Y11 2025/26 The Final Stretch

[UncomfortableSilence]

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

Come and join for chat, support and solidarity.

I’m actually interested ( to any teachers here) as to why lit is still compulsary.
I know my Yr9 DS is going to loathe every minute of it

I totally agree! It should be an option subject and not core. I got an 'E' 30 years ago and my son will be similar with a 3 I think. Still can't stand anything fiction especially Shakespeare!

I think that the Eng lit GCSE is not a success; the fact that it is not tiered means that, OK, students who struggle with it will self-determine at a lower grade, but the challenge in analysing a passage of Shakespeare in the way it is presented just defeats many. It would be more than possible to devise a more accessible exam as an option.

But I really (really) do think that it’s an important GCSE that everyone should take, if in a modified form in some cases. It would be appalling IMHO if a student could finish school without ever studying Shakespeare or the great novels and dramas of the last two centuries. Like I say, in my view it needs a rethink. If only to ensure that students actually enjoy it.

Dd LOVES English lit!! It’s her strongest subject and all time favourite which she’s worked her arse off for. Mocks have been high 9s so really hope for her sake she can pull it off. It’s her first choice alevel too! So yes there are definitely some kids who do love it.

I think there is something wrong with the way it is structured now. I loved English lit and did A level but it just felt like there was a bit more freedom in answering questions on it. You had to be familiar with the text but the marking scheme seemed less proscriptive. Maybe it's the volume that they have to learn now. When I did GCSEs in the early 90s, half of it was coursework which helped

Dd went from it being one of her favourite subjects in year 9 to dreading tomorrow's exam in Y11. She's still aiming for a good grade but finds it tricky to revise for.

I guess generally the compulsory subjects will always have higher percentage of grades under a 4, as everyone has to do them.

@clarythey could study lit in Yr9 then those inspired could carry on. DS is wired for sciences and maths. Struggles with English. Will gain no benefit from
lit. He doesn’t even like to read

My DS is very humanities biased but English lit is a weaker subject. His essays often move off to talk about Elizabethan theatre or Victorian Britain. We struggle to get him to stick to the text before him. He has also got to really disliking the texts. I recall studying a much wider range of material which I think helps. He class do Lord of the Flies which is his favourite of the texts. I think more choice have helped him as reading fiction has never been his thing. He would have taken English Lit if it had been an option but it has always been harder for him than English Language. I think that’s because he reads a lot it’s just all non fiction.

But how great that they’ve all got their individual strengths!

She’s awake! The plan for the day is to do some morning revision and make sure the uniform and bag is all sorted for tomorrow then we’ll go for a long walk this afternoon to chill.
Shes in good spirits for tomorrow at the moment. I’m nervous as!!

I have scribed for iGCSEs English for a couple of years now and agree some of the questions are esoteric- and often able to be interpreted in a couple of ways which is really not on.

Plus the set texts.... utterly uninspiring in the main. Texts that I did for my own English exams 35 years ago.

Has anyone got computer science on Wednesday? My son seems ok about it but ive heard its really difficult!

Anyone’s DC doing R&P this week and next? It’s my DDs strongest subject (ironically as we’re firm atheists 🤣). But DD worried about how both exams falls on the same day as other subjects for her.

Yes, although it's one DD finds fine generally so is the least worried about if all of next week's exams. Apparently the timing is very generous so the whole class seems to have had plenty of time to check answers after they've finished answering in the mocks.

English teacher here. I (of course) think Lit should be compulsory, for several reasons - all of which I totally accept some will disagree with!

• Literature explores important issues: poverty, conflict, societal expectations, gender, inequality, love, what it means to be human. You cannot succeed in Lit without digging into why writers explore these themes and that prompts students to think about them.
• If it wasn’t compulsory, the cultural divide between privileged and disadvantaged would widen, with many kids having no exposure to literature at all. I think it’s important as a society that we at least give everyone access to the joy (yes I do believe that!) of literature.
• In today’s world it’s vital to understand that words and language are used to direct and manipulate readers. In a world of rhetoric, much of it dangerous, Lit gives that critical thinking and ability to step back and question why and how people choose their words.
• Although the exams are grim, too memory based (thanks Gove), and there’s too much content I agree, every Lit class I’ve taught has, at times at least, enjoyed the process of analysing literature, they’ve enjoyed the stories, they’ve reacted emotionally to the endings of tragedies etc etc. I think as a subject it can be v enriching, and it would be a shame to ditch it because it doesn’t serve a purpose in the job market, as many perceive.

