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Further education

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Original poster

New Year 12 starters parent support thread (snappy title eh?)

999 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 31/08/2016 19:19

here we are.

OP posts:
OhSoVintage · 07/09/2016 23:23

FantasyAndHope Gosh girls get such a disadvantage if they suffer don't they? My dd takes after me and is abnormally heavy. So once a month for a week she's sick and we have to pump iron supplements and pain killers down her! Doesn't help matters. I think periods should be banned until they finish uni for a whole manner of reasons ;)

starfleet What a shame! DD got one of hers back today for history and that was also unchanged. Makes you feel a bit flat doesn't it, but I suppose we had nothing to lose except money as was highly unlikely to go down. Just waiting for our R.S now.

My DD felt a bit down today. I think the excitement of the new girl wore off and she realised the friends she's made where very tight knit. So she felt a bit like an outsider and missed her old friends. But they seemed to try to include her so I just told her it will take time to build up a bond and its only natural to feel like that. She's meeting them for a comic con outside of school this weekend along with some old friends so I'm sure it will improve.

needastrongone · 08/09/2016 07:53

That's good news for your DS LDG.

I have just sent DS off with a cheque for 2 re-marks, he's one mark off an A* for both subjects, so near, yet so far. Will so what we get, it's wasted money in some respects if no change but I guess we will have tried.

OSV I would think that if your DD is already meeting new friends outside of school, that's A Very Good Thing. Smile

DS has FM, 2 free periods (in the middle of the day...), then double Physics, first lessons for the latter, so it will be interesting to hear his views.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 08/09/2016 08:53

A lot of mathematicians on this thread!
dds college don't timetable FM separately it all just comes into the general maths mix. Then they take an as in maths and fm at the end of the year. It seems to make sense.

OP posts:
needastrongone · 08/09/2016 09:03

Random Iphone additions in my previous post..

I was just considering the re-mark system isn't great for those on very low incomes is it? Unless the school pay in some cases, which seems unlikely unless the results are way out of kilter. At £30 a re-mark, it's not exactly cheap.

DS's maths is all called FM, but operate the same system, i.e. AS's in both next year.

FantasyAndHope · 08/09/2016 09:17

ohso
She's being investigated for PCOS and endometriosis
DD said her frees have Being boring so far as she has no work to do

starfleet · 08/09/2016 09:30

DS seems to think his one double free period this afternoon is for "relaxing".

He did all of his homework last night rather than take some in today (doesn't have to be in until next week) and do it at school. Teenage logic defies me.

needastrongone · 08/09/2016 11:12

DS will find study periods at present boring too, he has FM first thing, then 2 free periods, then double Physics, but no work to do yet... I guess he should enjoy while it lasts...

catslife · 08/09/2016 11:50

dd took a book to college for her "free" periods yesterday. Suspect this won't last long though and at some stage she will be spending free periods in the Art studio or library. According to her, they don't have an official morning registration, they just take the register at every lesson. Left after 10 this morning as first lesson is mid-morning (i hope she's correct can't find any info on the website about this).
She is considering swapping one of her subjects already (to her reserve choice). Due to her GCSE grades, they advised only 3 subjects rather than 4. Hopefully this will still be possible as College is still taking late enrolments.

TheSecondOfHerName · 08/09/2016 14:25

I was at the school this lunchtime (for something unrelated to DS1) and his old Maths teacher came and spoke to me because he has seen the score DS1 got on the Maths entry test...

DS1 got 75%.
The 'pass' mark is 80%.

I think they are given one more chance to resit and pass before being disqualified from the course.

Bracing myself for a grumpy, frustrated & disappointed 16 year old.

Icouldbeknitting · 08/09/2016 14:38

Catslife Your daughter probably is right about morning registration because the new place takes the register at the start of every lesson. There's no requirement to be on the premises outside of lessons so you don't need to come in before your first lesson and you can stroll off after your last one.

