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Original poster

First term of yr12 over - working at grades / workload /much holiday work?

208 replies

circular · 28/12/2013 19:49

Curious how its been for others with the 'big step up' from GCSE to to AS.

DD1 doesn't seem to have been getting much homework, possibly completing most of it in free periods. When I casually mention 'reading around a subject' she looks at me as though I'm from another planet, and says she is not interested in any of her subjects enough to do extra, apart from Music.

She would typically come home and say she got an D or U in (say) a Physics or French test, but then says half the class got a lower mark than her. This is at a school that gets around 60% A to B at A level., so selective 6th form. DD1 got 2A and 2A at GCSE in her AS subjects.

Had parents evening just after half term, and although then working well below ultimate targets, none of her teachers seemed unduly worried. No end of term report yet, but hearing subsequent test results, not expecting much change in grades.
DD1 Says she understands everything in lessons, teachers seem to agree, and think it is just more question practice that she needs. But unless work is actually set, she has no motivation to go and do any extra. She thinks past papers should be left till nearer exams, says text book is rubbish, and has found a few inaccuracies in study guides so pushed them aside too. Tried to get her to look at Khan academy site but not interested.

Does this seem normal, or should I be worried at this stage?
Anyone else seeing similar or are they all flying?

OP posts:
Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 20:29

Mumslife I think the general guide is one or two aspirational, two or three on prediction, and one or two below for insurance .

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mumslife · 05/01/2014 20:00

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OnBoytox · 05/01/2014 18:47

hellsbells99, I agree some big name universities my DD is aspiring to, perhaps she's being too confident, but she feels she can possibly achieve AAAB at AS, which are her initial predictions given by her college - I have no idea how they were arrived at! On results day, it may be a different story and I will have to eat my words.

circular, I know what you mean about the potential of wasting time on Open days, it's hard to know what to do, eg, we won't probably bother looking at Durham because it's miles away from where we live and possibly out-of-reach academically for DD. But no point aiming too low either.

As mumslife says, mocks results will give a better indicator for all our DCs.

Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 18:30

Mumslife I think the predictions for Uni applications are done after AS results, so beginning of yr13.
It would be nice to have some idea in time for Jun/Jul open days so as not to waste time and be too aspirational.

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mumslife · 05/01/2014 18:12

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mumslife · 05/01/2014 18:10

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Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 18:02

hellsbells99 Maybe they recently reset your DDs targets based on performance? From what you said previously, she had been doing very well in maths.
DDs school used the ALPS scores so based on GCSE grade average (DD just below A), initial predictions are ABB. But her subjec targets all initially set at B, none changed yet, except Music recently changed target to A/B.

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hellsbells99 · 05/01/2014 17:54

mumslife - DD wouldn't have got into the other grammar either. It is funny though how she got an A in maths and is being given the target of an A at AS. DD will not be doing 4 subjects at A level either.

hellsbells99 · 05/01/2014 17:50

Raidne - I wish my DD's school did M1 for AS as that would help with her physics. She is doing S1 this year with the choice of D1 or M1 next year. Latin sounds a good A level to have with chemistry and maths.

OnBoytox - no she doesn't want to do medicine. She is not 100% sure yet but is seriously looking at pharmacy (and has done a shadowing day at the local hospital) if she can get the grades. She also has a day shadowing a radiographer planned but needs to wait until she is 17 (soon). She is also going to look at biochemistry or something similar I think if she doesn't get the grades for pharmacy. Your DD is looking at some 'big name' universities there! We are planning to look at Manchester as well although a friend's DD did either biochemistry or chemistry there (and did very well) and found it quite 'geeky' - she said the other girls on the course didn't even wear make-up.....so may not suit my DD!

She is doing AQA B Physics in Context - and it is very mathematical looking at the booklet she is doing.

Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 17:34

Meant to ask Raidne how difficult is your DS finding M1 compared to the Maths in Physics course? At DDs school they all do S1 for AS (M1 or D1 for A2), only the FM students get to do M1 in yr12.

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mumslife · 05/01/2014 17:34

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Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 17:31

Raidne I don't think Latin will look that out of place for Chemistry. Once upon a time it was needed for medicine. Weren't all prescriptions written in Latin?

DD used to love all things French, but hasn't stopped moaning that the course is AS much more about the language than she expected. A friend that dropped it after AS (same friend did Chemistry to A2 too), warned her that A2 was more about the culture, but I think DD has really had enough of it now. It was always an odd choice for her with English (especially language) being her worst subject.

OP posts:
Raidne · 05/01/2014 16:47

Yes, circular, AQA Physics is quite Maths-y but ds1 is doing M1 for Maths this year and M2 next year so it fits with the Physics syllabus.

The best thing about Latin is no speaking - it is more of a test of logic/memory than language in truth. It might look a bit weird on a Chemistry application, though!!

