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!

DD2 had Food & Nutrition (Eduquas) this morning, which she feels went alright, but she's pretty hacked off with the subject after they had an 'incompetent' teacher for all of year 11. She failed to explain the coursework properly, so the whole class have failed to complete huge sections of the required work. The school only found out a week after the coursework had been handed in, as the teacher went off sick so the HoD took over for a lesson, had a flick through the c/w and apparently "freaked out"! They ended up with 5 teachers in the classroom for 90 minutes, trying to get 30 kids to complete chunks of missing c/w. DD was really disappointed, as she had put loads of effort into her c/w and they later found out they were also given a lot less time than other schools. A bit of a shitshow all round! She was on target for an 8 at the last prelim, but who knows now!

DD2's final exam is Design Tech tomorrow. The syllabus is huge, and they have rarely had a theory lesson, so haven't been taught great swathes of it. Most of it has been learned at home from a textbook and flashcards we bought. Her coursework was fantastic, she was really proud of it, so even if the exam doesn't go amazingly, hopefully she'll still get a decent grade. She wants to do something with design as a career, she's thinking about architecture at the moment (she also loves Maths and Physics), so it would be brilliant if she does well tomorrow. Well, today now!

DH, the DDs and I are having brunch out after the exam in the morning, then DD2 is off to the beach with her friends. I am coming home to sleep and to not do flashcards, I can't wait!

Morning all! Good luck for those with DT
and FM exams today!

dd is going in with a bag full of textbooks to hand back once her exam is done and also some biscuits for the staff room! She and her friends are heading into town after and then she has a party tonight.

Ready for when this thread is full - here’s the next one to take is through the long summer holidays.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5357019-year-11-20242025-and-relax-support-thread-for-the-summer-holidays?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Good luck to all the finishers today (I think everyone is done!). Have a large glass of something this evening! 🥂🍻🍷🍸🥃🥤🫖🧋🍵

Good luck to everyone today and thanks for the new thread @QueenMabby

DS is getting ready to do a final FM past paper before heading into school at 11 for a FM intervention before the exam at 1.

He’s staying for sixth form so it’s not a hugely emotional time so far, though he might feel differently once prom is over on Friday.

Good luck to everyone for today - just 6ish hours until it’s all over!

Good luck to all FM/DT - some food? lost track this afternoon

Very odd getting just the one teen up and ready for school and the other not being ill!
I was super bike mechanic yesterday afternoon - wobbly saddle - not sure how he managed that but an allenkey seemed to sort it out!

Not sure what to do about Ratty - just leaving him to fester in bed at the moment but we don't want him to be out of sink with the rest of the house

He wants his room painted so I am thinking of making a start on that (and then do Little's) to ward off some of the boredom.......and we have to do a dummy run to his college tomorrow so that he knows what he's up to for "induction" ish - not sure what you call it because it's grade dependent - day next week.

hope all teens who haven't got to be up this morning are letting their brains reset.

It feels very weird not taking dd to school this morning. She’s only had one other day where the exam has only been in the afternoon (FM1!) - I made her double check the time this morning!

They were both quite nervous last night more so than any other exams- but gone in and soon they'll be done.

DS planning to start volunteering again soon - DD2 planning on bridging work for A-levels already - there's not a huge amount of summer work round here - they both said they'll help paint various bits of the house with me- but not for a few days - expect they'll sleep in rest of the week.

Good luck final examiners!

Final push.

DD1 finishes A Levels today too. She was not chirpy this morning (dreamed her dad had taken her to the cinema and she was three hours late for the exam). Praying its better than she hopes (biology).

DD2 went out with friends last night and today is up bright and early and in Bristol doing some music outreach - trying to persuade primary school children to take up the bassoon by playing them the theme tune for Ivor the Engine. I said even their teachers aren't old enough to remember Ivor the Engine but she is ever hopeful.

DS is a bit bored already - lots of sighing and wandering around the house. Heading into town this afternoon to get a suit for prom. He wants to join a gym but he's not allowed to go by himself because he's still 15 and going with a parent is far too embarrassing -so that plan is out the window. Can't get a job either for the same reason. I do worry he'll get very bored. He's got a sleepover and a party later this week, and prom the weekend after and then we go on holiday at the start of July for 3 weeks. He does have some work experience that the school arranged for him, which will keep him occupied for a week in August. Otherwise it will be trying to persuade him to do his summer bridging work for A levels and to pick up his musical instrument again.

Last day for mine! They've gone off with rucksacks full of textbooks to return, plus a shopping bag full of chocolates for the school staff. Felt a bit emotional waving them off on their last ever school bus ride Can't quite believe it is the end of secondary school.

@mojobrojo the curse of summer borns - I have two late July babies.

My tip from last year is we got a summer family membership at a posh local private school (where my children do not go). It was cheap because I guess the school needed people to use the facilities and, because the staff are trained to work with teens, both my girls could go to the gym on their own and do all the classes as well as swimming.

If you've something similar near by it might keep him busy?

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest DS goes to the private school with a gym/pool. He uses the fitness suite at lunchtimes sometimes, but they haven't been allowed to use it whilst on study leave as they are seen as having left already. It would be so handy as it is walking distance from our house!

Oh, that's SO annoying! You've literally paid for that...

@Libre2 Congratulations on it all being over! It’s a weird feeling, no? I just went to move white school shirts all nearly hung up and then thought, “ WTH do I do with these?!” ( oh, at hospital yesterday, DS goes “ At college, I’ve decided I’ll still wear my school “ jeans” ( aka Black Trousers”, at least every other week as I like the look of them”! Oh, ok, knock yourself out! Better than giving them away!).

High Five you for IKEA!! I bloody LOVE the place! But, I would NOT love going with the blokes! Oh, the nagging to even look at stuff I don’t need! I hope DS found items he liked? And, excellent garden centre job! That’s a cool one to have 🌟!

Alton Towers tickled me! We live about 20 minutes away but I’ve successfully dodged it for a good couple of years… DS was badgering DH to let him go with DS18 for the first time just the two of them…. ( I breathed a sigh of relief!)…. Then he goes “ or, we can all go as a family……”….!!….

See your amazing DH, DS and 5 others in The Smiler Queue on Friday!!😵‍💫😵😎😄😵‍💫🙀!!

@mojobrojo Could he join the gym with a friend who is 16 or does he have to be accompanied by an 18+ ?

@kary42 That's a bit unclear - some say 'a responsible adult who is 16+' which I suppose could be the friend (who is actually already a member). But they'd only be able to attend in the 'junior gym sessions' that run at a very specific time on certain days of the week. We will look into it some more... I think he just feels that it's so much more restrictive on him and highlights his age whereas his friends just turn up when they like and get treated as adults. Amusing thing is he's the one that is 6ft 3in and is generally assumed to be the oldest if they're out and about.

Last summer I took my son in to our gym to sign up when he was still 15 - as he was 16 in a month they put him straight onto the 16-18 membership level so as not to inconvenience me .. he’s early September birthday - might be worth going and having a chat

Nothing to add - just trying to fill up this thread!

Dd does HIIT workouts on YouTube sometimes. I’ve suggested the gym to her but it’s a drive away so we’d have to go with her anyway. She’s not sure it’s worth that embarrassment! Might be better when da is home from Uni as he can take her.

DD2 home went okay and she is now done.

Seems deflated more than pleased - but planning Monday college trip and meet up with a friend also going.

Thank you for the thread and solidarity - I always surprised how hard I find their exams.

Still waiting to take dd to FM. Longest morning ever!

Going, going…

Gone!