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Original poster

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

999 replies

catslife · 22/04/2018 15:07

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.

OP posts:
FantasyAndHope · 15/05/2018 09:08

Congratulations to all those brilliant coursework results
Dd is up and down health wise
School are not supportive, suggesting acupuncture but when I suggest will they pay the cost it’s a firm no. And it is pricey in my area
Also, their wanting more gp letters which is fine but there is a charge for every time i request one and they’ve had two so far that haven’t been ‘right’

NoHaudinMaWheest · 15/05/2018 09:32

Fantasy that sounds a bit ridiculous re the letters. What was wrong with the previous ones?

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/05/2018 09:38

oh good that we will stay together :)
I know though that some are taking a year out, some won't go on to HE. Tricky!

Fantasy, do they have medical evidence that acupuncture would help?

Downeyhouse · 15/05/2018 09:43

Can I please join you?

DS1 is in his last year of school. Exams start on 4 June.

This is his last full week of school and they go in dressed up each day and each day has a theme. Today is Beachwear.

On Thursday night they all camp out on a field behind the school before their last day of school. It is on private land so they can barbecue and drink. We are overseas so the drinking age is 16 and now 2 years on alcohol has lost its first allure!

He is off to the UK in September to Uni.

ShanghaiDiva · 15/05/2018 09:48

Lobster
Exams have been 'fine', - standard teenager response! Higher level maths paper 2 was very difficult, but the entire cohort found it hard which is some consolation. Ds is the only non Asian taking HL maths so they usually find the maths easier than he does as most study maths at Korean academy after school or are Chinese and started the course with much more knowledge than Ds. HL maths is generally considered very hard and the ib is reviewing the levels and syllabus in 2020. Luckily he already had AS maths when he started (from year 11) as he would never have coped with the course from GCSE - the jump in ability is huge.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/05/2018 09:50

Of course you can Downey, welcome :) That's a complicated final week Grin

Are you happy to say where your ds is planning to go to university? There might be people on the thread with dc planning to go to the same.

ShanghaiDiva · 15/05/2018 09:53

Welcome Downeyhouse!
I am also overseas, in China and Ds is also going to uni in the UK (assuming decent results!). He is taking the ib, has three exams left and finishes on Thursday.
Ds has never lived in the UK so a big change for him later this year.

TheSecondOfHerName · 15/05/2018 10:33

Hi Downeyhouse
DS1's exams also start on 4 June.

He is feeling a bit fatalistic, saying he is extremely unlikely to get the grades for his firm offer (to be fair, this is true) but at the same time trying to get the best grades he can.

UrsulaPandress · 15/05/2018 10:43

Welcome Downey

Bit of a meltdown here yesterday evening. 4 hours spent tramping round a city centre shopping mall with little success. A blazer was purchased but nothing else. All the dresses seem to be the ones that have brocade which DD doesn't like, and everything else was flimsy and see through - not really suitable for the Palace. We then received a call to say the horse had been running round the field all day and had sustained a nasty cut on his leg - so we ended up at 9 pm trying to catch the stupid animal to no avail. DD very upset as he has come out of winter looking fabulous and he will now stress off all his weight trying to protect his mares.

Consequently no work was done and we had to be up at sparrow fart to meet the owner of one of the mares to try and catch them.

And having spent over £2000 on braces which have just been removed, her damned wisdom teeth are now coming through.

Good luck to those with DC doing GCSEs and those who have already started A levels.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/05/2018 11:15

bloody hell Ursula. I hope that today is a much better day!

It might be fine with the wisdom teeth. dds came through after she got her braces off and apart from one that developed peritonitis last year, it's been fine, They seem to have come through without shifting everything.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 15/05/2018 11:17

dds first exam tomorrow (wheresthepaperbag? ) She seems ok, I just dropped chocolate off on her desk.

UrsulaPandress · 15/05/2018 11:22

That's good to know that her wisdom teeth didn't move her others. She seems to be in a bit of pain with them though.

Horse is now stood in his stable. I've bribed the owner of one of the mares to leave her in the stable next to him so that he will stop stressing which will hopefully stop his leg from bleeding.

Best of luck to your DD for tomorrow. Worrying times for us parents.

Downeyhouse · 15/05/2018 11:26

Ds has never lived in the UK either despite being 1/2 British. He has grown up in a very international city and a very pro European environment. Will be interesting to see how he adapts.

He is aiming for Nottingham Uni.

He is doing the Euro Bac and by the end of this week will get 1/2 his Marks. These will be added to his written and oral exam marks which he takes in June and an average of the 2 sets calculated.

For the first half of his marks it looks like he may exceed what he needs so this will give him some wiggle room for the exams. It has been a long hard slog this year but I feel it is a fairer System as it takes into Account all class work, all homework, all monthly tests and all mid year exams too.

UrsulaPandress · 15/05/2018 11:30

May I ask Downey why your DS is choosing to come to the UK to study?

