Y11 2025/26… come and join

[wonderstuff]

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He does have a revision timetable but keeping to it isn’t happening !

So a variety of what people are doing.

My DC has also got into the routine of doing 15 mins of French speaking every night. We came up with this idea for her first lot of mocks. It’s manageable and in her last mocks paid off!

Back in the day with DD1 she did approx 9-1 with breaks, and then 4-6 with breaks. So she took every afternoon off and we went out somewhere.
It came to around 4.5 hrs daily.
(We worked out what worked for her during y10 and then y11 mocks.)

Mine isn’t working as much as some of yours and he really likes getting up late in the holidays and a relaxed start. So no revision in the mornings- up by 10:30, and time to do other stuff, then an early ish lunch and the plan is revision 2pm - 6pm (with short movement breaks). We have not yet managed this and the “short” breaks have not been very short but that was the plan!

DS started the holidays with a grand plan of sticking more or less to the school timetable in terms of revision, starting at 9 and working till 4, with breaks. However this has inevitably drifted a bit! Like others he would sleep to 11 ish if left but we are compromising on getting up around 9 and starting somewhere between 10 and 10.30. Getting a couple of hours done in the morning and then 1-2 more in the afternoon- I’d say he is averaging between 3 and 4 hours a day and the afternoons are definitely a bit hit and miss.

(Back in the day I was an uber organised girl student who worked 9-12 and then 2-5 without fail every day, giving myself the evenings off, but I need to keep reminding myself that DS is not me!!)

DS still seems quite relaxed about everything - I think the fact he took one GCSE a year early has helped here because he knows what to expect in the exam hall (and has already got one grade in the bag so to speak). He’s also already done his MFL speaking exam, so that’s one thing for this year ticked off the list. However he’s also still got some DT NEA to do (grrr) so is trying to fit that in too. I’ll be breaking out the champagne once that project is finally handed in 😁

@Walkingbkwrm my DS takes similar breaks to yours I think! 15 minutes can very easily drift into 45…and then of course he ‘just needs to go to the loo’ (cue another 30 minutes) before he gets started again…

A few hours afternoon and eve here. Slow starts plus gym early eve or some cooking or similar. She’s very much focusing on the ones she needs grades for

Wow impressed with how much studying some have done well done.
DD seems to have really lost her spark for learning and revising. Has loads of homework, loads on sparks for Chemistry Biology that they ain't been taught yet as they are behind in class she said there was a message from teacher saying they needed to do a topic on their own as no time to cover in class. DD thinks there will be at least 3 or 4 subjects at least that they will not finish the syllabus in class. Hoping school revision classes are helpful as she has 7 of the them this week.

It’s so unfair on them that they can barely cover the content then - bang - exams

My DS1 gave up rowing for year 11 - defo recommend joining the gym - DS1 eased off on that too in the last few weeks - he put on a bit of weight as a result - it’s gone now - but something to look out for as they need a lot extra food when rowing . DS2 goes to the gym and I think it provides a good balance … though I do wish he’d done more revision this holiday I can’t force him- I suggested 4 hours a day - then compromised on 3 - racking he’s doing 2 subjects a day about 2 hours

@eurotravel dds high-school have reduced the gcse options if you pick separate sciences instead of combined then you have one less option to pick they also changed the timetable for weekly to biweekly and removed morning form class to get extra teaching time. Last year they where pushing for kids to move to combined science stating 2 9s was better than two 8s and a 9s or 3 8s.
Can't believe how much the school has changed in just a couple of years.

Mine is feeling guilty about not doing much over the last few days as we've been away for Easter weekend. I'm hoping the break will have been good for her and she'll be back rejuvenated. She's planning on spending the rest of this week in the British library. She has to get there by 9 to queue for a seat when it opens at 9.30, and generally doesn't get back till 6 so it's a full day.

Another one here starting 10ish and doing 3-4 hours a day with numerous breaks. I think that’s fine. They’re all different. Not everyone needs or wants to get all 8s and 9s. My dd has ADHD and I’m proud of how she is managing to focus more than she ever thought possible, even if it’s not every hour of the day, and how she is managing her well-being. Wish she would go outside in the lovely sunshine during those breaks tho!

DDs dream would be to revise in the British Library, she loves it there!

I washed all our garden furniture down last night and DD said she’s planning on taking her revision and painting out there over the next few days, it’s looking like absolutely beautiful weather, she’s a bit put out that’s she’s got a 3 hour revision session at school tomorrow when it’s forecast 25 degrees!

Sounds lovely 😊 I bet your dd can’t wait for Art to be done. Mine did it just before Easter and it’s such a weight off! It dominates their lives (and my dd adores Art)

@ECT22Absolutely it will be a weight off! She also loves Art but the volume and time it takes has been all consuming. She said she will be happy when she can just paint for enjoyment.

Is your DD continuing Art or it stops here?

She wants to continue with it right through to degree level. Am hoping A Level is less stressful!

My son who is hoping for 9s, 8s, 7s and a 6 in French is probably averaging 3.5 hours a day. It seems like an overwhelming amount of work, as it bloody is. If you think about eng literature only, you could study that for next 6 weeks on its own and find more to learn. Ridiculous amount. Trying to stay calm for him, his mocks he didn’t revise thoroughly for and came away with good grades so I hope that outcome continues

Kudos to all the DC actually revising. I asked DS what he'd done today and got told "mostly played my game". He's coming to work with me tomorrow to revise under my beady eye.

@ECT22ADHD here too and I’m incredibly relieved that some proper study is finally being done & she seems calm & not the meltdowns we were having previously. I just want her to get the grades to do As - nothing more

@ECT22Ah that’s wonderful, DD was definitely getting pressure from her teacher to continue but she just couldn’t decide what to drop to do it and I do fear the sheer blood sweat and tears of the last 2 years has put her off a little!

@eurotravel aw it makes you feel so proud doesn’t it? What helps your dc to focus, do you think? We’ve found a revision timetable helps dd, and revising downstairs (NOT in her room where she would drift off completely). Also, she really likes the exam hall environment due to its lack of distractions, which is a huge relief!

It is an overwhelming amount of work, the content is just enormous.

I am a worrier by nature but DD is the exact opposite but I can definitely see some cracks now in her usual calmness, I work in a school, non teaching, and you can always feel the emotions in the upcoming term, hearing them all coming out of their exams as they walk past my office discussing the papers, it always makes me emotional so gods know what I’ll be like this time!

@ECT22 I think here it has had to be an element of urgency and crisis for her lack of focus to switch into hyperfocus. Previously I think it all seemed to far away and bravado peers making out they weren’t working much; she took literally. I think reality had hit home and realising colleges need a decent set of good passes and 667 on chosen subjects. Jeopardy