Year 10 - 2023/2024 Support Thread

@elkiedee do some schools not put them in sets? When I was at school we had sets, but it was same set for everything. So if you were top set it was top set for all subjects. I like that ds's school has different sets for maths, English, pe and sciences. So in theory you could be top set in maths and bottom in English. Not all dc's are the same ability in all subjects.

Ds3 always aims high and that worries me. He thinks he's not good enough, even though his grades are good. It doesn't matter how much I praise him, he says he knows I'm disappointed. Of course I'm not. I think he will get the best grades out of my 3 ds's. The older 2 did well though. Ds1 had the old grades letter grades for most subjects. He didn't get and A* though. Ds2 didn't get any 9's. So it'll be interesting to see if ds3 can get a 9. But it's fine if he doesn't and I'm certainly not going to suggest that to him. They do seem to have so much pressure put on them compared to my day.

My DS has done quite well but I do think grade boundaries are very high, that if everyone is meant to be in education or training and A level requirements are also very high for universities etc now, that it all feels much harder for kids. I think teaching is much better now than it was in my day. The school DS1 has just done his GCSEs at and where DS2 is going into year 10 tends to get looked down on, but when I look at some of the threads about the competitive/desirable schoos in my borough and across North London, or other stuff, I do wonder. One of the things parents seem to worry about is schools that don't stream or not, and mixed ability Maths - I think in the last two years different options and qualification levels actually divvy students up anyway, but I may not be able to resist flaunting his incredible result in the next conversation when someone says oh you won't get your kids into a good school, only x or y, x being school for both my sons.

Yes agreed! My one A was definitely a 7 and not a 9! since the introduction of 9s, the 7s seem to be devalued and easy to forget that they are A’s! It does make a 4 sound low when in fact it’s a perfectly good ‘C’.

Looking at grade boundaries and the string of high grades some students received today.

DD is on 7-9 pathway but I think it's going to be a hard two years ahead.

I reckon the As I got in my day were more 7s than 9s!

@DataColour ds3 is about 5'6" but ds2 was always the tiniest in his year. His mates are all over 6' he used to look funny walking along beside them. He still does. When ds2 went off to uni in sept he returned mid November to find his younger brother had grown taller. At 19 he's about 5'4" I don't think he will get any taller now. I don't think of him as small anymore. But he is. I'm only 5'2" we always joked that he wouldn't get taller than me.

Hi Everyone,

Just dropping in to say hi, thanks for this new thread!

DS is also saying he's tired a lot of the time. He says his legs hurt, he's developed a few coughs recently, just feeling under the weather. He has had bit of a growth spurt recently, now quite a bit taller than me, although I'm only 5'2 so he's not that tall still compared to his peers. He's probably around 5'4/5'5 now. As he hangs around with lots of sporty boys due to his hobbies he seems the smallest of them all, whereas compared to the general 14yr old boy population he is short, but not massively. Compared to some of the lads he plays cricket with or go running, he seems tiny!
DS has not really been out socialising with his friends, although he is continuing to go to all his sports clubs which is a few evenings a week with cricket matches etc weekly, so he socialises then I guess. We've been away in the UK and in France quite a bit so not had a lot of time at home. He's does piano practise daily, so that's another thing, and the rest of the time he's gaming, a few chores at home, watching TV etc. Summer is flying past pretty quickly!

I love "An Inspector Calls", I think it's on DS's GCSE list too. He's currently reading yet another Neil Shusterman series, I think he's read them all. Although he did venture out of his comfort zone last week and read a murder mystery thriller called 5 survive, which he raced through and liked, although saying it was boring initially.

We got some second hand clothes at a sale at the school for both DS and DD. DS has a new tie and jumper for KS4. Couldn't get a tie, all gone by the time we got there. Need to get new shoes, DS is size 9!,

Thanks QueenMabby what’s your DS looking to study? Uni of York are one of the few who drop grades for core maths, if that’s relevant? Quite a few drop for EPQ but core maths is rare (Bath, York, Sheffield only ones we found).Is he yr12?

Thats true about York notes! 🤣🤣 I won’t mention those to DD3!

She’s headed to York (insurance choice) a little gutted as her first choice rejected her A*BB (needed AAB) despite the Astar being extremely aligned to subject choice. It’s been a bitter pill to swallow. I think DD3 is reading a sentence a week of Inspector Calls! 🙄

@CatsOnTheChair mine takes his pe kit and it usually stays in the bag for 3 or 4 weeks before I remember to get it out and wash it 🤦‍♀️ only 2 pe lessons a week though and he's not sporty so he doesn't run about much. I do try to remember to get the socks out after each pe lesson. If left to Ds it would never be washed.

Yes hand me down for mine too. He's the youngest of 3. However, he's a fair bit taller than ds2 so only wearing ds1's now.

Have been awol as DD2 just had A level results and a bit of faff with unis. All sorted now though

Ooh crikey uniform. Think she’s ok as last years should still fit - plus she’s hand me downs from her 2 sisters who hardly wore theirs as covid. School changed the uniform radically last year but they’ve given a couple of years grace so I’m hoping between what she currently has and the hand me downs she’ll be fine until 6th form! She will need shoes but always tends to be around Christmas time.
She’s still not finished ‘An Inspector Calls’ despite having it since early July and being a rather thin book. We are on holiday but still…

What shoes are you opting for

No, your not @icanbewhatiwant.
We do the same - except for shirts, as they never seem to be outgrown, but do look distinctly grotty after a year.
But since mine havnt been wearing uniform since June, we upgraded all the PE kit then as i didnt have enough for 5 days of usage, and have needed shirts for both, trousers for the upcoming Y10, and shoes for both.

Am I the odd one out? I don't buy new uniform over the summer, I used to always buy school shoes in august, but Ds had new ones early summer. I bought new trousers and shirts in March as Ds had a growth spurt. So I'm sure it all fits still.

I do sometimes wonder whether it's the growing that makes them feel tired at this age, but reckon a blood test wouldn't hurt.

Here we have just done the school shoes. DD's feet never grow (she's a four and a half apparently and was the same last year) but she makes holes in them like crazy.

All new school uniform needed here but I think we have it all now - anything else we can get in the secondhand sale at beginning of term. £84 for two PE tops makes me think I was lucky @QueenMabby I got it all secondhand except the blazer and I've spent less than £250.

Chat with houseparent done (she seems very sensible and nice), and she confirms there is no holiday homework between years 9 and 10, which seems mad to me but what do I know. Feeling nearly prepared, but sure I've forgotten something vital.

Will blood test help?

My ds says always tired too

Thanks for the new thread @QueenMabby

DD told me today that she is really looking forward to year 10 as she will no longer have to do subjects she despises. Summer seems to be flying by. She doesn't seem to have been set much summer work by school (DS going from yr12 to yr13 has quite a bit) but she has been doing some Duolingo each day. We've had a break in the UK but also quite a lot of time just chilling at home.

She does say that she always feels tired so I think it might be worth taking her to the Dr's for a blood test. She is pretty good about going to bed at a sensible time so not as nocturnal as some teens are!

We're clearly failing on the school uniform front.
His size 7 shoes from last year (which, tbf, he hasn't worn since they moved to permanent PE kit in June) were clearly slightly too small, and we've walked out with 9.5s....

Thanks OP @QueenMabby.

I finally got around to ordering school uniform. M&S school shirts, Next trousers. Clearly I've left it late because there was hardly anything left!