Parents of Year 12s - exam time again! (oh no!)

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Just noticed we were running out of thread!

almost good timing!

I liked the one where you buy a number of insured days over a longer period, it's ideal for someone that doesn't drive every day. I think I might be looking at that one when they current cover expires.

I just added ds1 to my insurance. As we will be sharing my car it seemed the more sensible option. I did read about fronting and had a worried moment as he will be driving it to school and back but decided that as it's my car and he isn't the main driver then it should be ok.
It's only for a year until he goes to uni then he will need his own insurance if he wants to drive it when home.

As he was using the test as a mock to see if he needed an instructor (massive fail), or if me teaching him is enough I felt it was a good result. If all he needs to do is mirrors then my nagging and harassing him should be enough.
He's doing some work experience this week but I'm making him drive me there for practice.

I don't think he's had enough time to worry about results day yet.

It's nearly September so open days are back on the agenda again. The one DS booked yesterday is probably his last one unless he comes up with some new ideas, it's the last place on his list anyway.

I'm not good at supervising the learner driver, DH is much more laid back than I am and is coming into his own with this aspect of parenting. I'm a quivering ball of anxiety and it's not good for me or DS.

DD has surprised me and booked another open day. (After being adamant that she was only going to offer holder days) and it's on a Saturday so I'm hoping she'll let me tag along!

DD's driving instructor has told her to book her practical test! It's about an 8 week wait at the moment, so hopefully gives me time to get my head around the idea!

How are all your dc feeling now that its results week?
Dd is away visiting friends until Wednesday so I suspect won't think about it until then.

DS1 hasn't mentioned results; he is focused on going to Reading next week with friends.

It helps that we're on holiday; he is currently sitting in a jacuzzi, but might move to the sauna soon.

I think dd is pretty nervous about results day. The actual ums will matter for her applications.

DS is more concerned than he's letting on. I have worked this out by the speed with which he changes the radio station in the car when they mention results day.

I have seen a lot in the news about grade boundaries for A Levels being lowered this year because marks are generally low due to the new courses.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4786360/Exam-thresholds-lowered-prevent-grades-plummeting.html

Do you think that's for AS aswell or are they completely separate?

Also, what affect will it have on next years exams?

I know it's pointless trying to second guess the education system right now, but doesn't stop me wondering and worrying!

DD is fairly stressed (she barely spoke last week on holiday, a repeat of her pre GCSE silence) but since she's had a look at some of the courses that are available on clearing this year, and realised that some of the best ones are up there, she has chilled significantly. I think the pressure from school/friends/herself/us to aim for Oxford or the like has been praying on her mind. Knowing that even if she gets the predictions she hopes for, and has a punt at a tough to get in to course (3 x A* for one!) she will in all likelihood still be able to study what she wants (Chemistry) should it all go a bit tits up.

I am worried for her long term though. I am a stress monster over exams, and really wanted her (and her siblings) not to be. We'll just have to keep working on that.

We're considering getting her a tutor maths. She's doing well, and predicted an A for it, but has lost confidence this year. So we are wondering if a good tutor might just restore that confidence.

Does anyone here have experience of getting a tutor?

(recent n/c by the way, I've been here from the start)

inchy I had a tutor for A level maths myself, and that was the only reason I passed. She explained things in a different way to my teacher, which made more sense to me, and of course was able to take things at my pace. I also didn't feel stupid asking her to explain things again, whereas I hated putting up my hand in class. I also have experience of working with a child who had lost their confidence in maths, and without wanting to brag, I know that I helped her regain her confidence and she went on to do better than she expected.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for all of you for Thursday. DD is only waiting on one result, but is positive that she has failed and has her plan for what she's going to do instead. I feel so lucky not to be feeling stressed about another results day!

I hate to think how I'll be feeling this time next year, waiting for DS1's A-level results and then DS2's GCSE results a week later (he has more academic ambitions than DS1 and will need at least 88887777 to do his ideal subject combination at his first choice of sixth form).

