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!

Regarding thank yous/feedback to teachers, I normally send emails directly to the teachers who have gone out of their way to help DD. Good shout about letting the head know, thanks!

We also have a school survey to fill out. I am looking forward to that, although comments will be on the scathing side for the SLT, I'm afraid.

I do hope it is anonymous as I don't want any consequences for DD if she stays on (big if). But I really think they need honest opinions. The only thing you see is the odd fawning comment on the Facebook page. I doubt they think it's all rosy, but still, a reality check will do them (and incoming kids) good. Hopefully.

Morning all,

Hope geography is going well, in true Ratty style "I'll just respond on the day" for most of the sketchy revision session yesterday.

A classic on the way in: "I thought these exams would be more brutal"

Well no sunshine if you have well trained parents running around tending to your every need and desire to keep you upbeat, motivated, on track, fed and watered with your favourite everythings and all you need to do is sit and do some past papers (all printed out lovely ready for you to cast your delicate eyes over them) I guess it's not that brutal no!

This was said whilst being ferried in the car with a bag packed of everything we needed. And a promise to take him and another pampered to shop on the way to dropping them both home.

One pampered Ratty!

Although I am glad he's ok, mentally and the exams haven't broken him in anyway.

It's clear I will be more pleased when they are over than him!

Anyone want to bet the comment coming out of final Spanish on Tuesday will be "I honestly found the whole process quite enjoyable"

@frozendaisy- that made me laugh! Dd was VERY nervous going into these exams despite excellent predicted grades and smashing mocks results. Yesterday she said that actually the exams had been “pretty chill”. I think she’d built them up so much in her mind she was somehow expecting them to be massively different to all the past papers she’d done!

She’s currently doing a FM last paper (AQA so non-cal). Non-calc is her favourite because, apparently, all the answers are “sensible”. Whatever that means!

She’s also going on to do FM. Like for others they do maths in yr 12 then Fm in year 13 but sit them both together. DS didn’t do FM gcse but did do maths A level. A 9 followed by an A. He dithered over doing FM but school said only do it if you really loved maths (he didn’t). He was glad he didn’t. He still got a lot of maths bridging work. Dd has her sixth form day next Friday so we’ll see what she brings home.

Nope. Sorry @frozendaisyI don't think ds2 feels that way at all. Nor me.

DD is slightly less broken than when she was doing the Mocks, but that’s not saying much. At least this is the end (for now).

@frozendaisy just collected DD from geography and she actually said I am going to miss this a little when it ends. I think as anything that becomes all consuming it is odd when it goes and there is just time to fill, time that has been full of routine.

@frozendaisy that sounds so familiar, both in terms of over pampered kids and "winging it" on the day of the exams!

Haven't heard from DS about Geography, hope it went well for all. He's staying in for FM. Promised he'll do some revision for FM with his friend in between exams, if they find the time as they have to have lunch too. Not expecting stellar results for him in FM, although he is good at Maths, FM seems like a stretch almost too far at the moment, although he really should have done more revision for it in hindsight.
Doesn't feel like the end is in sight for us here yet as there's music appraisal to tackle this weekend as well as physics. This time next week, it'll all be over however!

@Oblomov25 it's not that he feels that way it's more the seemingly complete lack of awareness of the backroom staffing that has been required during the process.
I am happy to point this out to him, but not until just after 10am on Tuesday.
H reckons he does realise but he won't know he realises until just after 10am on Tuesday.

Exams are a huge pressure for the students, and everyone around them.
The friend I dropped off can't wait to never face an exam again and said this morning was his worse geography paper of the lot and he "spent most of it asleep" - I assume this was an exaggeration but probably closer to the truth than not.

Ratty doesn't struggle academically, but he's a bit lazy at the moment, what he needs (still for 3 more exams) is gentle cattle prodding away from "all things fun" if left to his own devices this time around, although shoots of maturity are rearing their head, he would have spent every exam with his head in his hands, regretting his last night's revision choices and dreading every day he had to go in.

The rest of the family (mostly me) are taking the hit of the "brutality" of these exams. Which is fine. It was just this statement from the back of the car oblivious to world this morning on the way in!

I heard that at DC school, they will look more favourably on a DC who got a 6 and has done all the bridging work, then one who got a 6 and didn't. This assumes that a 7 is needed and predicted. But it could be a decider. This is unofficial of course, I think I heard it from someone who heard it from the HOY (and got in with a 6).

@frozendaisy spot on. DH and I are happy to support him through his GCSEs as possible ADHD and in the knowledge that kids mature at different times. But we are planning to sit him down after the exams and again before 6th form to reiterate that he won't be getting this level of help during his A/Ls as we also have DD doing GCSEs next year (although she is completely different and already self sufficient or rather she doesn't let us help her) and that he has to be on it from the get go.

