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!

I won't share that thought with DS @Drivingselfmad or he will be glaring suspiciously at his teachers.

He said that English Language was "fine" and he thinks he'll get a 7. I hope so!

DS said English was "fine" I've just left him reading his Autism diagnosis report after letting him know the diagnosis. We couldn't wait until after the exams as he was asking constantly and said he knew it was coming this week. Hopefully it doesn't de-rail him too much but just maths, sciences and geography left. He is normally ok with maths and science and we are not too bothered about geography.

I'm trying to write an email to his school to express my disappointment that it didn't occur to them to mention to us at any point in the last 5 years all the difficulties they disclosed to the autism assessment.

On a different note who’s enjoying recycling all the piles of paper each day! My house is getting less cluttered every day now 🤣

DD has a big box that she’s dumping all her gubbins in as she completes each subject - nice visual representation of how much she’s put into it all!!

6 to go….

I bet that box weighs a tonne!

DD also happy with English, she said she had a feeling it would be AI/Tech and she has plenty to say about that. 6 more to go!

@LittletreefrogI hope you and your DS are ok and he’s able to process it all. What a let down from his school it makes me so angry.

RE Art, DD was given her raw score by email, they were all given it with the deadline of when they can appeal that mark. We viewed all the work the other evening after it had been moderated. DD had done a large A2 canvas for her last piece and her teacher had advised to really bring it down in terms of size for the exam to ensure it could all be completed.

@SevenKingsMustDie We’ve also got a box where it’s all going, also all the revision guides are going in there, I will ask school if they would like some that have been hardly used as she mainly used online tools for revision. I can’t wait to give her room a really big clear out when it’s all over!

DD is looking forward to a big clear out - SO much paper! I'm in 2 minds as to whether to keep the revision guides, they have all been used a lot, highlighted and annotated, but her sister isn't too far behind... Im not sure how useful they would be but equally we have so many, I feel bad binning them.

Yes me!

Every time a paper is over I ceremonially rip in half all the associated past papers, notes, knowledge organisers and dump them dramatically in the recycling. Gather all the books and revision cards ready to donate to the school.

My dining table which was laid out in order of exams and associated stuff is getting nice and empty. Just the sciences and maths now for my boy.

It's very satisfying.

We haven’t cleared out yet. We also haven’t written on anything so plan to give them away

gosh I’m not binning anything until we no there’s no retakes!!

@makemineadecaf but surely that would only need to be English or maths?

Essentially they can take retakes in any subject where they’re not happy with the grade.

DS also ran out of time.. .this has been a common theme since primary that he doesnt have enough time. and hates writing He said he wrote 2 paragraphs instead of 4 but said it went OK. But he said a lot of people found it hard.
He got 2 grades lower than expected in mocks but went this morning saying he knew where he went wrong, before and what he needed to do different...so I feel bad that it didnt entirely go to plan...
He did say hes pleased he doesnt need to write an essay again (hes doing STEM for A levels)

Ha polar opposite here… dd loves writing and cannot WAIT to never do physics chemistry or maths ever again!

Ah ok. Fair enough.

I am also loving getting rid of past papers and revision notes as we finish each subjects. Revision books are being piled up on a shelf and will be donated to school, along with uniform. They have a regular second hand sales for parents. We've bought quite a few items although most of the revision guides came from Facebook about 4 years ago when ds1 was in year 10.

My DD the same (she did creative subjects) she couldnt wait to drop sciences!

AQA English here was ‘mid’ ‘wrote loads but ran out of time’ so that looks like a recurring theme!?! She’s likely to get a 6 based on previous mocks & no revision.
also making her chuck every bit of paper out once exam done. A few revision guides to go to her brother but diff options. So only English maths and maybe science to pass on. He’s doing some btec and sociology where she did other stuff

No binning anything here as I get to do it all again next year with DD2 oh well feel a bit better prepared I suppose!

ill have the delights of gcse and As at same time!! Planning loads holidays next year

Solidarity! I have 2 years of GCSEs followed by 2 years of A-levels back to back. Summer 2029 is going to be massive!

Running out of time on AQA Eng Lang is definitely a theme! Happened to my dd too, as well as lots of my students.

Silly question - if they are doing triple science do they get three separate grades? so if one goes really wrong it
doesn’t change the others?

Yes, they’re separate GCSEs.