Year 11 - 2024/2025: And relax! Support Thread for the summer holidays.

[QueenMabby]

New thread to carry us all through the summer as we transition from dealing with stressed teens to dealing with bored teens!

Thank, @QueenMabbyfor the new thread x

DC said DT was ok - maths heavy and didn't have designer/company product questions that had prepped for....but nevermind, finito! They have back to back fun things now and we all feel relieved that GCSEs are over for them for good.

As for the GCSE exams, they are categorically NOT the best gauges of sustained work or ability in subjects and while they suit some children they are a disservice to others. They definitely need an overhaul.

Enjoy the summer everyone!

Ahh, great idea for a thread - have awful feeling dc is going to attempt to permanently stagnate on their phone all summer😬🙈! DT done today. Now going to have to deal with A-level choices drama - school have said they can’t timetable dc’s choices and are suggesting a BTec in Enterprise rather than A-level Business Studies … any advice from anyone?! Hope all proms go well!

@Blinkingbother there is a real risk of summer stagnation here too . DS has limped through this week tired and under the weather - no plans ( while he has friends at school they don’t seem to socialise outside )

I would check and see if the BTEC will be accepted for whatever they think they might want to do after A level .

Saw DS off for FM this afternoon. Don't know how it went, but he seemed fine with it, although he could have don a lot more revision for it, but I didn't want to say!
I'm also feeling rather anxious and unsettled as it's his last ever time going there in school uniform (hopefully last time as it's 6th form is a back up and they still have to wear formalwear).
He'll be thrilled to be able to game all day, watch TV etc etc from tomorrow. He'll be getting back into running and cricket over the summer, plus putting much more effort into piano playing which has been somewhat neglected over the exam period. He's got his ADHD assessment interview this coming Monday and a welcome day at his chosen 6th form the day after. Then it's prom next Friday. Which reminds me that we have to take him to be fitted for a suit I think....not even thought about it.

I'm going to sort out all the past papers etc that are littering the house at the moment, quite like doing that really. Although can't throw away any of the revision material as DD takes almost the same subjects next year. I feel much more equipped to advise her after going through this process, but she's the one who won't be told what to do ironically!!
It'll be strange going home from work today as I won't have to nag DS to study, it'll be so weird!
Hope FM, DT and Food Tech went well for those DCs, and thanks for the new thread @QueenMabby

That’s mine done! Further maths today and it was a good one I think.

got a gaggle of boys drinking beers and kicking a football around the garden now. It’s lovely.

DS is done! And so am I. DT was "fairly easy" apparently.

all he could think of was getting home and use his birthday money to download a new game he's been waiting to get after exams finish.

And I can finally wipe the whiteboard calendar clean of any exams - except for results days of course!!!

We’ve also got a gaggle of boys today. There’s a big party at a friend’s house in the village. Her parents are very brave as it seems dozens and dozens are invited! Then 8 boys are camping in our garden tonight as they don’t live close enough to get home easily. I have pre-warned the neighbours!

My DS had both DT and FM today and he said DT was okay but didn’t think FM went very well - that’s his best subject so hopefully it won’t be as bad as he thinks.

He’s never been interested in alcohol and his gang don’t have parties so no beers for him :)

FM done. ‘Good’ as usual 🤦🏼‍♀️. Apparently the hardest questions were worth 2 marks.
Now getting ready for her date.
Just got DS alevel paper tomorrow and we’re done. He’s not really sure what to do revision wise today. Last exam was last Thursday so think he’s over it now. Think he might go to the gym for a swim later.

Well done the last gang in today.
Hopefully cool showers and a norevision chill evening/blow out will cheer everyone up!

Found you! :)
Dd is already seeming bored 🙄
She's off out tonight, we are going shopping tomorrow, then has her hobby activity and party on sunday.
Dh back from his trip on Sunday too so I might suggest he finds some jobs for her to do

Woohoo! We are done! FM good. One 2 marker took her nearly 10 mins though - maybe the same question as your dd mentioned @labradorservant!

She has a party this evening but is frankly shattered so I’m not sure how long she’ll last.

DD finished today too, she had DT this morning. She was severely flagging yesterday on the final revision, even though she needed to do it. However it was ok and she’s been chilling with a couple of friends in the garden all afternoon. No prom at her school so it’s nice that she’s doing something.

Thank goodness it’s all over!

DD just getting ready for Prom. The school bus broke down on the way home so she was 45 minutes late. I was just beginning to think she was lying dead in a ditch 😾

Wishing all of your children the very best of luck. I was here last year with my daughter & I honestly don't know whose nerves were more shattered by the end!
GCSEs really are a slog & it'll be interesting to see what the reforms look like - there HAS to be a middle way surely?
At the end of my DD's last exam - we both agreed as long as a resit in maths wasn't on the cards -we'd take it as a huge win. 😁
In any event she out performed.
I hope you & they all have a restful summer. So deserved.
Now its all A level mock, predicted grades, early applications or not & Uni choices. If I could give a bit of (unsolicited!) advice - if they ggo onto to 6th form & A levels - they must hit the ground running in September. Life comes at you fast.

DD got her wanted predicted but there has been scenes at school the last couple of weeks because teachers will not over predict, some very distraught kids & angry parents.
Best of luck to you all.

@Sisublondie
Agreed, for most people, witnessing an epileptic fit, or a diabetic hypo, is very frightening indeed.

My Dh has seen a couple of mine that really shocked him. And I'll never really know how bad or frightening it was, because I obviously was so out of it, have no recollection or memory.

... and we're done. Thank God that's over.

@Blinkingbother Is there an alternate school that does offer preferred subjects?

DD off to Prom (black jacket and trousers, T shirt, new trainers), with a rucksack (because OCD) and a book to read (because autistic).
XH has booked her flight to US for 4th July, returning on 20th August, so I guess we know what she’s doing for the summer.
I may have cried when she went.

un-mumsnetty hugs @ChannelLightVessel

Ahhhhhhhh… oh, you must be having so very many mixed emotions. You must have been so proud to see her go off to her Prom 😻… What an amazing trip she has coming up, and she will have so much to tell you about when she gets home… I can’t imagine how hard it will be, but time and new experiences will no doubt fly by, for her…… thankfully there is FaceTime and chat till you’re together again.

Sending you a huge hug 🤗. I hope tonight is AMAZING!!! 🤩 x

@waitingquietly ….yep I think you’re right - my worry is the BTec means more ‘serious’ unis won’t consider them…. And sadly the only other 6th form option doesn’t offer one of the subjects they want to do at all @TeenToTwenties . Will have to have a serious convo tomorrow re what to do - there’s always something isn’t there!!

….. oh, huge 🤗 at the thought of that for your DS…… that must have been scary. My DS18 has memories of DS16’s seizures…. he reminded me of one he remembers the most the other day…. It was years ago, on Mothers Day and they were getting ready for bed and dancing round with no clothes on with DS16 dropped to the ground and it happened….. it did bring a cheeky wry smile at the rubbish dancing, crappy music to put on a show for me, then bam! 🙄.

Your DS sounds such a lovely DS … it must have been upsetting for him, does he ever talk about it?
It’s heartening when you read of 5 year olds who know to call 999 when “Mummy isn’t feeling well”.. Bless him. 🤗

Im working back, catching up! Oh, no! I’ll be honest, that’d be my first thought! Never the most likely…..’that the bus broke down”!! 🙀😹… Happy she got back and out to her Prom!! Exciting to see how it goes! 🌟