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!

@Sisublondie glad you managed to clear the air with your DS. Does sound like a release of all the pressure /emotions he’s been under & if it wasn’t the photo something else would have triggered it, He needed to let it out just a shame you were right in the firing line.

Hot revision & final exams but before they know it freedom from nagging, cajoling & stress!

Really proud of all the GCSE kids for getting through such a massive workload & so many exams.

The further through this we have got the more I have thought it’s such a bloody ridiculous system. On Monday it will be his 26th exam. All designed with something like a 41% failure rate. It’s utter madness.

I agree. Though also as a parent I think A-level results and uni places is a bloody mad system as well - though it didn't seem as bad when I was doing it myself.

DD1 was the child I often had to tiptoe round - she stormed out the house several times in GCSE and A-level revison and was tearful and wanting Mum after A-level exams and occaionally blew up at me for things nothing to do with me. We get on better since she left for uni.

The younger two are much calmer - they can get grumpy and snap especially if hangy or tired but it's much more understandable triggers. Not sure who much revsion is going on today.

Dd has NO motivation today. 3 exams left so what’s the point?? She has some physics up on the screen but not much actually being done.

Dd is doing no revision and playing pokemon on her switch 🙄
Physics (which she hates) on Monday then that's it...there's a show in July at school she wants to go to, then it'll be back for results day 🙃
There is prom, an event with her hobby group, then 6th form taster day all before we go on holiday
Thank you for your company the past few weeks 😊
See you on results day!

Dd spent the morning noodling about on her guitar. She went up to start studying about an hour ago, but I suspect will be down again, in search of food, shortly.

I have been trying and failing to fight this migraine since yesterday, but I only have dh home until tomorrow afternoon, then he’s working away until the party day. That means we have to move furniture and do a bit of deep cleaning (we are a few months post a major renovation and extension) or it won’t be sorted in time. Dh is wandering around muttering under his breath because he keeps forgetting things that need to go into or come out of the loft and having to go back up.

Dd1’s partner is arriving today for a couple of weeks and dd is not doing very well, so I will be glad of them being here to help run around after her.

I agree with @CatHairEveryWhereNow
the more I think about this stupid process, 25 exams over 5 weeks, with a really stupid weeks break for 1/2 term in the middle, that nearly all our dc suffered huge motivation issues during. I mean really? This is best process? The more I think about it, the more narked I am, seriously hacked off. 😡😡😡

I'm more hacked off having gone through it with DD than I was doing it myself.

I just find the process so ridiculous and counter productive.

The end purpose is to basically provide a sieving service for universities... your GCSEs decide who is suitable to do what next. A levels are then the next sieve.

But most people know before they sit GCSEs if they're on the Oxbridge path, the university path, the vocational paths or need significant support in what they do next.

I suspect those who move out of those groups post-16 are quite a small subset.

So, do we really need to spend a year plus learning how to pass a test, and the fine detail of examiner's mark schemes? Or maybe it would be better to just learn stuff instead?

When a pass grade in Combined Science is 93/420 or 22% and an A grade is 215/420 or 51% it just seems crazy.

Afternoon all last weekend of revision households

For all who have flagging, short-tempered, cross teens, you are all, we are all, we have one as well, doing great. It might not feel like it at times but we all are.

Dad has taken over physics revision (because this is his subject and they are getting on quite well - revision brings out the tensions in most relationships) Dad has had it explained that it's up to him to keep his patience and work around Ratty.

I am still printing past papers and will go through (because I have done basically the rest so I am exhibiting a bit of control-freak so that I know how prepared he is - Dad's not the one that collects after exams is he)

We are lucky that this weekend is filled with (just) his apparent favourite of all time, if we were trying to eek out Eng Literature revision we would have all had a scrap by now I am sure. So luck is basically keeping us held together.

I hope once these exams are done and dusted that most of them can look back and accept that they have been given a base to any future learning/work. I do agree they favour some over others, they are very intense, and with AI it's hard to see how much could go back to coursework, although some weighing for term time practicals or something that could take some of the 100% exam away would be beneficial for most. If a teen has a bad day, illness, hay fever, nerves, it seems incredibly harsh that for most subjects it's 50% of their final marks. We have been keeping ill people away from us all for 5 weeks. We have had to.

