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😉

Similar sentiments in the message from the head in my son's yearbook. He said his year had the highest take up of clubs and trips they'd ever seen. Their years 5 and 6 were indeed rubbish.

I should be hassling DS2 about Physics revision but I know tomorrow is already going to be hard for him so I'm not sure I want to have that battle. Despite him not exactly loving school being cut loose and being all at sea until results and college plans are finalised is really causing him distress. It was so much easier with DS1 he hated school and absolutely loved his final day and ceremonial bring of his blazer in the fire pit. I'm going to have to tread really carefully with DS over the next few days and I think physics revision might have to be a casualty of that

Not awful at all! If they don’t need it for next year, what does it matter, really? (And I’m a teacher 😬) I’m all for them doing their best, but sometimes their best means protecting their wellbeing and doing what they need to do, ie sacking off revision when they are close to burn out.

DD also seems a bit stressed about tomorrow. Unfortunately her teacher left very suddenly 6 weeks into Y11 and they didn’t manage to get a new teacher until Easter. They have had cover from a Chemistry teacher, some lessons with a different physics teacher but she has had to teach herself so much. I’m also over it all now, she’s not doing it next year so I just want her to get a grade that reflects how much she has put into it.

@Littletreefrog That sounds tough for your DS, DD1 was similar when she finished, she really needs routine and to be busy all the time, that’s how she copes and she felt completely lost over that summer.

Sounds like your DD has had a really tough time @RhinestoneCowgirl well done to her on getting to the last exam.

Good luck to all doing physics and further maths tomorrow.

Well done to your DS @whereonthestair. Probably a much needed break from revision.

DD "revised" all day yesterday, but kept coming to find me saying she couldnt focus - she still refused to step away from it all. She had arranged an 8am session with her science tutor so she was up working at the crack of dawn 😵‍💫 She's done 2 physics papers and a spanish one but still worried she hasnt "locked in" enough (looking forward to not hearing "locking in" for a while 😂).
She too has spanish on tuesday and most of her friends do french so they are all done tomorrow. They will all be in though as tuesday is their leavers assembly.
The wait for result is going to be so long! Family in France have their exams last week of june/first week of July and results are on 10th july. Jealous 🤣 Seriously it must be so stressful for the children who dont get the results they need for their chosen school/course as there's so little time to figure things out before the beginning of the next academic year.

All the very best for everyone for physics tomorrow and any Spanishers with writing (or reading then writing if Edexcel) on Tuesday and Weds. Any tips I have already given about French and German apply but in summary:

• Fully answer all bullet points
• Answer every question in the reading – an educated guess may be right
• Make sure your translation into English makes sense in the reading
• Don't miss out any words in the translation into Spanish – something close enough may get the mark
• Check your essays in writing especially the verbs and tenses
• Don't worry if it is not true. Write what you know in Spanish rather than the fancy thing you would like to say (but cannot)!

Some physics good vibes: It was DD's last exam too (the day after her birthday, which is 20 June so much later) and she was totally drained; she came home and said "Mum, I couldn't answer lots of it so I just wrote down anything I knew about that question topic." Also DS2's last exam – he had had a poor teacher who struggled with the class and we had some calls home about how he was doing (or not doing). So anyway DD got an A (old school) and DS2 got an 8. Even he had no idea how!

Feels like they need to make a decision almost straight away! They’ll be partying in 20th regardless so won’t be fit for anything until the Monday

Only 1 hour of revision done here ( all weekend….)
Still, only one to go and then we are freeeeee. Quite emotional really isn’t it !?

DS has worked today. It’s been slow and painful and he’s hated every minute of it. Physics is his best science but he’s not a scientist by training. Thankfully only a few hours to go!

Thanks @UncomfortableSilence we are really proud of her. She's already told me that she will cry when she opens that results envelope on 20 August, whatever the results say. Me too kid!

Physics revision has been painful. Paper 2 is really hard. I hope the maths carries my son through tomorrow….

Feeling pretty emotional about it being DS2's last day at school. He has been pretty anxious about leaving his friends too for most of the year. He needs structure so the next few weeks will be interesting. We have a family week off week after next, our first proper break since last summer. I've had loads of time off, some unpaid to support revision, but I'm not counting that.

I don't know if our kids had it that bad during Covid. I remember being quite relieved they weren't older so missing out on secondary socialising and exams, or younger as my friend whose kids couldn't read properly really struggled with home schooling. A friend who's a lecturer just had half her class failing their finals as those were the first "real" exams they'd had to sit!

Good luck to everyone doing physics and further Maths tomorrow. No FM or Spanish at Dd's school so everyone finishes tomorrow and they're planning on going into town then to someone's house. It's the start of her best summer!

no physics revision done in Saturday here but today they’ve been up and doing revision.
Last exam tomorrow and leavers assembly.
im quite happy we have a decent break till the exam results. Hoping everyone can get a decent rest and recover in the meantime.

on the topic of exam marking I had an odd question if anyone can answer. I think I read in an earlier post that for english the examiners mark a certain question do maybe all Q4 on paper 1. How does it work for other exams? Do examiners mark a whole paper in geography, science, history or is it again only certain questions?

That’s the case for English Language - question by question.
For English Lit, the examiner marks whole papers at a time. Not sure how it works for other subjects.

I'm wishing I took tomorrow off work now as DS will come home from his last exam to an empty house until around 5pm and I think I would have liked to be home for him (and me) incase of big emotions. I definitely didn't feel this wobbly when DS1 left school I think it's a combination of DS2 being a very different type of child and the fact that he's the youngest so this is it for me in terms of school and everything that comes with it.

I'm feeling quite emotional about tomorrow - less than 12 hours he would have left his school! I have booked the day off and plan to go for lunch or something with him. He is autistic and wants to go somewhere away from other year 11s who may be out celebrating. He hasn't revised at all for any exam at home. Due to his SEN I haven't pushed him. He's attended a few revision sessions at school but thats it.

DD popped her head in this evening (she usually does before she goes to bed for some random chat / stroke the cats) and apologised for being grumpy the last week!! I said she hadn't been TOO bad considering.

I'm sure MrsHamlet who is an English teacher and marker has posted before that she just marks one question – so it might be all Romeo & Juliet questions?

I guess it may vary from board to board tho. I had a colleague who was an exam marker (MFL) and she only did the written CA (in the days when it as 60% CA).

I as talking to someone who did maths marking the other day and they said they marked one or a few questions over and over rather than the whole paper.

Can’t wait for tomorrow. Definitely a lunch and huge exhale

I am pretty sure that nobody marks a full paper, even in Eng Lit but maybe wrong.

They 100% definitely do whole papers for English Lit (AQA at least).

Maybe varies board for board - AQA is whole papers for Lit. Question by question for Lang.

Very little physics revision has happened here. Daughter has been ill 🤒 since yesterday with a cold and her eyes were terribly irritated and dry, so she couldn't really revise. We need a miracle for Physics today 🤞🏻