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!

We are both home, so have finally caught up. Dd says AQA Higher went well for her. Lots from the morning revision with their teacher came up, so was fresh in her mind and a couple of the questions played to her strengths - plus no Circle Theorem, which really made her day!

I think I am as relieved as she is that Maths is done.

@ExamStuff DS said the answer to the last question seemed weird and he did it several times but ending up with the same. Apparently a couple of his friends got the same answer so either it was right or they all made the same mistake!

Thank so much for your advice @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest and@OhCrumbsWhereNow . Lots of food for thought there! But good to know that the A level sounds a reasonable fit.

I'm pretty sure DD and boarding wouldn't have gone together. It must be such a huge upheaval for you all if that's not how you do things as a family, achangeofname.

Sounds like maths has been a bit of a mixed bag today. Hugs for those whose DCs hated it, and fingers crossed.

@stickygotstuck- dd hasn’t done music GCSE as like others on here she just doesn’t enjoy the composition or analysis parts of it. We have also (like a pp) compromised by doing grades - she’ll do g8 in piano and cello in year 12 and hopes to get to g8 in singing by the time yr 13 ends. For her it wasn’t worth slogging through the academic music syllabi as she knows she doesn’t want to study it at uni or make a career from it.
She chose history instead for her last slot and has (mostly) not regretted that decision.

Thanks @QueenMabby .

It's a weird thing with GCSE Music, isn't it, that they don't actually learn much music, but it is a slog anyway.
Realistically, no DC will learn to play unless they've done it outside school for years.
DD wants to do g8, but that will still have to be outside too.

Great that your DD is continuing with her music either way.

Edexcel Higher Maths - DC doesn't think they got the final question correct but looking at the TikTok solution, they had lots of crossing out for the final question so they didn't find it straightforward either!

Other than that, DC said the paper went well although harder than the first two papers, and there was one other question they "couldn't see" at the time (awful how they beat themselves up about it now they can see it online).

Quoting my own post as just realised I said AQA and it’s actually Edexcel. 🤦🏻‍♀️

ds doesn’t get home until 4.20pm. He will just shrug when I ask him how it went. Further Maths tomorrow.

I think all DS has got from GCSE music is a set of pieces that create a visceral reaction of hatred because he's spent so long learning/analysing them! He shudders at the Star Wars theme 😣

The performance side he'd have done anyway because he already did it and will continue to do it.

But, for him, music was an infinitely better/easier option to some of the others - he is definitely not a linguist, he passionately hated Geography/RE and he cannot draw anything that looks vaguely like what it is supposed to - he'll be very glad when its over on Monday though.

Both my DCs have done GCSE music but neither has/will do A-level.

DC1 mainly because it clashed with a subject they'd wanted to do for GCSE but it wasn't offered and they didn't want to miss the opportunity when it came. They'd been at a JD from age 11 and involved with non-classical ensembles outside of that so had a clear idea of the sort of musical activity they wanted to be involved in going forward. A few years on and the lack of A-level music isn't a barrier to working in the world of music.

DC2 won't be doing A-level because composition was an ordeal and they're not a fan of the dictation-under-pressure element of the GCSE. They are going to a sixth form that has lots of music to get involved with so is planning to continue music through that and brass band.

It’s interesting reading the conversation about Music, none of mine will take it as a GCSE, but I did it 30 years ago and it sounds as though it’s changed a lot, I don’t remember it being anything like as hard as it sounds to be now.

As DS seems very unsure about Geography tomorrow I’ve been watching some YouTube videos and looking at past papers to try and talk to him about it (I’ve generally been at the hands off end as he has been happy going through things himself). I actually quite fancy a go at taking paper 3 now, I think I could write a good discussion on the pros and cons of the Morecombe Bay tidal power project! 😂

DD thought higher edexcel maths was good, although she missed the last 2 questions- seems a few did so that’s heartening at least! She tells me only the ones going for 9s need to get those ones so I’ll take her word for it. She did say she’d had a dream of a 4 marker on circle theorems though 👩‍🍳😘🤣 I have no fucking clue what a circle theorem is so good for her, I’d say!

