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

[QueenMabby]

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

@Nicflowers82
Do you know that only humans and humpback whales have monthly cycles!
All other mammals have "found a way of dealing with it all more efficiently" apparently 😀

I hadn't thought about it this way, which is a very good point.
Ratty did Eduqas so I don't think this issue came up in his exam.

Blimey, Biology is content heavy isn't it?! I've been 'helping' with both GCSE AND A-Level today. My knowledge of the carbon cycle is not great.... hopefully theirs is better.

DD2 now heading back schoolwards in time for an early night before biology tomorrow. Hopefully revitalised a bit on the need for revision. Promising a Chem/Physics/Music push after tomorrow's paper, but she's also got a big assessment friday for music, and a recording Thursday. Not ideal.

Could she do an English Lit A level on the side?

A lot of Performing Arts 6th forms are only 3 days a week, which would give her time to do that.

Hope everyone’s DCs have a productive(ish) weekend. Nearly at the end of this thread so here’s the new one in readiness for Biology tomorrow!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5351067-year-11-20242025-heading-down-the-home-straight-towards-that-finish-line?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

@OhCrumbsWhereNow Unfortunately the course she’s been accepted on is full time and apparently quite intensive.

A year ago she was dead certain she wanted to study Acting/Drama at a performing arts school. She was absolutely adamant she didn’t want to stay at her school’s sixth form. We discussed her perhaps doing Drama alongside other A Levels and she then applied for school, the PA College for Acting plus English Literature and another relatively local college that has a decent rep for Acting, but doesn’t offer A Levels alongside, as the course is too intensive. (She actually applied for MT as well, but decided against that before her audition.)

Once she decided to apply, she was determined to take English Lit A Level, but Drama and English Literature were in the same study block at her school’s sixth form. Her current teacher and a friend who is already studying it persuaded her she would enjoy Lit/Lang and should go for that instead. She gradually became more and more interested in the subjects she’s chosen and found some interesting uni courses they would suit, which resulted in her realising she now really wants to stay on at her school. ( I suspect it’s also no small coincidence that several of her friends who were adamant they weren’t staying also changed their mind.)

As you can tell, she is very single minded and not easy to counsel about these things. She knows what she enjoys studying, but not what she wants to do with it. I think a but of maturity finally kicked in after seeing all the hopefuls at auditions that had attended classes outside of school for their whole lives and literally lived and breathed performing. Dd only developed her interest in year 7, so doesn’t have the same background, so she realised she might be wise to take some more academic subjects alongside her acting to keep uni and career options open.

I am praying she gets the Maths grade, as I do feel staying put really is the most sensible option for her right now.

Thank you - I have done mine too; didn’t realise you could do it before the letter so least that’s sorted now 😊

@Sisublondie - 🤣 at your hen weekend story - she sounds like a right primadonna! I’m mostly wearing Vinted 🤨😆 I’m sure there will be some at the prom that have gone all out but I know DD will look gorgeous (not at all biased!)

Not sure what’s happening after prom but possible after parties or there was talk of her and a group of friends coming round to ours, however, I’m encouraging her to suggest maybe going to a more sociable household because I hate people that might be more fun. She’s changed her college taster day to the day after the prom so she can go with a group so hopefully she won’t be drinking too much vodka 😏

I’ve been testing DD on the menstrual cycle, contraception etc today so could actually help with embedding and also homeostasis. I’ve decided I quite like biology. It’s DD’s favourite science too because she understands it - with regards to chemistry and physics, she learns the facts but doesn’t understand it fully which seems counterproductive.

There was a thread on the AIBU last month or so, with a bride “ furious” and 5 of her “hens” had pulled out of the Ibiza hen do, cause to add to the prob already hideous cost, she’d added on a day at a beach club that “ would only add €100”, for the bed….. not including drinks, fact bride getting subbed for the lot…( on top of the prob over a thousand already costing)… her parents had also hired a country house for a UK hen do and it was a “destination” wedding……. It was OMG drama!!!!!! Because I think her AIBU was to disinvite them to her wedding?!! Kept me amused for days! Top quality entertainment! Made my night out in Manchester at the Sugar Lounge, (was it, and others?!) tad lame! 😒

Ah, the after prom! I need to learn how to do that “line through the words “ thing! 😹!! I went to pick up DS18 from his last year…. Ended up packing my old shed of a 7-seater out with his mates and getting lost in the countryside on the way to nearest town…, Oh! The conversations I was privy to!! ( teenage boys!!) .. especially the ones I’ve known since kindergarten and I couldn’t escape as I was driving 😳🙀😳!! I wish you well with your DD’s one! Sounds like she has it all cracked! I bet you’ll be tearing up a little when you see her, all grown up and glammed!! I’m sure she’ll nail the college taster the next day..,, hopefully it’s with same friends as the night before, and they can jostle each other along!!🤩

I wanted to do mine but he wants to try and get an apprenticeship so if he does we won’t be eligible anymore. Don’t want to tell them that yet though in case he doesn’t get one and then it will be hassle to try and get child benefit again!