No great sweeping gestures here for end of exams, usual meal or two out, some cash thrown in the "go and hang out with some friends" direction, and he needs a new laptop for college, but will have a think about that after results day.

They shall soon all be enjoying some seemingly endless summer days, Wimbledon anyone?, and it will be great when the usual crazy, fun, surreal chitchat returns to the household.

Last time a full set of school shirts hanging on the line (oddly melancholy - for me the rest of the house are males they don't tend to romanticize things like that - sweeping sexist statement for the afternoon).

No revision here either . Last exam on Monday, physics, then prom, holiday and relatives visiting. Plenty of distractions before results day!

No revision today at all. He got home from work (Saturday job) and said “I just feel sooooo relaxed”. I’m like “you haven’t actually forgotten about physics have you?!”. No - he’s going to do a couple of hours tomorrow. Poor physics, I feel bad for it.

Work basically said after his exams are over they will be offering him extra days so hopefully he will finish the summer minted! I am taking him away on Monday night for a shopping trip and some down time, then back to grandparents on Wednesday and leavers assembly on Friday.

Not much revision here. He did a park run this AM and got a PB, so counted that as the achievement of the day. He said he would do a past paper and then I somehow fell asleep on the sofa (which I never do), prob poor sleep at night, and woke to him playing on his PS. I have finally run out of motivational speeches though. Hopefully, I will squeeze a past paper out of him tomorrow.

Packed up all his books to take to the recycling. Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. One last little push and it's all over.

No revision being done today here either. She’s gone to watch hockey at Lee Valley and is now in Chinatown with a couple of hockey friends who live well out of London.

Actually I think she may have done an hour or so this morning in between watching Dexter. But she’s set aside tomorrow to do some past papers and honestly that’s all I ask. Will be v glad to get to 10:45 on Monday morning!

No prom at her school, but a picnic on the common is apparently happening; with most of SW/SE London coming along she tells me. Then the long and well deserved summer can start. She’s going to Dua Lipa on Saturday and has Reading Festival on results day/that weekend. Also got coaching work lined up, as well as her own training and preseason stuff - she’ll be busy at least.

Minimal revision here too. She’s organised a surprise trip out with her dad tomorrow too for Father’s Day - her idea, and she’s insistent it happens - so I’m a bit worried tmw night will be a cramming session!

No revision here. x box playing after months without.

There seems to be a theme! DD not doing much revising either, although she mumbled about doing some notes earlier. She went to a party last night; she seemed quite sober when she got home (we knew there would be drinking but she’s pretty sensible). Earlier today, I went in her room and noticed her hamper of toiletries etc had been emptied so asked her about it and she said she thought she was going to be sick so emptied it, just in case! Not sure she realises that it would probably leak 🤣😂

She asked her dad what he wanted to do on Father’s Day and he said the best present for him would be for her to revise for her exam 😆

I have to agree that this whole process seems very different than when I did it 35 years ago.
I had no conception of mark schemes for example. Now the focus on them, hitting every point to score every mark means it seems as much a test of exam technique as memorising content (both of which aren’t exactly great tests of whether you’ve understood and learnt the subject anyway!)

Exactly this. I was the last year to do O Levels and we just revised (or didn’t) and then sat the exams. No clue or past papers, just knew it would all be based on the previous two years of work.

I don’t recall my others being aware of mark schemes either - they took their’s 16/15/13 years ago. Also the oldest two had a lot more coursework than my 3rd iirc (which pissed him off hugely as his strength was coursework and definitely not exams!).

Anyway, she’s done her best and reckons she’s done ok in all but with an uncertainty over her maths IGCSE- she really should have done foundation but school don’t offer it. Hey ho, we’ve decided to go with she’s failed and have got used to that so won’t be stressed if she has, but will be thrilled if she’s passed. She’s cool with that and already looking at retaking at a centre in November if needed.

