GCSE '18s (20) - half term beckons!

We've got another week to go before the half term break...

Glad you enjoyed Warwick!

I had a long chat with DS this evening. It started with him asking who Germaine Greer is...
Apparently his tutor group was discussing no-platforming people and that it was wrong, and a gobby lad piped up "apart from GG, who is full of hate". (She was no-platformed at Cambridge due to trans issues.) so I explained who she was and why feminists were being pilloried just now. He was aghast at it all and it led into a really useful discussion about unions and people power and Stonewall and cowardly politicians and lobbyists etc. Stuff he thought I was too old for 

I have since been binge-watching Lewis on Netflix (I never watched them originally because I couldn't bear Morse not to be in them) and drinking red wine.

Hope everyone's enjoying half term!

Yes DS (and both parents) really impressed by Warwick and preferred it to Durham.

Just have to get our heads rounds the living arrangements post first year.

Really impressed with Warwick today, even though we have nothing to compare it to yet. Maths degrees all flexible with wide choice of modules which ds liked.

Sorry about yesterday, and thanks for all the kind words.Have picked myself up again, a break will do me good! whistle sorry if I scared you, but it's reality to say working anywhere in the NHS is not for the faint hearted! I'm sure your friend knows what they are getting into.

Terf thanks! I'll definitely mention this to DS1.

If any of your DCs (or you!) are interested in Japan and Japanese stuff, there's a whole calendar of events happening - most in London but in other cities too - and mostly free!
www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/japanuk150/events/oct18.html

That’s definitely HET. Hope she enjoys it.

Just sitting in Debenhams cafe waiting for dd to finish work at 12 and take her home.

Found out more about the trip. It’s 4th Nov so we definately need a trip to Liverpool. There is an orientation meeting on 31st Oct & it’s there and back in a day so 4am flight out.

Whistl the whatuni app can do what you want.

DS and I booked for a lecture next weekend at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas as it is relevant to his EPQ.

We have done the Why Warwick talk and now the Living one is about to start

No predicted or targets here either even though DS sat alis tests - perhaps they will issue them later. Probably wouldn’t be that helpful for ds anyway with his history and Spikey profile but it does make it difficult to start thinking about post sixth form when you don’t know what level he is aiming at. I may ask for a chat with his tutor perhaps to get a rough idea of what they think

Does anyone know of a website where you can enter A level results and get a list of universities and their specific courses where they actually offered to students with results like those?

Kilash you have my admiration and thanks too. Enjoy your well-deserved break.

Terf thanks for the heads-up on the NCH lectures-just booked DS on the Politics/IR one.

No half term grades here but we will get a written report at the end of term. And no predicted/target grades until June.

DD had exams which was one question on the topic they had studied assessed as though it was an A Level.
Then they were given a Target Minimum Grade that they are supposed to aim for which is based on their exam grade and the IQ/ALIS tests they did at the start of the school year (which also takes into account the subject combination and GCSE results).
DD pretty much aced the exams (A Levels are def suiting her more than GCSEs)
As a parent all I received was a table with the 4 x subjects with the 2 grades next to them, a column that says 'Keep/Drop' and a space for my signature and the head of department's. She dropped the one one she got the A* for and kept the A's.

As a word of encouragement the majority of girls got C/D in the exam which was enough to continue with the subject and they were told that with steady work this should increase by 2 grades (or more with a lot of hard work).
This is especially the case with Humanities where they become more mature and learn the exam technique.

DS has a half term report - Attainment is marked from 1-5 (no A*-E prediction correlation) and then assessment of his organisation, contribution in class, care over written work and (new for this year) evidence of independent study + research.

DS1 has been given two sets of target grades - a lower bound and an upper possibility.
It makes sense as there are a lot variables between now and the A level sitting exam day. You might not work hard. You might hit a wall with something that hasn't been taught yet. You could be ill on the exam day.

EllenJane, I suspect your school has just given the minimum expected grades that your DS shoudl get, even if something goes wrong between now and exam day.

Your post has scared me, Kilash. I got an email this week to say that one of my friends is emigrating soon to the UK to take up a post in the NHS, a move that I had a big role in encouraging him to do and which has taken him 12 months to achieve (The NHS is v.v. bureaucratic!)
I have no experience of the NHS, except as a patient, but where he comes from the wages keep everyone below doctor level on the poverty line and he sometimes/frequently has to work 24 hour shifts, so I thought it must be a lot better here.
Have I done something terrible?

Kilash you are a hero I'm relieved to hear you have some leave coming up and hopefully can rest.
We don't have any predictions, just an email reminding students it's a good idea to review their notes over half term, which is fair!
DS says his psychology test came back as a B, which considering it was from a past paper seems quite encouraging at this stage.

Kilash I can't possibly understand how stressful things are from your perspective, but you and every single one of your team have my greatest respect & heartfelt thanks. DH is not frontline or clinical, but is NHS and we definitely recognise the pay, recruitment & constantly shifting priorities scenarios.

We'll be at the Birmingham open day tomorrow...

Kilash my hero, along with all your colleagues ❤️

Hope you enjoy the Warwick open day as much as we did!

Has anyone actually had any predicted A level grades yet? DS has applied to do a student shadow day at LSE which seems to be aimed at Y12s, but they say they prioritise students who meet their entry requirements, ie predicted A^AA, and that maybe he should think about reapplying for the shadowing when he met those requirements. Surely no one has got any meaningful predictions yet??

DS has got interested in versions free lectures and talks which are happening this winter - he went to NCH in Londom this week for an economics lecture which he said was excellent - check out their website for other events https://www.nchlondon.ac.uk/faculties/taster-lectures/?utmcampaign=2019%20Prospects&utmmsource=hsautomation&utmmmedium=email&utmcontent=66656637&&hsenc=p2ANqtz-8HKYisa9VBy7GqH96QcP1fP0TVG12311WEcVUO2e-UEMetR0ib6WBCsmeCIaTEUGA5ravMA1lgklYhK-3ET170MWTXg&&hsmi=66656637 And next week is the Cambridge Festival of Ideas and several free talks in the evenings. He seems to have finally grasped that uni admissions will be looking for more than a straight A student!

We are all pleased about half term. DS2 looks knackered. I'm working my normal hours but will try to do some fun stuff on days off. I am tired too 

Thanks Sticker , you are all very supportive. I'm front line NHS, quite a senior clinical position and my team simply can't get through the work. We operate at 100% over capacity with 20% staff vacancies. This week I've had 3 12 hr shifts ( unplanned overtime) with no breaks, staff in tears. Many NHS staff will know the scenario but we are all expected to 'get on with it'. My stunning pay rise this year was not 4% it was 4% over 3 years (generous gov!). Truly, many of us are on our last legs.

Deep breath....don't want to scare people about the state of the NHS but I don't think my experience us unique. We keep going because of our patients at the end of the day. Early night for me.

Hope next week is better kilash

Dd is home alone tonight eeek! She broke up for half term today, her housemate has gone home and her host family gone away for the week but because she is working tomorrow she is staying an extra night.

Guess it’s the start of adulthood.

Sorry to hear You've had a tough time Kilash. Anything we can help/inspire/sympathise with?

Shalom see you tomorrow at Warwick! DS and I are looking forward to first Uni visit.

D's has targets for A A Maths and FM and A Physics but a rogue C for Geog. He has challenged this as he got a 9 and his friend who got a 7 is predicted an A*. He will need to drop it unless his prediction can be an A if he applies to Oxford.

Truly hellish week for me at work, came home crying most days because of stress. Off at thw weekwnd then only 2 more days then leave for 10 days (phew) and d's birthday to look forward to.