I know I sound dumb… is that the Child Benefit, fact we have to say whether staying in Education, or not? I just didn’t recognise the Gov Gateway bit! 🙀..

but…thanks for the heads up @Oblomov25! I’d “ put the letter in a safe place”, not dealt with it and totally forgotten about it! 😼🙏

Anyone else losing posts on here? Disappearing before you can post? 😾 I was just writing to @SilverSnaffles….

I’m so so sorry today has been incredibly stressful for you and DD. It sounds like she’s catastrophising now and got maths blinkers on, that’s so hard to deal with. I 🤞🙏🤞that she gets the maths grade she needs …. It’s tough, as when a panic starts, to literally see anything else.. I really hope she manages to get some sleep and start fresh tomorrow for Biology. 🍀.

It is interesting to learn more of your DS’s Uni story… the back up and support in place for him sound incredible. It’s also relieving to hear ( if at any point it is ever necessary for my DS), that the DSA application is not as onerously horrific as the PIP Application and Assessment 🙀😹.

I really hope your DD is able to put maths out of her mind before bed. 🤗 to you both.

Sorry to hear that, any dc who is that stressed can't be good. Big love. ❤️

Much like blokes would have managed to do if they had monthly fun for 40 years 🤷‍♀️😈😹!

Hopefully DD has got back to school safely- sounds like a tough week coming up!- good luck with the music, too🎶

Now, yes, Biology IS content heavy, and after YOUR full on day of revision, I hope YOU get a chilled evening 😸

No way!!!! Oh, that’s grim! WTH are they made of?! I hope you didn’t have to demonstrate!!

Reminds me of my Mum, who used to be a midwife….. very, ummmm, conservatively ummm prudish, in an innocent way?? Told me how she had to do some contraception classes ( I’ll have to ask her where and why, I’ve forgotten!), and showed me her basket of condoms and “cups” and things, but did use as straight a 🍌 or 🥒 she could find to demonstrate…..

The imagery of you having to teach a class such a worthy thing, seeing their faces, tho! 😈🙄😳

They're latexy.

I'm a very middle aged lady and utterly unshockable.

"50% of those of us in this room have a pair of these and I'm pretty sure this won't be the first time you've felt them, so just get on with it and don't be so silly"

And then the demo.

I did make the point that it's better to know what's normal for you - and then told the girls how and where to check their breasts.

I think that is excellent that that is taught. I know a couple of boy- friends who got testicular cancer in their twenties.. both said they are so relieved they had examined themselves. Also for girls, I have strong family history and have had annual mammograms for about 15 years now, even then, it’s easy to forget to check but it’s definitely not something I remember being taught at school. Shockingly, for today’s standards, I remember one class ( I think ours was called Sex Ed, ) started with splitting us into boys and girls… my best friend was a boy, and he was genuinely upset to not be getting taught about periods, as he wanted to help his sister, when the time came.

I bet your students will remember just how well you dealt with a tricky and embarrassing situation ( for them🙄!), with such cool and aplomb 🤩!

Our head of PSHE is brilliant - she had to step in to lead a session on youth produced sexual images recently and she was fab.

I think it's important to be as open as you can with teens - they need to know this stuff and it's often stuff they wouldn't talk about at home.

Were there any that had lumps? (Sorry... digression)

You mean in the fake latex ones? I thought that as soon as I pressed send….. Very salient point. It must be very difficult to ascertain what is normal and what is potentially not.

Yes - different pairs had different lumps. The breasts we have are similarly lumpy.

The stockroom is a veritable goldmine of weird.

Wow! I literally had no idea that these were available! I think that is absolutely excellent. I had a lumpectomy over 20 years ago for a pre- cancerous lump, and it was just sheer luck I found it. It’s a shame there isn’t a way for adults to access such information…. I don’t know how many men “TSE” (think it used to be called), hopefully they do.
How excellent that such education is being given to our Year 11s! Very impressive….., well done 😸.

ps- what a treasure trove in that stockroom 😹!