Y11 2025-26 Exams have started - chat, support & drink of choice if needed here.

[UncomfortableSilence]

New thread for all of us with lovely Y11s to support them and us through the coming weeks.

Interesting to read the statistics about the number of GCSEs. My daughter started off with 11, but dropped Drama pretty much straight away and then was intending to continue with 10.

But last week after finding out the marks for the PE coursework she decided to drop PE, as she was aiming for a 9 and that looks unattainable now, so she said there is no point wasting her time on sitting 2 PE papers when she can use that time revising for the core subjects. I'm really sad that she had to do that, as she was going to take PE for A-levels.

On results day, as well as the grade card do you also get the raw scores and score boundaries so you know how close you were / remark territory?

Checking in..hope everyone is doing okay. DS is motoring on, doesn't seem too tired but tbh is just chilling between short bursts of revision so I think is getting plenty of rest. I do need to get him doing some exercise though. He is also having zero contact with friends other than at exam time which worries me a bit. Even the occasional meet up with a friend for an hour would do him so much good I think. Going to try to really encourage him to do something vaguely sociable over half term.

@makemineadecaf - we did at DS1s state grammar …

DS is trying to study but is in panic mode. He's on a 10 minute break now so i am taking the chance to put away some washing. Then flashcards. Chemistry tomorrow. They can have study leave at home now, but he's doing absolutely nothing so he has agreed to stay at school tomorrow- at least until 4 pm which is earlier than usual (they finish 4.30 as a standard day).

He's done so well so far, but seems to have disassociated from it all now. I'm quite worried. We were always worried he'd peak too early....

@3GoldenLamps remember that the half term is now very close and most will have 9/10/11 days to recalibrate before starting again . Disassociated is a really good choice of word actually and describes exactly what I’m seeing here too

I don’t think I’ve read about anyone’s DC looking forward to chemistry tomorrow yet !

No I don’t think so, but the teachers are likely to have that info to hand, so you could check in with them while picking up results. We always have the kids’ raw marks and note down the grade boundaries, as lots of them do want to check.

Same here. And yes - the iGCSE Maths does contain what I'd seen in the days of yore, as A Level content.

@wonderstuff my older DD is hoping to do economics at uni too -Newcastle as she hasn't done maths A level (but did need a 7 at GCSE)

@beachforever I asked her how much essay writing there was and she said 'more than business but less than politics'. It might be a nice change if she's doing maths, a good balance?

Younger DD just keeps slogging away and is dreading Chemistry tomorrow.
I'm sad as I loved doing sciences, and the huge amount of pressure is just putting her off STEM for the rest of her life!

DD is doing 11, London state comp, it’s too many in my opinion however she has coped.

DfE guidance is towards no study leave and yes Y11 do legally need to be on roll till mid June. She would most definitely have benefited from study leave she has been so tired this week especially on the days when she has 2 papers. She has another 6 this week and I’ve said to just let me know what she wants to do in terms of going in and we’ll support her. She has Friday free and I have a staff inset so she said she will go in as she said it might be quite a fun last day before half term. I can’t wait for the break.

Lots of Chemistry and Inspector Calls this weekend.

Chemistry, literature, RE and language this week for us

Just the core papers for us this week: Chemistry, Lit Paper 2 and Lang Paper 1.

Dd is worn down and gloomy. We’re off to a cafe to revise Lord of the Flies. Roll on Friday…

DD state school in deprived area. Told her to let us know if she needs picked up early from school next week got Chemistry, RE, Eng lit and English Language.
School has issues with attendance so will deal with that if any problems, there are just over 250 pupils in her year so don't think they will have time /care.

The school have just reduced the gcses was 10 to 8 think it's from next year.

DD has been revising all weekend and trying to teach herself couple of areas teacher didn't cover in chemistry.

Technically, languages are a good extra GCSE though as it's relatively low work-load if they have the language skills. Although they sit 4 exams for each, it still doesn't take up that much time to prepare as it's technically a skill. That's only if they are good at that language of course.

DS has a comparatively light week this week compared to last - only four exams on four days whereas last week he had six with two double exam days.

