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!

DS reported that Edexcel Maths Higher was "fine". Edexcel Geography B was also "fine". Your guess is as good as mine. I was surprised I got so much detail about physics yesterday.

Thanks @clary. I've screenshotted and sent to DS ready for French writing tomorrow. Although last time, he theorised that all the parents on this thread were giving fake advice to try to make other students slip up and bump their own DC up the bell curve. I despair.

Although last time, he theorised that all the parents on this thread were giving fake advice to try to make other students slip up and bump their own DC up the bell curve. I despair.

Lol! My youngest DC has just (FINALLY) finished his master's degree with his viva today (just to add comprehensive responses on this thread – “it went pretty well” :D) so I have no skin in the GCSE game beyond I guess anyone I am tutoring. But apart from a few pre-speaking sessions I only had German GCSE this year.

I promise the advice to check your verbs are correct and answer all bullet points is sincere and genuine.

Three today for my DD. Because of extra time (dyslexia, ADD and Autism) she only had 15 minutes between them. I’m very proud of what an absolute trouper she is!
Maths was tricky, Health and Social okay and Geography she missed one & mark question apparently.
One more this week. We don’t have study leave but I’m letting her stay at home tomorrow to get ready for Friday. She’s absolutely wrung out!

Yes, foundation paper. She got 3s in the mocks and has hardly done any revision I'm afraid. I haven't pushed it as she needs the time for other subjects to be honest. I'll pass your tips on to her though. Thanks

Same here I call French the sacrificial lamb. We’re forcing on others. S
My DD is pissed of she’ll miss English language revision tomorrow afternoon for French.

Sadly she did get at 6 in mocks but I fear she’ll drop at least a mark or even 2. She’s worried she’ll fail.

Law!

My DD has sacrificed Spanish, sadly. No revision happening for it all. I’m in two minds about whether schools should be insisting they take a language for GCSE tbh. It’s so valuable, but it seems kids can be very reluctant and can just neglect it. At the (state) school where I teach, they do Spanish GCSE in Y9 - it’s treated as a core subject from Y7 (lesson every day), and by Y9 they’re able to really focus on that one GCSE, and they get excellent results.

@Drivingselfmad that sounds like a really interesting approach! So is there no MFL in years 10 & 11?

That's cool! But yes, what happens if YOP want to take A level Spanish?

Tbh many schools no longer insist on GCSE MFL which is a shame but also not a bad thing. DS2's year at his school had to take it and I think they have revised that policy after a spate of grade 2s and 3s among YP's 6+ grades.

For sure btw it’s fine to quiet quit on a subject; if you don't enjoy it and it's not going to go anywhere in future, better to focus on the biology (or maths, or history) that you do enjoy and it will be needed.

@getwiththeprogram I loved English & History, and did an English & Philosophy degree.

It doesn't qualify you for anything specific as such but I've done journalism, marketing and comms, among others. There are lots of subjects that aren't necessarily vocational but show you can think analytically, write coherently and concisely, and understand conceptual ideas.

They can do French GCSE in KS4. I guess if they want to do A Level, they try not to forget their GCSE content - not an easy task probably! We have quite a few doing A Level in our sixth form that did GCSE in Y9.

Thank you.

Yes I'm going to chat to him about changing his options to A levels in English, History and Politics.

He's currently decided to essentially take a year out whilst he decides by doing a Level 2 in Culinary Skills so he 'can feed himself in the future'. That's all well and good but I think he'll get bored with that in 3 weeks if he's anything like me!

Spanish GCSE in year 9, no Spanish for two years, then Spanish A level. That would be a challenge but I guess if you are keen you would make the effort. I’m impressed that you have quite a few who kept it up. In fact I’m impressed you have quite a few (so more than, say, five?) doing A level MFL at all.

DS has been allowed to drop Spanish ( a few months ago ) and is doing statistics instead - this suits him as he has a maths brain and should get a relatively easy pass.
school have recently changed options rules and students no longer have to take a language .

Apologies - I can't now find the post about the candidate not provided with their access arrangement.

According to JCQ regs, that's maladministration and the centre should be reporting themselves.

https://www.jcq.org.uk/knowledge-hub/suspected-malpractice-policies-and-procedures/

DS reported that AQA higher Maths today was easy - he said he even checked the front booklet to make sure he hadn't been given the foundation paper! I'm a bit sceptical and that he's actually slipped up, he has form for making really silly mistakes - not reading the question etc.

He has been ridiculously confident after all exams, even the subjects he can struggle with. And only revises when supervised. It could go wildly one way or the other tbh!

Edexcel maths higher and AQA Geography reported as good today. Apparently a very mixed reaction on the maths with some thinking it was easy and others hard.

DD seems to be plodding along. I've stopped feeling any stress about it now (I know that's very lucky and fingers crossed it continues) although will still be on tenterhooks for the actual results.

Sounds like the Laurus trust near me where all the Yr9 do Spanish GCSE. They do daily lessons for ages then sit it in Yr9. They get great results which obv is great but I’d go back to the point that in my day it was factored in how many o levels you did in one year. If my DC could do some early and cram for them for weeks it would be very different from 11 in one go

@fruitypancake id second law or similar. The patience to wade through texts and info and interpret it is a real skill. I work in a related field.

AQA history today on Cold War - Praying for a question on the Berlin Blockade 🤣

This is my DS too, history he just knows. But law is not for him as that’s what I do and I have put him off for life. I think he’s heading for politics, the civil service, charity or something like that.

He reported maths as tricky and he didn’t finish the end of the paper. He also said one question used a diagram neither he nor his father who teaches uni maths had ever heard of. Oh well.

Geog on the other hand he found ok and referred to many current economic factors just from listening to the news….

today is history and french reading. But he’ll still have another 8 papers to go. I am envious of those where the numbers are reducing and there are gaps and keep wondering what options they were as the timetable for DS only broke for half term.

we haven’t heard back from
school about the application for special consideration due to the breakdown in the computer which was our failure of access needs. Will chase that up tomorrow

My son has also had one or two exams daily with no break except half term - his options were history, geography, PE, French. The benefits - no double exams first two weeks while they were settling in to it. But drawbacks, horrible half term packed with history and geography revision when his business / RE mates were on the golf course. Yesterday was hard, today hard (history and French) but then single exam days only until the end now

I do a daft think where when the exam is just about to start I wish them a nice exam paper, clearly the paper has already been written publicised months ago and my wishing will have no impact, however I do it for each exam in some superstitious way. 😂

DS is another history/English person - he is not STEM at all. DS13 is the polar opposite.

We also have Cold War history today - he wants a Cuban missile crisis question. Henry VIII is the other topic and I reminded him it’s 50/50 on the marks so don’t go on about war for too long

Also French writing which seems to not even be on his radar