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.

Fantasy that is awful. I hope it doesn't affect her exams too much and the school seems pretty useless too.
Ursula I hope your dd has a great time.
the second last day! Hope your ds copes ok.

Dd has had her Disabled Students Allowance approved. We need to book a needs assessment now. I hope it might be possible in half term but maybe not enough notice.

Curioser and Curiouser. Ds1 was up at 4am this morning and in school by 6.45 (I Know because he rang us at 6.45 to say hello ) Sleep obviously became too boring, as he was asleep by 7pm last night. I said something about sausages that I'd left for him downstairs and he said longingly...oh what a pity...
so eager to get to school that he left without sausages..my goodness

his last formal day tomorrow, although he'll be back in for music lessons and various bits over next few weeks.

In DS1's school it's a tradition for the Y13s to organise pranks on the last day. Some of them were talking about arriving early this morning and setting up a beach barbeque in the head teacher's parking space.

It was raining here this morning, so I'd be surprised if they went ahead with it.

LAST DAY!!!! Off to school this morning in her sister's school uniform. Skirt rolled up and shirt tied like a crop top. I hope they have a fab day. I now own a child who has left school!! OMG feeling old and proud.

nettles
She’s in a separate room anyway because she does exams on a laptop

Apparently it was a mission to sneak her out without them all seeing her. But she’s on the way home

Oh goodness Marmite and TheSecond. Last day. Eep.

Happy last day to those finishing today!

DD has her last morning tomorrow, but apparently as today is the last day of proper lessons, she needed to go in armed with cake and sweets!

Fantasy I'm so glad she's on her way home

Ds1 has confirmed he has a D* for his sports science modules overall, 5 Distinctions and a Merit apparently equals a starred distinction, I don't think I really understood the grading system. He is thrilled methinks he could have gone to Cardiff Now he needs to play some sport, mothers are never satisfied...grumble grumble

Nettleskeins that's great news on the sports science results.

Got a message from DS1 to say he had dropped his phone in some sand and do we have a compressed air cannister. So I guess they went ahead with the beach barbeque.

There's always adjustment, if he does better than anticipated nettleskins.

That's a good point Derek, might be worth you and DS starting to have a look and make a Plan A, B, C Nettles - it sounds like he's doing a lot better than expected!

He has an unconditional which he is really happy with, so he cannot doesn't want to change, it is just funny that one of the reasons he was so adamant about not taking up one of the other offers was their request for a D* in his Btec subsidiary. Still, A level is really much more challenging (structure and organisation of ideas) for him so I'm happy with the unconditional too now, as B and C will be dicey for him.

Gsce Poems coming out of my ears atm. Ds2 is now getting really agitated, dd seems to have given up bothering and is concentrating on Textiles paper tmw. Ds1 in an excellent mood, laughing and joking and being nice to everyone!

I have had instructions from DD to buy half a brewery for one of her teachers and some prosecco for another. She will be too heavily laden to take everything to school on the bus tomorrow, so it will be mum's taxi.

I can't believe it will be her last day tomorrow.

I hope your DD is OK Fantasy, and I hope you manage to get some redress from the school. I find it shocking that schools don't deal effectively with this kind of behaviour, especially boarding schools where the staff are in loco parentis. They have failed her.

Congratulations on the D* Nettles, that's really good news.

Fantasy Glad DD is on her way home.

TheSecond DS1 went into school on Wednesday in summer/beach clothes and their school also has a reputation for pranks on the last day...if it weren't for the fact that his last day was Wednesday not Thursday I'd be wondering if it was the same school. (One year the leavers painted a big willy on the school field with weedkiller...it was there for months )

Congratulations nettles - excellent news

Very best wishes to all DCs finishing school, and very best of luck for their exams

I forgot to congratulate your DS Nettles. I don't understand BTechs. Does this mean they don't have to hang around for results day?

A general question. If students who have achieved BTechs instead of A levels do they struggle with exams at university?

Congratulations to your ds Nettles! That's a wonderful result!

Congratulations Nettles, he's done really well.

lonicera he is doing two A levels as well, he did a mini Btec called a subsidiary which is only 6 modules, but "worth" the same as an A level. He is not doing the subject at Uni that he studied for Btec, so the uni don't really mind, and any way, that uni only need 2 A levels and a Grade 8 music. It is a different story with other unis he applied to, which made his offers much higher because of the Btec, so you are right in a way. Normally a BTec would be worth three A levels and covers an enormous amount of extended study/coursework, which usually prepares you very well for many university courses, especially Art, and you still have to write many many essays in a BTec, just not at the end of two years, under such controlled conditions. It is hard to do the extended BTec, I've done one myself in my 30's and never finished it, as the modules just went on forever and were very challenging..

Chocolate, I think I am right in thinking that your dd did the Extended Btec which is triple what ds did, so much much harder to get that D*.

nettles she actually did 3 separate BTECs. Two of them equivalent to A levels and she got D* for both. She was doing an A level for the first year, scraped a pass at AS level and then switched to a one year BTEC (equivalent to an AS level) and got a Distinction.

Yours DS should be very proud of his D* - it's a lot of coursework!

A lovely day was had by all at the Palace yesterday, apart from DD almost fainting. (Combination of heat, tight dress and lack of sustenance.) Didn't get to bed until 1am so she has had a lie in this morning. Hopefully some serious revision will be undertaken this pm.

It's Brass Band contest day here, and of course after days of fabulous sunshine and warm temperatures today is drizzly and chilly. So sad seeing all the Whit walkers out this morning in their lovely clothes huddling under brollies.

My DS1 will be off playing in that this afternoon Ursula, after a uni exam this morning.

Glad your DD had a good day yesterday.

Congratulations to all on some lovely results

Muck-up day update:

DS1 & friends filled a paddling pool with sand on the school field, set up a barbeque and inflatable palm tree and came in dressed in beachwear.

The History A-level set had a huge USSR flag printed with the headteacher's face on it and paraded around the field with it while broadcasting the Soviet national anthem (they waited for a gap when no one was sitting exams).

Some pupils also printed out and displayed the usual memes with teachers photoshopped in.

A few lads in the year group went too far, attaching activated rape alarms to helium balloons in a room with a high ceiling, supergluing doors shut, painting graffiti in the quad and egging buildings.