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.

My son isn’t planning university either. He was, but then decided an apprenticeship route/learning a trade might be better for him.

He’s been clear on what he wanted to do since he was a child (he would have had to go to uni for this career choice), but has realised that the money is average and progression is low. He just wants to earn enough to have “a nice home and be able to travel”, so he’s rethinking his next steps x

OCR chemistry combined science here was awful. Apparently some harder and more obscure questions than triple. Praying this means the grade boundaries are low and paper 2 is less brutal and physics and remaining biology go better. My DTs are generally very good at chemistry in mocks this is a big blow.

AQA Triple was great according to DD, Chemistry is her favourite science.

Yet again though there was an error, she used a rest break today and when she came back the Invigilator wrote down her finish time as the combined time plus gave her extra time, she put her hand up and told them and they then put her down to end with the triple time but also with extra time but she doesn't get extra time, the head Invigilator then came over and asked her to point out which Invigilator had written this down and she said she felt really bad however like last week when she was given the wrong paper and then told off for still writing incorrectly, it's just too many distractions.

She's quite nervous for tomorrow, especially the timings, she wants to do Eng Lit at A Level so is aiming for a high grade.

Just to add to the BTEC chat, DD1 did a combination, 1 A Level, 1 BTEC and 1 Financial qualification that was offered at their school that is run by a University that you can continue onto if you do well. She loved this qualification and she never wanted to go to University so she got herself an entry level job in this field where she stayed for 2 years and at the end of last year got a new job in a fantastic company who are paying for her to take professional qualifications, she's earning great money, has a company that are supporting her in what she is planning for the future and is really happy. Uni wasn't the right route for her, there are other options, she also probably wouldn't have coped with 3 A Levels as she really struggled with her nerves in exams.

DD2 on the other hand is the complete opposite however we are not at the stage of looking at Unis, she just is very undecided on what she wants to do and at 16 that's fine.

My daughter also not planning to do Alevels. She has applied for them, but I think it would have been a stretch. Shes now planning to do a level 3 diploma in Art and Design instead.

My DD said AQA combined Chemistry was “mid”! She’s not great at science and chemistry is her worst. She was cross because apparently all the stuff her teacher said would definitely come up, didn’t.

She’s come home today feeling really ill with a bad cold. She’s crying saying she feels too ill to revise but is really worried about tomorrow. Typically, she has two exams tomorrow - English Lit and Computer Science (English is one of her best subjects and Computer Science is her worst).

I’ve sent her to bed for an hour dosed up with paracetamol, but I’m worried about how she’s going to get on. I’m assuming she just has to get on with it?!…

Can't remember who asked about kids still at school but my DD is still following timetable. Exam in morning then lessons where they did class work, only done exams for 1 subject, afternoon study time for Eng lit.
Though grateful she only does 8.45 to 3.20pm some kids have really long days.
DD school would not allow physics without doing a Maths ALevel. There is a big jump I tried to talk DD out of it.
Even more worried as thought we could get a tutor to help if she really has her mind set on them but after looking up the ones people on here use £86.00 to £30.00 an hour ouch !

Sorry to hear that some found chemistry difficult and also so sorry to hear of invigilator errors @UncomfortableSilence. It can be really tricky sometimes managing invigilators in the main exam room and of course anyone can make a mistake- but so tough for your DD having it happen twice. I hope English goes well for her tomorrow.

Hope DD feels better soon @Curlyfrizzball it is worth contacting the exams officer as depending on circumstances they can apply for special consideration but I'm not sure whether a bad cold would qualify - can't hurt to ask though. I would also combine ibuprofen with the paracetamol if you can, ibuprofen much more effective with colds and headaches IME (unless there's a reason she can't take ibuprofen).

Also adding to the BTEC conversation - DS1 did two A levels and one L3 BTEC and I know several who did one A level and two L3 BTECs. It can be a really good combination as the BTECs are coursework based which suits some DC far better, and then there are fewer A level exams to prep for. For DS1, his BTEC was great preparation for his degree, which was entirely coursework assessed. And, unless you're only targeting top 10 prestigious institutions - although sometimes to read MN you'd think those are the only ones anyone ever goes to! - lots of highly regarded universities accept BTECs.