FantasyAndHope · 15/05/2018 12:07

haudin
Not enough detail about why referrals have been put into place for example why has she been referred to ENT and gynaecology so fussy
kitten
The house mother is solely going off the fact it worked for her Hmm
Welcome downey
ursula
Dd had braced with slowed down the wisdom coming through they still haven’t completely come through so don’t stress too much!

Nettleskeins · 15/05/2018 12:18

join you all in a bloody hell Ursula a distraction indeed Shock still I am of the opinion that non stop revision doesn't actually do much good, it just makes you incredibly tired and stressed and unable to think clearly in the actual exam, whereas a balance IS good, and then you can sparkle.

I am now really stressing about my GSCE rs, I don't think the revision books help much they just remind all three of us how much detail w e don't know, I have to keep reminding both children that only an amazing amazing specialist would really get 100 percent and 70 percent is pretty good at gsce.

Ds1, well, not sure what to do with him, but at least he is in school so there is nothing I can do. He says he has a Distinction Star for his sports tech subsidiary, not sure whether this is a windup or genuinely the case. Slightly surprised but pleased if it is indeed true. He was getting merits rather than distinctions back in Jan, but may be he has turned it around whilst avoiding the other subjects!!!

Nettleskeins · 15/05/2018 12:25

knitting I was thinking about the distraction as a parent too. I am finding it more stressful than I thought, just waiting for every exam and then hanging around so to speak before the next one, unable to know what best to do to support or hands off etc. I 've decided I am going to try and go for a swim every day as it is pretty unbearable the tension otherwise, tidying up and buying food and being nice to them isn't going to stop the knot of tension/what can I do to help developing. I know I am very lucky to have the opportunity, although I have to say if I was working now, I just could not do this Blush I've had ds2 on study leave and he is needing an incredible amount of TLC and re direction to stop him melting down.

Nettleskeins · 15/05/2018 12:26

Not to speak of dd this morning being a complete state of hysteria over the contents of her lunchbox...not her exam, her lunchbox!!!!!!

Nettleskeins · 15/05/2018 12:42

Fantasy I think the vitamin supplements will help your dd a lot. I do know many people who have had good results from acupuncture but in your dd's case it might be the supplements that have a bigger effect on her immune system general health. How frustrating these little bureaucratic things from school are...[grrr] I suppose for them it affects all sorts of data/funding/regulations/safeguarding rules.

Off to tidy ds2' room now as he has FINALLY gone to school for his first exam...he is scribed for dyslexia so this adds to the tension. Luckilly well used to this.

Downeyhouse · 15/05/2018 12:46

Ursula - he attends an international school and has been educated in English all the way through.

He is fluent in French too but the French Uni system is very different to the UK. So much so that most of his friends British or not are heading to the UK in September.

He is also very much into a sport (plays for a high level team) and wants to continue this at Uni which really meant coming to the UK was his best option.

FantasyAndHope · 15/05/2018 13:36

nettle
The doctor said it’s unlikely it’ll affect her periods as she was checked for vitamin D at start of periods at 12 no issue however, it will help with tiredness etc

It’s private so no need for funding etc it’s just for the exams officer
I’ve rang gp and they said the school are being fussy and apparently their not allowed to ask for a letter and can be reported to ofsted I said I don’t know if this will apply to dds school as it’s private
Dd has said if they want a letter they have to pay so I’m awaiting a response. Gp said If they want it they should pay...

marmiteloversunite · 15/05/2018 13:47

Welcome Downey!

Ursula that sounds like a stressful shopping trip. I got my daughter a lovely dress from Little Mistress for her concert last week. It was actually in House of Fraser so might be worth a look.

I can't believe some of you have started exams and we are still in a bubble of revision. Are we really late starting on 6th June? Is it just maths and the IB that have already started?

DD is on study leave but can go to lessons if she wants to. She is going in every day as she likes the structure and finds the revision lessons helpful.

UrsulaPandress · 15/05/2018 14:00

Thanks marmite I did consider tramping down to House of Fraser yesterday evening but the cup winners' parade was on so it was a bit inaccessible. Had a look on line and they look to have some nice stuff - just need to show it to DD without letting her know I have been discussing her on here Wink. The clothes in High Street shops are such poor quality.

marmiteloversunite · 15/05/2018 14:10

Ursula DD has this one. Really pretty but easy to wear as a midi length and not see-through. Think it will be useful for lots of occasions. I got 20% off too.

Y13 Summer term: Finishing Lessons, Starting Exams and leaving Sixth Form
UrsulaPandress · 15/05/2018 14:44

It's lovely but unfortunately DD does not do patterns, or flounce of any form. She wears mainly black or block colours. She has ordered a dress from Oh Polly - let's hope it arrives on time and at our address. A lot of our deliveries go to a shop 2 miles away (don't ask).