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Original poster

GCSEs 2018 (15) The Reckoning

992 replies

mmzz · 12/07/2018 22:58

thread 14
The next step of the all new GCSE journey.

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12
LooseAtTheSeams · 02/08/2018 16:51

DS was going to buy some T shirts today but ended up watching a film with his mates!
I have ordered the trainers he wants but that's my contribution to 6th form non-uniform done.
He has some ripped jeans that he loves and I joked that if he wasn't careful they'd be more rip than jeans but apparently they're very restrained compared to others he's seen. I slightly hope he isn't planning to wear them on day 1!

Original poster
mmzz · 02/08/2018 16:42

DS is sorted for next year too, if he goes to the selective sixth form. Its just t-shirts, hoodies, jeans and trainers.
If he doesn't get the grades, I'll be down at House of Fraser buying half a dozen shirts and another suit in their closing down sale whilst trying not to weep into the racks!

DS and I haven't spoken about the grades for 7 weeks, but we spoke this morning since its 3 weeks away. We seemed to have moved in opposite directions. He's gone in an optimistic direction since mid-June and I've become pessimistic. It just matters that much to me for the sake of his future hat he gets the place at the selective, that I just can't believe it might really happen.

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ReservoirDogs · 02/08/2018 16:35

Farangatang - thanks for the tips but we are seasoned travellers in Thailand. My Dh is an odd shape/size so he always does very well out there for suits and shirts too.

DS has his own style!

I will have a look at the Expats page though!

Original poster
mmzz · 02/08/2018 16:33

ReservoirDogs DH and I have done that before - had suits made up in Thailand (and other parts of Asia).
If you have not done it before then my tip is to beware when choosing fabrics. All of the ones there are summer-weight and they just seem far too "thin" from September to June when you are looking at them back in the UK. It seems different when you are choosing in the sweltering heat.
TBH, If i ever do it again, I'd take the fabric with me from the UK, and also I'd probably find a suit that your DS really likes and take photos of him from every angle in it because the designs out there are a bit different too.

Lucky you though. I wish i was going there.

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AlexanderHamilton · 02/08/2018 16:28

I think dd is pretty much sorted. We spent a fortune on black leggins and jogging bottoms in sports direct along with a multitude opf sports bras and layer over the top black tops.

No more school shoes ever!

farangatang · 02/08/2018 16:27

Reservoir be careful where you go in Thailand for his suits and never accept first price. They ALWAYS hike up the prices for foreigners and it’s often cheaper to buy off the rack in UK (especially when on sale).
If you go the Bangkok Expats group on Facebook you can ask for recommendations from people who live there and who can give you an idea of what you should be paying.

Stickerrocks · 02/08/2018 16:24

I think buying smart clothes for 6th form would have been cheaper than DD's wardrobe of Gandys, Hollister & Jack Wills! I'm regretti g treating her to Bumble & Bumble curly hair stuff as well, because nothing else now compares.

DD took her history & geography revision notes/cards/timelines in for the teachers before the end of term as they had asked her for them. She says she has kept everything she needs for maths, but her history syllabus will cover totally different periods. We took all of her revision guides into school for them to pass onto anyone who can't afford to buy their own copies. The staff usually seem to know who they need to discretely "lend" items to.

teenmum60 · 02/08/2018 16:18

DD's Sixth form Uniform has arrived ...so I'm seriously hoping that on the 23rd August she has the right grades!

Bluebelle you have my sympathy - my last doggy visitor burnt his nose on the oven door so it was a vets visit for us (I wont go into the saga of the whole stay - but I havent had another doggy visitor since although Ozzie is coming to stay in October.

Im probably jumping the gun a little but I've read a few posts about Uni applications and predicted grades... assume DD's next exams in May 2019 (albeit not formal) will be just (if not more) important than the GCSE's given that these are the results that go on the Uni App?

ReservoirDogs · 02/08/2018 16:04

DS has his suit for 6th form from Debenhams but we are going to get another made when we are in Thailand!

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 02/08/2018 15:02

This sort of thing but the slim fit version for DS1.

www.next.co.uk/g67314s19#162063

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 02/08/2018 14:56

Slaters was definitely the place to go for prom suits, though DS3's colourful one was from Dobells.

I got DS1's sixth form suits from Next. They had a nice grey basic one for £100. I got an extra pair of trousers and washed them in the machine. It did start to look a bit tired after a year but he'd grown out of it by then. He had a blue one for Y13.

farangatang · 02/08/2018 14:44

oh HesMyLobster that does sound like a tough day! There will be much hand-holding from all of us, I'm sure.

farangatang · 02/08/2018 14:42

Always an eventful holiday with a dog around!!

