to ask parents if teens if they have experience of the NCS

[Tiredoldhag]

The NCS has been promoted through my dd's school. Have any if your kids attended? My daughter has obviously handed over my email address and they are sending three a day to tell me how wonderful it is and that are quite pushy that she signs up. Here's their site www.ncsyes.co.uk/

My son did this last year and loved it. He made a lot of new friends from different backgrounds, and they still meet up regularly. It was a bit chaotic and not particularly well organised though. I still thought it was well worth doing, particularly the week where they had to live independently (in university accommodation.)

DD did it and loved it. She had a great time, as Noidea says, made loads of friends. Her's was well organised and she felt it gave her a fantastic experience.

My now 19 year old did it and it was an amazing experience for him and without sounding like a cliche, it really was the making of him and it was probably partly ncs that gave him the confidence to go to uni.

My niece did it last year and loved it. She is quite shy and unassuming and it was amazing for her confidence and self belief.

I know 2 people who've done it and loved it and my DD may well do it this summer.

Unfortunately I think (like DofE), it's one of those things set up for deprived kids, but all the middle class ones are the people who sign up.

My daughter did it last year and loved it. I wish I’d known about it before do my older daughter could have gone. It’s very well organised and they have so much fun.

My friend's daughter and her best friend did it together last year, they had a whale of a time and learned a lot.

Thank you for the replies. My DD has medical issues so needs to skip phase 1. I have contacted them about this. She is reasonably academic and has confirmed college offers and intends to go to uni.

I just wanted other mum's views as the selling staff seem disorganised and we still await their direction as to omitting phase 1.

Keep. Why do you make that assertion? We are very much working class, however do you think it is a financial issue or that MC tend to feel easier about independence?

My DD did it last year and hated it but I do think it depends on location and leaders.

She was led to believe, from the adverts/meetings that it was very sporty, white water rafting, kayaking etc. They did nothing like that, just a run down ex PGL site.

Food was scarce and they were all 'starving'. Their leader was very very strict, DD felt like she was in the army 😂.

However friends of hers did it in other places and loved it so it's pot luck.

Keepserving, funny you should say that as DD got that impression too. Thinks it was set up to keep troubled kids off the streets during the long summer hols of year 11 but they aren't the ones attending generally.

That's really helpful BigSandy. I suspected as much. I also suspect that they are paid per child as it is government subsidised.

I am now unsure. I feel her time may be better spent preparing for college. Reading, relaxing and getting a grip on the syllabubs'

*syllabus

My DSD attended 4 weeks last year and loved every minute. I thought it sounded too good to be true on paper but it exceeded hers and ours expectations. A wonderful, safe, well led adventure.

My DD has just been accepted as a team leader for NCS for 8 weeks in the summer and was very impressed with the care and attention paid to the selection process.

DN had an amazing time and would highly recommend it.

DD's experience was shockingly bad - arrangements (dates) changed twice, the accommodation was changed without notice from an adventure centre to camping (which meant some students had to withdraw) and the promised 2 weeks' residential for the community project planning turned into one week visiting a local arts centre daily - not only in our town but where she already worked as a volunteer!

DN and DD only live 4 miles apart but in different counties so had different organisations as the provider. DD's was genuinely terrible - never answered emails or phone calls, and we ended up dealing with their regional office over 200 miles away, who had no idea what was going on at a local level. All of DD's friends withdrew - two because the rearranged dates didn't suit them, and 1 because her parents basically lost confidence in the organisation's ability to run a week's adventure activities.

My mistake - according to DC, they were told they'd have a week on a residential and it was 4 days on daily arts centre visit. Still rubbish though.