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😉

Hi all … gosh it’s feeling very real now.

For those of who are going to give a gift on Thursday, what have you chosen? I got dd a special bracelet as a good luck going into the exams so can’t really do that again. Need ideas! We’ve just had a trip to South of France just the two of us which cost a small fortune so don’t have a big budget but want to give her something.

We went on a family holiday after exams which means no real budget so I've got DS a balloon, a laptop sleeve, some sweets and a book related to the profession he hopes to go into oh and a academic year calendar for his wall in the hope it will keep him organised.

No extra presents on the day here but have just (last week) bought him a double bed for his room and have a character duvet set for it related to his interest as a home from Grandma’s surprise on Monday. Hoping for a - you are fine just the way you are whatever the results and they aren’t crucial vibe 🤞. The bed was also supposed to be next week but they delivered it early!

Way before the exams when DD was in the depths of revision stress, she asked for a designer handbag as a gift if she does well, which I agreed to.

However, it’s not been mentioned since and after paying for her to go on 3 different holidays with her friends over the summer on top of our family holiday plus concert tickets and reading festival tickets, I’m clinging onto the hope that she’s forgotten all about the bag 🤞🤞

@3GoldenLamps- your poor son and you. Those comments were horrible and such a shame to have what should have been a nice trip spoiled.

@Beachforever- my son has the memory of an elephant for promises made so I don’t think you’ll get away with your daughter forgetting about the designer bag LOL

Our son has had a whirlwind few weeks with camping, family holiday and visiting husband’s family. He’s due back today and I think then results might start to loom.

He’s in a lucky position that he did well in mocks and is predicted good grades but I just hope he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself. At the beginning of the exams he was very stressed and working really hard and as they wore on he perhaps became a little too relaxed towards the end …

I wasn’t thinking of getting him a present though. It’s his birthday in the next few days (August baby) so he’s getting presents for that and surely the results are their own reward 😂

I've not been looking here since the exams finished so sorry to see some kids have been struggling over the summer. Not much has been done here - a holiday, time with friends, some pre-college work that was set at the induction day and tbh, far too much lounging around and being lazy! DD hasn't mangaged to find a job yet unfortunately, applied for lots but no replies at all. I've been stressing about that but I think she's quite enjoyed an aimless summer. Hopefully she will find something soon. It's hard when you don't have any experience and I guess every job has many, many applicants.

Results day has snuck up on us. Really hoping things went ok for DD and everyone else.

I wasn't planning to give DS a present. He's getting £50 for any 9's though, so hoping for 8's... I've also booked a table at Pizza Express. It's his favourite and they're doing bottomless pizza and doughballs for £12.50 for anyone who brings their results.

DS's presents are just bits and bobs he needs anyway the grades are the opportunities they bring are the reward. Well hopefully anyway I'm absolutely dreading results day.

Thinking of all those that have not had the summer they hoped for and are struggling, really tough, sending hugs to all.

DD is getting a bit bored now and said she’s ready to go back. I’ve pushed all my summer hours to the second half so trying to do things where we can and she’s been seeing friends lots. She even voluntarily cleared out the additional cupboard I had to put on the landing to store all the bloody art equipment.

She seems to have decided on moving to the school I work in now but she wants to change one of her A Levels so we’ll have to get ourselves to the queue early and pray she can do what she wants.

She seems to be getting a bit nervous now about results so hoping Thursday comes round quickly!

I asked mine to at least start the transition work in case we need to plead his case on Thursday to do his chosen subjects . He bit my head off .

The good news is that on the whole he is still eating .

I keep telling myself he got 4/5 with no revision in mocks so hopefully he did do better with some revision 🤞…

In the scheme of things it’s not that important - the last few months have taught me what is

Good luck to all for Thursday

I’ve just found this thread and hoped to join in the wait 🖐.

I’m very nervous for results day. DS is in a specialist school with a variety of life altering diagnoses. He is bright but his needs mean he’s missed so much formal education and there was never a chance to catch up.

We had to abandon the thought of exams until the last minute when he decided he wanted to sit them but could not manage much revision at all. We’ve relied on his school teaching him with the best resources they have on offer but it is nothing like a mainstream education. He’s only sat Maths and Science so far (English will come next year).

We really hope he has at least scraped a four to ease the pressure for next year on him.

He has a real disadvantage over his peers, friends and cousins who are all entering the exams with a full mainstream education and if he passes, we will be unbelievably proud of him for overcoming so many hurdles to get some GCSEs.

We don’t plan to share his grades with friends or family no matter the outcome as our family are very judgmental, they compare the family DC all of the time but expect my DS to be on the same level as his cousins. We’ve already had the comments about whether he will resit if he scrapes a four.

