Y11 2025-26 - Trying not to melt and pushing through the final weeks

[Stowickthevast]

I finished the thread so started a new one. Welcome all Y11 parents, support and solidarity for the next big push here!

Thank you!

To answer a question on the other thread- mine also has ADHD and is medicated. (And autism) When he is in the zone he is unstoppable. He likes the exam hall. He was offered his own room because he has OCD as well which manifests in severe anxiety but he turned it down because he said he 'wanted the traditional exam experience'. He also has rest breaks and has never once used them.

He hates having ADHD but his psych did tell him that often kids with ADHD can hyper-focus, which is part of his autism as well.

Right now he is moaning about getting started though. I'm making brownies.

@StowickthevastThanks for the new thread, apologies had such a busy weekend for DD1s birthday just logged on and saw we are full again thanks for the prompt @NotDarkGothicMama

DD is 12 down 12 to go. She has hardly done anything due to our weekend. She did some ethics for RE last night and is going to meet some friends in a coffee shop for some Maths later today. She seems like she’s a lot more relaxed about it all now and I wonder if that’s because she’s found all the papers so far fine? I’m not sure if this is a good thing to be honest, I’m trying to leave it to her as up to now she has been more than capable of managing revision and she’s always worked incredibly hard and is so focused however I’m having to keep my mouth shut a bit!

Tomorrow she’s got a hair trial for Prom, which is far from bloody ideal as it’s forecast 34 here, she’s meeting some friends on Wednesday but hoping around that she’ll be on her grind as she says!

I need to catch up on the last thread but really hope all your DC are doing well.

Thanks for the new thread @Stowickthevast😊

Adhdh here too but meds aren’t really strong enough but stronger made her feel rough. Defo struggles still to get started although can focus in bursts. Half term & heat is not conducive to revision.

6 down and 7 to go for us. DD hasn't been in school since Yr8 due to her ASD and anxiety around attending school. The burnout took years to recover from.

Last July she said she wanted to do her GCSE's with the rest of her cohort, so she's studied the whole curriculum for 6 subjects (English x 2, Maths and 3 x separate sciences) since then.

School agreed to keep her on roll and put her in for the exams but wouldn't support any teaching outside of school so I had to pay for private tutoring. She needs 5 5's to get into 6th Form so we're keeping everything crossed. She got 4's in her November mocks and 5's in March mocks.

Just want to get her back on track and where she should be. 💐 to all, but particularly those dealing with SEND children.

Just checking in - thanks for the new thread Stowick.

DS has been for a bike ride before it gets too hot, and will probably do some revision in a bit.

Thank you for the new thread
a little jealous of the weather forecast posted on the other thread- ours is a little more grim .

DS2 is white as a sheet as he struggled to sleep last night - not sure much revision will take place today

I have my fingers crossed that the weather will break soon

We’ve offered to put camping mattresses up downstairs as it’s so much cooler down there but that is obviously an incredibly stupid idea - as any change is in this house 🤷🏻‍♀️

Having not mentioned exams or revision all weekend seems to have paid off as DS was happy to sit down and make a revision timetable with me, and other than a few football related activities, has scheduled in lots for every day. Whether or not he sticks to it is another issue but it feels like a win that he’s even thinking about it!

What an achievement already! And what committment and resilience. Congratulations to her (and you).

I hope she gets everything she needs.

Checking into the new thread too. DTs did revision at home on Friday, I let them have a day of revision from home. Our school granted no study leave so they’re in till 15th July. They’ve had Saturday and Sunday off from revision. Hoping they can get some revision done today but the hot weather has finally arrived with us in the midlands and it’s very difficult to get much done in this heat.
the school has put a maths session on in half term for half a day which they want to go to, so at least I know some revision will be done then.
Think we’ve done 27 of 51 here but only 3 subjects complete, 2 per twin.
roll on mid June when this over.
the prom shoe saga continues

We have managed a bit of French in the garden but retreated inside. Will try a bit more later.

That's amazing @FatLarrysBanned. Well done her for ploughing through the syllabus. I hope it pays off.

Dd2 diligently doing physics at the table in the garden, slathered in factor 50, umbrella up, cap on.

dd1 and her best mate are having a revision session. Bf turned up about 12.30 then they headed out for ‘revision snacks’ and have yet to reappear. Sigh.

