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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:
Raidne · 05/01/2014 13:50

Ds1 is really struggling to decide which subject to drop for A2!!!

If he drops his second science it will affect which universities he can apply to but his heart is just NOT in that subject - so difficult.

mumslife · 05/01/2014 13:01

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OnBoytox · 05/01/2014 11:49

Just typed in a big message and it disappeared, so apologies if a double-post!

Circular, you're right in that my DD needs to keep Maths to A2 for Economics, however, she is leaning more towards PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics - I'm sure you knew what PPE was, but for anyone who didn't!) because Maths is only needed to AS, even for Oxford surprisingly. But most likely (and hopefully), my DD will be looking at Warwick, Durham, Bath, Manchester, etc, so we'll be doing the rounds this summer. Where is your DD hoping to go?

So your DD is doing Music, Maths, Physics and French? There are no easy options in that lot! I'm sure she'll do just fine though. Did you say that she had to move schools to do music? My DD has a friend who is doing A level music externally, at great expense I believe, as the school only had 2 students enrol so couldn't run the course. But like your DD, music is her passion and she didn't want to leave the school she was at.

I'll add more later, but am gonna post this before I lose it!

cory · 05/01/2014 11:48

circular Sat 04-Jan-14 13:46:52

"Wondering if being a college, they work differently, having longer days and more timetabled lessons"

Dd is at a college and seems to be spending a lot of time working out of class: writing essays, researching topics, planning assignments. She has been carting a laptop around all Christmas. Her days are long because of the assignments, but it's very much about motivating herself. She has found it a big step up and so has all her friends.

She is doing a level 3 BTEC (performance) as well as her A-levels and it certainly doesn't seem to involve less work; if anything far more, as it includes more group work and less direction from the teacher. So far, she has been reading Sophocles, Aristophanes, Wycherley and a range of 21st century writers. ("whatever these people do"...)

Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 09:15

Most work, not most worse. Autocorrect again.

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Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 09:14

OnBoytox It would make more sense for your DD to continue with Maths if she wants to do Economics at Uni. Many seem to ask for it. Guessing Philosophy is heavier on the essay writing than Geography.

DD had the luxury of being able to choose anything alongside Music, but essays are her weakest so no essay writing subjects here. Drama was considered, but too much practical. So it was only really ever going to be Sciences/Maths, French is a bit of the odd one out. She did consider Psychology but was worried about the heavy essay element at A2, and her original plan was to drop Maths after AS, as it was her weakest of the 4 at GCSE. When she realised how difficult French was, I suggested she asked to swap to Psychology, but she was determined to stick to he guns, I think worried about changing, having to catch up and possibly still not liking a new subject. Still, too late to switch now.

Maths seems to be the most worse, but I think only because homework actively set. But she's just fessed up to having a load of French homework, not yet started, so think she will be rather busy today.

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Original poster
circular · 05/01/2014 08:38

Journey here quite short as far as distance goes (4 or 5 miles) but direct bus only every 15/20 mins, and takes 20mims as goes long way round. DD likes to go extra early in the morning (leaves about 7:15, although starts 8:30) as later buses full. If she gets out on time, then home by 4:15, but a few minutes late can mean unable to get on first few buses, so ma not get home till 5pm. So on days where she needs to be somewhere early DH collects her.

Remember seeing various things about part time jobs on 6th form literature, usually 8, 10 or 12 hours max per week, some with school permission. But DD doesn't have time anyway, except perhaps for a bit of temp work in the holidays.

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OnBoytox · 04/01/2014 22:50

Hi mumslife, I don't actually know the number of hours that 6th forms generally recommend for part-time working but I would think 6 hours is about right though.

I noticed upthread that your DD is doing essay-based subjects, whereas my DD isn't, so much. DD has a friend doing Drama, Eng Lit, Psychology and History and she has a huge amount of essays. OTOH, whilst my DD thinks doing A level Maths is fairly hard, she's really glad she chose it over something like History, even though she enjoyed it at GCSE level. In fact, if DD does well at AS Maths, she may drop Philosophy instead.

mumslife · 04/01/2014 21:13

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mumslife · 04/01/2014 21:12

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mumslife · 04/01/2014 21:09

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OnBoytox · 04/01/2014 14:00

Hi Circular, yes DD says that they have 3 x 1h 25mins per subject per week.... which equates to 9 hours over a fortnight, roughly.

They also have 2 hours extra-curricular per week, but apparently no-one takes this seriously according to DD (but if I get a call from DD's tutor about her lack of involvement in enrichment activities, I'll be on her case!).

In the 6th form at her old secondary, they do 4 x 1 hour per week per subject and they all seem to get loads of homework. So the 9-hour timetable must make some difference.

The college DD attends definitely has longer days but it is suiting her well so far.