No he won’t, we will take that 4 and hang it with immense pride on the wall!

Good luck to all the DC on here!

This is the hardest few days for them (and us), waiting! Then the heat makes keeping busier a bit trickier, unless staying in and being air conditioned (sadly not in our house!)..

DD has been keeping busy on a lifeguard course this week - she passed hooray so now she can get herself a job (though she doesn't seem all that inclined to actally be a lifeguard..) I think she quite enjoyed it as she got up every day without complaint, not that she'd ever tell me that! I think she's getting a bit bored!

Her older sister got her predicted grades for A level yesterday, I think DD2 is feeling the pressure for next week. So hard being the second one... she's worked so hard I hope the results reflect it!

Well done to your eldest @postitnot

Hi @AlittlebitofMagik that sounds really hard, fingers crossed your Ds gets his 4. Family and results can be very tricky.

I don't think we're getting DD anything though she has a list as long as her arm of things she "needs". We gave her a digital camera when she finished exams which she was desperate for so don't know if she needs anything else.

She has agreed that I can drive her to school to get her results though and think she may open them in the car so we can have a quick chat about next steps. Not entirely sure what A levels she's doing and is planning on enrolling in 2 schools while she decides.

Just has an awkward call with MIL who was telling me that her and FIL are planning to come and stay with us for results day. Had DD in the background saying absolutely 💯 no effing way!!

In-laws seem to think this is a family affair where we should all be together to receive the results. MIL is a retired secondary school English teacher so quite surprised by her not reading the room.

I had to gently dissuade her but she is very put out! DD is now freaking out that they’ll turn up anyway. She is so nervous about the results as she has such high expectations of herself and is positive she’s going to be disappointed. She really doesn’t want to deal with her grandparents at the same time and have to put a brave face on, bless her.

We have booked a family meal out at a proper Italian restaurant (by which I mean somewhere that doesn't take Clubcard vouchers - our usual fare!).
When I asked DS where he wanted to go, he asked why, so I think he had completely forgotten the date.
We've had 2 weeks away abroad and he's done some bits of the bridging tasks for the 2 A' Levels he's planning to take. Need a final push next week to get that finished as he's away in the final week of August.

I hadn't even thought of getting her a gift.

I did get her a sort of wellbeing exam revision basket before the exams, so I like the idea of a similar thing for starting college but I know she'd want to choose her own things so may end up on a shopping spree instead.

i’ve bought her a bag. A particular brand she saw lots of people have and liked when we were abroad so think it’ll be a nice surprise.

We’ve then got a family brunch at a nice restaurant. Very real now.

It's at times like this I'm glad that my parents and DHs parents don't give a shit about DS as there is no family pressure at all, to the extent I'm not sure any of them even know he sat GCSEs.

I'm so nervous for DS as he was not in a good place at all while sitting the exams and we had to really back off and dial down everything to do with exams. He's in a bit of a better place now but that could all be derailed on results day.

This waiting seems to be going on forever! DD is quite nervous I think. She was doing a week of musical theatre last week so that kept her busy but not much happening between now and results day and her friends are all away.

Lots of family asking us to let them know how she does but we probably won’t share actual grades as they are unlikely to be as good as the other kids in the family.

With colleges, she has two places on hold. Can we confirm them both after results or do we definitely have to decide on the day which one she wants?

No gift here. Just my own personal opinion of course and each to their own, but I don’t agree with showering them with gifts for things like this. I feel like it’s setting up expectation for them that needing to and working hard will always come with super rewards. To me, it’s important that work ethic and determination is more intrinsic and they take a longer term view of the rewards that can come
from it.

I did buy DD some (non expensive) earrings she had been coveting before the exams, and she wore them in each exam as a reminder we were with her in spirit in the exam hall. And we will take her out for some grub at some point in the days following.

And we’ve told her countless times since May how utterly proud of her we are, whatever the result. She was really unwell with a flu-type virus for two weeks of her exams and I can’t tell you how proud we were of her for her resilience.

No gift here, I’m taking DD for a celebration lunch on the day. I’m super proud of her but the exam results are her reward. We did take have a wonderful two week family holiday post-exams.

My thoughts are increasingly turning to results day now, I just want to know how she did!

I just had a hug goodbye from DS and am on my way to the airport. I can't believe next time I see him will be at school collecting his results (passport control and trains willing).

Ah! Are you going far? What time is your flight due back in?!

@Curlyfrizzball you can enrol in more than one. That's our plan too. Enrol in two and then make a final decision in the next week.