Well, turned up to pick DS in town car park and he’s not here, having breezily texted saying he’s “ off to Sainsbury’s and back in a bit”, having just called before that, seeing with a friend or two, and giggling! So, right now, hearing that, and given in ALL his secondary school career he has NEVER gone out with a mate after school, I’m happy as the proverbial right now! Forgotten all about geography!! 😈😹😈!!!

DC just back from AQA Geography with the Morecambe Bay case study. ‘Definitely went better than I expected’ - best comment we’ve had about any of the papers/subjects done so far. DC really likes Geography and is hoping to do for A level, it is their highest predicted grade so fingers crossed, they weren’t made about Paper 2 which is usually the best one for them. AQA Maths Paper 1 still the worst paper so far in their opinion.

@Sisublondie excellent yes geography debrief can wait if you get it at all

@Sisublondie that's great! I know that feeling. DD used to have social anxiety and difficulty making friends. It's such a relief and I recognise the feeling of elation when they say they've been out with a friend rather than coming straight back home and being alone.

Couldn’t agree more, DC has ADHD and severe social anxiety after being nastily bullied at school and having friendship issues over a number of years. The relief when they made a couple of friends to hang out and have fun with, was immense.

@DataColour we have been informed by Ratty that once he gets down to the 3/4 subjects of his upmost choosing he will be as motivated and diligent as the most motivated and diligent you can possibly be!

Physics 2 is his most favourite paper in the whole wide world apparently, so if he finishes early he can ask for extra paper and write down everything he knows about space physics if he likes :-)

And Chemistry is an A'level choice, he wasn't too bad on with his paper 1 knowledge so we shall see, just about to tear him away from "pixel strategy wars" and see if he knows his rates of chemical changes.........."it's not brutal you see" - no of course it's not, all the pissing and moaning and claiming "I will just respond on the day" is fun to sit through, cajole around with frothy coffees, matzos crackers and patience of a saint!

Tha is what my DS did for alevel maths and FM. However not having done physics he found further mechanics really hard. He dropped to AS further maths as why waste what he had done. He really enjoyed doing it this way. Was in the class with the really clever people and the teacher stretched them. He also got the best, most aspirational teacher. Also once he dropped he only had to pay attention in half the lessons so was set AS papers and revision and this was ‘chill’.
DD going to the same school for 6th form. Trying to sell her this package. She’s not having it. I’m hoping is she does well in maths and FM the teachers might have a word. She’ll listen to them 😂.

@labradorservant Sounds like your DS got a good deal. DD is doing physics A level as well so hopefully that makes the package more workable. Either way, we’re looking at it as a good opportunity to see how she gets on before choosing a degree. I’ve heard that some universities like you to take FM if it’s available for maths heavy degrees so we figure it will at least give DD that insight as to whether a ‘maths heavy’ degree would suit her!

It’ll be interesting to see how many kids change their further education choices after the GCSEs as their cortisol levels lower again!

Dd said geography was a beautiful paper and she loved it. Most praise we've had so far (and makes all of last night talking about energy projects and morecambe bay worth it!)

This was definitely said at open days for DD, for Nat Sci with a maths choice. Having said that, she's been bored out of her brain in maths all year because they basically spent year one teaching FM content 🤷🏼‍♀️

Gosh I had a day off yesterday and there is so much to catch up on!

So DS found Edexcel Higher maths yesterday 'fine innit' (usual response) but he also said he didnt do the last two questions - I reassured him that was across the board.

Chemistry tomorrow and he is 'sort of' doing flashcards. As long as something is going in i suppose.

We have also given him a lot of support but as a borderline 3/4 grader we need to get him over the line to give him the best start. After that he is aware he needs to be more self sufficient. However we aren't going to ignore a crying child who said (in September and just after his mocks) that he just can't do it and feels a failure. If he needs our support we will give it.

This is me! I had a text asking me to transfer a tenner as he was going out for lunch with his mates.

Never. Before.

I did chemistry at Oxford and I didn’t do FM. The maths module was so hard. Think I passed by a mark. They just needed maths but wish they had advised more.
As for DS he’s been offered a grade drop if he gets an A is his AS further maths (econ degree).
And with my chemistry hat on, of doing AQA combined higher do glance at the alternative new mining of copper. It’s obscure and a bit weird but they do like to test it!!

I understand Frozen.
I was kind of teasing. 😉

Ds2 has had a repeated HoY who is quite frankly sickly, he doesnt like him, nor do I , HoY is overly positive, over-zealous, glass not just half-full but overflowing, to almost vomit inducing. He keeps telling all students how lucky they are to be able to study, and to enjoy the whole exam experience. 🙄

Ds doesn't share this view.
People putting a too postive spin on a tough and trying 5 weeks, just gets on my nerves aswell.

Was this enjoyable? 25 exams over 5 weeks, unnecessarily spread out. No. Me thinks not. Ds2 can't wait for it all to be over. I agree.