@Littletreefrog I was feeling that too but you are not alone! DS is going to the BRIT school where there are NO entry requirements and the offers are unconditional 😩. Thankfully he seems to be taking the exams sufficiently seriously as I have explained they will still be essential for something in life!

DS has English lit and computer science tomorrow too but has not read the texts, learnt any quotes and is about to watch the Arsenal match. Honestly, I despair.

@MayasJamas

Thankyou that’s really helpful. I have just screenshotted and sent it on to DS!

@newmum1976 note your comment on thinking you need a science 8/9 to do Alevel. I disagree. All three outstanding sixth form options here that get exceptional results and a bucket load of Oxbridge and VetMed every year only want 667 and maths 6. No higher

What poem do we all predict for tomorrow?
My money is on Kamikaze.

DD reckons Checking Out Me History as that hasn't come up before.

Oh actually I have just checked and Kamikaze came up in 2024!

Maths A level with a 6 is not a great idea tho (unless the 6 was an utter surprise due to missing out half the paper or being really poorly). Someone was allowed to take it with a 6 in DS2's year and they were getting 0 in class tests in the first term. They dropped it i think.

Yes, for sure, some people who take A level maths with a 6 will get a high grade. But in general, someone who is strong enough at maths to get an A at A level will find GCSE fairly straightforward. Similarly with MFL (my subject) – if you are not gaining a 7 at GCSE, that suggests you are not strong enough in some of the basic skills needed for A level. DS2 got a 6 in Spanish and A level would not have been a good plan. Similarly DD with her 6 in maths.

For science, it’s not so strongly indicated, but still valid IMHO. Do you know that students from that college have 666 in maths and sciences at GCSE and end up with AAAstar in those A levels and a place on a VetMed course or a spot at Oxford? Or is it just that a 6 is required – and in fact the VetMed/Oxford successes have 8s and 9s?

Ooooh poetry prediction! I am going with Tissue.

😂😂

AQA will never do that. I’m going to say Poppies.

my DD knows the jump to As is big. She’s triple science but most DC do combined so that’s when the jump is bigger. But she’ll have a lot more head space that doing ten GCSEs all at once .
in our area you do need a 7 in maths to do math a level. DD should get a 7 but only due to 4 months of a weekly tutor! No maths A level here..
for sciences it’s 667 plus the 6 in maths

Poppies is a good shout!

@clary these are big inner city colleges with outstanding suppprt and focused interventions for each student so the value added scores are big. Hence outstanding ofsteds.

I’m very impressed with you all knowing your kids poems!

DD has already done all her literature papers but I couldn’t name you one of her poems!

I did read her novel and play though and also took her to see her play so not completely hands off.

DS1 is aiming for the 1 A level and 2 BTECs combo. I think it might be a bit optimistic but he really wants to continue Drama but very sensibly doesn’t think it will be his career. And it seems to be like the GCSE in that it’s only partly assessed by written exam.

Good luck to all those doing Literature tomorrow.

And that's great, it’s excellent that they add value. But are there actually a large number of students with 6 in maths and science going on to do maths and science A levels and getting to uni for VetMed? Or going to Oxford to study maths?

I don’t know any of the poems either! The first time I heard the name of any of them was when son told me the poem that came up in the exam was Hawk Roosting …

we did take him to see Macbeth and An Inspector Calls so we have tried to be helpful but he hasn’t generally wanted our help with his GCSEs.

suspect we will need to do more yo support his younger brother.

You may have a different experience, but my dd in year 13 has friends who have found biology and chemistry really difficult with “only a grade 7” in gcse. She also doesn’t know anybody who has a vet medicine or oxbridge offer with that gcse profile. Maybe in depends on location.

On Amazon Prime there is a adaptation of Inspector Calls, abit over an hour long and dd found it helpful if anyone wants a last min watch!