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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

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Wolfiefan · 12/04/2026 15:48

Just been out for a meal to mark the end of the holidays. I fear DD is going back pretty much as tired as she was when she broke up. She has insisted on doing 5 hours a day from Monday to Friday. I did explain this was more than the school had suggested. To no avail.

waitingquietly · 12/04/2026 17:04

DS is prioritising maths and his a level choices . Science just sends him into a spiral and impacts other revision so I’ve told him to park those for now . Hoping school can help boost him next week

eurotravel · 12/04/2026 17:33

Prioritising A level choices Maths and the first ones

FlyingPandas · 12/04/2026 18:15

DS also focusing on A level choices of maths and sciences, and the GCSE he is least confident about (Greek - lots of vocab to learn and he's doing the two year course in one so lots to cram in). He's also done a bit of DT and computer science. MFL speaking exam is already done so that's at least out of the way. I think it helps, exam content revision wise, that he opted not to take either history or geography - I worried about that at the time but am quite relieved about it now!

whereonthestair · 12/04/2026 18:31

My DS is prioritising material not revised for mocks, so other part of history, poems and 20th century English lit(Lord of the flies being played at 1.2 speed on audible when we drive anywhere) and maths. In effect trying to get the grades up in the weaker subjects. He did science last week while at school.

also now prepping French oral. We have 15 questions and many of them in parts a, b and c. He has no chance of remembering it all, and the memorised bit is his weakest part but we are going to try and do 10-15 mins each morning before school and then see.

We have put nothing in revision timetable before half term when exams after half term. And for the moment nothing any evening to give some flexibility as usually DS can cram facts and exam technique is what school is for so evenings now for cramming subject by subject plus homework.

DS taking 2 new subjects for A level (politics and economics) so doesn’t really matter what he gets what grade in, more he needs an overall very high point score

Tebheag · 12/04/2026 18:34

Of I go by DDs reaction of crying earlier she is also struggling with the balance. She had to teach herself a topic for Chemistry and Biology per teachers Google notes this weekend. Then I got a email reminder for parts homework for all 3 sciences teacher never even mentioned it DD thought it was just homework set on Google classroom to do. Currently gone out with mates for an hour or two. Then doing flashcards she has written for Spanish on Tuesday when she gets back, just glad they have a TED day tomorrow.

Tebheag · 14/04/2026 06:45

The day has finally come, first GCSE today 😱 Spanish speaking.

ECT22 · 14/04/2026 07:01

Tebheag · 14/04/2026 06:45

The day has finally come, first GCSE today 😱 Spanish speaking.

Ah good luck!!

36and3 · 14/04/2026 07:12

Tebheag · 14/04/2026 06:45

The day has finally come, first GCSE today 😱 Spanish speaking.

Got this!! Let us know how it goes x

ShesRunningOutTheDoor · 14/04/2026 07:12

good luck! Will be nice to have one done

Stowickthevast · 14/04/2026 07:25

Good luck to your Dd@Tebheag.

DD has German tomorrow. They had to go in for a receive session yesterday, it was an inset day, but I think it went well. One of her A levels so fingers crossed.

clary · 14/04/2026 07:27

Just dropping in to say all the best to anyone taking their MFL speaking exam in the next week or so.

I have a tranche that I am examining and I start on Thursday; I’m a bit nervous too (always happens).

also now prepping French oral. We have 15 questions and many of them in parts a, b and c. He has no chance of remembering it all, and the memorised bit is his weakest part but we are going to try and do 10-15 mins each morning before school and then see.
@whereonthestair this is interesting. Can I ask what board your DS is doing? Because of the new spec this year (irrelevant to anyone in year 11 as it's the only spec they have done!) AQA no longer has a choice of topic – or is he learning answers to general questions on every theme I wonder? If it’s Edexcel then they do choose a theme in which case I can understand learning some model answers but it's not really the idea. Better to learn useful phrases to adapt. And opinions and reasons :)

whereonthestair · 14/04/2026 08:37

clary · 14/04/2026 07:27

Just dropping in to say all the best to anyone taking their MFL speaking exam in the next week or so.

I have a tranche that I am examining and I start on Thursday; I’m a bit nervous too (always happens).

also now prepping French oral. We have 15 questions and many of them in parts a, b and c. He has no chance of remembering it all, and the memorised bit is his weakest part but we are going to try and do 10-15 mins each morning before school and then see.
@whereonthestair this is interesting. Can I ask what board your DS is doing? Because of the new spec this year (irrelevant to anyone in year 11 as it's the only spec they have done!) AQA no longer has a choice of topic – or is he learning answers to general questions on every theme I wonder? If it’s Edexcel then they do choose a theme in which case I can understand learning some model answers but it's not really the idea. Better to learn useful phrases to adapt. And opinions and reasons :)

DS is doing Edexcel and it’s the first time his school have done edexcel. He does adapt what he says in answer to the questions but he actually freezes when he has to answer a question on anything if he does not have something prepared. So he has one theme but for example can’t remember what to say about his family or particularly his friends as he has to make up a lot of answers, his family being very small, and due to his disability the ability to say I went to the museum with my friends in French bring something he can do, but the ability to actually go to the museum with his friends bring something he cannot do, as he cannot get there, get in etc etc etc so he has to remember general answers about things he can never in fact do. The other themes would be easier but it is what it is!

The other parts of the oral are also a lot easier than general conversation for DS thankfully. Also learning the phrases does reiterate and revise tenses etc. The time last year we were pushing for DS to give French up as the part of the brain which does language is damaged for DS ( it shows on an MRI, and DS would still fail a year 2 phonics test now as a result).