She popped into town to get a Father’s Day card and a mcflurry then home to revise the last geography paper. She doesn’t seem overly concerned about it - not sure if that’s a good or bad thing 🤔

Re spoonfeeding, DD is very organised and motivated so haven’t got involved except for when she’s asked us to test her or the occasional encouraging prod. DS, who goes into Y9 in September is clever - if both kids did the same test in the same year without revision, DS would undoubtedly perform better because his memory is great. However, he’s a lazy sod so expect lots of spoon feeding and arse kicking in 3 years time!

@mojobrojo DD1 still literally screams at me if I put Toto's Africa on. Apparently it is 'traumatising'. In contrast, DD2 actually still really likes Star Wars and Defying Gravity, and seriously considered picking Music for A While as one of her G8 singing pieces. What I'm taking from this is that they they haven't done enough work on it as otherwise she'd be as traumatised as DD1.

DD1 informs me she can 'tell me DD2 is not revising as she's always stealing the Netflix' (snitch).....

DS has watched the TikTok of the higher edexel maths paper, he thinks he got 50%. Any ideas what grade that would be roughly?

https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/Support/Grade-boundaries/GCSE/grade-boundaries-june-2024-gcse.pdf

Looks like a 6.

Im not sure you can really tell if that paper was hard and the others easy - maybe better than he thinks and better than it looks from published grade boundaries 🤞

Well, just got home after taking DS18’s Lovely Girlfriend to get her ( our!- I thought, why miss out?!)🤷‍♀️😹💅!) nails done as she’s off interrailing… DH had been at home, found DS16 at his desk, asleep in his chair, Geography on his screen….. he’s shattered…. I woke him with some fav treats ….. random watermelon 🍉, macrons, Twirl…. disinterested…. he wants to finish his nap there, as he’s “ comfy”…….

Anyway, thank you @kary42for what you posted about percentage grades last year… that is extremely helpful! I have been pointlessly thinking about whether DS should have stuck with Foundation… but, what your DH said is positive too, for him, as he would be the C/D Borderline….. he’s praying for a 4….. so, that has given hope, as he did answer some! He will just not talk about any of the exams, doesn’t do post mortems, so, save for him mentioning the questions he couldn’t answer straight after the exam, zero chance of finding out anything further!

I have seen about the Morecambe Bay fun, and good luck to all you AQA guys! Any Edexcel DC doing anything specific revision wise for Geography ?? I saw YouTube mentioned…. I’ll re scroll to see which Board that was!

However your DC did today, I hope they are all ok….. most will be done in a week, or less, and think of how many they have already kicked to the kerb! …. 🌟🌟🌟

@SE13Mummy , interesting to read about your DSs' approaches to Music.

DD has no idea whether she wants to work in music or not, so it's hard to know how 'useful' the A L would be.

We’ve had that Toto Africa song experience as well! 🤣 She doesn’t seem to mind the music papers but they had a cyber attack affecting the music computer suite at start of y11 so missed out on the composition lessons. The music teacher made her lose confidence in her guitar playing which wasn’t helpful and she ended up singing for the performance part at last minute.

DS, who goes into Y9 in September is clever - if both kids did the same test in the same year without revision, DS would undoubtedly perform better because his memory is great. However, he’s a lazy sod so expect lots of spoon feeding and arse kicking in 3 years time! @Dagnabit

@.DS was like this until this year. He's started working since Jan. DD has worked hard since Y7. He will undoubtedly do much better, which has been very demotivating for the poor child. It's not much of a message about hard work paying off.

I’m beginning to despair on geography, he seems very vague on what they actually did for the fieldwork…. Bit worried this paper is going to completely pull down his grade overall. He’s also more focused on chemistry which I get as it’s one of his A level choices, but think he could do with a bit more time on this one!

Crashing this thread with a question - any ideas for gifts for favourite teachers? Can't decide if wine/prosecco is appropriate? My DC doesn't want to give anything cheesy or personal 🙄 If there are teachers on here, what would you appreciate? Thanks!

i think there’s a Staffroom topic somewhere.

5 more exams to go, 5 more exams to go!!!!

This year I've had:

A worlds' goodest teecher t shirt (yes... those exact words!)
Prosecco and chocolates
A book about gin
A cheeseboard

Some lovely cards :)