Year 12 - first half term DONE.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

new thread so we don't get lost. Well done to all our dc whether doing btech (or breach as autocorrect prefers to call it) or a levels. 1/6 of the way through this year. (blimey)

[Icouldbeknitting]

Half term strikes again, I just manage to develop a routine that works and then I throw it out of the window. In a week I will have forgotten what time I need to leave the house to deliver him to the bus stop.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Don't! I am however really glad to be able to put 6:30am wake ups to one side for a week though. That will make life a bit easier. Looking forward to some fun as well.

[Needastrongone]

Signing in.

[Icouldbeknitting]

We are also a 6.30 start, out of the door for 7.20. I put off opening the curtains until the last minute in the hope that there might be some sign of it being morning by then.

[ExitPursuedBySpartacus]

A new thread already!

Haven't we been busy.

[ExitPursuedBySpartacus]

I feel as if I have entered a parallel universe as DD has gone to London for two days with her boyfriend . They booked a hotel in Bayswater, went to see Wicked and are behaving like sensible grown ups.

[EllenJanethickerknickers]

My school has finished for half term, yippee! DS2 finishes tomorrow and DS3 on Friday. They are with their father this weekend so I am escaping on a city break to Madrid. Even more yippee! Even if the forecast is rain.

DS2 has finished his first 2 assignments for his BTEC. Once he gets them back marked he'll have a chance to make some improvements but then 2/9ths of his first year qualification done. He seems really happy with the college working style so far. Very little homework but some long days at college with most of the work done while there. At least I hope so. Not sure when or even if there's a parents' evening. Must chase this up after half term.

DS2 won't be going to university. My ideal would be to get him on to a higher apprenticeship at our local government department who would hopefully look after him quite well. I would hope they would value his autism as both an asset with his different way of thinking and a box ticked for their disability inclusion policies. This may well be pie in the sky, but if he gets MMM for his BTEC that is 'equivalent' to CCC at A level and meets the requirements of the apprenticeship. Whether he'd get through any interviews is another matter, though. There are other private companies locally who also offer computing apprenticeships but I think the civil service may be more 'forgiving' of his ASD.

If that doesn't work out, I'll be encouraging him to stay on in education at the local college which offers higher qualifications. Maybe getting a degree by the long route, via slowly increasing his qualifications along an HNC, HND etc route, stopping when he feels it's right. He'd live at home with me and get a student loan.

My DS1 has started at university and will end up with a very large debt, as he gets the maximum loan. It's the right option for him, though, I feel. Horses for courses! I'm having to get knowledgeable well out of my comfort zone, as I took the 'traditional academic' route of A levels then degree, as did my ex.

[raspberryrippleicecream]

Singing in!

DD has 3 of her target grades, which is quite a challenge. But as she said, it doesn't really matter as it doesn't affect how she works.

Two more days to go! My school has Harvest Festival on Friday and we are sick of practising the singing!

[MsMermaid]

I'm here too.
Exit going away for the weekend with boyfriend/girlfriend seems rather grown up to me, I'm glad dd isn't at that stage yet, it would just be one more thing to worry about.

Raspberry harvest festival sounds lovely. Dd2 has her harvest festival on Friday too, so she's singing at me quite a lot. Dh will be the lucky one who goes to see it as I'm at work. My school has already started singing Christmas music in choir, I'll be well and truly sick of it by Christmas.

Dd's new passport has arrived, so she can stay work this weekend :) It's also her birthday this weekend, so she'll be celebrating with some friends if she ever gets round to organising anything.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

Thank you for starting the new thread. I was the 1000th poster on the one before last, so I'll let someone else have the honour this time.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

EllenJane our local college does a foundation degree. Would that be another option for him?

[mintthins]

DD was just in the car chatting with younger DD2 and her friend about a new "strict" teacher at school. I was utterly gob smacked to hear that he is having to regularly ask Y12s to "leave the class until they are of a frame of mind to learn". This is A level maths ffs. What on earth are they playing at? In the olden days only really serious applied types did maths - definitely not anyone who might mess around in class!

[catslife]

Just finished off last thread (first time i have managed this) and signing (or is it singing?) into new one.
dd has a work experience day tomorrow organised by the college so has finished all her lessons until after half term.

[FantasyAndHope]

DD is knackered and this weak is wearing her out as it's busy and she's ladened in work and has a conference tomorrow to discuss the slave trade and fracking and won't be back till 10pm so she's aiming to do as much work tonight as she has a lot of work due in tomorrow

[Icouldbeknitting]

mint Maybe they chose maths as their third A level when it came down to finding the least worst option, another possibility is that they were steered towards it rather than choosing it for themselves. DS says that there are a few in his English class who would obviously rather not be there. He'd much rather they not be there as well and keeps hoping that they will transfer to something more to their liking.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

Well done to catslife for being the last poster on the previous thread.

