Year 11 - 2024/2025: Heading down the home straight towards that finish line!

[QueenMabby]

Next thread. 10 days of exams to go. Looks like we’re all heading into a busy week this week - good luck!

Your poor DS! That sounds really stressful so well done to him for getting through it. DD's school have fitted vape detectors in the toilets because so many kids were doing it. Flopping on sofa sounds like exactly what he should be doing tonight.

@Libre2
Oh, poor ds!
Sounds like he coped well, though.
A walk sounds good...I might do the same!

@Libre2 your poor DS- you must be so proud of him for pulling that back.

Onwards!

@Libre2 - your poor ds! It sounds like school handled it really well though. I hope he bounces back from it.

@Libre2 your poor DS

Very upset DD here too. Couldn’t finish history - her fav topic - because of her RSI. School has refused to consider extra time. I’m actually utterly fed up with education in general. DD is fairly academic and I’m at the stage where I’m thinking why doesn’t she get a job, start working and put money aside and leave all this crap behind.

Oh @Libre2 sending your DS the love - what an amazing school too though, it is such a stressful time for them all but they did good

@Wafflesandcrepes I am incensed on your behalf - I remember your post about this last week and we were all so sure it would be dealt with. Is there any way you can contact the exam board? I know it is probably unlikely but the school sound like they have really let DD down

In casa Dixie DS was ok after Foundation Spanish, that level is good for him as it gives him confidence. He feels like he has done enough so fingers crossed. He did some maths revision this afternoon after a masterclass at school - I pointed out that this is the last time he will ever (hopefully!) have to do any maths revision!

It was 33 to 39. First q on the affects of hyper inflation. Then the rest were based on comparing and contrasting Strength through Joy scheme and actual real life conditions for most Germans. My scribee resolutely avoided using the word propaganda or referring to his own studies. 🙄 despite me mentally willing him to do so. Also, the irritating and time consuming “referring to the question in your answer” eg “What were the major effects of hyperinflation during the years 1933 to 35 on the German population?” “ The effects of hyperinflation during the years...were...”

I’d find that job so difficult. I’d want to just say ‘why don’t we write this instead…’ 🤣

I don’t know if this is helpful to anyone, but I wanted to throw some light and love towards all those who are struggling with exams, which for whatever reasons, are not allowing them to really show what they are capable off (perhaps 75%??). I had extra time in my GCSEs way back when (SEN). Grades were all mediocre (not an A in sight - my only possible one I had awful period pain in the exam). Did A-levels, grades even more meh. Went to a college of HE (transitioned to a uni after I left). Changed subjects, ended up with a 2:1. Hard earned, in English - without having done the a-level, but I loved it. At that point, all I knew was I wanted to analyse thinks (ideas and thinking rather than psychoanalysis style 😁). Then did a conversion course and to a different subject, then a MSc, then a PhD. And now I am an academic. I LOVE what I do (analysis and ideas all day long). None of my grades until my MSc really suggested what I could do. I smashed the PhD - it was once I got past formal exams that I really blossomed. Education is 100% stacked against SEN, BUT it is the system that is wrong not the brains that don’t fit the system. And you can fight that system, play it differently and win in the end. It is hard work, but GCSE grades accurately reflect the life potential of a tiny proportion of kids (perhaps only the few standardly academic ones). So you can absolutely tell your kids that their lives are never defined by them, and they CAN find their path - including one to academic success and achievement (IF that is what their passion turns out to be) with less than stellar GCSEs and shit A-Levels and a non-Russell group degree. It takes creativity and resilience (even if it is painful at the time) to take a non-typical path through a standardised system stacked against you (for whatever reasons) and those are amazingly employable. Hugs love and celebrations to ALL our kids, SEN, standardly academic, anxious, ratty, and everything in between. Getting through GCSES is such an achievement, no matter.

Hope everyone can hold it together until the weekend and have a breather (for those with exams still outstanding) - we all understand that exams need to test knowledge and be fair but for some, most at some point, they are more like plain punishments.

We had to message little brother to come home to be referee for maths revision

“how are you going to send stuff to space when we are squabbling over number of people in a lift”

@Libre2Your poor DS, glad he managed to do the exam and that school sound supportive.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarestYes, agree that the music paper is ridiculously difficult. DS is doing the same one as your DD, as I remember you mentioned Afro-Celt in a previous post! Music is his favourite thing and was one of his lowest mock grades which we were really surprised by. Luckily he doesn’t want to do it for A Level as he enjoys playing too much to study it further (wants to keep it separate from studies), but I’d thought it would be an easy high grade for him (hollow laugh).

