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!

OCR Maths Higher paper here - DS said it went well.

AQA higher paper apparently went ‘well’. So glad maths is now over and done with.

I meant to come back to the group after my questions about art last week.

I spoke to DDs teacher and she was completely confused about why I was asking her about DD finishing her final piece. What she had asked the other child to tell my daughter is that they had misplaced her final piece and could she come in and help her look for it as she was putting her work forward for moderation.

They found the piece and moderation happened as far as I know on Monday, so all was well. I did ask if not finishing was a problem and she said that it wouldn’t be as it was very nearly done. Thank you for all the advice last week!

DD just arrived through the door and said that Edxcel higher was really hard and way worse than the other 2 papers. Oh well…

Ds, a geeky maths buff, not happy with the Edexcel exam today. Worries that he will not achieve the 9 he was hoping for.

From what I’ve read Edexcel higher was horrific.

My son was doing AQA foundation but I’ve not heard anything yet. He’s exhausted, like all of them I imagine. The end is in sight and it won’t be long before they can relax.

My son has described his Edexcel maths foundation today as - 'mid'.

Just hoping for a good pass.

But hey - maths is over, yey!!!

Just had a teary call saying maths paper was a "demon" (AQA Foundation) and she's on her way home. 2 more papers for us, Chemistry and Physics. Sending strength to all! 💐

Higher paper - he's very upset

DD said EdExcel higher was ‘ok’ but also ‘I think I’ll have to settle for a 8’ so I’m guessing it went badly enough that her dreams of a 9 are over (she was very confident on the first two papers). She is naturally good at Maths so it probably won’t have phased her as much as some.

She also said multiple students were crying as it was so horrible.

Where have you heard this? Maths is ds's favourite subject, top set and predicted 9. WTH.

Ds also happy with first 2 papers, which he said were easy.
Does anyone know how grade boundaries work? Are they measured per exam or averaged across the three exams?

Across the three - they get a total combined mark and the grade boundaries are based on this. DD thought she needed ‘about 70’ based on last year’s very high boundaries and what she thinks she got in the previous two papers. 80 marks per paper so it’s based on a mark out of 240.

(can you tell there has been a lot of over-analysing in this house - her brother got a 9 so she wanted one too).

@JustOneMoreMargarita my daughter said the same thing about maths edexcel higher. It didn't go badly (no tears, no opening the emergency cookie dough M&Ms) lol) but 2 questions she either didn't complete or knows she got wrong. She thought paper 1 and 2 were really easy. She said there were a lot of tears coming out of the exams and she had to console a couple of her friends. She thought one of the questions she had only covered in further maths. She's come home as no exam tomorrow so no revision session at school and she's going to revise Chemistry and Dance.

Edexcel maths very challenging according to my son. He was hoping for a 9 but after paper 1 went less well than expected he thought - an 8 will be fine, now he’s concerned about not getting an 8!

DS said OCR higher was hard, the hardest one so far. He said his friends were split between it being hard or easy so I’m not sure what to make of that! He’s really hoping for a 7 and has worked hard. He’s not well today so I guess that would have made everything seem more difficult. He did try every question though so all we can do is keep our fingers crossed.

2 questions she either didn't complete or knows she got wrong.

Are we allowed to discuss the questions? DS had a couple of questions where he reached a partial answer halfway through but it wasn’t usable, so he couldn’t proceed with the remaining parts of the question. He went over them a few times but still couldn’t work out the correct answer. He felt very confused.

DD also said the Edexel higher Maths was challenging and had some weird questions. She is very happy to see the back of Maths and glad she never has to do Maths again!

@Caddycat I’m loving the sound of the emergency cookie dough M&Ms!

Sounds like the Edexcel higher paper was tough, I wasn’t invigilating today so don’t know how our students found it. But hopefully if it was a difficult one that will be reflected in grade boundaries.

At least it’s one more off the list. And the weather looks set to get nice just as they finish! Can we have a thread party next Wednesday once they’re all done? I’ll bring the wine😁

Anyone heard about OCR? The last paper was awful.

@waitingquietly thank you for asking. He's doing ok. He doesn't seem to want to talk about the diagnosis and can't answer wether having it is a relief but identifying and describing emotions is one of his difficulties so...

I think we are all just on autopilot to get to the last exam on Monday and then we will spend the summer trying create a relaxing and no pressure environment whilst also trying to identify support needs for college etc.

My DD found Edexcel higher “not good”. She’d done well she thought in the first 2 papers so here’s hoping the third one hasn’t killed off her hope of an 8! Sounds like a lot of others found it tough too.

So we are edexcel and both says fine/ok. Dd1 preferred to paper 2. She would guess she got a 7 on paper 1 and a 5 on paper 2 and needs a 6 so hopefully that’s possible.

Dd2 wanted a 9 but that was a push but was feeling fine after all of hers. But she also found further maths ok where everyone else found it tricky including the nailed on 9 people so I worry she is missing what she missed iyswim! Ah well, is what it is…..

My DS said today’s was hard but it was 50-50 with his friends as to whether they found it hard or easy! He thought paper 5 was “ok” so today took him by surprise a bit.

Same for DD. Hopefully, they will still get some marks from these questions for method and partial results. DD is predicted an 8, teacher said she was capable of a 9 and after paper 1 and 2 I think she was quietly hoping it was possible. I think it sounds enough for an 8. She needs a 7 for A levels, but I know she'd be disappointed with that.
Onto chemistry, when she's usually a just 6, but had an amazing paper 1 so I have everything crossed it goes well.

Several GCSE support/tutor groups I’m a member on social media.

That doesn’t mean all students will have found it difficult! I hope your son is happy with how it went.