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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Y11 2025/26… come and join

985 replies

wonderstuff · 22/08/2025 19:31

New thread

OP posts:
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Wincher · 10/12/2025 23:30

No festival requests here (yet) but he does want to go camping with friends after exams in somewhere like the Lake District/dartmoor. Worries me slightly but he’s an explorer scout so pretty used to camping…

Original poster
wonderstuff · 11/12/2025 15:30

@Wincher there aren’t many campsites that take bookings from groups without an adult there, my eldest couldn’t find anywhere after her GCSEs, in the end they went to a youth hostel.

OP posts:
Wincher · 12/12/2025 23:21

wonderstuff · 11/12/2025 15:30

@Wincher there aren’t many campsites that take bookings from groups without an adult there, my eldest couldn’t find anywhere after her GCSEs, in the end they went to a youth hostel.

Yes I can imagine why! His plan is wild camping - hence why I’m worried! And obv not allowed in lots of places

waitingquietly · 13/12/2025 08:44

@wincher do you or the other friends have any slightly older siblings or cousins who could go along ? I have a couple of friends who have enabled a youth hostelling trip by sending along an A level finisher as well

Ifonlyoneday · 13/12/2025 18:16

Mock results day yesterday for all except 1 subject. DTs stunned us with some really fabulous mock results above their targets, then maths was below par to keep us grounded and a bit of a shocker in geography for the twin who wants to do it for A level. We have 1x6, 2x7s 10x8s, 2x9s and 1 level 2 distinction star in btec.

celebrated with a domino’s

glad the results are in before Christmas so they can relax before they have mock round 2 in Feb/march.

predicted grades and the awol subject due next week.

Im super proud of them and sort of wish these were the real grades (except
geography).

Littletreefrog · 13/12/2025 19:25

It was DS's mock results day yesterday as well. All 5s and 6s which is the same as his predictions but mostly got 5s where predicted 6s and vice versa but never mind all good. Only dip was English Language that was a 4 and he needs a 5 for college. We have parents evening early in January so will see what the teacher has to say about the 4 then although DS seems to think the teachers have said it was set particularly hard to give everyone a wake up call. I did point out the GCSE would also be hard.

NotDarkGothicMama · 13/12/2025 22:32

Well done to all the DC who've had their results so far. I happen to be visiting DS's school on results day next week but he's refused to share them with me until he gets home 😑

Stowickthevast · 14/12/2025 07:38

@Wincher sounds like you're in my area. Dd is at Latymer and in 2 minds whether to stay or not. Feel free to dm me if you have any questions about it. We missed the deadline for Harris Westminster - and also she's not very keen on the idea of Saturday school! But will probably apply to the others you've mentioned as a back up. A couple of friends are planning on going to CSG but I think we're too far away to get in.

Her mocks are in January so it's going to be a rather intense holiday for her. She also did get first GCSE part last week with her drama assessment, which made it all seem rather real.

tourdefrance · 14/12/2025 09:14

Still waiting for official results here, hopefully before they break up on Friday. He has already been invited to sign up for after school maths and English sessions in January though.... Was already doing maths (grade 3 in year 10 exams) but the addition of English doesn't bode well. DS1 was also invited a few years ago when he was doing GCSEs and had just scraped a 5 in English language in the December mocks (but an 8 in English literature!). But they seemed to mostly focus on literature which he didn't need and isn't the English that counts so I wasn't impressed.

Tebheag · 14/12/2025 10:52

Congratulations to everyone who has had results.
We had parents evening the other night went OK though lots of the teachers stating they either hoped or expected DD to get 9s in their subject think it's too much pressure. Especially on one she is normally a 7 did point this out to the teacher stating it was her weaker subject and we where very happy with the 8 in mocks. Also got told she got the highest in her year for Maths.

Original poster
wonderstuff · 15/12/2025 08:45

@Tebheag that’s amazing, well done to your dd!
Ive a friend whose kids did Harris Westminster, eldest is now at Oxbridge, youngest there now, finding it intense, but they’ve been impressed with the support.

I find it strange how the 6th form offer varies so much. We’ve got an interview for DS first choice college on Friday. The other local college doesn’t do an interview, but they both do a taster day in the summer, the kids to a lesson in 4 subjects, my eldest found this really useful in deciding which 3 to study. Didn’t realise we could apply to two and do two taster days with my eldest, who only applied to one.

OP posts:
Stowickthevast · 15/12/2025 09:42

Wow top of the year in Maths is amazing @Tebheag .

