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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

New Batch of Year 13 parents this way!

988 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 19/08/2017 07:40

Hopefully this thread will appear on TIO! Grin No need to use it til our old thread is done, but at least we have it for when we are ready.

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FantasyAndHope · 05/09/2017 16:50

Back...dropped off over the holidays as I've been busy working in my school
She's gone back today final year she didn't want to go back but she's glad it's her final year 🎉🎉
It's both our birthdays this month and she's recently got a job!

OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/09/2017 17:48

Welcome back Fantasy :)

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TheSecondOfHerName · 05/09/2017 18:06

Welcome back F&H

DS1 passed his driving theory test (and hazard perception) today which was a pleasant surprise. He hasn't started driving lessons yet, and only started learning the material a week ago.

I'm hoping this'll be a boost to his confidence as he starts Y13. A lot of his friends are A*/A students applying to Oxbridge & top RG universities, and DS1 often forgets that he is also reasonably able.

picklemepopcorn · 05/09/2017 18:17

Hello! I didn't know there was a thread like this! I've a seventeen yr old lad.

His as results were ok, though he'd hoped for slightly better. He's realised today that everyone else's were really poor. We're wondering if his school is rubbish, or whether it was a tough year? Any ideas, anyone?

OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/09/2017 19:38

I don't know how they compare to average pickle (welcome) but if your ds school does get lower than average results he might be eligible for a contextual offer, which is a lower than usual offer given if a students circumstances meets various criteria. I don't know much about it though.

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HesMyLobster · 05/09/2017 19:51

Hi Fantasy, hope you and your DD had a good summer, and that the break has helped her health to improve.
Kitten well done to your DD on the predictions, must be a big relief to know she can definitely apply where she hoped. I know my DD will be much happier when she knows hers and can make definite decisions.

LDG that's brilliant that he can drive himself now.

DD is off to the Peak District for D of E tomorrow. I think it's going to be a soggy few days for her!

OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/09/2017 20:02

It's a massive relief Lobster. She had a pretty good idea, but it's good to have it confirmed . Final 5 list is created, which is handy given college want her application in at the beginning of Oct. That's no time Shock

Good luck to your dd!

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OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/09/2017 20:07

I missed your post TheSecond. Well done to your ds, that's brilliant :)

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FantasyAndHope · 05/09/2017 20:11

hes
She's diagnosed pcos can't get a gynaecology referral to investigate for Endometriosis for 8months Shock
She's refreshed but the pcos could be causing fatigue the gp said so we've got to Track energy levels
thesecond
Congrats one of dd friends learned the night before and passed

Icouldbeknitting · 06/09/2017 13:52

Ds sailed through the multiple choice part of the driving theory test and had an interesting set of results on the hazard perception. It was a mixture of nearly full marks and zero/one. Five minutes with my friend MrGoogle says that it is possible to score zero by spotting the hazard too early. If you click more than five seconds before the hazard develops you get nothing because that maximum score of five starts five seconds in advance. IndignantGamerBoy has been sent away to look at the scoring system, his hazard perception is good but his knowledge of the assessment criteria less so. It was a fail but should turn into a pass once he grasps the scoring system.

inchyrablue · 06/09/2017 14:24

Fantasy I do hope your DD gets an appointment more quickly than that. Is going private, even for a short while to get seen a possibility? We had to do it once for DD2, to get a diagnosis for a serious condition. As soon as we got the first appointment done and treatment planned, we were able to slot back in to the NHS. It was life threatening at the time, so I have no guilt about working the system, just fury at both the system, and a GP that told me I should be "pleased to have been proved right". It still makes my blood boil after 10 years.

DD is home from her first morning back. Not at all happy to be having triple maths one day, but comfortable finally with dropping the language, after a warm and fuzzy chat with the HoD about picking it up again at uni.

Her verbal predictions are great, and if the school put those on paper, her uni choices remain completely open. She came top of the year in the subject she wants to study, and the boost it has given her fragile confidence will serve her well for the coming year, and uni interviews.

HesMyLobster · 06/09/2017 14:25

Knitting DD was similar - got almost 100% on the multiple choice part but her hazard section was all over the place - some full marks but at least 2 with zero marks.
It does seem to be something they need to practise to get to grips with the scoring, not as simple as just 'spot the hazard'. DD did pass thankfully (but only just!) I think it's the worst she has ever done on a test, I half expected her to ask to do a retake! Wink

Icouldbeknitting · 06/09/2017 16:45

I have a serious gamer, I just can't believe that he put no effort into finding out the rules of this particular game until afterwards. He was hopping mad at getting zero, he'd spotted the hazard well in advance and he knew he had because the video had to break for it.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 06/09/2017 16:55

dd was exactly the same on her theory. She refused to talk about it Grin

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TheSecondOfHerName · 06/09/2017 20:19

DS1 had a v.positive first day in Y13.

He found out that he can resit the AS paper in which he got an E, without having to resit the paper in which he got an A.

