Year 12 - 2024/25 - Support, Discussion and Looking After Each Other

So glad it's half term DS is definitely ready had most mock results back had As so far apart from Geography. Think he has more mocks again in Jun/Jul.
Need to get him studying for Core Maths As in May. Anyone else's kids doing core maths?
@Waspi DS is doing a NEA for Geography just done a mock one was a bit of a disaster didn't like doing it and he got a D. Not been given it back yet so insure where he went wrong.

@PinkChaires I think that you have to go with what the DC wants if they want to stay at home. It would certainly be cheaper! DD1 is at university about 100 miles away and is happy in her second year and from June will be doing an industry placement year there. Initial settling in for her was hard but she loves her new city and may stay there long term. It hasn't been cheap though!
I think that it's much more common to stay local now, pros and cons really. DD2 is opting out of applying next year, she's going to have a gap year and apply with known grades. We'll look at university open days from now onwards though. DD2 would probably suit a campus university rather than a city one though which limits it a little.

A level choices

Uni applications are sneaking up very fast! Dd now doesn't believe its worth moving out for anywhere other than london/oxbridge . I get her reasoning, manchester uni is a 10 min bus away and we live right next to the accommodation, plus her dad will 100% financially support her, no stress of rent , provide all food/clothes etc because in our culture thats the norm until marriage.plus she wants a city and not a campus. I think that maybe moving away would foster a bit of independence, but unsure really

Half term next week and I have the week off too - yay! Lots of stuff on DS' "to do" list - sort out work experience, do some driving practice (theory test booked for during Easter break), finish his LTA L2 coaching prep work, revision for his Economics assessment and reading the texts he's using for his English Lit NEA. He's also helping as assistant stage manager for his theatre group every evening so he's going to be busy. If there is time we're going to go to our local crown court and try and watch a few sessions from the public gallery.

The English Lit NEA work is going to be in their own spare time across Easter break and then supported by teacher in Summer term with the aim of having it finished and polished by September. He also has a NEA for History but they haven't spoken about this yet or given an indication of when this work is going to happen.

Is anyone else's DC doing A Levels with NEAs?

Hope they all have good half term breaks

dd is a sixth form college, so doesn't have to be there is no lessons so she comes home at lunchtime on Thursday and has a 1.5 hour lesson.
I take her out at weekends when I can.
It is really expensive.
I phoned and left messages saying they had been recommended, and got quite a few call backs, but all fully booked for evenings and weekends, hence the afternoon lesson on Thursdays.

I knwo someone said earlier that some instructors will only take them once they have passed their theory test. I think that is pretty hard as some theory only really makes sense once you have been behind a wheel.

@Wehaditsogood the one that guarantees you pass or will pay for your next test, come up first when I searched in the App Store. Good to know about your tooth!

@wonderstuff Can I ask which 4 in 1 app, please, as there are 2 in the app store?
I am in my mid-50s and also have a healthy milk tooth.

Congratulations to @Tebheag junior!

Thank you all for sharing your driving instructor-related experiences. I am dreading to find one.

For anyone booking driving tests you need to go online just before 6am on a Monday morning I logged on a minute before and there was 7300 people before me by 6.05am as checked on my phone it was 12500 people before me. There was only 5 dates in July I could pick from too in our area. Driving instructor should give you his instructor number to make sure his car is not double booked.

So a friend of one of dd friends mum is a roadie for Boyzlife, friends mum called while they’re all at mine, do they want VIP tickets for the show tonight in our town? They have no idea who Westlife or Boyzone are, but they say yes, they’ve spent the last hour learning some songs and have an elaborate story about how they were brought together by their shared love of westlife to retell at the meet and greet 😂

@wonderstuff The wholesomeness - is it a generational thing do you think? There I was imagining dragging my 17 year old home from unsuitable parties in the small hours. But she and her friends are all about chai tea and yoga and reality TV!

Anyway - she has her first set of “working at” grades: A, A, B. After summer exams these will be converted into predicted grades for UCAS. Her goal is to push each one up by a grade. She’s feeling pleased with her progress, and I’m delighted for her. She needed quite a bit of handholding up to (and through) GCSEs, but has enough confidence now to do it all herself and trust herself to succeed. Phew.