Wishing everyone’s lovelies the best of luck for tmw. The main thing is, they need to KEEP WRITING. They can’t be marked down, only UP! And they must ALWAYS consider the writer’s purpose: WHY has Shakespeare chosen those words/characters/moments - what is his bigger comment or criticism on society, on human nature, on themes?

I agree with what you said @MayasJamas , particularly about enriching Eng Lit can be.

Thanks for the top tips also!

DS has English Lit and Business Studies tomorrow, then Biology, Geography and Maths on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. He's not looking forward to English Lit - he enjoyed A Christmas Carol but found Macbeth and An Inspector Calls uninspiring. I don't know why the texts haven't changed since I sat the GCSEs.

Just thought I’d add a couple more tips for Lit tomorrow:

• How to write about writer’s purpose. For every bit of analysis, extend it to include purpose: what’s the intended effect on the reader + what’s the wider message. So ‘The verb phrase ‘Scrooge trembled’ at the sight of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come shows that he is scared of the spirits’ (basic) becomes much better when you add ‘which demonstrates to the reader how Scrooge has changed and now fears the moral messages the spirits are bringing to him’ (effect on the reader) and even better if you add ‘In this way, Dickens demonstrates to his readers that mankind, like Scrooge, should fear the future if they are unwilling to change their ways’ (wider message).
• For Lit AND Lang, before you put a full stop in your analysis, consider if you can add ‘because’, ‘which’ or ‘so’ to explain your idea. Eg ‘The metaphor ‘Macbeth doth murder sleep’ demonstrates that Macbeth’s murderous actions have destroyed his mental stability.’ (basic) is much improved by adding ‘because sleep is essential for peace of mind and is associated with a guilt free conscience in this play, which makes it clear to the audience that Macbeth’s act of regicide has destructive consequences for his psyche as well as the country’ .

Hope that makes sense!

Lit, Biology, Maths and History for Dd too this week. She has told me to go to work early tomorrow morning - very much not wanting my help 😆

@MayasJamas you can come to my house and help instead 🤣

DD is another one who loves English Lit, however she has always been a big reader, even in Primary, she reads such a varied range of books and loves the classics, she’s also planning to do it for A Level but it seems to be the one she is most nervous about. She did actually come down earlier and said she doesn’t know what else she can do so she’s just going over essay plans and quotes again.

Apart from English she has Biology, RE, Computer Science, Maths and History this week.
@Haribosweets She’s also not worried, she’s very strong at it getting nearly full marks on most mocks, she also wants to do this at A Level, she’s loves it. I’m sure your son will be fine.

Good luck everyone, I’ll be thinking of all your DC and truly hope they all get what they deserve and don’t find the next few weeks too stressful.

At DD 's school they have asked them all to continue coming to school in between exams until after half term. DD not keen on finishing an exam and continuing with the usual timetable in class, they are not focusing on next exams just the usual timetable. Apparently the environment is not the best for revision/learning at the moment, with everyone is all over the place in class, now she is asking me to allow her to come home after exams or stay home on days she is not writing. Anyone else facing the same issue??

DS1’s school do English Lit early @clary . He got a D (Wales so still letter grades). He could have retaken it but given he is C/D borderline on English Lang too we decided to concentrate on that (which isn’t going well as it is). He got exempted from Welsh too due to SEN (very thankfully). He’s actually a total bookworm, it’s the analysis he can’t do :(.
Good tips on the English @MayasJamas - not sure DS1 would be able to do that sort of analysis in the exam under pressure but I can see that that’s the sort of thing they want.
@helenafalco - similar set up here - though DS wants to go in as he likes his routine, not sure they are actually getting much revision done as it all seems very chaotic. Personally I’d let her if she’s sensible.
Lots of people seem to have a very packed week - good luck to all. Here 3 next week, 2 on Tuesday (Geography and Biology) and 1 on Friday (Sociology).

DS school are allowing study leave after half term, but I want DS in for at least the week after that, he does very little at home and needs to get the school bus in for exams anyway. A few of the most disruptive kids have been directed to study at home, so hopefully that will help it be a better environment. I think after half term the timetable is suspended and they are putting them in supervised study rather than directing them.

We’ve got RE eduqas board this week and the week after. Also got another exam on both days. Fingers crossed for our DC

No study leave here. They're expected at school as normal until they've finished their exams. It seems like that's 5th June for a lot of the kids, which seems very early to me as DS has 5 after that. I asked why and apparently they've found that students feel more relaxed if they're kept to their usual routine.

No study leave for my dd either, or the school where I teach. It suits dd well. She’d probably focus only on the exams right in front of her, so it’s good for her to keep interleaving the other subjects too so they won’t get neglected.

5th is very very early. 17th here!