DD was in the garden this morning and has now gone back to her bedroom. It’s so hot up there bless her, but that’s where she wants to be. I’ve got her sushi as a treat but she is very fed up. I offered to take her out for brunch as it’s the bank holiday, but no, can’t not be revising. I feel sorry for her.

Sounds very similar to my ASD DD who has also been out of school. She also needs five grade 5s and at least one or two grade 6s to access the only 6th form that might be right for her. It's added stress at an already stressful time. We are just trying to focus on getting through the exams and dealing with what comes next after they are done.

This weather is not conducive to study for anyone!

I am so impressed with all the kids who are doing GCSEs as it's such a HUGE thing anyway. But absolutely super impressed and in awe of @Tickingcrocodile and @FatLarrysBanned 's DCs who are coping under such circumstances.

I’m another one with a student who has been out of school. DD is doing 8, with a little bit of tutoring (both English exams) but mainly just dh (computer science) & me (the other 5 subjects!). We’re finding the early morning treks up to the external exam centre exhausting. It is probably the most stressful time of my life.

She needs 5s & 6s, I couldn’t begin to predict what she’ll end up with. Anything from 3s to 8s on past experience!

Sending huge good luck wishes to those who are taking exams having been out of school for so long. It’s a massive achievement.

My eldest DS has ASD and ADHD and whilst studying was able to get into hyper focus mode when in the right mood. But with an awful lot of procrastination. Body doubling really helped with him too.

Stupidly hot here, I find myself going for drives just to get the benefit of the car aircon! DS got a couple of hours of revision done this morning. Very glad it looks to be cooling down a bit next week.

@FatLarrysBanned @Tickingcrocodile

I am not in this position this time round but was this time 3 years ago with DD. As others have said, GCSEs are no mean feat in the first place but to have all of the other complications on top is such a achievement. DD missed most of year 9 to 11 with a odd sporadic few week period where she felt like she could go in before it all falling apart again.

It takes over your life doesn’t it? We got EOTAS with tutors coming round for the core subjects a few months before GCSEs started and I was amazed when she said a few days before the exams started that she’d go in school and take them. She’d not set foot in the building for 6 months. They really can pull it pull it out of the bag and surprise us can’t they!

She didn’t get the grades for 6th form but passed them all and her EHCP meant that she could do A levels there.

Admittedly that turned out not to be the right thing for her but that’s another story and she’s now away travelling- but mainly - she’s happy! Good luck with yours this time around 😊

Checking in - on a very very hot and stuffy Monday evening! 📚

Another one who’s missed a lot of school here, due to a combination of medical issues, ASD and burnout.
We’ve taken the pressure right off. Getting into exams and staying in the room is an achievement enough for now, so revision is no more than about ten minutes the day before each exam. The results won’t be what the school set as target grades, but they should be enough for sixth form and if not, we’ll just work out a new plan. Recovery has to be the priority at the moment.

Thanks for the new thread! Catching up on all the posts. All these kids are just brilliant.

Zero revision done here this weekend, I let him miss the Saturday revision session at school as he looked absolutely exhausted. He was out with friends and we had some family bbqs so he looks a bit more refreshed and has a nice tan going on! He's at a school maths revision session today and then tonight we've got to make a plan for the rest of the week.

He has 12 to go after half term and he definitely realises that they aren't his best subjects so he does need to knuckle down. Though same as a PP he's found the exams "fine" so far so isn't stressing one bit when I think he probably should be.

Half term split dd’s exactly in two. She’s got eight more exams to go but five of them in the the first four days next week 😭

She’s definitely flagging, panicking that she isn’t covering all she needs to but finding it hard to focus. I think she’s planning geography today (when she gets up!), also maths, physics & computer science to worry about.

Checking in, a bit of physics, history and French done yesterday. But by the late afternoon it was way too hot so her and I sat in sitting room with curtains closed and binge watched the Kylie Netflix. Possibly not the best use of her time 🤣

Well done her for going for it. My DD was exactly the same this time last year (ASD, ADHD, anxiety, burnout missed year 10). She had similar mocks at the start of year 11. Just through sheer determination she ended up with grades 5-7 in 7 subjects. Tell your DD it is possible!!