Original poster
circular · 04/01/2014 13:46

OnBoytox Interesting what your DD says about covering loads in lessons. Is that on a 9 hour per subject per fortnight timetable?
Thats what DDs 6th form have (and quite a few others I've heard about) with MFL having an extra 20 or 30 mins one to one spoken.
DDs school also have a 2 hours timetabled extra curricular per week.

Wondering if being a college, they work differently, having longer days and more timetabled lessons?

OP posts:
OnBoytox · 04/01/2014 11:04

I've only just spotted this great thread and thought I'd add my input.

My DD is in her first year studying A levels at a well-respected 6th Form College. She doesn't seem to get very much homework but says that they cover loads in lessons. She must be right because in her first set of grades which we received in Nov last year, she got; Economics - A, Philosophy - B, Geography - B, and Maths - D (although she has improved loads in Maths since having a tutor to help her with the areas where she's not so confident). Her effort grades were all 1s, except for a 2 in Maths.

DD has a long journey to and from college and she has a part-time job of 9 hours per week, but she is sensibly going down to 6 hours soon. She also gave up Ballet recently which took up a lot of time (and frankly I was relieved to save a fortune in fees/exams/costumes, etc!).

She has mocks the week after Feb half term, and she has done NO work at all over these holidays, but reckons she's on top of everything!

DD was not a straight A student at GCSE , but worked really hard to get a mixture of A/A. She has aspirations to go to a good university to study either PPE or Economics - unfortunately with the latter, she needs an A grade at A2 maths, which is looking slightly ambitious, but who knows.

As a previous poster rightly says, they don't have the luxury of January re-sits... but I guess they are all in the same boat.

hellsbells99 · 04/01/2014 09:29

Sorry circular, my comment wasn't aimed at you!
I took offence at 'whatever it is these people do'....
Btecs are good. One friend has twins - 1 stayed in 6th form and did A levels and 1 webt go college and did btech. Both did well and now at uni doing good courses.
Students doing A levels and getting a D haven't planned on getting a D. They are obviously doing the best they can (hopefully). Things don't always go to plan. Getting an A in gcse doesn't always mean coping with an A level - the jump is huge and progress is not always predictable. DD1 got a D in her physics on her report. Hopefully the work is starting to 'click' now (last test higher) but if she ends up with a D at AS then it won't be the end of the world.

Original poster
circular · 04/01/2014 09:17

hellbells99 Not sure what you found rude, the original Btec remark or one of the since replies to it.

I did take slight offence to the original remark, not so much the mention of Btec, by what exactly is meant by 'these people'?

Not everyone is capable of A/B at A level, I thought that's why there were 5 grades.

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hellsbells99 · 04/01/2014 08:15

I would say that is rather rude and uncalled for!

mumslife · 04/01/2014 07:52

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curlew · 03/01/2014 22:39

"and I am guessing they could also be accessed by a BTEC or whatever it is these people do, "

One of my all time favourite Mumsnet lines.......! Grin

Original poster
circular · 03/01/2014 21:17

may not (bloody autocorrect)

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Original poster
circular · 03/01/2014 21:16

No doubt courses can be accessed by BTECs, but its not always as clear cut as that. I agree some students are more suited to take BTECs.

When a student gets the GCSE grades deeming them capable to start A level courses, its not always viable to change if it then becomes apparent they at not achieve top grades.

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coco44 · 03/01/2014 19:18

'coco44 But there are courses that require 2 low grade A levels'

..and I am guessing they could also be accessed by a BTEC or whatever it is these people do, and the non-academic could possibly score better on

Original poster
circular · 03/01/2014 13:15

DDs 6th form requirements are down as 5A* to C with B in subjects being studied, A for Maths to do Maths and/or Physics. At yr7 there is strict faith
Selection criteria, and they get over 80% 5A* to C.
BUT because there is so much competition for external 6th form places, external students are expected to have 8A to C. In practice, its generally those with at least 10A/A predictions that get in, but there is also a personal statement with emphasis on music and/or sport.
Sixth form only does A levels, though a few applied subjects (business, ICT).

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mumslife · 03/01/2014 12:36

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curlew · 03/01/2014 10:54

It seems to me that if your're in the sort of 6th form that requires As at GCSE to get in, it's unlikely that you're likely to be aiming at 2Ds, unless something disastrous has happened to you or you have completely lost interest. In the first case, I would expect the school to support you- in the second, maybe the school is within its rights to decide not to keep you on?

And if you are looking for 2Ds for what you want to do, surely a "oh, dear, a B!" environment wouldn't be right? I honestly wouldn't want to be at my dd's school in those circumstances. I would, however want to be in the 6th at my ds's school, which has a much wider and, arguably, more realistic range of aspirations.