Y11 2023-24 thread 4

Fair enough but not (late 80s) for me, DS or any of my friends' kids locally and further afield, so I was surprised

DD has prep materials but not actual work. She is resolutely ignoring it ! I don’t blame her either !

I was a bit worried about the extended summer , as was she, and we compiled an ideas list for things to do off and on during the GCSEs. However, somehow she has been so busy with prom, birthday, other various things. She’s also been able to relax and read. I’m pleasantly surprised as normally in holidays her mood dips significantly and it’s hard work. We’re on a short hols soon then she’s got a gig followed by gcse results and all the college induction stuff .

I remember being given pre work between GCSE and A level 30 years ago. It’s not a new thing by any means.

DS seems to spend half his day in bed, most of the afternoon discussing what they are going to do and then eventually going out in the late afternoon/early evening.
No one has any money, apparently, only one has a job, and he works 36 hours a week!
DS is 16 next week, so we are applying for jobs this weekend.
I'm shocked at 6th Form work over the summer.

DD is doing more lazing than usual. Also doing lots of art and not much A level bridging work reading yet... She's helping at a coffee morning for pensioners at our church each week which is good for her and does a sport on a Saturday which is as much social as exercise. She's not really seen much of friends from school but at least once a week sees out of school friends. And she still goes to youth group at our church and we had a family social this week which was nice. Trying to keep the balance between lounging and doing isn't always easy.

DD is also in this weird limbo. She doesn't know which 6th form she's going to. She's not great at staying in touch with friends or making plans so she's mainly sleeping and lazing about. Fine for a bit - she deserves it after the stress of the exams - but I feel it's not healthy to mope about for weeks on end.

Interesting to hear how many are in person - more than 95% stay on at his school so I’m guessing they don’t really need face to face on the day.

Sorry to hear how your dd is feeling @PinkChaires it’s definitely an odd time for them.

My DD is definitely feeling in limbo at the moment. This is partly due to her going to a new school for 6th form, so has left her current school and friends behind, and is not yet part of her new school. I am guiding her towards the transition work her new school has given and going uniform (business wear) shopping soon to get some enthusiasm for the next step.

DDs friends from past school are disappearing as I guessed they would, and others are on holiday. Luckily she has a job so has something to break the weeks up.

I sympathise though, it is a strange break from the stressful full on exam period to nothing so quickly. We have already had our summer holiday early, so I have taken some more odd days off and am arranging days out with DD then. I've also said she can redecorate her room, which I am not regretting as it is turning into a complete overhaul including new furniture!!

Is anyone elses child feeling lonely in the holidays? Unfortunately her friends seem to have been school friends, so not much messaging and going out. We can't really go out due to me being pregnant and shes feeling anxious about that and obviously the impending gcse results. Really hoping college will bring a new start

I didn't mean 'non uniform' as in some might wear uniform (that would be weird, school finishes at y11), just that some/many ex pupils seemed to take delight in wearing stuff that would have been frowned at even on non-uniform days iyswim?

The uniform is long gone so that was never an option!
I’ll leave it up to her if she wants to go. Just seems like dragging it out so much!

DS will have to collect his in person from 9.30am. His secondary has already deleted all of the outgoing year 11's email addresses and portal access. He has to confirm to the new 6th form school/college by 11am (first choice) with a copy of the results.

I'm now very much hoping he gets the 56 points from top 8 for his first choice because he has been given so much transition work that I've bought all of the required books plus the new iPad and Apple pencil that the new school require. It's a gamble but he's been given so much work that there is no way he'd be able to do it in the time between results and September. I've spent north of £600 so far and I still need to buy suits, shirts, sports kits and bus pass. State school is such an expensive business!

@Tiredalwaystired I may have inadvertently misrepresented my school! It’s normally 90% will stay on, the other 10% will have chosen to go to college or another 6th form with the support of staff. The discussions will more likely be about not getting the required grade in a subject and can they still take it for A level? Also, where necessary, helping those kids that haven’t got the marks needed to stay for 6th form. They do care about their students but it’s awful that there are schools out there that behave the way you describe.

That is standardish round my way.
The certificates aren't created until after all appeals are done and dusted.

You don't have to go to collect at the presentation evening. They can make arrangements to collect in person afterwards. Some schools will post them too.

At DDs school some rocked up in jeans, others in v smart dresses, many with loads of makeup, v short, v much non school uniform.

DD has to pick them up from school between 9-10am on the day. She will have to surface rather earlier than her usual holiday mode! In the final prizegiving she got the award for Contribution to the School (vague, but nice) so that was a good send-off.

They get the results in person and then have to go in for a special assembly in October to get the certificates. After having left! In fact parents do too 🤨 .

God my school was like that too. The minute anyone made a noise about wanting to go to a college instead, the school pretty much distanced themselves from the kid. There was so much snobbery!

We just had instructions for results day from school yesterday too. In person from 8.30am. DH and I are taking DD to school but we are preparing for an emotional reaction as she will not get one particular grade she was desperate for. We are trying not to talk about the day yet, but it is always there in the back of my mind.

I have an older DD who did v well in GCSEs but got insurance choice for uni, so I have experienced both outcomes already. Older DD was much less dramatic than DD2 though 😂.

I don't want to wish time away, but I'd really like to get this over and done with. DD2 is changing schools for 6th form so it is a big move for her.

In school here. The school sixth form has high entrance requirements, so the school have sent out a lot of info on who is at hand to help - advice on options if you don’t meet the standard or need to change subjects, but also on getting the info needed if you wanted to get grades reviewed. Seems well organised from what we can tell!

@newmum1976 that sounds like a nice way to do it.

Ours do online at 8am, then in school at 10am to collect certificates and celebratory breakfast.

Ours do it on school portal at 8am, nothing will be handed out at school. There is an assumption that most people will be staying on to 6th form if they have the grades. People who haven't quite made it can come to school and speak with the exams office and head of 6th form to see what options there are.

We (the parents) don't know anything, but DS probably does. He told me that he would snap a photo and send it to me straight away. So it must be in person.

In person here.
Last year, me and DH drove DS2 to school.
We nervously waited in the car whilst he collected his results then we all whizzed over to his new sixth form to register.

It will hopefully be the same this year with DD except she's staying at her current school....hopefully.

Yes we are collect in person too.