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.

@36and3 and @whereonthestair DD has similar
Mon Eng lit
Tue. RE and Biology
Wed Maths
Thur Geography
Fri. Electronics 2nd and final paper

Also no study leave got mix of classes and 1.5hr study sessions before exams.

@EducaatingRita thank you for the grade percentages very interesting surprised some like physics where higher than expected

@EducaatingRita whst a lovely way to put it about the grades.

@helenafalco I have offered for DD to just let us know if it gets too much and she can stay or come home. Several of her friends did it for mocks and a few people are doing it for gcse. I only offered because all her classes with exception to maths are mixed abilities even maths covers 9 to 5s and just in her words repeating the easy stuff.

That does seem early. Im sure one of the last ones that is full year is physics on the 15th or 17th June (the monday)

No study leave here apart from exceptional circumstances at either end of the spectrum i.e those kids who will work better at home without distractions and those children who are best kept away from others so they don't distract them. Which leaves a nice middle group of kids who want to do well but benefit from the structure and the teachers being around.

DS finishes on the 15th June. 5th seems very early, they must have a lot of days with more than one exam to fit them all in.

I suppose it makes sense if you're doing double science, rather than triple.

We have no study leave either until half term. We have however agreed with the school that DS does have exceptional circumstances, as he is disabled and has 50% extra time. My concern today is that he can manage to do all 6 exams next week as the biggest risk for him is the timetabling. He suffers from fatigue and exams with no lessons would be fine but he may need to come home to sleep!

No study leave here until Weds 10th June and will go home after that morning exam. Last one for my son is Monday 15th June anyway.

This week:
English Lit
Biology
Maths & Computer Science
Geography

With perfectly awful timing, DS's favourite cat has been hit and killed by a car. We have 4 and this is the only one DS let into his bedroom and allowed to sleep on his bed. I've emailed his head of year to ask him to keep an eye on DS tomorrow. He's very upset.

Oh I am SO sorry, that is awful. You couldn’t make it up. What a blow, and literally nothing you can do to make it better for DS. Well done for contacting school straight away. Sending hugs.

@NotDarkGothicMama ah so sorry. Your poor ds, and all of you. Hope he is resting and giving himself time to grieve this evening.

Thankyou. We're all gutted. DS has retreated to his room.

Oh goodness @NotDarkGothicMama I am so sorry to hear that, how awful for you all. Poor DS and as you say what timing. I hope his school handle things sensitively. It is possibly also worth messaging the exams officer if you have contact details for them (though tbh the head of year should feed through to the exams officer anyway). Certainly in the school I work in we would be briefed about any students who are struggling with a very recent emotional upset and asked to keep a particular eye on them in the exam hall. Thinking of you all.

So sorry for you all @NotDarkGothicMama.

Hope DS gets plenty of support at school . Awful timing .

On the English Lit chat DS2 has never been a reader - I’ve tried so many books as I love reading . He has really enjoyed some of the set texts though and even sitting with him today being told that he likes some of the poems is such progress . For me it justifies him doing a difficult subject . Teaching them a lot about life on the quiet too I think and maybe how to approach / not approach certain scenarios

I don't have contact details for the exams officer but will check tomorrow that it's been passed on.

DS was telling me yesterday that he's going to answer the question about Othello instead of Macbeth tomorrow. I'm not sure if he was just trying to wind me up, but it worked! When I asked him if he knew what Othello was about, he told me the story of Icarus. That's one way of winging it, I suppose.

Great posts @MayasJamas and good tips too.

I do so agree that literature teaches us so so much about the human condition. Shakespeare is particularly good at this – which is why he is still studied.

I still think that to have studied in some depth, for an exam, so you need have some understanding of it, a Shakespeare play, even if in a truncated, simplified form, plus some other texts (and yes I agree the texts are not always inspiring; tho there are better texts IMHO on the spec than are often chosen, for all kinds of reasons) is a basic essential for a 16yo school leaver in the UK. He's our greatest writer, arguably the greatest writer in any language. I hate the idea that someone who is not keen on reading can thus duck out of such a privilege and delight.

I also don't think people who are not keen on maths and physics should be able to drop those after year 9 either btw. You use maths in later life; let's hope you also use Shakespeare as well – well you do, unless you have never said or heard phrases like "in my mind's eye" and "break the ice".

So sorry @NotDarkGothicMama hadn't read the whole thread – so sorry to read about your cat. Hope DS is not too badly upset.

5 June as a final exam date can only be DC not taking science, or indeed DT, geog or in fact maths! There are papers in bio and chem as well as physics after 5 June, for those taking combined science as well as triple. So most GCSE students (apart from those just sitting a few exams) will finish on 15 June; Spanish is later tho.

For anyone going through it - any good/bad experiences using flashcards for English Literature, especially kids who are young in the year/have ADHD and find this sort of analysis and remembering quotes difficult?

DS actually mentioned off his own bat that he'd seen people using pre-made flash cards and was wondering about using them. DH was immediately 'Pre-made flash cards are not as good as ones you've made yourself because you've written them your way', but my view is DS will have difficulty assessing what is a meaningful quote and that a flashcard set he has and uses is more useful than one he might not manage to create.

Got English Lit tomorrow…then double exams Tuesday (morning and afternoon) so it begins!
Had German speaking, listening and reading already
The 1st day in her secondary school, it was all stand outside the school? bit of social distancing ? My memory isn't great-brain fog
Going to the uniform shop, trying it all on, have a photo of her wearing a mask too.
Managed to keep the blazer going for the 5 years, a few repairs!
She’s our last child through education , been in the school system for 22 years
Hope everyone gets through it all ok, roll on a lovely long warm Summer

Oh @NotDarkGothicMama I’m so sorry that’s just awful. Sending you a big hug tonight.

@NotDarkGothicMama so sorry to hear about the cat. I hope your DS can still get a good night's sleep without his friend in the room tonight.

Good point. Maybe some students sitting functional maths have their last exam on the 5th? Weird.

Thanks for the tips @MayasJamas. I've screenshotted and sent to DS. Who, fingers crossed, will answer the question on the play he's actually studied 🤦‍♀️

I agree about the social capital in studying Shakespeare. I feel the same way about Classics - if you haven't had the opportunity to study them, you will miss some nuances in public life. I went to a state school that didn't offer triple science, let alone classics, and taught myself some of the content when I found myself at sea in some conversations.

Not sure functional maths has a specific exam date tbh.

I think if students are finished on 5 June they can only be taking a very small number of exams. The vast majority of year 11s will be sitting at least combined science and maths, which have exams well after 5 June.

FWIW my DD (first year of new spec) wondered to me about answering the qu on Pride and Prejudice (tho she did love Frankenstein which she studied). I talked her out of it.

Btw a general warning – a friend who teaches English told me once about a student who answered (or tried to) the question on every question Shakespeare play, So tho it sounds ridiculous, make sure they know they don't do that!

Candidates answering every question on the lit papers is very common.

Ahh I totally agree, I went to watch an inspector calls with my daughter, yes I did do it for gcse 35 years ago but had forgotten most of it.. and I was struck by the incredibly timeless message of the play that continues to be so important for us all, and even more so in the current times. Those kinds of messages around social responsibility and awareness of how our actions affect those around us are so vital, and where else do they get taught it apart from English literature? I do hope the teachers get time and space to look at the relevance of the message in current contexts.

I’m so sorry @NotDarkGothicMama I’m so sorry xx our son would also be devastated if anything happened to our cat