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

I have been looking at the price of driving lessons, blimey! No way I can afford them for my twins. Even insuring my car for them would be more than I earn in a month! It’s a shame as I really would like them to learn.

I think it's just a juggle. DS has had two lessons so far. They have been Saturday early evening (5pm - 7pm). Not ideal as it's dark by then but we can't find any better time at the moment.

@bluefineliner DS only has 2 free periods a week, all the rest are lessons. I have no clue if it changes. 🤷‍♀️ Those specific 2 frees, that he has, are compulsory revision periods. I might speak to his head of year to get him out of those. Although with the mocks coming up that might be difficult.

Being able to drive is an essential skill.

@Wehaditsogood my DD is yet to start lessons in April but she is booked in and will be picked up one day a week from her school bus for an hour's lesson. She does finish school earlier than your DS though so it fits well. The driving instructor said that is the usual time for a lot of 6th form students, straight from school around 4pm.

Will your DS get any more freedom to leave school in their frees as time goes on? DD had to be in school all the time up to Christmas and then based on their achievement and attendance most students were given the freedom to leave school during frees from January. This gives more scope for driving lessons too.

I suppose it depends how important it is to learn to drive right now for your DS. My DD does need to do it as we quite rural.

My dd has Tuesday off college, she has a 2 hour lesson then, crazy how different 6th form is, dd college puts on 15 hours teaching and expects 15 hours of studying, but gives the kids freedom to do that whenever or wherever they choose.

@SunblockSue I am quite shocked at DS's work ethic. But you are right. Sunday seems to be the best bet.

@Wehaditsogood revising all day Sunday! Wow... I don't think mine is doing any revision!
But I'm sure you could spare an hour or two for a driving lesson?

Or just wait until they are older...

@Wehaditsogood DD has a two-hour driving lesson 9.30-11.30 on a Saturday morning. She finishes early on a Friday (3pm) so doesn’t mind too much getting up on Saturday.

How often do your children have driving lessons per week?
DS is in school 8.45 to 17.30 on weekdays with just two free periods when he is not allowed to leave school. (Some of it is sports training and he does four subjects.) On Saturday he has a match and on Sunday he revises all day. He only really goes to the gym and the occasional restaurant trip with mates. He is just shattered.
It will be tough to fit driving lessons in.

DS's mates found the hazard perception test hard.

Does anyone have experience with TMUA? DS will have to sit that.
He is one of those kids whose maths GCSE was not exceptional (7), but all those years of hard work are finally paying off. He knew maths was going to be hard, and he is OK with that. So far he is doing really well.

She could try the large quant social research organisations, I’m not sure who is big right now. NatCen I think have a lot of government contracts. There will be others. However.. those industries do not pay well, if you’re on the ground doing fieldwor/ survey calls. She’s right to be sceptical.

If she has good academic credentials and good analytical skills she might want to consider the big four type consultancies like PWC, McKinsey, etc, or if public sector the National Audit Office. The NAO is really interesting work and reasonable pay and promotion opportunities but not
big bucks like major private sector consultancies.

The only social researcher I know works as a university lecturer. Local government will employ policy researchers is that similar?

Hi all, have been lurking and reading along although not posted much since GCSE exams (seems a long time ago now!). All going well this end although I was hoping some of you wise lot might be able to help with work experience suggestions - DD wants to be a social researcher (hoping to do Sociology at uni). Have tried the bigger organisations but no reply. It seems quite a broad field to me so not sure where to try next. She is stressed and claims absolutely everyone else has stuff sorted as they all have family connections! Any ideas of places she could try?

I have a whole new level of respect for driving instructors.

Oh it’s terrifying. The steering! The lack of width judgment! The burning clutch…

😂@wonderstuff that will be me with DD! Having no control sitting next to them can be terrifying. I did it with my older DD and that was stressful but DD2 is the worlds greatest drama llama so both DH and I are dreading it!

Maybe you will get used to the feeling of fear in time 😁.

Took dd out in her car today, my nerves are shot, she tells me she is driving well in her lessons but her car is the issue. Her clutch control, gear changes, stopping and steering are all quite scary in my opinion! I’ve said maybe her dad needs to go with her next time..

Well we've had a couple of email from school this week about trips to Oxford and Cambridge and a careers fair coming up soon so things are moving forward on the next steps front.

DD is considering going to the Cambridge trip but I think its only to accompany her friend who will be applying. We had a couple of hours yesterday looking at Uni courses online which was good as I feel she is really starting to think about what to study and comparing modules on the same course at different unis. It is surprising how different some of the course modules are.

So far we have identified Manchester/Warwick/Keele/Leeds/Birmingham so a lot to research. DD does seem to know what she does NOT want to study though so it is helping her close in on the most fitting courses.

Quite exciting!

Morning all, it's hard when the kids are struggling.

DS seems to have turned a corner a bit this week despite having a terrible cold.
He's still unsure if university is his best option so we have booked a couple of apprenticeship open evenings and a jobs fair, just to get a feel for other options.

🤞 we have work experience sorted too. HR at the NHS trust I work for. That's another of my insomnia worries ticked off hopefully.

Hope the longer days and some sunshine help everyone's well-being

That's a shame about Camp America - I think DS was quite looking forward to doing something so very different after his exams.

Thank you both @wonderstuff and @JessyCarr I will tell DS to get this app today. Driving lesson number 2 this afternoon!

My DD also used the 4 in 1 theory test app. She found the knowledge bit relatively easy, but needed quite a bit of practice to get the knack of the developing hazard videos.

@Waspie dd also wants to do camp America, she says the us schools break up before A levels so they can’t do it at the end of y13, but rather the next summer.
The app was called theory 4 in 1.

Good luck to your son @SunblockSue. That's a lot to do in a year. Is he doing maths and FM in one subject block or two?

Well done to your daughter @wonderstuff I hope she enjoys it. DS coaches "little ones" in tennis and enjoys it. He's thinking of doing "Camp America" at the end of year 13. Perhaps similar to your eldest daughter @bluefineliner?

DS has his theory test booked for during the easter holidays. Our local test centre was offering late February as the earliest but as he's only had one lesson so far he needs time to practice and read the Highway code! @wonderstuff is the app your daughter used the one from the DVSA? DS has the books and flashcards (donated by a friend who recently passed) but I'd like to get a theory test app.

@bluefineliner theory didn’t take long, I think she booked it just after her birthday and it was only a few weeks, we did go to a centre that wasn’t the most local. She had an app on her phone that guaranteed she’d pass or would pay for the next test, it gives lots of practice questions and tells you when it thinks you’re ready. Dd is also quite good at tests, but not the most coordinated so actually driving i think she’s finding tricky.

@wonderstuff congratulations to your DD! Sounds like a fun job. My eldest DD many years ago spent the 2 summers of her degree in Colorado coaching kids in 'soccer'. She had the time of her life and gave her a taste for travel which has never gone.

Great that she has her driving test booked too, how long did she take to do her theory test? My DD starts to learn in a couple of months and has been told to get her theory done asap so she can book a practical (there is a 6 month wait for them round here apparently). Only thing that may go in DDs favour is she is great at 'tests' and has an amazing memory so could hopefully pass it early on.

Dd finally got a job! She’s doing a football based kids club called Little Kickers, she loves kids so is really pleased, sounds like they’re offering regular hours and paid training but treating her as self-employed, I’m hoping it’s going to be fair, offer letter says shes to submit an invoice monthly (and that they’ll show her how) and they’ll pay her 5 days later.

Shes also booked her driving test for July, she’s wanting me to take her out practicing on the weekends, which I’m finding very stressful!!