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!

My son has, then chemistry, hospitality and catering, and physics left.

He’s shattered.

Yes geography tomorrow plus just chemistry and physics to go - he’s lying on the floor at the top of the stairs apparently it’s comfortable

Thread party sounds ace. I’ll bring virtual 🎂. Is Wednesday when we are all done? Last exam Monday here for DS1 but I think there’s a Spanish exam scheduled after that. In Wales anyway.

Sorry to all those whose DC found the maths and textiles v hard.

Son said Edexcel maths higher was challenging but he ‘enjoyed it’ 🤨

Tomorrow he has extended maths and music technology (not a GCSE but some other kind of level 2 qualification). They should both be in the afternoon (I assume it’s an unusual combination that he’s doing both) so he has to start one early and I assume he will be supervised in the gap between them so he doesn’t rush out and tell everyone the questions.

Snap. Can't come soon enough.

His last exam is Tuesday afternoon poor thing

What's the deal with edexcel then, I wonder? Why try and trip up students, if that's the overall effect. I heard that many found the Maths A-level paper really strange and difficult too. Are they trying to reduce the number of 9s achieved overall, as a differentiator?

A hard paper doesn't mean fewer 9s as they'll just adjust the grade boundaries accordingly.

On the Maths A level thread, I think the consensus is that it wasn't that hard but there were quite a few questions that led to each other so if you couldn't do the first part, you'd struggle with the rest.

DD found this one hard and doesn't want to talk about it. She's another one that needs an 8 fot A level.

I wonder whether the boards are just phrasing questions differently as they know that everyone does the same practice papers so they're trying to mix it up a bit

Yep Wednesday for us!

Friday chemistry
Monday physics
Tuesday Spanish reading
wednesday Spanish writing

DD also found Edexcel maths hard as did her friends, but doesn't seem upset about it. Think she may be past caring!

There’s a separate thread that has been started in Education about today’s Edexcel paper.

My DD said exactly the same. Higher maths Edexcell…but hopefully never have the worry about it again

I am barely getting a response about exams now. Just a ‘yeah fine, can I take my iced coffee upstairs I going for a nap’ 😬

DD has 2 left. Chemistry & Physics.

She will sleep for a week after I am sure. And I will let her. She has given her all to these exams they have been a lot more exhausting than I imagined they would be bless her

DS wanted to go swimming tonight, so we just did that 🙂. On one hand, I’d love him to be more studious, but on the other, I’m glad he’s keeping things in proportion and not burning out.

4 still to go for him I think.

DD didn’t enjoy DT today. She said the paper took her longer to complete than normal and she missed a question that she didn’t notice. She said she’s just too tired now.

Che’s taking the evening off to watch a crappy romcom after a bubble bath.

No exams tomorrow so just all day revising Chemistry for Friday.

Then finishing strong with Physics and Further Maths on Monday!!

Can someone answer this? A few hours later there seems to be unoffical mark schemes available. I am old but on Tiktok and keep seeing videos of people saying - only 20 marks needed for a grade 5 or whatever. Who are these people that release them? Surely they cant memorise all the questions and answers from the exams? Or are the papers released and someone really quickly answers them?
Reddit seems to have them all just a few hours after.

Hoping all kids with exams tomorrow are well rested and recovered after maths today.

Interesting reading the range of grades kids need for ALevel. At DD school it's a 7 for maths and 8 for further maths.
DD was another one to work out she needed on average 73 for each exam to get a 9 currently hit and miss! She is busy revising Geography now after finding a gap in what she was taught again.
After tomorrow she will only have 3!

This is excellent and will stand him in good stead for a-levels and university, or anything really. My boy feels burnt out. He's so tired and finds it hard to fit any more revision in these last few days. What a slog.

DD is looking exhausted tonight,
bless her. She was hoping to cram Geog tonight but it’s just not going in. Then chemistry on Friday which should be OK. And the final push over the weekend and into Monday. Followed by sleep!

I hadn't really clocked that the last exam for many (unless taking Spanish sorry all Spanishers) is on a Monday. A bit crap. Or maybe not? weekend for a last blitz??

DS2 finished on a Friday with physics (it's always physics) and DD on a Wednesday (with physics). Tho for DS2's year the MFL was German with writing on the Monday so yes, maybe that was worse. For the Germanists. Who were pretty much utterly disengaged by then.

Kids wearing spy glasses?

Hi can I ask did anyone’s DC do aqa textiles today? My DD is so upset about it, she said that there was lots of maths in it (5 questions rather than the usual 2 or 3) and that it was unfairly weighted to RM. She got an 8 in her coursework and in her last mocks got a 7 so she’s really upset.

She said that there was a 5 marker on how to saw something!

GCSEs are over for us after today. We are exhausted. I just wanted to thank you all on this thread for the emotional support during this time. I hope all the kids get what they were aiming for.

Chem physics Spanish left here !!