DD has kept all her notes/guides from GCSE for her A Level subjects (in case she needs them) and passed on science/maths/spanish to her younger sister.

I have paid to ship them all back with our other household goods so they had better get used!

Less than 2 weeks until CIE results - eek! DD too busy on her phone to care atm... If I tried to predict her results based on how hard she worked then or based on what I see her brain doing these days, they would be totally different. Will have to wean her off it for A Levels.

HesMyLobster · 02/08/2018 14:36

Results day here is collect from school only, between 9 and 11.
DD so far has lots of social plans for the day, but not quite sure where I fit into any of it!
She and her friends are meeting for breakfast in town, then will all walk up to school together to collect results.
They are planning to open en masse either at the park next to school or at the closest house (not ours!) but haven't decided yet.
Then she plans to have lunch with her boyfriend and meet back up with friends in the evening.
Meanwhile I'll be waiting anxiously at home for a phone call!

2 years ago when DD1 got hers I was at work and hated it.
So I have the day off but now think I'll be sitting on my own all day which will be worse than work!
DH and DD1 are both away that whole week for work/work experience too so it will be an empty house!
You lot will have to keep me company!

Oratory1 · 02/08/2018 14:28

I’ve been recommended Debenhams for a wide range of choice and sizes in suits

Original poster
mmzz · 02/08/2018 14:16

DH has always bought suits in the ratio of 2 pairs of trousers and 1 jacket since before I met him. It makes sense that the trousers would wear out faster.

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Original poster
mmzz · 02/08/2018 14:13

this site is good for inexpensive suits www.dobell.co.uk

Also this Scottish company has been THE place to buy a decent, but not over-priced suit for about 30 years. I see they have expanded south now. www.slaters.co.uk/

Alternatively, there may well be a liquidation sale at House of Fraser's within the next few weeks.

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LARLARLAND · 02/08/2018 14:12

I like Marks and Spencer’s suits or you could even look at George at Asda suits if you don’t want to pay too much for them.

adrinkofwater · 02/08/2018 13:26

I know this has been talked about before, but I wasn't really concentrating! For DS's 6th form they have to wear a suit. Where to people suggest getting one from? Also does it work washing washable ones? I can't think that we'll have to get it dry cleaned all the time, but a friend with an older DS who went to the school assures me that dry cleaning is the only way. I'm just too stingy for that though!

teenmum60 · 02/08/2018 11:19

I dont think DD will have much time to think about results she's back off holiday on Sunday and then away with NCS Monday which is quite nice - now doubt the nerves will surface on the 20th...

slinkyme · 02/08/2018 10:16

Good idea mmzz will try and get these.

Finally had a chance to get DD to get out the letter from the school Re results. So it looks like we have 3 significant dates.

14th after 6am when we can log in and get any results for Cambridge exams.

16th- when we can get Add Maths results after 11am from school (but not online). They will be posted out if not collected

23rd - rest of the results online in the morning and at school

So basically we could get everything online without going into school (except Add Maths)

DD is being difficult and saying she won't look at the results until she has all of them together on the 23rd. I really hope that is not the case. I imagine they will all start discussing the results and then maybe she will be tempted to see them. Me I was hoping to have the alarm set for 5:58 to log in at 6:01. I think I am a bit over invested

Original poster
mmzz · 02/08/2018 10:04

slinkyme hold onto mark schemes for any papers.

For some reason, DS had several papers to sit that the mark scheme was missing for, or which turned up much later. I think its because the school got the papers for a low cost/ only the cost of printing but students to pay for the mark scheme privately.

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slinkyme · 02/08/2018 09:24

DD has only so far cleared the stack of past papers. I have kept the science and maths papers that she didn't get round to doing for DS. Will try and see what boards he might end up doing but it may change all by then. Will need to sit with DD to help her organise. She is a procrastinator.

Not sure about the revision guides. DD didn't really use them and they are like new plus I bought the gcse ones instead of the igcse ones. Will see what might be useful for DS but may sell or donate the others.

DD is getting bored and wish actually there was some work for her to do in the holidays but School hasn't given any. She has thought about starting her EPQ but given that we have had no guidance yet on how to even start these need to help her. Maybe will ask her to pull some ideas together for possible topics - she has lots of ideas just hasn't put them down on paper.

We haven't really had a proper holiday this year for various reasons but hoping to get away for a few days in the UK before results day.

Original poster
mmzz · 02/08/2018 09:13

It seems to me that there's an opportunity for the PTA here to sell used, but still current books and revision guides. It would raise some funds for the school and help next year's students.

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EllenJanesthickerknickers · 02/08/2018 08:58

Ooo, I didn't realise that would create a link!

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