( in mood, if not weather!) 😸

Taking ours for green volunteering for a couple of hours then many hours of maths I think today

Green volunteering?🤷‍♀️! Sounds intriguing! I hope it goes well….. good bit of exercise/fresh air to get in positive frame of mind….🤞😸

Exactly that doing our bit to manage and preserve a local patch of green space with a few other local volunteers of different ages.

And the teens get to be a bit butch, chopping out gorse, repairing styles, etc etc and someone usually brings homemade cakes which they are encouraged to wolf up!

Would it be cruel to add a bit of geography revision in the mix?

Revison happening with both of them and both seem to have plans and are very calm - DD2 has a ranging cold still though cough seems to have gone but she enjoyed being out last night.

I think she was smart with textile coursework - she started off her own bat over christmas so first set of protypes were done at home then she did main make in classes - and finished early gave herself a lot of time to write up and then handed in early so was nowhere near exam revision.

Apparently to get her let out for "illegal" study leave after Fridays exam- she wants to stay after exams rest of week- I have to give permission and get her name on a list - what a load of bollocks.

It's only that and a Friday in week with no exams bar one midweek she wants to stay home as there is nothing relevant in lessons.

Me: doing some revision today?
Teenager flopping on sofa: don’t know

Ah well, I’ll go for a run and see if he’s made a decision!
He wants to be in for the 8am pre-stats party tomorrow so early night for us both (I am night owl)