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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Y10- 2025/2026

225 replies

CouldNotStayAway · 18/08/2025 00:46

Hi all! Thought I’d start a new thread for the upcoming new academic year!

OP posts:
AK1984 · 26/08/2025 06:35

Hi all, not nice to hear that others are also struggling but it gives me great comfort!!! We are currently having a panic over bronze dofe that starts tomorrow and the fact that he has a teacher that teaches much ado about nothing and not Macbeth! I don’t even know what the story is!!!! Anyone else doing these current sources of anxiety!?

RosieRivetingAgain · 26/08/2025 08:29

Much Ado is great, it's an easy to follow story and the language is quite accessible. There's a Kenneth Brannagh film from the 90s that is worth watching and the National Theatre have a recording of David Tennant and Catherine Tate doing it on stage that is fun.

jeansgenie · 26/08/2025 08:34

@AK1984 not doing DoE but we did "suddenly remember" yesterday that there was a load of science she was meant to be completing before the return... I knew there would be something! She's taking triple science and the school are keen to keep their high marks in it, so it will be a good way to hopefully ease into the level expected. I've been getting school bits and trying to forsee what might be needed. She said for English they do a lot of colour coding so her current set of 5 colours isn't cutting it and she has to double up. Anyone got suggestions of good highlighters with 10+ different colours? First world problems!

AnnieAverage · 26/08/2025 08:39

@AK1984 what is the DofE panic about? Supposed to be fun! My dd is just finishing her bronze, has her second and final expedition coming up and really enjoyed the whole experience (well, aside from having to switch her physical due to injury - that has been demotivating but she is getting there slowly).

TickingAlongNicely · 26/08/2025 08:43

jeansgenie · 26/08/2025 08:34

@AK1984 not doing DoE but we did "suddenly remember" yesterday that there was a load of science she was meant to be completing before the return... I knew there would be something! She's taking triple science and the school are keen to keep their high marks in it, so it will be a good way to hopefully ease into the level expected. I've been getting school bits and trying to forsee what might be needed. She said for English they do a lot of colour coding so her current set of 5 colours isn't cutting it and she has to double up. Anyone got suggestions of good highlighters with 10+ different colours? First world problems!

Apparently the Works has a set of 10 different ones.. (my 12yo is hankering over it)

Dd1 more than happy with 8 highlighter colours she has... 4 bright, 4 pastel.

Weve had the annual hunt for purple pens as their school has a colour code system for all subjects (blue/black... normal, purple corrections, green peer marking, red teacher marking....) and purple pens are a pain to get hold off.

Lisaquin01 · 26/08/2025 12:27

my DD struggled with DofE too - did Bronze last term
She HATED the expeditions - she has ASD as found it too chaotic and unplanned - I know that the idea but she just hated it
We do it through a 3rd party expedition company at our school and they were so inclusive and made various consessions to make it easier and she managed to pass Bronze.. safe to say we wont be doing silver and gold

AK1984 · 26/08/2025 17:36

Lisaquin01 · 26/08/2025 12:27

my DD struggled with DofE too - did Bronze last term
She HATED the expeditions - she has ASD as found it too chaotic and unplanned - I know that the idea but she just hated it
We do it through a 3rd party expedition company at our school and they were so inclusive and made various consessions to make it easier and she managed to pass Bronze.. safe to say we wont be doing silver and gold

Thanks, I think he is feeling very overwhelmed by the whole thing, I do know it is supposed to be fun but that hasn’t stopped the nerves a few days before!!!! I’m also not coping with the chaos!

RunningKatie · 27/08/2025 10:36

Whiteboard pens delivered today and highlighter stocks increased.
The school times are changing and lunches are moving to an hour later, bit of a problem when we have a child that physically can't eat before school. I'm back to researching filling snacks for break times.

TickingAlongNicely · 27/08/2025 10:51

We had the realisation a few days ago that Yr10 lunch isn't until 13.20-13.45
In Yr8 (the other group in the late lunch slot) they had half their lunch at break then half at lunch time.

I'm still surprised school hasn't been made to increase the school day as its under the 6.5hrs. (6hrs 10) butvthey have 5 hours of lessons plus form time/assembly in that!

jeansgenie · 27/08/2025 11:58

We've had individual timetables released but not set info - so last night they were all video calling each other to compare and try to figure it out. I noticed she has a few days where instead of having double physics, for example, she will have Physics, Maths, French then another single Physics in one day. Not sure how this is going to work but I don't think they are firmed up yet so maybe it will change. Is this the norm these days? I was under the impression double lessons saved time walking and increased concentration but we are going back 30 years!

brackengirl · 28/08/2025 16:40

DD has her timetable and is pretty happy with most of her teachers apart from a strict/shouty science teacher; she does triple science so sees her every day which she is quite grumpy about. I think she's done quite well with teachers but as per usual she is stressing over one subject rather than being pleased with the other 6!

TickingAlongNicely · 28/08/2025 17:11

Weve got slight panic stations as DD has her class assignment for a subject shes not doing but not one she is doing!

Eccle80 · 28/08/2025 22:31

DS is keen to get his timetable and see which teachers he’s got, nothing online yet though!

DriftAlong · 31/08/2025 08:51

Does anyone have any ideas of how to organise each subject at home? Did you find any good storage solutions that worked well?

Plonked in a corner hasn’t worked well so far. We’ve just thrown all non-option subject books in the recycling to try and clear space (physically and mentally)

Thank you.

