Year 12 - first half term DONE.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

new thread so we don't get lost. Well done to all our dc whether doing btech (or breach as autocorrect prefers to call it) or a levels. 1/6 of the way through this year. (blimey)

There really aren't many big companies within commuting distance to us (there isn't very much at all within commuting distance to us). So doing wex with a big company (other than the one next to my school who have said they'll let us know at some point in December) would involve travel and accommodation somewhere unfamiliar, which would possibly push her too far out of her comfort zone. We'll keep trying with the smaller local (to us or any family) leads we've got before going for places further away, which would be more challenging and more expensive.

I've PMd you Ms. Spotted the namechange!

DD has a Christmas shop job, not many hours but is already panicking she won't have time.

She refused to do Maths Challenge today as it meant missing History, and also refused to take part in a school community concert as she would have missed 2 Maths lessons!

She is going to Lancaster (common theme here!) for a Maths workshop soon.

I've replied Raspberry, thanks.

Dd's school didn't even enter anybody for the maths challenge . Apparently they can't afford anybody to miss lessons for that, but most of her maths class were free all morning anyway because their chemistry teacher was off and their lesson was just cancelled . So missing lessons for educational reasons is not OK, but missing lessons due to absent teachers is absolutely fine.

DDs school doesn't cover any absences either (no budget ) but 'there will always be work set and if this is not the case it should be reported'. Yes ok.

Head of Maths tried hard to convince DD to do it, but she said she was missing History for the workshop and didn't want to miss two.

However, she has always hated them so I think it was quite convenient.

We don't give them a choice at our school. They are told "you are doing the maths challenge on Tuesday morning, go to the gym at 9". Then they do it. I don't think we've ever had anybody refuse, or even ask not to do it with any better reason than "I don't want to", so I'm not sure we've tested the no choice thing yet. I'm sure if there were good reasons not to do it then we'd listen, but most kids are told to just get on with it.

I think dd and I might sit down and look at summer placements - any ideas for maths based places?

It's an expectation that everyone does the maths challenge in dds maths class. It's really sad when some schools don't even offer the opportunity. They are denying kids access to a potentially really interesting and path through maths education. It's no wonder that independent schools dominate the olympiads.

But equally raspberry at this age I think their decisions on whether to take it or not should be respected - it's the not giving them a choice to do it that makes me cross.

Look at head start, they do a week experience at university for those interested in stem subjects. Its about £350 but includes university accommodation

thanks Derek, I was hoping for more work experience type stuff. She doesn't need to do a taster course.

No work experience here for 6th form. However the central focus of today has being Donald trump, and dds fathers family all voted for trump etc.. so she's not best pleased with him. DD has an American friend too who's at school and she is utterly devastated.

Thanks kitten I feel it's her choice too and that my opinion isn't relevant. Her rationale was she had 3 Maths lessons that day, which she had chosen not to miss by not taking part in a school concert (upsetting the music dept), plus a free. Maths Challenge was in History, which is which is her hoped for degree subject. And she pointed out she is missing History for Maths in a couple of weeks for the uni day. If it had been in Maths/free she would have done it.

DS did the Maths Challenge too yesterday. He feels it went ok. Answered the same amount of questions that his other FM friends did. Feels he might scrape a silver as it was hard. He's got Golds in the past, but did feel it was a tough paper. He's usually pretty fair with himself.

DD is doing her mocks, but says she's less stressed that she thought she would be, which is positive at least!

I'm not sure about work experience here to be honest.

I'm annoyed about them not offering the maths challenge at all. For kids who are interested in stem careers those sort of questions are really interesting. I will be raising it at parents evening so hopefully they will do it next year. I do know they have some very bright kids in her class, one of them got through to the Olympiad in year 10 (not dd, but she did get certificates in the 2 years they did them)

That is a complete waste of talent then MrsAD.

Hard to know how they did, til the results come out, but shouldnt be too long as BMO1 is Dec 2nd.

although I don't actually think they generally release results before then iirc - unless theyve made it to BMO1

It really is a massive waste of talent. I'm very disappointed in them :( They don't enter any of the team competitions either which is a shame (dd wouldn't be on the team because she's not fast enough, there are others who are clever and fast)

I'm sad she couldn't have had DDs place Ms. She doesn't appreciate she was lucky to have the opportunity!

DS2 on the other hand was very annoyed to miss the Junior one last year as he was in London. He did get to do a team one earlier in the year though.

I know he did the team one Raspberry, I saw him there! I don't think he saw me. I'm in charge of training our team for the team challenge, we'll start after Christmas and do half an hour a week so they get used to the format. We didn't do well last year but went to the finals in London the year before. I think we stand a good chance this year because the current year 8 has 2 very, very good mathematicians (both went through to the kangaroos in the individual ukmt challenge). I just want to go to the finals again, it was fun.

Gosh your school takes it seriously! DS2 was just told he was doing it and turned up on the day. He enjoyed the day though.

MsAD, I've pmed :)

It's strange, DS1 used to do quite well in the maths challenge, but never stellar. But he's decidedly good at maths, now studying it at Warwick. The question style didn't seem to suit him, somehow.

DS2 has his flu vaccination on Monday. I can't call it a jab as it's a couple of squirts up his nose. Weird. He was fine on Tuesday but had a dodgy day on Wednesday at college.

He got upset during his 3 hour break between lessons when he usually goes to learning support to use the computers, because they were already in use by someone with a deadline to meet. DS2 can get overly emotional when things don't go his way, especially if computers are involved, but this was a first at college. I got a phone call at work to ask if I had any suggestions for strategies. Unfortunately once he's in a meltdown only time will put it right.

I've suggested they go through alternatives with him once he's no longer stressed, maybe today or tomorrow. I think he was feeling under the weather due to the flu vacc but he's always been unable to recognise when he's poorly. I picked him up at 5.15 at the end of the day rather than make him catch the bus home through rush hour, which takes nearly an hour. He was right as rain by then. Sigh.

It's his annual review in 10 days or so. At least I'll have something to talk about!

Ellen I hope they can come up with some useful strategies. Have you had much contact with them re support up until now?

Not really, NoHaudin just the occasional email conversation. They don't seem very communicative, TBH. It's all come from me until yesterday's episode. The autism coordinator (specialist LSW) seems very nice but she's new to the job and about 16. (probably mid 20s. ) I haven't heard anything at all from the course tutors. Neither positive nor negative. I'm looking forward to the annual review but they can be quite formulaic and brief so I might be getting my hopes up. I'm going to ask then when (if) there's an academic parents' evening.

I hope your DD is still doing well. You both have the specialist maths sixth form and college to deal with, don't you? Is the sixth form easier to deal with than college?

There isn't a huge amount of communication from either to be honest but the 6th form is definitely better and also acts on any concerns I raise.
I have heard nothing from college since the numerous confused phone calls in the first week about who was supposed to be supporting her. (The maths school had wisely decided to do it all inhouse and bypass the college.)

We have a parents' evening in a couple of weeks for both so I should see how she is doing academically then. However dd does talk to me (unlike ds) so I think she is doing ok.

DS2 doesn't talk to me either, except to answer 'fine' whenever I ask him how it's going.