Is there a support thread for parents of struggling year 12s?

That sounds good - C's at this stage I mean. It sounded as if he was really getting into the work itself, and showing an interest which imho is the main thing.

Funnily since I found about ds's deficiency (and he was not just inadequate in Vit D but actually deficient) I've been wondering whether a lot of extra stress is being created by ME his mum being underdosed. I ache all over (which I thought was something to do with running club), feel tired all the time. Possibly I need to get my levels up much much higher, although doc refused to offer me a blood test. (had one last summer) And then I can be energised and cope better with ds's A levels and dd and ds2's Gsces...

Ds went to his tutor this evening and is in very good spirits (possibly because it is Friday, although let down again by the "friend" who promised to go to the cinema with him (and changed his mind in favour of a Rugby on tv). I told him the Vit D was going to be like the Felix Felicitas trick in Harry Potter, when Ron thinks he is lucky but has been given a placebo instead of the real good luck charm!

I'm glad you've got some answers; hopefully the supplement will help, and the days are getting longer which might alleviate it slightly.

DS1 is getting some marks back from the five mock exams he did; C C E in the papers he has had back so far, two papers yet to be marked.

A week later we have the results from the Vitamin D test. Not surprisingly, ds is deficient! It is a curious relief to know there is a reason why he is so tired and stressed. Last summer he didn;t go out much except at the beginning in a trip to Paris with school, he hid indoors when we went to the seaside later in the holidays.

Hope this will improve matters, dr has prescribed a big supplement. His Vit D level was 25 when tested. Normal level would have been about 50 at least. Last summer my level was 65.

Ds has been playing the piano a lot today (good) but when I looked at his business answer yesterday it made me want to tear my hair out, and he won't LISTEN to any advice about how to improve his answer. However yesterday he went on a long walk by himself and showed an interest in local architecture which is a first for him, and he is in a generally sunny mood so that is good. Still not going anywhere though or meeting up with anyone, AND not working hard either. I feel that one would at least encourage him to do the other, but doing neither...well, it must be depressing for him.

Vitamin D test on Monday.

I have heard similar, but DS1 only took 8 GCSEs and his results are modest (AABBBBBD) so I'm trying to encourage him to be realistic. At least he seems engaged now, is studying and applying himself, which is a vast improvement from last term.

The anecdotal evidence I've had from friends with older children is that BBB gets you into a Russell Group uni, if they like you. For example I know 3 people who have got in with ABC, York, Glasgow and UCD respectively to read History/Philosphy. They just put AAB on their website, and but if they like the application they give you a lower offer, or in some cases unconditional offers. I've heard people given unconditional offers when they have been predicted high grades.

He is looking at straightforward History BA.
I made a list of every University giving out offers of BBB or below.
Then he looked at all the courses and made a short list of the ones he likes (mostly influenced by the structure of the course and the range of modules he'd be able to choose from).
If he gets better grades than expected at the end of Y12 then he might look at ABB-division universities too.

Are those straight History Second or is it with some other subject? So far ds has expressed an interest in Loughborough, but that is because they had a presentation from a student there . Did you choose those places because of the course, the location/campus or the grade requirements - sorry that is a very nosy, possibly patronising question but I am already wondering whether ds would ever manage a blue chip course, meaning I'm not sure -know it is unlikely whether he is going to meet those double A, B standards.

Ds doesn't have AS exams this year, but he has to pass the external exams in the summer (presumably mock AS's?) at a Grade C to get through to next year.

Ds is obsessed by films and film reviews, but I cannot see him as a film maker or producer so although Film Studies is the sort of thing he thinks he wants to do, I'm not sure whether it would take him anywhere. Personally I'm still trying to get him interested in Opera Singing

I'm feeling positive today.

DS2 has been looking at History courses and has found some he likes the look of:

Aberystwyth
Swansea
Essex
Winchester
Worcester
York St John

So we might be going to some open days this summer / autumn after all.

He is half way through mock exams (to practise for this summer's AS and internal exams) and has managed to produce something for every paper so far.

so, things seemed to have improved slightly since he gave up the 4th A level and is back doing Business again. Except that he has now gone off to a film tonight, by himself, and there is no obvious reason why he is rewarding himself at this stage, so I suspect he is again slacking off or not planning his workload. However, it is nice that he has the energy and enthusiasm to plan something like this and go out so that is something I suppose.

Determined to get him for a Vit D test. Difficult to know when to fit it in though, he is v reluctant after school.

