30 ish teenagers aged 16 on a coach for 7 hours ,with the only adult being the coach driver

[Laceup]

Am I being unreasonable to think having paid £600 (plus £600 for equipment )for duke of Edinburgh gold,through the school.there would be an adult apart from the driver on the coach..both ways no other adult....dont the school have a duty of care? What if a fight had broken out? 16 yr old boys do tend to scrap...or a crash? Or the driver taken ill...I don't know,am I just being a bit precious???..

What are super activities??

grade 8 in music doesn't impress them either.

Well it should! Silly place.

I assume it means activities that suggest that you take your particular speciality very seriously.

So if your area is chemistry, I suppose going to chemistry events, science fairs, entering chemistry-related science competitions, that kind of thing. I don't know this for a fact, though!

Any activity that directly relates to the course you want to do- work experience or volunteering can be useful.

Anything else, for reasons that should be obvious, isn't.

Super-curricular activities are things you do that go beyond what you learn at school, beyond A levels - so if you are interested in studying literature, you read beyond your A Level course, you read books and several critiques of the books you pull together your own ideas, you watch lectures from iTunes University. For other courses you read quality newspapers, you visit museums - if you are interested in maths you take part in national competitions, you challenge yourself with nrich, you demonstrate your interest in the subject you apply for and you don't use the word passion - apparently they do not want to hear about your passion they want you to show how you are interested.

I personally think that d of e is great, and that 16 year olds can be trusted to be on a bus by themselves, but I'm horrified at the amount you have been charged.

It may not be that every employer wants it, but it does give them something to talk about at interview if they are asked about leadership or how they handled a difficult situation and the confidence it gives can't be measured.

DofE does help when looking for employment - I've heard this from several employers and from previous students who said it helped in interviews. That's apart from the learning along the way.

Going straight for Gold is perfectly allowable - we give extra training for expedition. Many of those who go straight for Gold are the most motivated abs get the most from it.

work experience or volunteering can be useful. Only if it can be used to demonstrate how you gained insight into your subject - they said making tea and coffee and photocopying only proved your parents have connections, not that you are curious and interested.

So if your area is chemistry, I suppose going to chemistry events, science fairs, entering chemistry-related science competitions, that kind of thing. I don't know this for a fact, though! That is exactly the kind of thing the admissions tutor talked about.

Ibiscuit - you make a good point about those going for an apprenticeship rather than uni.

My DC was able to answer the competency questions using part time job experience. Not only did that not cost me anything but saved me money from not having to pay for driving lessons

These days when so many 18 year olds go to uni I do wonder if they all have super extra curric activities, it cant be essential for all courses at all unis

if they all have super extra curric activities, it cant be essential for all courses at all unis It isn't essential for all units but the most competitive courses and Universities who are looking for something more than 3A* to distinguish between candidates and they are being quite clear they are not interested in parent funded activities to differentiate - your ability to actively learn about your subject and discuss your ideas in an intelligent manner will contribute to the strength of your application and it a lot fairer than assigning kudos for activities that less well off students can not access.

they are being quite clear they are not interested in parent funded activities to differentiate

Where are they being clear about this?

(apart from private education clearly )

"Where are they being clear about this?"

By ignoring extra curricular activities.

Sandy yup - part time work is also brilliant for giving experience.

Applicants who've literally just gone to school can really struggle to demonstrate the kind of skills we're looking for.

As an aside, many of the apprentices we take on could have gone to university, but they actively choose us instead. They're fantastic to have on the team, and very much in demand.

Well what would be really good,and show me he's matured,is if he actually unpacks his bag and puts the clothes in the machine like I asked...at the minute it's sitting in the hallway,all muddy and smelling...

That should be part of the award,sorting your kit out out after🙁

Stand your ground and make him sort it out!

Yep he's done it ,and I only had to ask twice 😀