This time this year he wants to get at least an 8! We will see.

good luck to those with assessments today and this week!

clary · 14/04/2026 09:07

Ah @whereonthestair Edexcel that’s OK then, yes he chooses the theme of photo and general convo, so yes, deffo worth learning some model answers. IKWYM about the struggle to say what you know, even if it is not true. Students always try to say something true but complex rather than taking the easy way and I do understand that.

It sounds as though he has a lot to deal with so I hope he does well. The good thing is that the examiner/teacher can (and should) adapt questions – so if they see he is struggling with an answer they can move on to something he can do – and I am sure they will. All the best to him and everyone with their MFL orals.

waitingquietly · 14/04/2026 11:25

Good luck to all taking speaking MFL today . DS not even back at school yet … still gaming - apparently he will revise English lit with me this afternoon - it doesn’t come naturally and is one of the few subjects I can help with . Other nightmares are the sciences of which I remember pretty much nothing .. starting to feel pretty close now ( to me not him )

36and3 · 14/04/2026 13:00

DD’s speaking is on Monday. She’s memorised answers for 10 questions. I’m so over it myself let alone her.

waitingquietly · 14/04/2026 17:04

Oh my word - 4/16 English lit anthology poems gone through .. This is going to take a long time .. and we really don’t have a long time 🤦🏻‍♀️.. DS back to school tomorrow .So wish I’d been more forceful on my offer to help at the start of the holiday .

Tebheag · 14/04/2026 18:34

Thank you everyone DD is glad it's over as its her weakest part of the subject. Her teacher told her she did well and asked if she was going to do it for ALevel she said no as didn't like the sound of doing Spanish books.
@clary DD had about 54 questions to try and memorise!

@Stowickthevast good luck to your DD tomorrow its good that the school did a revision session DD school didn't do a language revision session in fact she got nothing from school.
Good luck to everyone else's child doing oral language exams.

clary · 14/04/2026 19:54

Tebheag · 14/04/2026 18:34

Thank you everyone DD is glad it's over as its her weakest part of the subject. Her teacher told her she did well and asked if she was going to do it for ALevel she said no as didn't like the sound of doing Spanish books.
@clary DD had about 54 questions to try and memorise!

@Stowickthevast good luck to your DD tomorrow its good that the school did a revision session DD school didn't do a language revision session in fact she got nothing from school.
Good luck to everyone else's child doing oral language exams.

Well if her teacher said that she must have done well :) 54 questions (unless a humorous exaggeration) is ridiculous tbh. If it’s AQA you don’t get to pick a theme at all now and so you cannot know what will come up. There's only one section where the examiner chooses the questions (the last element).

Mind you I can understand (of course) teachers getting their students to prep answers, and that's a good thing as posted already, to develop skills in verbs and vocab usage though, so hopefully the earning will stand in good stead for the writing and to some extent listening and reading too.

NotDarkGothicMama · 14/04/2026 20:47

waitingquietly · 14/04/2026 17:04

Oh my word - 4/16 English lit anthology poems gone through .. This is going to take a long time .. and we really don’t have a long time 🤦🏻‍♀️.. DS back to school tomorrow .So wish I’d been more forceful on my offer to help at the start of the holiday .

Which set is he doing? DS's school gave them a list of 7 poems they need to learn inside-out, which sounds a lot more manageable than 16.

DS got his French speaking exam date today - next Wednesday, which feels very, very soon. He's got PE physical moderation next week too. It's all getting a bit real!

clary · 14/04/2026 21:04

yeh I meant to say before, re the poems – no need to learn all of them. Say it's AQA power and conflict – yes you will be given one and obvs need to be able to talk about that one – but you have it in front of you. In terms of learning, pick out the key ones that cover several themes. There are guides on line but eg Exposure ticks "war" and also "power of nature".

Next week for French speaking is good tho – gets it done before the written exams start. The window for AQA for example goes until 15 May – well into the Eng lit and science and all of it. At least doing it in April ticks that one off. For many students, it is also the one they dread (tho IME it is never as bad as they fear).

Tebheag · 14/04/2026 21:22

@clary she had 54 questions down on flashcards.

Which reminds me I need to order more flashcards as she put just one question on each card oops.

waitingquietly · 14/04/2026 21:27

DS is doing igcse so think he has to understand all 16 - as you don’t know which one will come up or which theme . A couple are absolutely incomprehensible to me .. and I did do A level .. thank god for save my exams . Upside is it’s 40% coursework and most of the rest of the paper is on a novella which you can read in just over an hour

waitingquietly · 14/04/2026 21:34

You have got me checking he’s got it right though - thanks all - it’s not at all impossible that he’s got the wrong end of the stick

clary · 14/04/2026 21:38

waitingquietly · 14/04/2026 21:27

DS is doing igcse so think he has to understand all 16 - as you don’t know which one will come up or which theme . A couple are absolutely incomprehensible to me .. and I did do A level .. thank god for save my exams . Upside is it’s 40% coursework and most of the rest of the paper is on a novella which you can read in just over an hour

I don’t know the IGCSE spec but on GCSE you also don’t know which one will come up or which theme. But as I say, you can pick out 3-4 that cover pretty much every theme between them and then use the one that works best.

DD got Bayonet Charge and the effects of war which was a gift tbh. She wrote about Exposure but there were many other possibilities. They will never set Tissue – you heard it here :)