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.

My oldest, who is doing A-levels now, loved An Inspector Calls, really taken by the message. I will be interested to see how DS takes to it next year. Shakespeare and Jeckyll & Hyde not done much for him, but I wonder if he'll relate to AIC more.

DD tucked up in bed after a Sunday roast and a long bath, hopefully going to sleep. My heart is so full - of hope and concern for her tomorrow, of wishing I could take away her nerves, of amazement that we are here, when just a blink ago she was labouring over sounding out c-a-t. My heart is also with all the lovely Y11s everywhere. I hope tomorrow is OK.
This feels like a big moment. I might have to take an antihistamine to sleep 😆

It’s so strange everyone having the same exams tomorrow (well, different boards but same subject). I know of course that’s always been the case but when I did mine pre internet there was no way of comparing notes with everyone else around the country! Not sure I am making sense. But good luck to everyone for English lit in the morning.

so sorry @NotDarkGothicMama . What rotten timing.

DS now thinks he is going to take a fair bit of study leave this week - he’s going to come home after English tomorrow to cram biology, then not go in at all on Wednesday to spend time on maths/German/citizenship/history which are all within 26 hours on Thursday/friday. Tough week!

My friend's son is doing An Inspector Calls, DD is doing Macbeth - not sure why, pretty sure they are the same exam board.

Really nervous about tomorrow, although DD had her first written exam on Friday.

I am going mad though at the BLOODY FIREWORKS GOING OFF RIGHT NOW - they've been going off for ages (an hour to be precise), so a lot of kids in Aylesbury will suffer tomorrow because of the selfish arseholes!!!

Place marking , DS very relaxed, me - not so much …

Those are both on the the Pearson Edexcel Paper 1 spec so it's more than possible. Your DD will also be doing a 20th century book and the friend's DS will also be doing a Shakespeare play.

More schools do AQA than P/E and paper 1 for AQA pairs Shakespeare and Victorian literature.

Calm child here although still up eating sandwich & milk with revision book. Not a breakfast eater so fuelling now. Macbeth & Christmas Carol I think tomorrow.

Pretty sure DD's school does Edexcel, thanks.

Reading previous posts about study leave - DD's leaver's day was 1st May. Then she was on study leave until last Friday, when she had the written Drama exam. That's her first full subject over with.

I've been ill since Friday, I never get ill and don't leave the house much, so thought I was safe, it's made my asthma bad. My main concern is DD catching it. She had a nasty cold a few weeks ago, so am panicking about her catching it (although the only time I went out was to a car boot sale, and she was there too). I'm a very anxious person, so this whole period has left me spiralling.

I'm afraid that I cried on her last day, they had a lovely assembly and also paid a wonderful tribute to their classmate who tragically died a couple of months ago.

The leavers hoodie has the girl's name on, which Is heartbreaking.

I think I've struggled more as DD2 would have been leaving in two years time, so this is it. Seems like yesterday DD(1) started. I was sad when DS left, but that was 18 years ago, so I was young enough to be able to do it again.

Hope this week goes brilliantly for all y11s, I hope it's as stress free as possible and all their hard work pays off. ❤

Good luck today! We’ve (they’ve!) got this!

Good luck everyone!!

to your family @NotDarkGothicMama about the loss of your little cat.

I’ve not posted on this thread before but I am feeling sick to my stomach this morning with nerves. Terrible sleep last night too.
DS however is chilled as can be, begged for 15 mins extra screentime for snap this morning so he could do a “pre-match photo”
They have no study leave which is great because he definitely needs motivating.

My DS is rather calm and got up really early to go through notes.
House is calm, his calm, I'm calm.

Good luck to all!

@Anonymousemouses that’s so sad about her classmate. But I actually think it’s lovely that her name remains on the leavers hoodie as she was part of their high school experience & never forgotten.
After stressing all year i feel each day is just closer to them all being over finally

Tried to keep a usual morning routine this morning or actually calmer than usual. I think ds needs the normality and routine.
Im going to feel nervous all morning!
Good luck all

@NotDarkGothicMama so sorry about your cat. I hope your son has had a good night's sleep despite that.

DD off to school early this morning (7.30) for a pre-exam booster. Can't decide on what I think about those. Good perhaps to have a few last minute thoughts from their teachers but it did feel a bit of a rush getting out over 45 mins earlier than usual. I don't know whether a relaxed up and out might have been more beneficial at this point.

Eng Lit isn't one of her strongest subjects but she's done a lot more revision for this than previous mocks so hopefully that will make a difference (none for paper 2 next week yet though 😬). Hopefully she comes out thinking it was ok and it doesn't knock her confidence before her stronger subjects later this week (biology, comp sci & maths).

I hope everyone's DC do ok today

Biology GCSE tomorrow. My son is unfortunately disorganised and his school bag is a car crash. We have put his exam stationery in a large clear plastic envelope and the protractor has already gone missing. I checked and for the science exams they need a protractor, compass, scientific calculator, sharp pencils and a rubber, long ruler etc so I’ll be searching for spares. He is a bright boy but I am becoming despairing of the disorganisation.

I hope everyone does well and comes out feeling good today.

DS refused the porridge but accepted a couple of new pens and a lift to the pre-exam booster class. Fingers crossed! He seems ok this morning, just very quiet.

Well my DS has been googling "what happens if you just don't go to an exam" so that hasn't exactly been reassuring!

This is exactly how I feel. I feel so maternal towards my 6ft young man with muscles. To me he is still my baby xx

I like the idea of pre-match photo! My son is doing Eng Lit (iGCSE with Edexcel) this morning. Then Business this afternoon. Good to get the one he's least confident about out the way first, and then the one he is most confident about follows straight after. I am looking forward to the interlude of half term.

They would have finished one essay now!

Anyone else super nervous for them? I’m working from home this morning but still got some time before my first online meeting and I’m just sat here thinking about them. Cannot wait to hear what Macbeth topic came up 😅

@NotDarkGothicMama I'm so sorry about your kitty, I am not sure my DD would be able to sit an exam if anything happened to our cats. Cats are part of the family aren't they? Big hugs to you all.

@clary my daughter was also annoyed she couldn't do questions on Romeo and Juliette (she did MacBeth, but loves Romeo and Juliette)

She cried herself to sleep last night, and was so nervous this morning. She took a fruit tea with her, no breakfast and no lunch. I'm hoping hunger kicks in after the English Lit paper and she grabs food at school. I really want to know what the topics were. DD disliked the theme of Kingship (MacBeth), which I've read somewhere was a prediction. She also does A Christmas Carol, which she felt less confident about as she says there is less to say about it.

Oh gosh, have you spoken to him? Bless him.