I think too many kids are pushed to uni options when apprenticeships may be a better option. Some apprenticeship schemes include the option to work fir a degree on the job there are some fantastic schemes put there in all sectors plus you don't have years of uni debt

2014newme I am not sure that your posts are particularly helpful.
The trouble is that at this stage in Y12 some pupils seem to be average because of the secondary school that they went to rather than their own ability. The top pupils at A level are not necessarily the ones with the top grades at GCSE. Those with just above average grades who went to less high performing secondary schools do often catch up. For others the issue could be that they have chosen the wrong subjects rather than their overall ability.
I do agree with draylon about the different types of uni by the way. The higher ed threads are the ones that are the most depressing as they rarely acknowledge unis outside Oxbridge or RG and it is time imo that this gets addressed and the "newer" unis get the attention they deserve.

I agree with pp that Tony Blairs push for everyone to up to uni has backfired. It's meant the devaluing of degrees, tuition fees and kids doing a levels that probably shouldn't be. A levels used to be for the top % not for the average or mediocre students

It's a huge jump from gcse to a level and unfortunately some doing a levels could be better doing something more vocational.

Thank you superram. I am hoping that two years will work its magic and by the end, ds will have developed as a person and that will improve his ability to tackle the work.

We have had a good weekend, ds much happier and revised a bit of the Business syllabus he did last term in preparation for lots of catching up next week. He also sat down and did a fair bit of music on the piano (although it seemed to be mostly pop songs - he claimed it was chords for music theory...possibly they overlap )

Second tell your son that my ds refused to have separate room arrangements last year and he now regrets it - he might have passed Geography for a start ; luckily he is not doing AS's this year, just mocks, but they count internally, to get through to next year. I think just give him the pros and cons on a piece of paper, leave it with him, and then he might decide for himself, whereas they always say no, if you try and reason with them in person.

Keep the faith! I am a teacher and can see how demotivating the new specs are for my students. I am fighting to have some of my students not to sit an as exam-they will do terribly and it will shatter their confidence. I truly believe they will get a c at the end of two years. Be supportive, communicate with school but keep smiling and encouraging. Even my best students are overwhelmed.

We received a letter today saying that DS1 is entitled to adjustments for his exams (separate room). He needs to use this in next week's mocks in order to be able to have it in the AS exams in the summer. Except he doesn't want to.

this evening has gone better. Ds actually let me help him with some English. Today's meeting with school also went well, he seems much much calmer now that he knows what the plan is, and there will be some more support around organisation.

Absolutely agree draylon. My DD1 did her BSc at an long established Uni and is now doing a Masters at a 'new' uni (ex art school I believe). She is so impressed with the enthusiasm of the lecturers, facilities etc compared to her traditional Uni and the encouragement towards achieving the career plan she desires.
Maybe this is always the case with a Masters, but I try to let it reassure me that, should DD2 change her current approach and want to go to university, it's not "Russell Group or bust".

I feel so sorry for DC nowadays. It's so much more pressured. And A levels seem to be a big jump up from GCSEs. In my day it was possible to have a social life, do extracurricular stuff and still do well enough in A levels to get to a decent uni. Now you need real dedication.

DS is doing well but he seems to be constantly working which is worrying. Whatever happened to work life balance? DH and I worry he'll burn out before the end of Y13.

The problem is that It feels like the end of the world not to get the As/Bs at AS and A level and get into first choice uni but we know it's not. There are plenty of opportunities later in life to make changes and get where you want. Just by a different route.

DS1 sometimes finds it very difficult to start studying, especially if he perceives that he is struggling or falling behind with deadlines.

Most of the studying he did over half-term (last week) was for the subject he is already confident in.

I don't think he has looked at his weakest subject, despite the fact that he has AS exams in early June (it's not yet linear).

It gets worse, ds now refusing to do A levels at all, and says he does not want to do Business either, and has refused to go in today.

We've spend ages thrashing out alternative solutions with him, but he just ends up getting angry and defeatist, whatever we suggest. Have suggested starting again next year, but he just repeats that he doesn't want to do any work at all, except Sports Btech (he is bad at sport so this is just a fantasy) I suspect he is in a bad place at the moment and no solution is going to mean anything at this stage, he is just flailing around. Will wait to see if school is any help, doubt it This alternates with periods of calm polite friendly behaviour where he goes on runs, apologises for causing trouble, sings lovely songs and chats.

This sounds like DS. It's all a bit too difficult for him.

I also bury my head in the sand crunched I keep feeling at some point he will be interested enough to follow through, and if he doesn't...well he obviously isn't suited to doing the A levels in the first place...

A friend has a child with inattentive ADHD and it has highlighted for me how difficult ds finds it to start work and to concentrate for any length of time. He doesn't realise it is normal to find concentrating difficult, when you are not used to it, it is something you have to practice. Some strategies are really just to intersperse concentrating with other activities and not be frightened of doing a little bit, better than doing nothing. I don't think I found A levels very easy either, looking back, I was constantly distracted unless I was in class working with others, when ironically I found it much easier to focus. Perhaps your dd is a social learner and does better communicating ideas than doing things by herself.