New Batch of Year 13 parents this way!

Ooh, an escape room sounds good, please do pm me about one of those. And I love the look of that mail train but I don't think it's dd's thing. I enjoyed Matilda, and dd hasn't seen it, but I saw it on a school trip last year and am setting it again on the same school trip this year as well, so I don't want to see it again. Les miserables may be a goer, I'll see what dd thinks. And the British museum is somewhere I've been before, but if forgotten about it.

DD's favourite place in London is the British Museum. I ended up reading a book outside as she was there for hours each day.

MsAd re shows, we enjoyed Matilda. And always Les Miserables. (Cheapish seats in the Upper Circle).

DD has bought her own ticket for Hamilton in February, beyond my budget!

DS is taking A level music, his will be the first year to sit the new linear music exam in 2018. How easy is to to get an A - no idea, sorry. I couldn't even tell you what they are doing or how much work is involved. I do know that rather like english literature they have a book of pieces that they compare and contrast except obviously it's a book of scores rather than poems. (cough£38cough)

There were 30 odd in music on the induction days, five started the course and now they are down to four.

Book of Mormon was great. I did sit with my sister between DD and me though! We went as a post GCSE treat.

Book of Mormon was great. I did sit with my sister between DD and me though! We went as a post GCSE treat.

Oh, I'm so pleased that so many of you are recommending bletchley park!! Sounds like it's a fantastic day out. Kitten that was a great idea about looking at the ri, but unfortunately the only talk going on while we're there clashes with the tickets I've already booked for the book of Mormon. Any other recommendations for interesting things to do with a geeky 18yo in London? You lot are brilliant for ideas.

Dd is also going to register to do the national cipher challenge organised by Southampton university every year. It starts on 5th October and is really good. You get 2 coded messages each week, released on a Thursday, and submit your solutions to be in with the chance of a prize (based on how quick and accurate you are). It's fab for anyone interested in maths/computing, really gets your brain working. Maybe don't suggest it to anyone who is already working too hard though

We went to Bletchley park this summer. My dc all really enjoyed it. I have to say I was all overcome and had a moment while I was there. It was fantastic.

I'm glad you said that raspberry. We're going to The book of Mormon and are still deciding on the other one, there are so many dd wants to see. She fancied Harry Potter, but it's beyond my budget so negotiations are going on about the second show. We've both seen Wicked, the lion king and the woman in black, so not those. Not really sure what else is on, good, and within budget, lol.

MsAd my 3 all really enjoyed Bletchley Park. This was on a holiday that included Thorpe Park and Harry Potter do had stiff competition! What shows are you going too?

Welcome thisagain

I'm glad you decided to drop in. I can't help with either question I'm afraid - but you'll definitely get some answers about the 4 A levels on here (can't remember if anyone's DC is doing music though)

Has anyone got experience of A Level Music? DD is year 11 and hopes to do A levels in Music, Geography, Biology and probably Pyschology. School has offered to teach Music 1:1 (as no one else wants to do it) but not for the full amount of hours, so a fair bit of working alone. I've heard people say that it is very hard to get an A from Music. She is grade 6 piano, grade 5 clarinet and grade 6 voice.

I do wonder if Music at A Level will not be what she thinks it will be and will naturally drop it leaving her 3 A levels. I guess my concern is that she will love it, but not get an A and then struggle to get good grades in the others for her Uni offers.(she has mentioned law). I'm probably over worrying the whole thing! It's not like she is my eldest and I have done it all before but different child/different subjects.

First, how, doable are 4 A levels and secondly, how hard is it to get an A in Music? I'm saying this on the assumption she needs AAA at Uni (based on my eldest who did law) but it is obviously early days.

I hear you all on the lazy teenagers. Dd had to be woken up yesterday for dinner -that's at 5:30 pm!!! She does walk a lot of places for herself actually, so that bit is ok.

I'm sure her reference from school will be fine, and her subject teachers will give some good information to this tutor. It was just a bit of a worry that she really doesn't know dd very well at all.

We're planning dd's birthday today. So we've booked 2 nights in London, with 2 shows, and a trip to bletchley park where they did all the code cracking in the war on our way home. I think DD is the only 18yo I know who would get excited about a trip to the national computing museum!

My DD had to walk to work this morning, that was bad enough!

MsAD that's dreadful. We have full parents evening on Wednesday so hopefully DD will have all her ducks in a row after that. We are waiting for the last prediction but are assuming it will be ok as she did very well in the AS. I think she is going for Exeter, Liverpool, UCL and Edinburgh. No idea about fifth so may leave it for now.

Thanks lobster

Have you placed bets on getting a call from social services tomorrow? You're not allowed a life when you're a parent you know

Chocolate I hear you!
Dd is currently sulking as DH and I have had the audacity to go away for the weekend, so there has been nobody to taxi her to and from dance, work, friends' houses etc. She has had to - gasp - walk the whole 20 minutes to town multiple times!

Not to mention the fact we didn't leave cash for takeaway as we usually do, so she and dd2 had to cook actual food last night.

DH and I currently placing bets on the state the kitchen will be in when we get home . .

Thanks for the info on Warwick GinandGInger. I think it will be a definite possible back up if she decides not to go for the really high tariff course she's looking at.

We went to Edinburgh yesterday. She loved everything about it. Unsure at first we returned to the department to talk to a couple of tutors, and she asked them loads of questions - a huge deal for her because she is very shy. It is now "probably top of my list".

Can I just derail for a minute

WHY ARE TEENAGERS SO BLOODY UNGRATEFUL?
Yesterday when she was at work she phoned me and asked me to bring her a sandwich as she was only allowed a short break because they were so busy. Today - she couldn't be bothered to answer the door to take a delivery, just stands in the hallway shouting "Mum" when I'm at the other end of the house. Of course by the time I got to the door he'd gone. That was after she took stuff out of the tumble dryer because she wanted to dry her jeans - and started shoving the stuff into a bag (um, the reason I tumble dry certain stuff is to make it easier to iron).

Thank you for letting me rant. As you were.

We went to Warwick too. It felt quite small to us and very self contained. Nice feel, good subject talk and I think DS will apply there but he has his eye on a city university I think.

Sorry iPad keeps crashing, if you want to ask me anything else feel free.

We went to Warwick yesterday @inchyrablue. Ds was very impressed. It's more about the course for him though as there aren't many unis who offer it, and Warwick is the only RG one who do. They only have 25 places!
Anyway the campus is fantastic, it has all the usual shops, bars restaurants a nightclub plus an arts centre, theatre, cinema, studio.
From talking to the students, none of them go into Coventry as that's where the Coventry students go/live. Students from Warwick tend to live in lemington after their first year.
Accommodation on campus is all self catering with a mix of shared and ensuite.