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

If anyone is interested in the CGP A-Level study guides, there’s 20% off until 30 September with code BACKTOSCHOOL24.

@bluefineliner that’s really good to have revision cards from the start, mine is also a “make it pretty” type, going to spend ages on this. Early start would help
DD was using Quizlet and paid subscription for two months towards GCSE, she is looking for a free good tool, if anyone has any please let me know.

@YellowphantGrey that sounds a LOT of exams but I also think they get kid’s attention and not leaving everything until March/April.
DD also so far enjoys the lessons and talk a lot about it at home, so I think it’s going well so far. No job/ gym/ Lamda or anything outside of school organised/signed up yet and I am a bit worried about it. She practices guitar/piano at home following YouTube but that’s about it. And read lots of books.
same as @Newbutoldfather mentioned DD also came home to say they have to match the private study hours to the lessons in school. Even if not on daily basis, I think they should be able to do this weekly, putting hours here and there. @LadyTinHat DD also spent good hours revising for GCSE and her results reflected this. May be for this week, or two until they settle in, it’s fine. But I would go with roughly the hours of lessons.

When I was a 6th form tutor we used the below book quite a lot, both for ourselves and with the students.

I hope this isn’t withdrawn as advertising and I certainly have no links to the author or publisher, but it does answer quite a few of the questions on this thread (MN, happy for you to take this down if it goes against your policy).

The one that really sticks out is how much work should a year 12 be doing. The general answer is, for every hour of timetabled work, they should be doing another hour of private study)-this doesn’t have to be hardcore calculations or essays (although some of it will be), it can be just reading around the subject.

So, if you are doing 3 A levels, with a total of 15 hours of lessons, you should be doing another 15 hours of private study, either at school or at home. And you need to be proactive in asking teachers for work, not moaning that they haven’t set enough!

The book is primarily for teachers and tutors, but I think both students themselves and supportive parents can learn a lot from it.

www.crownhouse.co.uk/the-a-level-mindset

DS doesn't do revision notes particularly well and seems to revise better by doing revision classes and past papers rather than reading notes

A lot of parents on the Facebook page are looking for Tutors as the school don't rum revision classes for year 13 either

I've no idea. I know things have changed since I started sixth form but the pressure seems very real and a hundred times worse. I fully get why some students that go there need a year out after A Levels

I find it stressful as a parent, DS is very laid back about it and considers it normal

The Grammar School has a sixth form and they have 200 pupils per year group and offer 60 sixth form places and they don't guarantee a place for existing students

The colleges seem to be the most relaxed and oversubscribed as they declined hundreds of places. Their grade requirements are over and they don't kick anyone off their courses either but support them a bit more

@YellowphantGrey that's draconian. I can't see how such a pressurised and punitive environment would be conducive to learning or developing love of learning.

I see (I think!), @YellowphantGrey. Well, they certainly seem to be clear on what they require.

I am seeing the first signs of overwhelm in DD. This isn’t new - she is dyslexic and prone to procrastination which can quickly turn a demanding schedule into a crisis. She is capable of doing very well, but needs quite a lot of TLC to achieve her best. I suppose this is why I like a good study guide (everything you need to know is between these covers) rather than watching her spend hours making a handful of very beautiful revision cards which cover 0.001% of the syllabus! We’re going to spend some time today helping her get really on top of things.

I will happily buy the revision guides however the school has emphasised that the pupils are old enough now to create their own revision and this will show their understanding of the subject which will reflect in their results so if they achieve below their predicted grades, they are not understanding the work and therefore are making inadequate revision notes

The first exams will give them the results to form their predicted grade, expected grade and there's a column for UCAS

So say DS expected grades are Geography B English B Btech Sport Distinction he sits the October exams and comes out with A, A and Distinction, that becomes his predicted grades.

If he doesn't maintain those grades for Jan exams but gets those results in June, he can continue. If he doesn't pull them back up come June, he can't continue

If he gets the predicted grade results but doesn't get the C in Maths, he can't continue, despite the Maths course only being 12 months

I assumed all sixth forms were this way but it seems not. DS never knew why there were less year 13s than year 12s and I assumed people dropped out because they weren't enjoying them not that you're asked to leave because of results

Of course the predicted grades vary and it's not all predicted As but if at any point you drop below a C then they would rather you weren't there (excluding additional needs and reasonable adjustments) and help to effectively manage you out

They've also got to provide a list of Unis they wish to visit and the dates they intend do this and have an idea of what course and it's requirements so they can monitor the UCAS points alongside their grades.

This of course is common sense but seems overwhelming when they've got the pressure of trying to keep their place

A full week in and DS has a cold. With four A level subjects (for the time being), he seems to get immense amounts of homework and only has two free periods during the week, so there is no time to do much extra if he is still to have a life beyond school. Which is important for mental health and learning to maintain a good work/life balance.

My DD got very good GCSE results but did work extremely hard for them. She studies in her own way so I don't know what homework she has now as I leave her to it.

