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

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

here we are.

don't buy too much stationery til you know what's needed, dd has a whole load of folders she doesn't need.

DD's history is the Tudors and the American Dream. She much prefers older history.

TheSecond if they are given a second chance to resit that test then most schools/colleges will give additional sessions to help get them up to speed on those topics before the resit (guess what i was doing at lunchtime). Pupils like your ds who have valid reasons for gaps in their knowledge and are keen to address that are not really the ones we try to weed out with treats like that. It's more the kids like I've got in my class who failed or test really badly ( 10% on a test theyre supposed to have revised for) and don't turn up to the lunchtime catch up sessions.

Dd has her first physics lesson today. There are only 7 of them and she's the only girl (there are 3 physics classes, but this is the only one in that option block). The boys she knows in the class are apparently not people she is remotely interested in being friends with, so she's thinking she needs to try and make friends with the one new boy.

History sounds so interesting, I wish I had done it at A Level and I wish DS had considered it, but it was 'too much writing'. Give him a nice neat formula any day.

I remember being the only girl in physics (and well actually chemistry and maths too!) I did make a couple of friends in there, but most were from other subjects.

Think it's about 1/3 girls in dds classes, so somewhat different.

I didn't ask DS how many girls were in his class today, I will though. DD is the only girl in Engineering and in Computing, which is a shame I feel. Not for her, but in general.

That's Y11 btw.

I went to a girl's school so didn't have the experience of being the only girl until I went to uni, and did half my degree in computing where I was one of 2 girls out of 250 on the course. Dd doesn't mind being the only girl, but she'd hoped for a couple of people she could be vaguely friendly with. There are other girls in the other physics classes.

She's also joined book club, and is rejoining orchestra and choir next week. And she's being encouraged to enter a writing competition by her old English teacher.

DD has 9 in her history 10 in English and 4 in R.S DD said the classes are much better smaller last year in history GCSE there was 16 so still small. But she said its more comfortable to talk and share opinions. There's only 2 boys in her English class

When I was in sixth form there was only one boy and 22 girls taking English. Maths and physics were much more even. I remember being really surprised when I went to university to do physics and there out of 60 of us there were only 4 girls! We had 6 girls and 7 boys doing A level!

Thank you MsMermaid that's reassuring.

Today's update is that the elective he signed up for (a course on military History) isn't running due to lack of interest, so he'll be doing an EPQ instead. Apparently this isn't a disaster, as the EPQ "seems lit".

DS1 did an EPQ last year. TBH only one of his uni offers included it, unfortunately. That may have been because he will be studying maths and the unis all required high grades in maths and weren't prepared to drop them for an EPQ. Birmingham offered him AAA or AAB and an A in his EPQ.

However, from a learning new skills point of view, writing 5,000 words and doing all the research has been very beneficial. DS1 did maths, FM and physics at A2 which aren't exactly essay type subjects and his A grades in English GCSE were a bit of a pleasant surprise. He quite enjoyed the research if not the writing and did obtain an A for it. (Another pleasant surprise! )

I think for subjects other than maths it may be taken more into consideration and I think it imparts more skills useful for university than General Studies.

(What does, 'seems lit' mean? )

Dd1 is doing EPQ, she's had a topic in mind for a while linked to future degree so hopefully this means it will be useful!

dd will be doing an epq. I think it is a good idea - they get free reign on their topic and can research it to their hearts content - great opportunity!

Last day of this week. Struggling to get back into early starts.

Dd is doing 4 subjects for Y12 plus General Studies. EPQs are also on offer but don't know if she will do one as her subjects are all essay based.

That's a lot of writing Exit. At least with maths, if you get it, you can just scribble it down. With essays, no matter how competent you are, you still have to keep writing.

dd is doing 4 AS levels, then 3A2 with an epq. The epq will be the only writing I think, unless computing has an essay component?? Thank goodness they can type their epq as she will have forgotten how to handwrite after this year I reckon.

From the context in which he uses it, I think "lit" has a positive meaning, but I couldn't give you an exact definition.

Thanks Second. We're so down with the kids!

Mine are finally back today. DS3 starting year 12, DS2 repeating year 12 with some changed subjects and, it seems at the moment, a new improved attitude. Time will tell.

DS1 starts year 13 today, thankfully none of them will do proper lessons today or tomorrow. He went to Lndon for a concert yesterday and missed the last train back. He spent the night in the station before getting the 5:18 train. He got home about 8, changed and went off to school. He seems fine but his poor aged mother is knackered.

DDs school have scrapped general studies until they know how the new alevels are running it will return next year. No EPQ's here DD is home today and she said she's calling for a maccy D's which only concludes of fries
DD has signed up to a club where there work will be published in a magazine so good helping for ucas.

Last day of induction today. They are going to the college freshers' fair as most of the enrichment type stuff is run by the college as maths school is small.
I have volunteered to run the school's Parents' forum; first meeting today. I have had an email from one parent saying she can't make it but is looking forward to getting the minutes. I was thinking more along the lines of general socialising.
What's an EPQ?

Truffle, what a worry last night must have been!!!

oh no NoHaudin, I guess the solution is just to ask at the start, 'OK who is going to scribble some notes if anyone says anything important?'

An EPQ is an extended project qualification (or something like that) It's worth half an a level. They have research something in depth or make something, then at the end write 5000 words about it.

Are we the last ones to go back?

I am certain that the EPQ would be a mistake for DS, he would either ignore it until the last minute and then rush it or if he got the subject right it would be a massive time suck. I'm not sure that he has the planning and organisational skills yet and I don't want to have to nag and chivvy him through it. DH is unbelievably disorganised, decades of effort have made no impact at all so I'm not hopeful that DS is going to magically develop skills.

Was someone starting next week ?

I can see that an EPQ would be an absolute disaster for some!!

DS isn't back til Tuesday - for induction and lessons not til Thursday. The EPQ is compulsory at his college, but he's quite keen on it. Has lots of ideas currently, though some are more feasible than others I fear!