Glad to hear lots of DCs are relaxing and chilling out. A well deserved rest!
Alas, my DS has music on Monday that hasn't had a look in since before Easter so today's busy doing past papers which seem to be taking hours per paper .He is still at it now.
Tomorrow physics revision. He didn't do too well in the practice paper he did on Friday and it's a possible A/L so he needs to tackle that as well. Last revision weekend though and I can't wait for next weekend. DH is taking DS away on a cycling trip which they are both really looking forward to.

To be honest I'm done now..my son has tried his best so we're pleased with him whatever the outcome.Far too much pressure from exams I think. Too be fair hes been revising all.day for physics(.his choice) and then has d.t on Wednesday which hes not not worried about.

No revision here.
I was out all day so buggerlugs had the house to himself.
His lovely girlfriend came over for a bit. He had a steak, watched a lot of Star Wars (Disney + has £1.99/month special offer atm) and cleaned up in a manner which will allow him to have steak again!
He tells me he will do some physics tomorrow.

Ds2 got his signed school shirt bagged and sealed by the dry-cleaners, and he put it in the loft. I was surprised at how keen and invested he was and told him so.

I've applied for his provisional driving licence. Can't wait to start teaching him to drive, one of my most favourite things, or at least I very much enjoyed teaching ds1.

@Oblomov25what's your plan for them learning for the theory test?

Physics revision was kicked the kerb pretty sharpish, in favour of music, yesterday. She is very stressed about one of her pieces, the name of which eludes me right now, as apparently it is 11 minutes long and very complex.

She’s drawn up a list of Y10 friends to pass her books etc to, as she was lucky enough to have a lot of hers donated by friends from last year’s Y11. She was keen to take most of her shirts to the charity shop this weekend but, on going through them, there’s only a couple that haven’t been ruined by her steadfast refusal to wear an apron in her Art classes. 🙄

@Oblomov25 learning to drive is one of dd’s main topics of conversation at the moment. She’s not 17 until the start of 2026, but is already nagging me about letting her drive my car! She thinks bigging-up how helpful she will be when she can use it to run errands and give lifts will persuade me. She learned how to jump start cars with dh yesterday (he has a vintage car that hadn’t been driven for a while) and was so happy she got to sit in the driving seat of mine and switch it on.

I have no idea how we are going to afford lessons and insurance. It is so expensive these days and then there’s the nightmare if trying to get a test slot. I only learned in 2017 myself and it was bad enough then. Dd is looking for a job to help with the cost, but there’s very stiff competition locally and a lot of ‘who, not what you know’, so all she has is her newspaper round right now. She usually volunteers at the local library over the summer, but it’s closed for renovations this year, so she was hoping for paid work instead.

Totally lost steam here.

DC were at home on Friday, I had a full day at work, so had to trust them to do some revision... when I got home they were playing Minecraft together and claimed it was their reward for having studied... I have my doubts that anything was done (see below)! Then yesterday they "needed a day off" and DH indulgently went along with it

Even though it is Sunday today, I am going to wake DC up soon, it's the only way they're going to get anything done today. From bitter experience there will be at least 2 hours of faff (40 minutes "in the shower" each, followed by the world's slowest breakfast, then unspecified "stuff" they have to do before they can settle down to revision).

I'm most concerned about Music tomorrow as they've done nothing so far, said there was "no point starting too soon" as it was in the final week. Now the final week is here.

I had bought a Music revision book with sample exam questions, it hasn't even been glanced at. When I asked them about it, I was told "Our music teacher has put loads of past papers and tracks on Teams, if we want to try some exam questions we'll do those first!"... except of course they admitted that they've done none of those either So I am thinking I will insist they do at least 2 past papers today, one after the world's slowest breakfast and one after lunch.

hmm dd2 WhatsApped me and informed me she’d ’done music past paper but it went much the same as the mock’- I am wondering whether the subtext is ‘so what’s the point of revising? ‘

she is so done!

roll on close of play tomorrow. Well done to any kids keeping the momentum up. And big well done to all of us!