I know she is determined to keep on top of things from the start for A levels, so is making revision notes/flash cards after each lesson to consolidate what they have gone through. Apparently the pace of teaching will be much faster, so once a topic has been covered that is it, move on to the next. If they don't fully understand it, it is their responsibility to ensure they do whatever is needed to embed the knowledge.

Probably a bit too early to tell just yet though.

@YellowphantGrey I am exhausted just thinking about that! So your DS has his first set of exams next month??

Maybe it would be worth looking for CGP or similar study/revision guides in his subjects? We found them invaluable at GCSE, and once DD has decided which subject she is dropping I can see another order on the horizon. WorldofBooks is also good for 2nd hand ones, some of which seem very lightly used indeed.

DS has had two pieces of homework so far that he has done after his first full week. They have been told they are expected to do at least 15 hours a week independent work alongside homework

This seems to be preparing revision. They've been told that any homework that sets revision, needs to be done with accuracy and detail because the school won't be providing any revision notes or guides for exams and pupils will only have their own prepared revision.

They've got exams in October, January and June. If any student gets below their predicted grade at the Jan exam then don't improve at the June exam, then they can't come back to year 13.

If any of the students who are doing the extra Maths because they got a 5 in Maths and need it for their other A Level, they need to get a C or above in their summer exam to be able to continue into year 13, regardless of whether they've achieved higher than their predicted grade in that subject.

Same applies to year 13, except the June exams are July and their finals

Predicted grades will be put up the week before the October exams take place

School lose around 100 pupils apparently because they can't keep up with the work

@LadyTinHat DS got good grades at GCSE and is only doing homework so far. They're only just getting into the swing of things so I don't think he knows what extra he would be doing so early into the term in any event. I'm not worried yet.

Hi

Can I have your opinions on how much work DS should be doing?

To cut a long story short he didn’t get good GCSEs - only 4s and 5s. We didn’t see him do much work at all but he said what he was doing was enough. He went to extra (mandatory) classes every day and always did his homework. He didn’t think he needed to do much more on top and obviously he did because this is reflected in the grades he got.

We were disappointed but he still met the criteria to do the A levels he wanted at sixth form. He promised he would work harder this time and I’ve been through with him step by step what he needs to do to succeed (I’m not an expert but I do have a degree and was good at studying).

However we’ve now had a fight as I’ve asked him what independent study he’s done so far and he’s only done the homework set. Apparently homework IS the independent study and so he is doing what he’s supposed to.

I know it’s only been the first week but I’m really worried that he’s not got the ‘drive’ to work hard enough. I feel that he should be doing more than just the homework.

We have a parents meeting next week so I will find out more then. If your DC got good grades at GCSE how much work are they doing now?

@JessyCarr thank you he is booked for a week course in October half term for basics got a driving instructor lined up next not looked into theory yet. He is 17 start of November Would only be about 30mins if he drives to college. He was lucky to have two choices one was walkable but choose college as wanted to do ALevel Accounts.

Thanks @TeenToTwenties she passed English language with a 5 and got a 4 for English Literature. She does have to re-take her Maths. Thanks for the thread will hop on that. 🙂 I think she just needs to chat with someone at college and they can guide her. I have suggested that they do some good enrichment things like drama and sign language she could get involved with. I think though if she really wants to try and switch and give up health and social care then she should if it isn’t what she thought it would be.

@Midnightstar76 Workload may increase when they start setting assignments too. I don't know how much 'in class,' time they will have for them v doing at home. (Some things have to be fobe in more controlled conditions).

It may not be too late to switch courses. Some colleges are more flexible than others. Is she resitting maths and/or English too?

Highly unlikely to be able to study 2 L2 BTEC diplomas. They, as you said, are full time courses. Timetables will clash too much.
With spare time a part time job / work experience could be good.
(I have set up a vocational courses thread if you would like to join in, my DD2 is on a level 2, and DD1 did L3 Travel&Tourism too.)

To add she has a progress monitor contact Shayne with daughters permission I may contact her but either way daughter is off to student services on Monday to see what she can do. They do have a couple of days free time even though full time course so maybe enrichment stuff may be good. Will have a chat with her. And really trying to get her a part time Saturday job which would help kill some time. Problem being she likes the students on the course but is finding the course itself not very interesting.

Hi 👋 jumping across from the gcse board. After some advice if anyone can help. DD has started a level 2 health and social care course but second week in has asked if she can study something else alongside it such as travel and tourism as she really does not know what to do. I have said speak to college on Monday and see what they say but have stressed she is on a full time course so not too sure what will be able to be slotted in. Have said she could do this for a year then maybe another level 2 in travel and tourism the year after then decide where she would like to go? Or maybe apprenticeships would suit? Any ideas anyone? She said she wants to get the most out of college

@Tebheag that is a long commute for your DS! You probably know this already but with the driving it is really worth booking a practical driving test as soon as they pass their theory as it is quite a bunfight getting a test date. DD has one booked for Feb half term - if she’s not ready then (or is ready sooner) then her instructor will look at swapping her date with another pupil, but at least she is in the system.

DD ended the week well, with a spontaneous Friday evening outing with new 6th form friends. Phew.

We are also looking at getting him driving as soon as possible 3 hrs a day travelling and has to catch 2 buses.