Thanks everyone for the kind words. He's OK, just tired and slightly embarassed I think, although no reason to be. He kept saying sorry to the invigilator apparently. She did tell him there was no need. He has said that all their invigilators have been lovely all the way through, which is nice.

School have also been brilliant throughout - we had so many mocks before hand, and on each one, they made sure he had all his diabetes clobber with him and that he knew what to do if he had an alarm go off. I feel for him, in amongst feeling tired, he's also trying to be a pancreas - it's not much fun.

@Wafflesandcrepes - I'm so sorry your school have let you down like that - it's poor. I'm sorry for your DD too - I hope she's OK for maths tomorrow (presuming it's the same exam schedule). Our school have done everything they can for everyone to make sure that they can try and reach their potential, and I am very grateful for it. It doesn't do the school any favours if people are performing at their best.

@phyllidafosset - thank you. Exams are a horrible situation for most people and I'm not sure they really show anyone at their best.

It would take all my willpower not to just write it down anyway 😂

Spanish AQA higher was ok….some of the accents were very tricky and didn’t sound Spanish so some guess work took place. It’s not a favourite subject so all the focus is on maths and Chemistry now. I am running out of steam big time now…..think he is too!!

It’s definitely got to the point where DDs tutors are worth their weight in gold, as it’s the only guarantee any work is getting done at the moment. 🤪

It’s sometimes so tough. Generally the kids I’ve scribed for have been...challenging. But last year I had an absolute angel. Polite, beautifully behaved, hard working. And I shouldn’t admit this, but there were a few times he gave me an answer and I’d pause, ever so slightly. He realised then to look again. Not my proudest moment, but not quite writing the full essay for him.

Well I think that's lovely @Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride ❤️

@Xmasfairy86 Just catching up. Glad your dd felt well enough to go in and do the exam. Hope it went well for her.

@Libre2 Your poor ds! What a terrible way to start an exam. So glad school were supportive and efficient. Hope he can rest up tonight and feels better tomorrow.

Dd did Edexcel History (Russia) today. She was mostly happy with it, but said the way they worded one of the questions made it difficult to answer, as the piece was written as a sort of list of facts, rather than an opinion or analysis. She thinks she did ok, but isn’t expecting a 9 like her mock result and predicted grade. There was quite a bit of disruption in the exam hall today too, including two different invigilator’s phones going off! 😡

She definitely procrastinated starting Maths revision, but has done a couple of hours now, is still going and I think planning to go in for the pre-exam session with her teacher tomorrow. I am waiting for the panic to kick in around bed time again, as she is so stressed about her Maths grade.

So just came home to super upset DD who says she might have to resit history. Does anyone know if it matters whether GCSEs are taken in one seating or several in terms of university applications? Thank you.

@Libre2 , sorry your DS had such horrible start today. Glad he's feeling better now.

@Wafflesandcrepes , I'm sorry your school has been so rubbish. Your poor DD. It's as if they didn't realise they aren't doing themselves any favours either, of nothing else. I hope she feels better and pain free soon.

DD had History today (Edexcel Vietnam & Civil Rights). She thinks it went well and she actually had time to finish all the questions for a change. But she's still worried because she thought she did quite well on her mocks but got a 3!

Her knowledge is sound, but she finds the questions really very ambiguous and can't tell what they expect her to say, and seems ro have a knack for picking the wrong option. Having seen some past papers I must say, I agree wholeheartedly.

@Wafflesandcrepes
Poor thing :( Why?
Bad paper today? Or she feels shes done badly across all 3 papers?

Oh poor D, this is a worry for another day. She might not. She might not have to there might be plenty in what she managed to do.
If you can get a teacher to reassure her that it isn't the end of any uni application or her next steps (presuming A'Levels) at least for the duration of the exams that are left and then take it from there once they are over.

Repetitive strain injury, couldn’t hold her pen/write properly. Managed just a bit of the 16-marker at the end. She says the questions were “brilliant” and she knew it all. It’s all in her head and not on paper. We’ve applied for extra marks but would have been much better to have the extra time.

if anyone has info on whether resit grades count as much as grades taken in one seating, that’d be great. I know she shouldn’t be worrying about it but she is.

Feeling annoyed with DC today. I woke them up with a drink and had laid out some materials for them to do before their history exam, namely a 16 marker which I told them to have a go at and then look at the mark scheme answer. Went to work. Got back to find that of course they hadn't touched it and guess what came up as the 16 marker... I know I shouldn't be spoonfeeding them but it's so bloody frustrating when you do your best to help and they just can't be arsed! They then asked me what they've got tomorrow. Oh no you are on your own sunshine. I'm not wasting my time going out of my way to help again if you can't even be bothered to work out what exams you've got!