Thesecond- that will be me next year as well. Ds2 is much more laid back though so will need a boot up his backside some gentle encouragement to work, although he is currently being graded at anything from 8-3 depending on subject (English being the 3, dyslexia and the new format don't go). I will be ecstatic if he gets everything above 4/5 depending on what they decide the pass mark is

Hello all, well done and commiserations on driving tests; no driving lessons here, we only have a company car so nothing he can drive. He has a provisional licence for Id, once he turns 18. Ds been busy sorting out his room and drafting his PS today, think he is trying to distract himself from Thursday!

Good luck to everyone waiting for AS results tomorrow. No results here as ds is taking the IB and had his results at the beginning of July. He took German early and got a 7 - one subject down and 5 to go!
Ds has finalised his UCAS choices - Leeds, Warwick, Lancaster, Bath and Loughborough for Accounting and Finance. Personal statement has been written so just waiting for school to fill in their part of the form and then he is ready to submit.

I've given up on the PS, he'll wait to the last minute and go in with his first draft and it will be a thing of beauty that surpasses anything that had been picked over for eleven weeks (I can dream).

knitting that just made me smile! We are still on holiday when all DD's results come out, so wishing all your DC the very best of luck! I'm getting nervous now reading all your posts and DD is starting to think about it all. Up until now all she's been concerned about is which factor suntan cream to apply & which ice lolly flavour to choose to keep cool, which has been a much welcome break! Not looking forward to opening that envelope when we return as not sure what to expect with all the different/new systems in place this year

Knitting DD hasn't started hers either, unless talking about it counts!

I think DD discounted StAndrews at the weekend. We went for a day out, and although she loved the place was worried it was a bit small and also remote. She wants some hustle and bustle!

We were in the Newcastle area yesterday though, for entirely different reasons and parked right by the uni. And she loved the whole feel of it, so that's gone on to her long shortlist!

She's not really concentrating much until after tomorrow, as she's expecting them not to be great.

The post this morning brought details of what they have to do tomorrow, it's a big college so there will be a lot of bodies milling about. College is open from 6.30 for A level results and 10am for AS and then they've split them into various rooms. I would like to think that our letter has been delayed because otherwise I would be having thoughts about leaving things until the last minute. Not that we do a lot of that around here...

I'll give DS his due, he knows what he wants to do and where he wants to do it. I think he'll be fine once he's started with the PS, it looks to me to be another example of not wanting to acknowledge that big changes are rushing towards him.

It does seem a bit last minute to be getting information about tomorrow Knitting!
I imagine there will be plenty tomorrow who didn't get it and have no idea where they should be or at what time.

DD has just admitted to being petrified about tomorrow - but not for herself. Her best friend has had a difficult year for various reasons, and it seems there's a very real possibility she won't have the results needed to continue into year 13.
She has a plan B in place, and spent yesterday at an induction day at the college she'll go to if she can't stay at their 6th form.
I think for DD it has suddenly made her think about being at school without her only real friend there

knitting that is very last minute.
lobster fingers crossed for dd's friend. It will be hard for both of them if she has to change.

I think dd is fairly ok about tomorrow. Unless she gets a D in physics and an A in history (very unlikely) she will be dropping history and, I am relieved to say, no longer have to negotiate the college's frankly flaky support system.

DD will have her results emailed to her tomorrow. It is a small sixth form and they need all the staff for Y13s I think. I'm not sure how they deal with those not getting the grades to move up.

DD chilled out about results for a couple of days, but refused to meet up with friends today, because "it will all just be stress monster, and that won't help".

Fingers crossed for everyone here.

DD has just said the Edexcel grade boundaries have been leaked on Twitter
(They wont be officially released until tomorrow, unlike previous years when they were always released the day before results day)

She can't decide whether she wants to look or not.
I think it's better not to until tomorrow, no point torturing herself with trying to second guess her grade (she thinks she knows roughly how many marks she got, particularly in maths) but she says now she knows it's there, the temptation to peak is huge.

A letter (even a last minute one) about results day would be nice - we have heard nothing about the arrangements for picking up results at all!
dd has 2 AS results due tomorrow. In the absence of other info, she will go to college but perhaps it would be a good idea for her to check her emails first.

There was a text a few days ago saying to pick up from 10am with your student id card so I was surprised that they sent a letter as well. DS is not particularly good about checking his emails so it's possible that they went down that route too.