He also played some rugby today, something he hadn't been able to do for the last three seasons due to health issues.

There was also something about the redesigned canteen and sixth form centre, but I was exhausted after a long day at work and was only half-listening by that point.

TheSecondOfHerName · 06/09/2017 20:22

Sending sympathy for those whose DCs were scuppered by the weird scoring on the HPT. I've been driving for nearly 20 years and consider myself a safe driver. I did a practice HPT on DS1's laptop and scored 26/75 Shock

OhYouBadBadKitten · 06/09/2017 20:30

Brilliant news for your DS TheSecond :)

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voilets · 06/09/2017 21:21

Well done to DC with those driving theory tests. We have one coming.

Well done to those good predictions too!
Back to school today, as HG she had to welcome new students and made them laugh apparently with in house jokes. So proud her confidence is improving. Know once we are in exam season she might be a nervous wreck again.

inchyrablue · 07/09/2017 09:03

Does anyone know if this was a particularly challenging year for AS? Logic says since they are graded normatively (I think) that the grades should be broadly similar year on year. However DD came home yesterday with news of even more friends who have done much, much worse than expected. These are children with a stack of A* and A at GCSE, who have Bs, Cs and worse at AS. I know that DDs sixth form went way, way over PAN with their intake (and don't think they'll make that mistake again, they really didn't have physical space apart from anything else) and wonder if the school has had a really bad year, or if it is normal. I've seen graphs of how GCSE should roughly translate to A Level, and it doesn't correlate with DDs friends experience at all.

That all said, I suppose all schools have an occasional rogue poor year, but I can't see that DDs year should have been that. Interestingly school haven't published the AS results, though the A, and GCSE results were published immediately. Of DDs 8 closest friends, I think only one other got the sort of grades they expected. Fortunately for her friends, I think they all come from supportive families, and some of them have money for tutoring etc. I can't help but think though that whilst a school with regularly poor results may mean that DC get contextual offers from uni, one who was part of a blip year just won't.

I must stop ruminating. Blush

LoniceraJaponica · 07/09/2017 09:15

DD was a little sad yesterday when she said that school had put a list of people who had scored 4 As at AS. Apparently they have an exceptionally bright cohort this year - the school achieved an 82% GCSE pass rate last year including English and maths, and it is just a comprehensive, but a rather good one.

So, I can't comment on whether the AS exams were tougher than usual. DD found year 12 very tough though.

inchyrablue · 07/09/2017 09:43

Thanks Lonicera. DDs school is a comp too, and the sixth form just asks for Cs I think to get in, which is fairly standard I think for a sixth form that doesn't really offer BTECs properly (I think people wanting to do them do lessons at a nearby college, but most just go to the college anyway). The school generally does really, really well and the sixth form is very new, so possibly still finding its feet a bit.

I don't think school would publish a list names of DC achieving As like that - they don't officially even publish the end of year prizes or anything (I only know there were some because they were on a power point I saw for end of term arrangements). I know that the school results page named a couple of DC who had exceptional A level results, but actually don't know if they were the only ones iyswim or just ones that were happy to be named. I know DD would hate for people outside of family or teachers to know her results, however good. I saw some schools in the local press even saying what university some (named) DC were going to, and what they would be studying. Funnily enough I remember seeing another school's A Level press release last results day naming one boy, his results and what he was going to study. He is no longer named on the website, and I wondered if he or his parents had asked for it to be removed (others are still there).

Anyhoo. I have work to do, so will definitely try to stop thinking about it all now. I think I just want to know that DD is going to be OK, and only time will tell. I should also give her credit for being more robust than I think she is. She's already being circumspect about lots of her friends results (X said she'd work harder but didn't, Y was really anxious, and didn't cope with the exams, Z was doing the subjects her parents wanted, not what she was actually good at etc.) so I'm sure it will all be fine!

Must stop worrying!!!

UrsulaPandress · 07/09/2017 11:50

I am not a prolific FB user, but my FB feed has been exceptionally quiet on AS results, which I can only presume means that the results have not been worth bragging about.

DD has just text me to say that she has been asked to carry on with General Studies this year. I have told her not to bother as I didn't think Universities were interested.

LoniceraJaponica · 07/09/2017 14:19

"I saw some schools in the local press even saying what university some (named) DC were going to, and what they would be studying."

DD's school does that. They put on the website which students achieve all A*/As. A couple of years ago 4 students went to Oxbridge, which for this school is a lot. One is going this year.

Re General Studies, if it is a 4th A level and won't impact on her grades of the other A levels she could carry on with it.

It would be a waste of time for DD because she wants to go down the medical route and no university will accept General Studies. In fact no university is interested in more than 3 subjects.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 07/09/2017 14:38

I don't know how this years AS cohort have fared but I do know a few parents who have been rather dismayed by their dc results.

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chocolateworshipper · 07/09/2017 16:18

welcome pickle

A lot of DD's friends had disappointing results in AS or internal exams. There seems to be a considerable number starting again with different courses.