[Icouldbeknitting]

TheSecond I'm sorry to hear that your son is still having a tough time. I have absolutely nothing useful to suggest, take care of yourself because this must be an incredibly stressful time for you.

[MrSlant]

Yay I made it to the new thread, well said catslife on the old one before it ran out of space. I was very much like my DS in that I knew what I wanted to do by the end of GCSE's and had already done two weeks work experience in the job, although I was at least flexible in where I was going to study! Although degrees in his subject matter probably didn't exist when I was in uni (my course was only just in the process of changing over to all degree at that point too, there was still a mix of diplomas/new degrees at that point but my dad insisted I did one of the degree courses even though we all ended up in the same job). We must be vocational learners the pair of us!

Ellen I am very excited/jealous you are using your free weekend to go to Madrid, I hope you have an amazing time. As someone who is now studying for an 'academic' degree I always like to point out to my children that just because you don't go down that route at 18 there is no law stopping you from studying when and where you want as you grow up, there are loads of opportunities out there outside of what has now become the conventional path. I remember when only about 25% max went on to do degrees which seems a lot more sensible in my head.

thesecond I hope that school can help and it doesn't become too much of an issue. There is still plenty of time to come to grips with subjects.

My best moment of the week has been DS having an outside invigilator in one of his classes and he managed to talk to him about what he was doing, in Welsh as well, even though that has been the language of the majority of his schooling he struggles to speak to people he doesn't know in English which we speak at home so in his 'second' language that was brilliant for him. Small steps!

[EllenJanethickerknickers]

Sat in an airport hotel, flight at 7.30am tomorrow. Excited, never done a city break before.

Thanks for suggestions for DS2, folks. Hadn't really thought of a foundation degree. Might have to see how he does with his first year of level 3 first.

I can't imagine DS2 in an interview. He doesn't really talk to people much. Very impressed with your DS, MrSlant talking to a strange adult, and in Welsh! How's his PE coming on?

I can remember one of DS1's less pleasant friends saying that since education post 16 was made compulsory all the, quote, 'idiots' were having to stay on at sixth form or college. May have some bearing on the maths A level poor behaviour if DC aren't actually wanting to be there.

When I did my degree, only something like 5% went to university (and only 2% from my school!) Times have changed. Unskilled manufacturing/heavy industry jobs are few and far between and you need GCSE maths and English to do just about anything, so more education is useful both to give our DC 21st century skills and to keep them out of the job market for a few more years. Cynical, maybe?!

[MrSlant]

That's actually not a bad point. Not that you care you'll be landing in Madrid in an hour! Have an amazing time.

PE not going well at all, we had a lot of tears, the 'teachers' didn't teach, just told them to google topics and then talk about them amongst themselves and there was no practical application of what they were learning. He tried but it freaked him out as there was no direction and no work to do, he already knew what they were being told to google but wanted to show that somehow! Anyway, after a bit of a meltdown (so hard when your broad shoulders 6 foot baby is sobbing!) he quit - letting me know by text when I was at work! His head of sixth form found him in school for me, phoned the course he wanted to do and they said that with the extra curricular sports he does he didn't need the qualification so happy days all round and next time I meet that teacher I may hug him! Now have a GREAT holiday. (I was seriously impressed that he spoke to someone totally strange to him too, they come on in little steps our boys!)

[NoHaudinMaWheest]

MrSlant the talking to people is really great progress. My ds (ASD) is in his first year at university and I am really impressed by how he has managed to talk to all kinds of people. Only when it is practically necessary though!

DD is exhausted and went back to sleep after I woke her up this morning. She would only have made it by the skin of her teeth. She has fallen behind with her work a little too this week. Thankfully half term starts tomorrow.
On the positive side she got almost perfect marks in the only internal test she has had back. The mistakes were silly things rather than not understanding or getting it wrong. She is very annoyed with herself as she definitely has perfectionist traits.

[FantasyAndHope]

Well I've just an hour phonecall with the deputy. I had DD this morning ring in tears, this week is a busy week at school which is fair enough DD was prepared however she has being forced into a debating conference and she is missing lessons and has a lot of work due in for tomorrow as well as catching up on lessons missed she was forced into this Just this week. Another girl day pupil has being alllowrd to quit because she's "Ill" DD is exhausted and is worrrying and other teachers haven't being kind as it's extra curricular, she's got to go which she's gutted about and I'm very very very angry

[FantasyAndHope]

And to add to matters he hasn't planned for them to go and grab something to eat. So she'll have to eat at 9:30 as she leaves at 3

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

It's been a hard half term for them all, a lot of adjustment to make and that's exhausting. It's rotten to have to keep going when exhausted, sometimes though it's a good thing to learn that you can manage somehow even when you are feeling rubbish.

Sounds like everyone needs a good rest over the half term. And a bit of fun too.

dds main orders for the week are to sleep in as much as she needs. She has some extracurricular stuff to do and a fun school trip planned.