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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Y11 2025/26 The Final Stretch

991 replies

UncomfortableSilence · 16/04/2026 15:07

New thread to see our wonderful DC through their exams and onwards.

Come and join for chat, support and solidarity.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
MabelsBeats · 08/05/2026 14:04

My DD has three for history. Perhaps it is different boards doing things in different ways?

3GoldenLamps · 08/05/2026 14:09

Tebheag · 08/05/2026 12:47

@FlyingPandas it is fun and games in our houseold with the 2 Yr gap. ALevels and GCSE feel DS is getting ignored doing ALevels as all time has been going on DD. But did spend a lot of time with him when he did his, printing papers, marking, just keeping him company and questioning him when asked etc.

Dreading next week as they both have exams.

Oh Lord- that had not even occurred to me. DS2 is 2 years below DS1. A-levels and GCSEs all at once- very hard indeed!

Caddycat · 08/05/2026 14:11

Ifonlyoneday · 08/05/2026 14:03

Yes, one has 25 and one 26. Most subjects have 2 exams each, except Maths and Geography which have 3.
why geography has 3 I have never really understood when history and RE have 2.

Show quote history

Well technically history has 4 x 1hour papers (AQA), but they do 2 papers in each sitting.

waitingquietly · 08/05/2026 17:19

Ours are only one academic year apart so we get four solid years of either gcse or a level - no recharging here 😂

3GoldenLamps · 08/05/2026 17:35

Hugs and prayers.

(No, I mean it... ) Thanks

MayasJamas · 08/05/2026 18:26

waitingquietly · 08/05/2026 17:19

Ours are only one academic year apart so we get four solid years of either gcse or a level - no recharging here 😂

Gah! You’ll be old hands at it by the end. I think you should put some money aside each month until the end of your ordeal, then treat yourself to the mother of all spa breaks!

Caddycat · 08/05/2026 18:26

Omg @waitingquietly!

Drama exam went well, no Jasmine question (Last night's panic about Noughts and Crosses) she is happy. Now another week end of craming all biology, english lit, history with a side of maths...

MayasJamas · 08/05/2026 18:27

Drama was ‘ok’ today according to dd, and she wrote a lot. Which seems…. ok? Such a good feeling to cross the first written exam off 🥳

3GoldenLamps · 08/05/2026 18:38

DS1 wrote alot too. He was worried about drama as he is weak in it. But he seemed quite bright about it all. He's hoping for a 4-5.

waitingquietly · 08/05/2026 18:45

@MayasJamas spa day is a great idea to save for - a couple of my close friends also have close gaps so I shall suggest it ( I think we’re in the career first kids late brigade 😂)

36and3 · 08/05/2026 19:48

Silly question but…. Obvs they need a clear pencil case but I’ve bought a small one and a longer one to fit a 30cm ruler in.

Which have you gone for??

Funkylights · 08/05/2026 19:49

I’m going to book me a break for sure. Feel like we’ve been on hold for weeks just trying to stay local and calm

TomorrowMoreWorsts · 08/05/2026 19:53

36and3 · 08/05/2026 19:48

Silly question but…. Obvs they need a clear pencil case but I’ve bought a small one and a longer one to fit a 30cm ruler in.

Which have you gone for??

DS just takes a 15cm ruler to school, so he has a small pencil case (well, it’s medium; Amazon claimed it was large).

Littletreefrog · 08/05/2026 19:55

36and3 · 08/05/2026 19:48

Silly question but…. Obvs they need a clear pencil case but I’ve bought a small one and a longer one to fit a 30cm ruler in.

Which have you gone for??

DS:s school said they need 30cm ruler. DS is adamant he is only taking 15cm so we have let him do that and a small pencil case. Definitely a picking your battles time and the size of the ruler is not a hill I am willing to die on.

Funkylights · 08/05/2026 20:18

No mention of rulers here! Supermarkets have clear cases for about £1

TomorrowMoreWorsts · 08/05/2026 20:29

I don’t think we’ve even had a stationery list; we’re just going off a half-remembered list from mock exams I think.

MayasJamas · 08/05/2026 20:51

waitingquietly · 08/05/2026 18:45

@MayasJamas spa day is a great idea to save for - a couple of my close friends also have close gaps so I shall suggest it ( I think we’re in the career first kids late brigade 😂)

I saved the money I earned marking GCSE papers last year, to take my dd to a spa this July after her GCSEs. Feels apt!

applecrumblespider · 08/05/2026 21:47

DD thought Latin and Drama went very well. So she was chirpy and went out to dancing this evening.

She got a story to translate in Latin that she already knew and an "easy" drama paper. However friends outside school who did different plays for drama thought their exam was a hard one.

waitingquietly · 08/05/2026 22:01

DS1 just had a 15 cm ruler last year - no issue

I do buy the folding bigger ones though they do break after a few months normally

Stowickthevast · 09/05/2026 09:12

@applecrumblespider DD was also optimistic about drama, she thought the questions were quite gentle. Nice to have another one crossed off the list, she's finished art and drama now, just 8 more to go!

We've got a 15cm ruler too. I can't see the graphs etc being big enough on an exam paper to need 30cm.

Funkylights · 09/05/2026 12:38

I didn’t realise until read another thread that they get all coursework marks before sent to exam board. Except DD hasnt bothered collecting hers. This child drives me insane!

Caddycat · 09/05/2026 14:01

Funkylights · 09/05/2026 12:38

I didn’t realise until read another thread that they get all coursework marks before sent to exam board. Except DD hasnt bothered collecting hers. This child drives me insane!

It may be for the best. DD was disappointed with her coursework grades and felt all the pressure was now on the written exams...

We had the same ruler vs. pencil case issue. DD wanted the ridiculously long pencil case to fit the ruler, but I'd bought a transparent but strudy looking one - with lilac edging - and suddenly the aesthetics won over the practicality. The 30 cm ruler will be carried in separately!

TheBeatlesWhoarethey · 09/05/2026 15:15

Tears today! Lots to overwhelm and confidence doing a nosedive. She’s worried about her spelling - it’s an issue - and up until now not been a worry but seems to have reared its ugly head in her mind at the eleventh hour! I reassured her that last minute panics are all part of the process.

DD got one coursework result - 8. We are blown away as she had been predicted 4s and 5s!

TheBeatlesWhoarethey · 09/05/2026 15:21

Also i can see she is really tired. So we are going to a friends for a BBQ tonight as she needs a break.

So do I Gin

wonderstuff · 09/05/2026 15:57

i feel like the end is in sight, ds has ict last week, id forgotten (awful mother i am) I asked if he had remembered clear pencil case, he told me the pen he had in his pocket was fine!

Im also told he definitely has his calculator safe, but I’ve not seen it.. DD was saying how odd it is that you need all this maths equipment for gcse, then at Alevels it’s just a pen and calculator, never need a pair of compasses again!

Everything crossed for a nice paper on Monday.