My school did a leavers festival for Y11 on Friday afternoon, which might seem like bonkers timing given they're part way through exams, but was probably a perfect 'circuit break' at this stage. Music, party food, a few funfair type activities, shirt signing (some amazing personalised shirts!) and yearbook collection so a proper celebration. Was lovely to see after a fairly intensive first exam week, they were absolutely buzzing. They're on study leave now, but there are definitely some other schools in our area who will keep them in for the entire exam period.

I have been reading DS some of the posts on here from people whose DC have either had no proper subject teachers for prolonged periods, or not had full syllabuses covered and had to put in extra work themselves, it's really brought home to him how lucky he is. Some amazing achievements from some of the DC on this thread.

Hope your DD is OK.
That had to be a hard decision to drop PE heard of a few kids not happy with coursework grades.
Can she still do it for A level?
I know a couple of kids in DD year picked ALevel PE having never done it for GCSE.
Quite a few kids in some of DDs classes where asked if they wanted to drop out of non core subjects for exams. Still in class just not sitting exams. All of DD classes are mixed abilities except for Maths which has two levels.

I think it's hard for all the children who put their heart into these exams. If grades were awarded on how many hours they put in, DD would be straight 9s for sure. She was hoping for 9s in dance and drama and her coursework was "just 9" for 1 and lowish 8 for the other, so unlikely that they will end up 9s overall. She is predicted 6 to 8s and needs a 7 in maths, 6 in english and 6 in biology for A levels. She was 1 mark off a 6 in chemistry in her mocks (and on recount was a 6 but teacher didnt change it) and she's working her socks off to prove the teacher wrong (she told her she was unlikely to improve, you cant jump up a grade in chemistry between march and the exam). I think the main challenge for them all will be to fight the stress and exhaustion in the later exams. Week 3 looks particularly bad for DD (6 exams).
We dont have a plan for results day yet, DD is terrified to be around her high achieving friends when she gets her results. DD said she may want me in the building, so she fetches her enveloppe, come and open it with me, then can either go back to celebrate or rush home with me.
She was doing 11 Gcses (but dropped FM), so now doing 10. She's already got her French GCSE which she took early, I didnt think having 12 gcses was necessary. In a ideal world, if kids could sudy them all and sit exams in their say 5 or 6 strongest subjects, i think they would all be a lot happier and still have a well rounded education...

Am I reading this properly - your daughter is dropping PE because she won’t get a grade 9, and now she won’t be able to do PE A-level?

Could she focus on Maths and English, and just see how PE goes?

Thank you. The school was generally rubbish with PE - loads of teacher absences and not taking it seriously at all. The coursework marks were the last straw. It took a huge amount of time and effort as well, which is very frustrating. They were very non-transparent about the marks as well. I think the Edexcel PE grade boundaries are very high and you have to sit 2 papers, so she decided it's not worth putting the huge effort in that it would take to try to get her mark up in the exam. We will ask the college if she can still take PE at A-levels without the GCSE.

@XelaM what a shame to not sit the exams when she’s done all this work right to the end! Even if she didn’t get a 9, she could still definitely do very very well.

Dd dropped further maths in February and I that was late!

Oh, good luck to your daughter @XelaM, that sounds difficult.

She was aiming for a 9 in PE because she does a sport to a very high level, and is generally very sporty and loves sciences (and the PE theory is close to her favourite subject Biology). Also because she has numerous friends at other schools who got 9s in PE (but the approach many schools take to practical and coursework marking is very different to our school). After the practical/coursework it's looking more like she will possibly achieve a 7 and that if she does super well in the two exams. She just didn't think it was worth the effort to take away time from her core subject revision (all the sciences and Maths) if she's not looking at a 8/9 anyway.

@XelaMshed only need a 6 or 7 tho to study PE at A level?!? The course work on ours took ages but was only 10% OCR

Yes, only 6 or 7 to study it at A-level, but preparing for the two PE papers would take away a lot of time from preparing for the sciences, Maths, MFL and Food Tech, in all of which she is aiming for 8/9s, so getting 6/7 in PE if that will then potentially bring down her other grades didn't seem worth it to her.

I’d get her to sit the exam anyway. Might as well get a grade than drop totally I’d have thought. Unless she actually needs 8/9s