Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

@Thethingswedoforlove IB is usually offered in the U.K. as a 6th form option instead of A levels. If your DD is being offered it at yr11 and doesn’t want to do English (compulsory in uk) I’m guessing that she’s overseas. There’s a GCSE type of level IB too, which I’m assuming she’s doing. Or are you In UK & thinking ahead to 6th form options?

@Thethingswedoforlove welcome...
I don't know much about the IB, what is it?

I have one DS who I think knows which college he wants to go to BUT has no idea what A Levels 😂. Teenagers

Can I join? I have a dd about to go into year 11. We have a dilemma because dd’s current (state) school only offers the IB. Which is arguably harder work than A levels. There are some good options which offer A levels but dd isn’t so good socially and with change. So it’s not clear. She will cope ok with the IB but really doesn’t want to have to do English which is compulsory. Tricky.

Hello Rhubarb brothers; what subjects is your ds doing?

Thank you for the welcome. We're in a similar situation as others, a small town so the option is the school 6th form. Fortunately we know the school very well and the 6th form is good, it's a comprehensive school but a selective 6th form and has a good reputation. DS is doing the standard GCSEs (Maths, English, Triple Science, RE) plus Geography, Engineering and PE.

In my school 6th form interviews for external candidates are usually Jan|Feb. Open evening November.

DD likes the look of some of the courses at our local 6th form college but I would prefer her to stay at her school sixth form but it's not really my choice

We've only had predicted grades at Xmas and her only parents eve this year was the first week of lockdown so that didn't happen so haven't had any contact with her teachers which makes me nervous. I'm trying to find a maths tutor for her at the moment as she lacks confidence in maths and her teacher is less than helpful.

Yep good point!

@ihearttc... We live in a small town on the outskirts of a big city so he has no local options and would need to travel a fair way wherever he goes. My opinion, and his too is that he may aswell try for the best he can get all things considered. It's a nightmare really. Every option for him is at least 2 buses or train/bus 😭

@Hellohah thank you! We live very rurally so if he doesn’t go to 6th form it’s an 1.5 hour bus journey to the nearest college and he’d have to leave at 7 every morning so I don’t think he’d fancy that! Might need to look into it as a back up though.

@ihearttc... I mentioned college above as we've had no info, DS's school doesn't have a 6th form. I checked one of the colleges DS is considering it said was best to have applications for this September in before 11 January 2020, so am assuming it will be 11 January 2021 or thereabouts. It is heavily oversubscribed that college though, so others may be different

Just joining in as well and saying hello properly!

DS1 is going into Year 11 in September. I’m really concerned that as well as this years exams being totally messed up it is also likely to have a significant impact on our children next year whether they even get to sit exams or not!

DS’s last predictions were mostly 7s and 8’s with a chance of a 9 in Maths (but I’m not sure that’s very likely). His weakest subject is English Lit and that’s what he has really struggled with since lockdown. He wants to do a very bizarre mix of A levels which I’m not convinced is actually going to be possible-Physics, PE and Media Studies. Having never done this before I don’t even know when they have to apply for 6th Form?

Hi AsPerMyLastEmail what sort of courses is your dd looking at for 6th form?

When do they update the EHCP? I think my dd will need her dyslexia reassessing, but i’m think that wherever she goes will need to organise that?

I hope she will stay where she is, although they might not let her if her results are poor.
I did want my dd’s to go to this school in part because it has a good 6th form; my DSS school didn’t have a 6th form and he had a bad experience moving to a 6th form based in an FE College. I think due to his ASD he just couldn’t deal with making all those new relationships with teachers.
Sorry to be gloomy about that prospect.
I think the most important thing is that the courses they choose are really the ones they are most interested in.
Hello Rhubarb brothers; what subjects is your ds doing?

Can I join you, I just found this thread. My ds will be year 11 next month.

It totally pulls the rug of ‘reward for hard work’ from under their feet. Teachers and families work so hard to instil this ethic to help teens feel there is a point to education, when it is so exam focussed that the more holistic point of learning about interesting stuff is lost at times.
It has a knock on effect for younger children, whose perspective on the whole system becomes even more jaded.

I’m totally feeling for them too ISBN. What a clusterfuck.

Thanks for the suggestion Teen, it has loads more details. She has also been finding out about T Levels, and is interested to see what happens with them this year.

I’m feeling for the A level result young people today.

ISBN Can you look at the Dept of Education website where Ofsted reports are, and search 16-18 provision? That should get you everything I'd have thought?

Whi teen, that sounds great! It’s so important to have things to look forward to.

We need to start looking at theoptions for 6th form. DD might do well enough to stay on at her school. Or she might not.
I had a bit of a search on national careers service, but it seems to only include a couple of the schools in the borough. Has anyone got any tips of a search facility which is a bit better? Or is it a case of looking at the map so we don’t overlook possibilities?

ISBN Agree, we have told DD that it can be a late decision re wedding.

Anyway, I have decided to close my eyes to the next few months, and have fast forwarded to June/July next year and … ordered a prom dress!

DD hates shopping, we saw one online she liked, it was a good price. If it looks rubbish we can send it back, and otherwise we can sell it on if she likes it now but changes her mind.

Hi everyone,
Sorry i have missed the whole year’s worth of conversation on here!
I have a dyslexic dd who will be going into yr 11 in September. She has taken RE (compulsory) Music French History and Triple Science. (As well as English &Maths)
She works very hard and has done very well. She is a social learner and engaged very well in all her classes, and has found following a routine of study really challenging without any input form her teachers (I know it has been variable, but our school weren’t facilitating any submission of work until June, and even after that there was no feedback or response. The ‘face to face’ were a joke.... Think all the English teachers in front of a sports hall full of yr 10’s in exam conditions)

She is very anxious about the return to school, like many others I’m sure.

Teen plus twenties; with the wedding situation, I would accept the invitation, mention that the timing is difficult, and then reassure dd that the actual decision about whether to attend will be made 4 weeks prior to the date. I would hope this would alleviate the anxiety for your dd, give the bride/groom the heads up that it’s possible it might not happen, and realistically who knows what will be happening by then; anyone making plans that far in advance has to be aware that the circumstances are beyond individuals’ control.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

DD goes back 7/9 but not sure of times etc yet, we should find out end of the month.

DD is not sure if she wants to stay at her sixth form or come to the school I work in, she's wants to do Psychology, Physics and English or Business A Level at the moment.

She's been working hard on her set work for summer but going out lots too but she is very ready to go back.

I don't see the point in schools announcing anything until September, too much can change.

DD wants to do Animal care at college. She was on track for the Level 3 entry criteria, but we were thinking Level 2 anyway, and if it all goes wrong she can go in at level 1.