Y13 Summer term: Finishing Lessons, Starting Exams and leaving Sixth Form

[catslife]

So our dcs are now on the last term of sixth form, finishing off lessons and starting their exams.
How did that happen - doesn't seem that long ago since they started Y12.
This is the thread where we support each other as our dcs revise and start their exams, finish off coursework, leave sixth form and make plans for what to do with the rest of their lives. This may involve going to uni or other alternatives.
Every Y13 parent is welcome to join in whether new to these threads or if you have been with us for a while - the more the merrier.

Thanks Mr Slant it is always good to get some kind of feedback as it is an area I have little knowledge of.

Fantasy I hope your poor DD has a better day today.

marmite the whole of their education now is an area I have little knowledge of, I do long for the days of dropping off to the class room when they were little and knowing everything sometimes.

DS has gone in for his biology practical part of me doesn't actually believe these are real A level exams he is doing, that can't be true, we were only stressing about them going to secondary school a couple of weeks ago surely?

The good members of staff think it’s becauss he’s male and just doesn’t understand these things
School nurse is fine with dd missing school, currently trying to scan a letter to her from the doctors

Gosh what a lot has been happening on this thread! I am just catching up with it all again so mind if I jump back in again? Sorry to read about all your DC's battles with illness, bereavement & a kitchen fire - so stressful for all of you, on top of everything else going on right now!

Well, it's been a very stressful 5 months here and a rather solitary & lonely one too as my DD applied for Uni & a degree apprenticeship & not much support on any forums at all for DA and only a few taking this route at DD's school. After loads of graduate recruitment processes online & finally being called in to an Assessment Day, the great news is she's been accepted on a degree apprenticeship with a large company. She has just accepted an unconditional offer on a Uni too as a back up as she has to get certain grades for her DA still, so has added another layer of stress to exams! We are delighted for her but it's been so much pressure & stress with driving test, offer days, mocks, revision & all the DA tests & AC Day. Two loads of extremely stressful new syllabus coursework right up to the wire, with very little help have provided unnessary meltdowns all over Easter too. I feel like the whole family are like sponges, soaking it all up at the moment! So much pressure on everyone these days - my parents never really knew I was taking mine! Such different days! I thank god for rhubarb &

I have rang HOS who says it’s unlikely exam boards will except the doctors letter as it doesn’t say anything about a diagnosis
But, they are certain the abcesses are hereditary because my sister and her children suffer with them and so do my brothers children
It’s frustating as dd is unsure what to do

I am not surprised that you and your dd are so frustrated fantasy. I think that physical conditions where you are OK most days but then have flare ups are generally poorly understood. Ignore the HOS it's not up to the school to decide whether or not any allowance will be made in the exams that's the exam board's job. There's a possibility that this request could be turned down, but it could be worth it if a small adjustment is made.

dd has now finished her Art Graphics completely and the exams went well. There was a slight technical hitch but that's all been sorted.
dd is now operating on a reduced college timetable with the 2 remaining A level subjects.

cats
School aren’t willing to process the special requirements forms as in their words the ‘doctors’ letter isn’t enough
I’ve attached it and covered our everything

It’s most probably linked to her gynaecology issues but we won’t know until summer,

Her RS teacher is stressing her out telling her she should have gone for the unconditional because a B will be hard to get

I am assuming that you mean special consideration fantasy the guidelines are here file:/C:/Users/Computer/Downloads/A%20guide%20to%20the%20spec%20con%20process%20201718.pdf.
This can be applied to both coursework and written exams.
The school where I work would always support this type of request.
This may be in the parts that you have crossed out but would suggest that you add a bit more about how the abcesses affect your dd e.g. ones by the eyes affect vision.
I would also list any medication that your dd is on to help with pain etc as medication can also affect performance.
Hope this helps.

catslife
She’s at the opthramolgist on Thursday I’m considering asking him to write a letter
She’s only on one medication for the abcesses but even then it’s chopping and changing
School won’t support it for special consideration at all.

Fantasy that's disgusting that school won't help her when she is obviously ill and needs every kind of support she can get. Poor girl. Hopefully the specialist will provide a more forceful letter to back up her needs. I feel so sorry for you and her. There is enough stress without this crap.

Fantasy I am fuming on your behalf I had some battles when DD was at secondary school, including one particularly nasty run-in with the head. I reported it to the safeguarding lead (she had delegated it to the DH). Would it be worth reporting your DD's situation as a safeguarding issue? It can be amazing what happens when you drop the right terms into conversation.

Welcome back lashings - and what amazing news! A degree apprenticeship offer is a fantastic achievement. DH's company offer them and the students on them just rave about it.

Fabulous news Lashings.
Fantasy, I don't know what to say as it must be so stressful for her. On top of exam angst as well. She must be incredibly resilient to be getting through this.

Ds1 is very stressed, he's winding up his siblings and getting snappy at silly things.
Ds2 has started chewing his fingers but that's the only sign of stress he's showing. He assures me he is stressed though but not enough to do any work at home!

