Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other (new thread from y12)

Nice to talk holidays! We are going to Cornwall for the teens to surf in July.

Meanwhile DD has mocks spread over this week and the week after half term. Seems OK about them so far. DS is inspired by the Winter Olympics and wants to take his snowboarding to the next level (tricks and jumps). Might take him to sunny Milton Keynes and its snowdome for a day at half term while his sister revises.

Parents evening last night all as expected, needs to push on with revision and get more depth in his essay questions. That's my genes showing through 😂
We're skiing next week, DS is going to Greece with 8 friends for a week, in early July, we're all going to the Dutch F1 in August (his 18th gift) and DH and I are going to Iceland in October/November.
That might have to do us for holidays this year as they were all ££££

Good luck to your DS in his driving test @Ventress

DS has also booked a second holiday with a smaller group of friends and wants to go away with his girlfriend too - I'm not paying for a fourth holiday for him with us! 😄

DS got his report yesterday, it was lovely but I'm slightly (unreasonably) irritated by the comments from all the teachers telling him they are confident he can hit A stars in the real exams. Shame they didn't say that prior to December in his UCAS application. I shall not be putting that extra pressure on him now as he doesn't need A stars to get where he wants to go, if he achieves them that's just a bonus for him.

Good luck to @Ventress junior!

Our DS will go on a holiday with friends, but he will also come with us on all our holidays 🤣❤️
He loves his rest.

Sissinghurst is going on my (endless) list of places to visit.

Post A levels holiday, not results. Sorry! DH and I are going to Sissinghurst after the exams. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to go.

I love the idea of a post exam results holiday!

DS is still umming and ahhing about holidays. I’m staying out of it!

Driving test today. DS is a bit stressed… I do hope he passes 🤞

@AuntyBulgaria I have booked to go away the same week that DS goes with his friends post A levels. I can't wait.

Just booked a holiday for after A levels! Something to look forward to. Mad to think that in almost 5 months a levels will be over.

Thank you also @pinkdelight and @SilverBlue56 DD school split the year so there will be exams in yr12 yr13. She is coasting GCSE year and bored so think she wants a challenge 🙈 couldn't do gcse further maths as had a clash in timetable.

@AuntyBulgaria thank you for the reply DD has no idea what she is doing but enjoys maths. Good luck to your DS hope gets the A star

@SilverBlue56 agree FM being a fourth a level is hard. DS does 3 including FM and has no problems with uni offers and his work load is fine.

My son is doing maths and FM (all sat in Y13)

It has made A level maths seem easy and he is doing really well in the normal maths but FM is HARD and he currently only gets about 50% and can't finish the papers (with extra time also). And he very much has a maths brain. He just doesn't have the time required to give to practice because of the workload of four A levels and he needs to give the others more attention as he has to get a certain grade in physics and maths for his uni offers.

Four is swings and roundabouts I guess as he will definitely get a much better grade in computer science than FM but if he hadn't spent all that time on CS maybe he would be flying in FM instead?

He will knuckle down now before the exams but it's not one to take unless you are really really good at maths. His class is getting smaller and smaller as time goes on, started at around 24 and I think there is ten left..

Yeah I'm very glad DS sixth form didn't split it this way. Sure they have their reasons but think it's better to do both across the two years if poss for most kids. Good luck to him with the resit @AuntyBulgaria, sucks to have to deel disappointed by an A after only one year's study when that's actually very good.

@Tebheag my son is doing FM. His school does maths a level in year 12 and FM in year 13.

I'm not convinced by this split as he was not mentally ready to sit an alevel so soon after his GCSEs. He got a A for his maths and was disappointed but is resitting it this year to try and at an A star.

If you're doing a maths related course at uni I've found that having FM is a real advantage but the grade offers are all so high.

