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.

Dd is doing OCR Foundation and it’s calc. Maths is her weakest subject but she’s oddly unstressed - I think because we pushed for her to be moved to Foundation recently, and she feels way more confident than she did floundering through a higher paper. Anyway she feels ok so I am going with it! She also split with her boyfriend today, but also feels ok about that. Not ideal timing but perhaps a relief (it was long term but fizzling out for ages)

Maths is our biggest concern, just hoping he can get a 4 and he doesn't have to resit.

AQA Geography here, a bit of a harder paper with unexpected sand dunes the teacher told them never comes up, but DD was OK. Did some baking and seems chilled about maths.

Ah apols for the calc/non-cal confusion. It would be easier if there was more parity eh :)

Last minute panic here because I asked DD to check her bag for protractor, compass etc and she said dont worry, we get given it all. Is this true?! I am sure we have it all but I dont know whether she was planning on taking it in!!! She does Aqa non calc tomorrow.

I'm really confused and worried now. DD is doing AQA higher tier maths, and is insistent that it is non calculator tomorrow, but reading here it seems that for some a it a calculator paper?

She even says her timetable stipulates non calculator, but I can't see that on my portal.

So is it non calculator or calculator,?

AQA is non calc dw. But as others have posted, some boards start with a calculator paper.

I am loving the idea of your invigilatorometer based on the sleepometer in the exams.

We also had AQA geography here yesterday and the sand dunes question. One DT was a bit down as they had not included a reference to the case study in some of the answers, fortunately she did in the question that explicitly asked for a case study. She realised this because other DT and bestie in post exam debrief were saying what case study they’d referred to. Argh. I have just said it’s one of three papers for that subject so at least she won’t make that omission again.

Like everyone we have maths today. Ours is non calculator Edexcel higher. DTs are strongest on this paper of the 3 so hoping like many this one goes well today, to counter balance the 2 non-calculator ones. Good luck to everyone today for Maths and other subjects.
@caddycatmy DTs have also said school gives them a pack on their desk with all the stuff, protractor and the like. They have to ask for a calculator if they don’t bring one. Not that is calculators today. I was surprised to hear this news as there are 200+ students in the year. There must be a lot of money being spent to provide all this kit to each student and we are just at the local (below average in gcse results) comprehensive.
i did think they’d have some spare kit the invigilators would dish out for those forgetting it , something breaking or the calculator batteries giving up. But 200+ pens, compasses etc and who knows how many calculators seems a large outlay. However I guess not everyone’s guardian/parent sends them equipped for the exams these days and this is one way the school can help.

It's actually usually the below average schools that do provide the equipment in my experience. My 1st DS did his GCSEs 3 years ago at a different school to current DS and he didn't have to take a thing to any exam not even a pen, everything was on their desks when they went in to the hall for each exam. I think it was because some kids (and parents) couldn't be relied on to being what was necessary. They also sent a mini bus round to pick up the kids most at risk of not turning up for exams.

Joining the page to help get though these weeks. DS seems to have been positive so far, he needs a grade 8 in Maths and panicking for today. He is Visually impaired and the school kept promising a large print scientific calculator and 2 weeks ago they said they sorted a tablet app he can use, to be told this week it hasn't been able to get working. So he is back to normal size with a magnifier. Then they moved his spot in the exam room to somewhere too bright for his eye condition and he had to request to be moved. Just the last of support is driving us nuts

@Moneyordream that's awful. It's not like this is a surprise to his school so no excuse to have not sorted this for him.

Not had much sleep. I hope DD has after being upset yesterday. She seems ok this morning, just frustrated at herself for such a silly mistake. I've been worrying she might have missed more than she thinks but if she has I just hope she doesn't find out. Hopefully won't be the difference between passing and failing as it's a subject she is pretty good at. It probably will make her drop a mark though but hopefully not enough to stop her taking at A Level. We're all looking forward to the weekend now (although I think she's a lot less prepared for next week's subjects than this week's so not much chance of having lots of time off).

Fingers crossed maths goes well for everyone today.

@Moneyordream that's additional stress for him, definitely not what is needed today!

Thanks @Ifonlyoneday I've convinced her to take them anyway. She definitely needs her own pens and pencils so I was surprised at the maths kit. It's a state school in a "sought after" area with very good results.

Dd is really worried about today. AQA higher. She’s capable of a 7 or possibly even an 8 but she has so much self doubt when it comes to maths / the sciences. Lots of negative talk from her today.

@Moneyordream that must be incredibly frustrating for your son (and you) .. I can only imagine how hard it must be for a school to organise GCSEs full stop but to overlook something so important that he was promised is really unfair. I hope improvements are made. Have you been into the school banging the drum? It’s not ok is it.

My dds teacher told them her predictions for the paper and her first one was there will definitely be a 4-6 marker on sand dunes as it’s never come up before and basically the only topic that hasn’t! Turns out she was on the money and prepared the whole class for it… think that’s worth a bottle of wine 😆

Our DDs sound quite similar @36and3
DD is predicted an 8, needs a 7 to do it at A levels and is putting a lot of pressure on herself. Things dont come easy, she worked hard to get there but the pressure she puts herself under is great. Im grateful it's a morning exam, no time to stress (too much) about it (for her, but also for me 😅)

worried this morning - DS needs 6 for all a level choices but did a paper yesterday and got a high 5 …. He thought it was probably a 6 so I kept quiet to avoid the spiral … I hope it’s a lucky paper

Morning all and all the best to the mathsers today.

Just a thought which may be worth mentioning – if your DC is taking Higher paper and is likely to get a 6/7 grade, there will be, more I think than in other tiered papers (certainly this is not so pronounced in MFL), questions that are aimed at weeding out the 8/9 candidates, so they may well find a few they simply cannot tackle.

Advice I think is to show anything you can in terms of working out/method; but please make sure they know this (they probs do already) so they don't come out catastrophising about "Jessica’s sweets” or whatever it was a few years ago. It’s one or maybe two questions and they are aimed at their maths-whizz mate. They can still get their secure 7 without that one.

Thanks all, we have been on at them constantly. Calculator was brought up beginning of year 10. He has teacher for visually impaired who goes into school and she has been astounded by the schools lack of support. They just forget about him. When they give out revision they dont follow his passport that states font size etc. Honestly can't wait for him to leave. He is up and pacing for this exam, He is doing further maths this year also, and wants to carry that on to A Level so the stress is high

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Another one aiming for an 8 here. She got a 7 in mocks but was a bit disappointed by some silly mistakes, although paper 2 is her worse paper.

I've just reminded her that she is actually good at Maths and it's not just a test of revision but also the skills you've accumulated over the whole 2 years.

German writing this afternoon, which is another A level subject. She hasn't done much for this as has history tomorrow so hoping her latent knowledge will see her through.

Good luck everyone.

@Moneyordream
good luck to your son. I think it’s awful they haven’t made v easy reasonable adjustments. I hope he does well despite his school

@Moneyordreamthat’s appalling!

DS Way too relaxed about maths last night though he did revise all day at school yesterday. He was making brownies and begging me for TikTok. I gave in in the end no point having an argument - what will be will be. He’s not allowed his phone at school officially but I told him to message me from the loo with some indication of how it went 🙈

@Stowickthevast maths and German A level, I love it! I almost did maths A level, that's a great combo. Engineering firms love someone who can speak German. Hope her day goes extra well and remember to use the German she knows rather than trying to write something she doesn't. (you'd be surprised).