TheSecond Ouch! I like to put a positive spin on things but with this I'm really glad that I'm not in your shoes tonight.

catslife · 08/09/2016 15:40

Much better lessons today, so looks as if swapping subjects is off the agenda and she is sticking to plan A. Looks as if the issue for Health and Social Care is that she is the only Y12 that didn't take the subject at GCSE. However there are also some Y13s in the group who have transferred. Between lessons tomorrow there is an "enrichment" day where they find out about clubs and extra curricular activities so she is looking forward to that.
The second Sorry to hear that. Is there any room for extenuating circumstances if he missed work through being ill?

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 08/09/2016 15:48

oh ouch TheSecond. Did he give any hints as to where your ds needs to brush up?

OP posts:
ExitPursuedBySpartacus · 08/09/2016 15:52

DD has a pretty full timetable so is trying to avoid 'Enrichment' at the moment.

TheSecondOfHerName · 08/09/2016 16:16

Oh no. DS1 is now home. They weren't given their Maths test results back today.

FantasyAndHope · 08/09/2016 16:20

DD has finished and has texted to say she has 4 pieces of prep tonight. She has a triple free tomorrow

needastrongone · 08/09/2016 16:25

Swerved that one the Second Grin

Glad your DD had a better day cats

DS and his mates did their homework in their study period today. Which was given this morning in FM, but only took them half and hour tops. So a bit too much free time today really. He said Physics was easy, but felt the teacher was ensuring the pupils had the basics in place, which is fair enough. He has homework for this too.

Diet Coke and a packet of Oreo's from the vending machine. I suspect the joy of the vending will be short lived, but is a novelty as the rest of the school is obviously very strict. I'm not funding buying crap anyway, so he can get his own after this week. Smile

TheSecondOfHerName · 08/09/2016 16:33

needastrongone more of a stay of execution really.

The teacher that told me the score is not the one who marked it, so I don't know where DS1 lost marks.

I'm hoping that they will take the health problems he had from Y8-Y11 into consideration.

I've heard rumours that those getting between 80% and 90% are still allowed to take the course but are required to attend extra Maths sessions. DS1 would be v.happy to attend these (and would be grateful for the extra help).

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 08/09/2016 17:19

Fingers crossed TheSecond

3 pieces of homework for dd, so they are starting to get them into it.

OP posts:
raspberryrippleicecream · 08/09/2016 17:36

DD is getting homework too

Meeting tomorrow for those interested in FM to see how to schedule it this year.

derektheladyhamster · 08/09/2016 18:02

DS is learning about vikings in history, sound better than the corn laws I learnt about!

FantasyAndHope · 08/09/2016 18:25

derek
DD is doing Stuart's and Charles 1 and Russia and the revolution much better than I learnt.
Teachers have being drilling it into them that they should treat the new alevels like uni there is much more independent research and chance to go off and discover more. DD said it sounds nerve wrecking especially not having teachers tell you what to do and when to do it

TheSecondOfHerName · 08/09/2016 18:31

History: DS1 is doing:
Mao's China
Russia from Lenin to Yeltsin
and finding both interesting.

cloudyday99 · 08/09/2016 18:38

I think it is a bit nerve wrecking for them fantasy - to be told to research things and do things in their own time. They're used to such a lot of structure at school. Hopefully sixth form will be a bit more of a bridge into independence, still supporting them where necessary rather than leaving them just to sink or swim.

DSS is just staring upper sixth now and he's not found the last year easy really. For someone who's bright and very engaged at the subjects he's doing, that hasn't translated into general organisational skills of working out what he needs to know and learning it - he seems to be realising this currently and is talking about how to be more focused this year, which is good. He's more mature now than he was a year ago. They do a huge amount of growing up between 16 and 18 I think.

Icouldbeknitting · 08/09/2016 18:52

TheSecond the extra maths classes sound much better than being thrown off the course before you've really had a chance to get started.

It's the last day's holiday tomorrow, when he came out of his last exam I remember thinking what a long time it was to be on holiday but it's flown by. I have bought no stationery but I'm sure there will be some left in the shops next week. He's had some new shoes and a few new clothes and I can't say that I've missed the uniform shopping at all.

FantasyAndHope · 08/09/2016 18:56

cloudy
Definitely DD has surprised herself how in prep she can just get on with work and not get distracted she's more prepared and can do more than she thinks it's just telling her that.
History on Russia sounds similar to DD thesecond