TickingAlongNicely · 31/08/2025 08:57

Weve always had a box downstairs with each child's books (one each) and they put away the ones not needed that day and retrieve the ones that are. I'm waiting to see what paraphernalia each subject has, might then get separate folders for each subject if there's multiple items but in younger years its only one or two exercise books.

Worked out long ago its about finding what works for each child. DD has asked me to set up a desk space next to me in my office so she can do homework while I'm working in case she has questions.

mrsconradfisher · 31/08/2025 08:58

DS won’t get his timetable until Wednesday when he goes back. He has ASD and it causes him huge anxiety as he needs to know which teachers he has before he goes back. In other years we have been able to see it on their app but they are changing providers this year so they won’t know until they get their paper timetable.
Also just realised last week that his current school trousers which fitted perfectly (and with room to spare!) in July are now far too small…and I can’t find anywhere in stock to fit him so we are totally stuck! I’m also a TA so back into school tomorrow so no time to actually look for any.

KeepCalmAndCarryOnScrolling · 31/08/2025 09:04

May I join you lovely bunch please?
Year 10 DC has picked geography, art and business studies.
Dreading it all tbh. If I can get their attendance up from 95% then I shall be a happier bunny.
Wishing us all faith, courage and chocolate fudge cake i had this on a postcard once
Brew Cake Victoria sandwich will have to do! Wink

ScoutFinchMockingbird · 31/08/2025 10:23

Feeling sorry for my DS who is autistic and has ADHD. They've been told to form Teams themselves for DoE and no one doing it will want him (his 2 friends not doing it). He's already messaged 2 other kids he vaguely likes and nothing back. I've told him to tell teacher organising it to help.

TheLivelyViper · 31/08/2025 10:50

DriftAlong · 31/08/2025 08:51

Does anyone have any ideas of how to organise each subject at home? Did you find any good storage solutions that worked well?

Plonked in a corner hasn’t worked well so far. We’ve just thrown all non-option subject books in the recycling to try and clear space (physically and mentally)

Thank you.

You could try folders like they do at A-level, you may not need one for every subject but it can help with extra sheets and reading. Some from WHSmith can be good, like they have bigger ones and smaller ones, you can different colours or patterns and that can be nice. Plus they tend to last for years, so you can have stuff to go back for revision etc, keeping past exam questions (which I recommend doing to look back and see what you did badly and what you did well), and then revision booklets etc. You don't have to always take it into school, but it's good for organisation.

frozendaisy · 31/08/2025 14:06

Afternoon all,

Thought I might join with our youngster going into Y10, his brother has just finished Y11 and is heading off to college to do A'levels and Little is determined not to make the same Y10 mistakes (flaking about the whole year basically so it took the whole of Y11 at home to catch up, which worked just about, just enough) so we are going to learn from that mistake and I will be on his back like a limpet!

He started his GCSE timetable after May half term, so he is settled into what he needs to do, because he was determined to do the sciences separately he has to take an extra GCSE, so he's doing 10.

He found that dropping the subjects he was fine with but wasn't going to continue so much better. He wants to go to uni to do a maths degree, so a lot of GCSE choices are what he enjoys or thinks he will need. So along with the core and 3 sciences he is doing geography, RE, spanish and drama. He's quite academic and has no social difficulties at school, is also sporty and plans to continue a full afterschool timetable of football and basketball. Honestly his schedule is exhausting just looking at it. But he takes it all in his stride and this is what he has to do if he wants to shoot for the stars!

I think his Eng Lit texts are Macbeth, Inspector Calls, don't know about books, he isn't a natural reader but does it when required and think he's wormed his way into top set somehow (he flirts around english teachers we think).

So that is him. I get little information from him about school, except drama lessons which he loves, those get reenacted in full most days. They seem to involved the boys prancing around in dresses and the girls being bossy! :-) this is a teenage boy's interpretation so we largely just nod along.

jeansgenie · 31/08/2025 14:25

@DriftAlong yes, I'd second coloured folders for each subject. Dd already thinks in terms of Theology being purple, for e.g thanks to exercise books, so I got 2 5 packs with 2 overlapping colours for Maths/English as those usually end up being the most paper heavy in this house. She's already labelled them up in preparation which I think has helped her feel a bit more in control.

Timetable has disappeared again with a note from the school they weren't the finished versions, so still no wiser as to sets. We're also trying to pick clubs as they are meant to do 2 for y10 and 11. She had to drop Art as it clashed with Computer Science, so she doesn't have any creative subjects at all which is a shame. I am trying to convince her to do Art Club but so far she is adamant none of her friends will be doing it, which is a real shame! So hard not to micro-manage these things that you feel would be good for them now they're able to do it themselves!

hyggetyggedotorg · 31/08/2025 14:34

Hi! DD is starting Yr 10 on Wednesday. She’s chosen history, geography, fine art & health & social care.

Interesting to hear that so many of you have your timetables already. DD will get hers on Wednesday morning.

brackengirl · 31/08/2025 15:41

Our timetables (DD2 is going into yr8 as well) were published suspiciously early so I expect there will be lots of changes in the next few days.
DD has previously had a box file for each day in her room but is now talking about colour coded folders for GCSE notes. DD2 favours the pile on the floor approach but I'm aiming to teach her a few more organisational skills this year!

Lisaquin01 · 01/09/2025 15:37

DDs timetable is still not live! Her friends are constantly checking the school portal!!!!

She isnt back until Friday and we have the small matter of DD2 going into year 7 first on Thurday.. big week

TickingAlongNicely · 01/09/2025 15:41

Still no actual timetable here either and Yr10 is back tomorrow (only Yr7&Yr11 today)

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