Y11 2025-26 Final exams are here. Now we wait….

[UncomfortableSilence]

New thread for all things Y11, did they cook or are they cooked. We will find out in 10 weeks😉

At the moment we’re just having the long-promised pyjama day to celebrate it all being over…

There's already a thread, I'll link it

Oh can't find it now, it's got Y11 25-26 in the title!

It’s full, that’s why I’ve started the new one.

Thanks for the new thread 😀 very sus revision going on here for Physics 🧐 after riding all day with her friend

Thinking ahead to next year, how do people do additional A-levels out of school that the school doesn't offer and won't facilitate (e.g. a language or subjects like photography)? For GCSEs, her current school organised the speaking/writing/listening/reading exams for her MFL that they didn't offer, but the college most likely won't facilitate this, so do we just sign up to another exam centre in addition to enrolling in the college? Does anyone know the deadlines?

Checking in

Place marking! Yikes 10 weeks. Bet it drags!

Checking in for the post-exam party 🥳

Good luck to everyone for the last exams!

I don't know if this helps at all, but our school (small indy) would have quite a few students from other schools sitting exams using our rooms and invigilators that were not offered at their schools or ours.

So we had an A-level Russian student this year who also needed 1-1 due to medical issues. I assume there is some payment involved, but the space and time was given to him. Also a few students doing various GCSes and the odd IB that they were taking privately and then physically sat the exam with our students. But i have no idea how they did it, just I know that before the exam series started the EO and a few of us invigilators met with those students to show them where everything was and where they had to go and to introduce them to us so it wasn't too scary on the day itself.

The EO and Chief invigilator managed their exams also so we got them and they processed them and sent them off. But the actual nuts and bolts- not sure.

Ds2 did some physics yesterday afternoon, the last of the 10 min tests from the revision book and half a past paper.This morning he did a bit of Seneca, then parkrun with me followed by finishing the past paper. We marked it and he got 70% so happy with that. He went into town and went to the cinema with his friends. DS1 was appalled and said I should have made him stay at home.
But he's only doing foundation science anyway and I think we're both done now.

Ohh interesting! Russian is the A-level language we want to take 😀

I just wanted to thank you all for keeping me sane over the last few weeks. I haven't posted but I've checked in daily to read everyone's comments on the Year 11 exam threads, and have been cheered and reassured by the stories of revision struggles/horrible exams/daft teen slang and so on. My DD is high-achieving with an ASD diagnosis, and GCSEs have long been a source of extreme anxiety for her. She has four exams left. I said to her just now that this is the last weekend you have to revise and we did an impromptu dance around the sitting room. Roll on, Wednesday!

I invigilate at the local state school. We had 3 pupils going A-level Russian this year. It doesn’t do Russian. Maybe speak to your EO of your current school, or the college or other local SS. They need to get a speaking examiner in. I assume this costs money so there maybe extra payment involved…

Checking in. Some revision is apparently being done now but who knows really. However I am over the moon DS has voluntarily signed up for a summer school introduction session for his course at college. Leaving school, having to go off to college on his own etc is a major part of his deteriorating mental health so this is huge for him. I'm well aware he has only signed up and hasn't actually made it through the door but honestly even that it's huge for him.

Thank you 🙏 Getting a Russian speaking examiner in is ok as we did it for GCSEs. I was just wondering what happens when your college exam officer doesn't facilitate the writing/listening etc but I will speak to the College.

Checking in! One to go!

Do the college do other language a-levels? We’ve done all sorts of languages? Russian, Portuguese, Turkish. As for the writing papers, it’s just a matter of getting a room and invigilator sorted, or putting you in with the other exams that day. It is the listening bit that is the faff. Need a invigilator in the prep room and one in the exam as external examiner. They then start talking in the exam language before the exam and you just have to hope it’s all above board….

Dd had 'leavers assembly' and shirt signing yesterday, then a friend had a party last night so today has been a write off revision wise. I think she needed it though, can have an early night and an early (ha ha) start tomorrow. She has a tutor for physics and is having the last session tomorrow which might help her focus!

The end is night! Such a relief.

Hi @XelaM I work as a speaking assessor in several private exam centres in England and some of the students I assess are at school, sitting exams there, but taking GCSE or A level in their (native or mother-tongue) language externally.

The exam centre facilitates it and they sit exams there including the speaking assessment. Obviously there is a cost involved though (hundreds of £ for A level).

I have also on occasion conducted an assessment in a school when a student is sitting it there but the school needs a speaker for the specific MFL as the subject is not offered there. So that might be suitable for you. I am guessing you need to ask the school though. In most cases from memory when I have done this it has been a private school if that's relevant (tho I don't see why a state school could not facilitate).

Would your Russian GCSE examiner be happy to conduct the A-level assessment as well? IME not all speaking examiners are happy to take A level bc of the more complex spec.

Thank you 🙏 I think the speaking examiner does A-levels well, but will double-check and speak to the college. Otherwise we will have to sign up with a private exam centre like you say. It's a state college that doesn't do MFLs so I'm not sure they will be on board with it, but I will speak with them.

Thanks for the new thread @UncomfortableSilence . Not much physics going on here today but I will try and encourage a final push tomorrow!

I can't see why it would be an issue as such though. The requirements are the same as any A level exam. Not sure why a PP says the listening exam is a faff – also you don't need an external examiner for that (did they maybe mean the speaking actually?). Actually for A level the listening and reading paper is conducted by the student; they can listen to the audio as much as they want, so they need the equipment for that, but that's hardly complex.

Meant to add – do you have a tutor? I assume your DC is a native speaker but they will need some input for the A level topic and film/book work. (I'm not offering haha Russian is not a language I speak)

Dd has only managed some revision this eve. She has been dancing all day ready for a competiton tomorrow, leaving 6am and get back in the evening! She is takimg revision to do in the gaps....

DS done no revision at all but does have a gold medal from his national championship earlier today. He’s in a funny mood but promising to revise tomorrow