My DS is doing FM A-level @Tebheag - he loves it, prefers it to normal maths, and has taught himself the extra module in algorithms. But his brain is very much wired that way (unlike mine - it's all waaaay beyond me!) and he works hard at it constantly. I think if someone is more so-so about maths, then they can hit a wall where it gets beyond their interest or aptitude level. It's required on some degree courses if your sixth form offered it (and even if they didn't, a lot of kids self-study/take it privately), but if your DD isn't going for one of those subjects/unis and isn't keen, then go with what she'll enjoy and excel at.

I’m sorry to hear about DD1 @temperedoliveand her girlfriend breaking up. DS and his gf broke up at Christmas- it’s hard for them. I hope she enjoys Paris though! The chat with the alumni sounds good for dd2.

thanks @bluefineliner. Your daughter will get her other offers soon !

DS did psychology GCSE. Not sure why, he’d never shown any desire toward the subject previously. He didn’t have a teacher for almost a year (which didn’t help). He had no desire to take an A Level although ex-gf did and has enjoyed it. It was very stats based.

@TebheagOf the kids starting further maths A level at DS’s school only about 25% are still doing it. They will only let you take it if you get a 9 at gcse and keep maths a level grade at A or A star. This could be DS’ s school though.

@bluefineliner well done to your DD great results, also got a younger DD considering Psychology.

DS just finished 2nd set of Mocks yesterday so got couple of days off while others are doing Mocks.

Anyone's kids doing Further maths ALevel DD being told by school to do it just curious on any feedback.

@JessyCarr My DC1 will be in France in September as well Not to study; she's doing a gap year. But she's over the moon about living abroad, improving her French, taking art and cooking classes, etc.

In more mixed news, she and her girlfriend have split, which is rather sad although I do think she'll have more fun being single in Paris than she would have done if she had to rush home to FT every evening. Still, it's the end of her first real relationship and it's hitting her hard; they were together two years and friends for quite a while before that. Hopefully she'll be able to concentrate on mocks coming up.

DC2 had a lovely chat with some alumni from the Oxford college which made her an offer and I must say it sounds like an entirely different universe from anything I've ever known. I would have found it extremely intimidating at 18, but my girls are far braver than I am!

@Ventress great news on the UCL offer for your DS, nice to have everything back now. It is a lovely position to be in being able to choose now, well done!

@JessyCarr you sound very organised, it all sounds so exciting and scary that you know exactly what your DD will be doing already. Although time seems to pass so slowly when we are waiting for news, I can see September flying towards us as we start to think about our YP leaving home.

Are there many people waiting for offers still other than med/dentistry?

Thanks @ComingInByAnsible! Yes, I think he will firm one and insure the other. Not sure which though! He going to speak to his tutor at school about options.

Brilliant news @Ventress, congratulations! Is it between UCL and Durham for him now? What a fabulous choice to have. 🙂

@JessyCarr sounds like a major bit of organising but also exciting that you can all start planning already.

Thank you @JessyCarrand @JustHereWithMyPopcorn

France sounds amazing! Your daughter will settle well and enjoy her time there I’m sure @JessyCarr

DS is very taken with UCL @JustHereWithMyPopcornbut I would like him to go to the offer holder day. DH may go to OHD for UCL as I went to the open day in the summer 😊

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn We’ll be there for about 10 days - some family time but also getting her set up in a flat and local admin (registering with a medical practice etc). There isn’t a residential campus setup there, or even private student halls, so it all has to be organised separately. Once she has everything needed, and welcome week begins, we will clear off and stop cramping her style!

@bluefineliner well done to your DD on that mock result, excellent mark!

@MiniMidiMaxi great news on the offers, fingers crossed for Warwick soon.

@ventress great news on the UCL offer, that's them all in now, do you think he'll go for UCL?

@JessyCarr How long will you stay in France with her?

Fantastic news @Ventress- congratulations to your DS!

We have now booked our trip to France to settle DD there in August. She will be here for results day and then it will soon be time to pack. Feels weird to know where she is going before she has even done her mocks.