@wonderstuff if it's any help I've still got a baby tooth and I'm in my late 40s.

DS doesn't turn 17 till August but has been having some young driver lessons with a local driving school and so hopefully we can book him in with one of their instructors but I think I'd better make enquiries soon just in case from what you have all said.

I had several driving schools not respond. What eventually helped getting the callbacks was mentioning they had been recommended by one of their current students (i.e. I got your number from Cathy Smith, Tom's Mum...), possibly as they thought if they didn't respond, Cathy would badger them too!

DS passed his theory test.
Thanks to comments on here I just messaged his instrctor not sure if he knew he was sitting it today. DS just used an app on phone for practicing.

My dd is being taught by an old college friend, she has to get the bus to nearest town and back out to access it so that’s adding a bit of travel spend but I know she’s in safe hands. My grandma left the kids a small inheritance and she’s using that for lessons, we have said we will insure her car when she passes.

Poor thing had her braces tightened last week, she’s having a really long complicated treatment as she has some missing adult teeth that just never grew so they are moving teeth to reduce some gaps and we’re hoping some of her milk teeth last a long time as eventually she’ll need implants (apparently they can last until 40s).

We had a house full of teens last night, they ordered pizza, watched love island and made slime! Much more wholesome than Friday nights when I was 17!

I knew driving tests were an issue country wide, but I had no idea lessons were.
DS isn't 17 until the end of July do ages yet. He's had his provisional licence for ages (for ID).
DH has a running friend who is a driving instructor, as is one of our neighbours so 🤞but we will get our shout in early!

I must have contacted at least 20 and 2 got back. One only does 90 min lessons which is too ££ for me but I’m on his list. The other one has a ten month waiting list and is apparently the best in the area. The timing should work for him but we’ll see!

@OfficeAccount i just WhatsApped them and they got straight back. It’s a big school of motoring though with at least 10 instructors and a lady who does this type of admin, test booking etc so perhaps that makes a difference compared to a one man band.

Thank you so much for the advice. We have got his theory test booked but hadn’t thought about mentioning that. Will leave some more messages!

I found instructors started responding once I left messages saying “she’s got her theory test booked for X date”. They like to have students who are getting on with their theory so that they can then get a practical test booked and have something to work towards. DD’s instructor says that otherwise students can be really flaky and keep cancelling lessons or pausing their driving so that the instructor can’t put together a reliable diary of lessons to fill their working week.

Good luck to your DS today, @Tebheag 🤞

Took ages for some of them to get back to us. One took nearly a month to explain he was busy but would be in touch thankfully he did a few weeks later over a lesson 2 wks later. 2nd one got in touch too out of the blue. So they must just save the texts messages till they have space! DS is currently being fitted we think in gaps or cancellation slots as have no set day but enough to keep him driving he did do the wk young drivers course after his birthday and really enjoyed it. Theory took a while too book has that today so fingers crossed.

How did you even get on a waiting list though? I can’t even speak to anyone! Gone through all the local ones and left messages but no one phones back. I’m obviously doing something wrong but I don’t know what. Going to try to get ds to phone them all next

Ds2 won’t be 17 until the middle of June but I know from ds1 that the instructors are all in high demand so he’s been on the waiting list of a local driving school since November to start after his AS levels which is around the time of his birthday. I still need to get his provisional license sorted and get him looking at the theory ready to take that test asap after his birthday.

I can’t even find an instructor for ds. Phoned loads but they just don’t get back. So frustrating.

Driving Lessons are financially difficult here too. I think I can just about pay for one hour a week but I won’t insure her on my car until she’s essentially learnt and just needs to up the hours practice. And then when she passes she will have to pay the insurance , although as she is summer born it will just be hols while at uni. I have a battered old car which I’ve said she can have after uni once she is working and can pay the insurance . So somehow I need to find the money for a new car too. I looked at cheap cars but they all cost more than mine is worth and yet were older. Mine is a tiny hatchback so perfect first car really so I’ll take the hit.