At least French is a useful language. Grin

Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 16:27

IIRC correctly from one if the 6th forms visited, AQA is meant to be the most mathematical.

Latin is also meant to be quite logical though. Suppose just as bonkers as French.

Noted *OnBoytox asked earlier about DD changing schools to take music. She did, but it started out with it just being a subject clash which she may have been able to work around. But after visiting 5 or 6 other schools, we realised there was so much better out there. Lucky we did, as in the end her GCSE school never ran Music this year.

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Raidne · 05/01/2014 16:17

Circular, ds1 did AQA at GCSE and is also doing AQA at A-level. I think all of the courses are difficult.

Raidne · 05/01/2014 16:10

oh just seen your post, circular - his fourth AS is Latin (totally bonkers!!!).

Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 16:09

With Physics said to be the hardest science at AS, does it depend in the board/syllabus? And also what the GCSE syllabus was in comparison?

DD did OCR Gateway separate sciences for GCSE, and her former school thought it was the best grounding for science A levels. At her new school, Physics is OCR A which should follow on well.
On the basis that some in her group may have just done double science, and/or different exam boards for GCSE, she should be at an advantage.

OP posts:
Raidne · 05/01/2014 16:07

Oh wow, hellsbells, an 80 page booklet? Ouch!! Smile

Physics isn't required for any Chemistry course but a couple of universities "prefer" it and some give lower offers for Maths, Chemistry, Physics as opposed to Maths, Chemistry + A N Other.

It's difficult to know what "prefer" really means!!!

This parenting lark isn't easy, is it? Grin

Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 16:02

Physics is the one that's been causing DD the most grief as far as marks in tests are concerned, although it was her highest at GCSE and she's always found it easy. Hoping it's just a glitch with the style of questions, and also because she's been resting on her laurels a bit and not putting enough work in.
Raidbe Not sure Physics is necessary for chemistry if he has maths. Have you scoured the entry requirements for his preferred courses?
I presume his 4th AS is not a science?

OP posts:
OnBoytox · 05/01/2014 15:55

Raidne, fair enough, I don't blame him at all.

hellbells, I'm impressed at your DD's A level choices! Is that to get into medicine? One of my DS's very clever friends did those exact A levels, got 3 A*s and 1 A (for Physics I think, which proves that Physics must be the hardest of them all!) and he is now at Cambridge.. my DS's friend that is, NOT my DS!

hellsbells99 · 05/01/2014 15:51

Raidne - she has been working through an 80 page booklet of questions over the holidays! Does your DS need physics to do chemistry? I would have thought Chemistry and Maths + 1 other would suffice?

Raidne · 05/01/2014 15:32

hellsbells99, Physics is the subject that ds1 would like to drop but he wants to do Chemistry at university so thinks that he needs to keep on Maths, Chemistry and Physics to keep his options open. Poor thing, he doesn't really enjoy Physics!!

OhBoytox, he is considering doing 4 at A2 but is worried that it would be too much and he would end up with lower grades.

His fourth AS is a bit off-the-wall and doesn't fit with the other three or doing Chemistry at university but he enjoys it - strange boy!

OnBoytox · 05/01/2014 15:10

mumslife, that is such a shame about your DD's GCSE Art disappointing grade, but there's nothing much you can do about a bad teacher unfortunately. I think most of our DC would have had experience of this. As I mentioned before, I've just got my DD a Maths tutor to fill in the gaps where she didn't really get the basics at GCSE level, mainly due to a having a lovely teacher, but one that struggled to control a difficult class - I should have got the tutor earlier, but you live and learn! What is your DD hoping to study at university?

Raidne, your DS1 could always consider keeping all four I guess? Although not something my DD would consider, she plans to put her heart and soul into just three subjects next year.

hellsbells99 · 05/01/2014 15:09

mumslife - I know a few of DD1's friends who are doing RS and very much enjoying it. They do 'Ethics' (crimes & punishments; death penalty; Abortion etc) for AS which includes watching a day's trial at Crown Court and then they do 'Philosophy' (Is there Life after death?; Does God exist? etc) at A2.

hellsbells99 · 05/01/2014 15:04

DD has 9 hours of lessons per subject per fortnight. She is doing maths & 3 sciences. There is also an extra voluntary class/club for each of the sciences for 1 hour after school each week for extra help & homework. Maths do classes at lunchtimes. DD always attends the extra physics class/club as she is finding that 'challenging'. Physics will be the one she drops after AS level - that was always her plan as she took it when she couldn't do her first choice of music. She did consider English Literature but decided she didn't like reading....apart from fashion magazines.
I have heard that maths gets a lot harder though at A2 so I hope she copes ok with it. Also chemistry is one that I've heard is very hard.
I wish she had chosen one 'lighter' option.
At least all her subjects 'fit' together and no decisions have to be made until after results day.

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