A friend went to look around Harris Westminster a couple of years ago, and Liz Truss was looking round at the same time 😅

You can apply to as many as you want @wonderstuff and as far away as you want. it feels very weird in London compared to catchments for primary any secondary. I think we'll probably do 5 or 6 and then decide on taster days and results day as we missed most of the open days for various reasons.

hoping2016 · 15/12/2025 21:33

Place marking

Popfan · 17/12/2025 07:16

Wincher · 10/12/2025 23:30

No festival requests here (yet) but he does want to go camping with friends after exams in somewhere like the Lake District/dartmoor. Worries me slightly but he’s an explorer scout so pretty used to camping…

@wincher My DS wanted to camp somewhere similar after his GCSEs.. I said absolutely not to wild camping (he accepted this as I pointed out it was illegal) and they had to plan which campsites etc. In the end they didn't get organised or sort anything out and so didn't go! I think they like the idea of these things and then realise the whole thing eg getting there, finding where to stay is just too much effort!

fluffythecat1 · 17/12/2025 12:14

Just wondering people’s thoughts. DS got decent mock results, 4-8 (the 4 he misread the paper and only answered half the questions), however I’m a bit bamboozled by his history and geography marks. His ‘target grade’ for these is 8, and he was working at 7 level for both in June, however he only got a 5 in the mocks. History teacher has said he needs more depth/detail/keys facts in his answers and geography teacher said to focus on amendments to his coursework which he’s doing over Christmas break. Anyone else had this? He is looking to do these subjects at A level, but actually got better results in the sciences and English, so wondering if he should change.

waitingquietly · 17/12/2025 12:36

@fluffythecat1 they are massive content subjects DS1 was predicted a 9 in history and literally only just got a 6 . He got a 7 in Geography . DS2 is doing both and I’m considering asking school not to enter him for one of them (he got a 2) and concentrate on the other 8 subjects .Need to discuss it over Christmas . If he wants to do them at A level then he probably needs to commit to serious revision .

fluffythecat1 · 17/12/2025 12:40

waitingquietly · 17/12/2025 12:36

@fluffythecat1 they are massive content subjects DS1 was predicted a 9 in history and literally only just got a 6 . He got a 7 in Geography . DS2 is doing both and I’m considering asking school not to enter him for one of them (he got a 2) and concentrate on the other 8 subjects .Need to discuss it over Christmas . If he wants to do them at A level then he probably needs to commit to serious revision .

That’s what I don’t really understand about the grades, because he did revise (the history teacher sets them loads of work) and I can see on Seneca that he did 75% of the geography revision. Got 5s, however 6/7 for combined science, 8 for computer science.

waitingquietly · 17/12/2025 13:37

@fluffythecat1 - does he like all the topics ? DS1 did significantly better in the topics he has a life long interest in , not so much The Elizabethan’s !

ECT22 · 17/12/2025 18:35

Similar story with my dd’s History result. She got a 4 in the mock, and her teacher said she is capable of 7-9 and she gets full marks in class work - crucially tho, that’s when she has access to the key dates and knowledge. Being really honest with herself, she did revise but did not revise ENOUGH to properly memorise the crucial knowledge for history.

Some insight I can share as a teacher myself (English) is that on Seneca, they really should be getting 100% for it to be meaningful. The way Seneca works is it shows you the correct answers for the bits you got wrong, then the idea is you retake those questions and get them right. That’s how it becomes a revision tool. So if he’s stopping at 75%, he’s not filling in his knowledge gaps. Also, check the data for how long he is spending on it. I often hear plaintive cries from my students of ‘but I did my Seneca! I got 60%’ or whatever, and I’m like yes love, but I can see that you spent 7 minutes 35 seconds on it, which is why we set 80% as a bare minimum 😆

NotDarkGothicMama · 18/12/2025 16:45

Results day for DS today. He aced business studies with a 9 but got 6-7 for everything else, including a 6 for maths. It's his favourite subject and he wants to do maths and further maths at sixth form so he's pretty disappointed. I'm hoping this is the reality check he needs to get his head down over the next few months.

fluffythecat1 · 18/12/2025 17:03

NotDarkGothicMama · 18/12/2025 16:45

Results day for DS today. He aced business studies with a 9 but got 6-7 for everything else, including a 6 for maths. It's his favourite subject and he wants to do maths and further maths at sixth form so he's pretty disappointed. I'm hoping this is the reality check he needs to get his head down over the next few months.

It might be worth talking to his teachers about test technique. My DS was working at grade 7 level in his summer report for geography and history, yet got 5s in his mocks in December. He was disappointed because history is ‘his’ thing. His teacher said that he needs to have more depth, detail and key info in his answers.

NotDarkGothicMama · 18/12/2025 17:09

Yes, definitely. We have parents evening the second week back in January so I'll be asking lots of questions. TBH I suspect the lack of revision is the main factor.

fluffythecat1 · 18/12/2025 17:32

NotDarkGothicMama · 18/12/2025 17:09

Yes, definitely. We have parents evening the second week back in January so I'll be asking lots of questions. TBH I suspect the lack of revision is the main factor.

Same here, will be finding out key areas of focus in the parents evening. DS did revise to be fair, so will be good to get some clarity on it.

SatsumaCat · 20/12/2025 21:37

Bought DD a clear reusable water bottle for her stocking this week as she has mocks in Jan! No last minute panic water buying this time 🎅

NotDarkGothicMama · 21/12/2025 09:26

I didn't know that was a thing. Water bottles definitely weren't ubiquitous back in the olden days when I did GCSEs.