Oh bum bum bum bum BUMS. DS1 left all airy this morning 'probably be back late as there's IT after school, only be home early if it all goes horribly wrong'. Cue him banging in the front door at lunchtime white as a sheet. His ASD took over and he got into a tizz, his experiment results (biology practical) all came out wrong so instead of saying to the moderator he thought his results were wrong and getting a sheet of correct ones (so you only lose a couple of marks for the experiment side) his daft brain decided he had to show them he could do it so repeated entire experiment leaving no time to answer the questions with his results. DAMN. We talked the exact scenario over last night and he was happy with what could happen and what to do. He doesn't know why he did it and I just feel so sad for him. Needed to get a really good result in biology to make the points for Bangor. Needless to say none of this has even flickered over my face the jolly 'never mind I'm sure you got plenty of marks for what you did and there's still Friday AND the two exams, no need to fret this part' is on repeat. He's gone upstairs to bed now so do excuse me whilst I pour an inappropriately large glass of wine.

DS2 had DS3 at literal rolling on the floor and screaming in tantrum point earlier too and this is only day one of actual exams. Right, sorry, where's my normal posting style gone 'funny/cheerful/zestful' gone right down the back of the sofa .

Oh dear MrSlant that's the sort of difficulty I can imagine DS2 (also has ASD) getting into.

MrSlant really sorry, that is a rubbish start to it all. If I was being breezy I would say " it can only get better "! As you're probably not in the mood for breezy I would say find the largest glass you can and plant your face in the wine!! (I was doing the same over history coursework last week)

Safety first I've just poured a bath of wine and am floating in here with an extra long straw (which I whittled myself obviously, no plastic straws here).

Apparently his hands got all shaky and then his brain just went into flat line at the start of the experiment. His verbal dyspraxia came back as well which is why he hightailed it home, nothing like not being able to speak properly to really knock your confidence, that may be why he didn't bother the moderator thinking about it! Ah my lovely boy, maybe he needs to find something in life that doesn't require external exams and then he'll fly.

oh goodness MrsSlant. I hope it works out ok. What a start :(

Thankyou marmite
chocolate
Staff are all best friends and dd has had many quarrels with the deputy head who overseas safe-guarding
That sounds crap Mr hope your dc feels better soon, I’m sure it will all work out
little
Dd is a resilient person thankfully otherwise I don’t know what we’d do

On a brighter note dd has has some good RS essays all marked at a B all that she’s been doing differently is stating the names of the books the scholars do seems too good to be true

Oh MrSlant, I went cold reading that, your poor DS. Well Done you for keeping it breezy in the outside. Hope the wine is helping.

Lashings brilliant result for your DD, congratulations.

Fantasy it's clear to all of us that your DD needs a bit of TLC and a lot of support, not lectures about missing lessons and grades. Why don't her teachers realise it?
I really hope a letter from the specialist at the weekend will strengthen her case for consideration with the exam board.
Presumably it's possible to apply directly to the board, without having to go through the school at all?
Unfortunately due to a timetabling cock up, DD didn't get her allotted session today with the French speaking assistant.
So cue 3 hours this evening of me asking DD as many different questions as I can think of about the French Revolution, and trying to interpret her answers and check them against her notes!
My head is pounding.
At least this is the only part she needs actual practical help with!

Fair play HesMyLobster you will never be able to say to yourself you didn't do everything you could to help! I get so annoyed with schools when they can't come up with the assistance they say they will.

Fantasy I'm sure you and dd are strong enough together to work your way round this, Bs in the essays now sound like she is getting things together at just the right moment.

I am chilled now he had a setback schools fault not still angry, oh no at the start of this GCSEs and still went on to do well without fuss in the papers after so he'll be fine now, good to get the crap paper over early! Tomorrow is another day and hopefully he can do well in the second half on Friday where they write everything up. Thanks for listening everyone, don't know where I'd have been all these years without you .

MrSlant How awful DS's practical elements for sciences were all done throughout the year, and were able to be redone, I didn't realise some had to be done under exam conditions?

MrSlant I think it will iron itself out when he does the written bit on Friday, I bet he felt better for having redone the experiments even if it isn't the standard way to use the time, seems like a very conscientious and focused approach to scientific enquiry!

all is calm here (the calm you get when everyone has stopped trying to pretend to work) Ds2 had to be wrestled off to bed, protesting that he needed late night hummus and wanted to read a chapter of the Hunger Games ha, very likely.. Ds1 is still discussing Westworld and not discussing Music. Dd has started researching peach coloured satin dresses. I've been at my BookClub thinking how much I know now that I didn't know when I was being educated

Fantasy that treatment of your DD is just downright cruel, especially as it's been an ongoing thing! Can you get a more detailed note done by the ophthalmic consultant? Not that you should have to! MrSlant so sorry to hear about your poor son's exam experience today! I do hope he is ok - this is when the measure of exam success on the day is so unfair!

Thanks chocolate - that's good to know - & Drummergirl & Lobster - just hope she gets the grades now as she really wants it! Like all of you, I'll be glad when this is all over - it only seems like yesterday we were all fretting over all the GCSEs! As someone said on here, this really does feel like 'GCSEs but on steroids!' Counting down the weeks now

Welsh curriculum which has just been made harder, the worst bit was realising we'd got to the point where a resit would be past the point of usefulness. Nevermind! Same for GCSE here as well, practicals for all sciences done late last term with the grade coming in August, fortunately DS2 NT and it all went well. or frankly it would be gin not wine on a weeknight