GCSE '18s (20) - half term beckons!

[mmmz]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3355907-gcse-18s-19-new-beginnings

Loving the very honest list of hobbies Sostenuto . When I have finished flying my helicopter I will mostly be singing, cooking fancy stuff that DD1 doesn't like and watching box sets while snuggled under a blanket. I think I'll cope!

Mind you, given the state of the housing market, and that there are three years between DD1 and DD2, there's quite a strong chance that DD1 will be graduated and back living at home as a soon as DD2 goes away. I could yet be several years off an empty nest!

Typed 3 fairly long paragraphs and then website crashed and lost it. So hate that - arggghhh

I hope your luck turns Alex, you and your family have certainly had it rough. Here's hoping for a swift recovery for your dd and that her ankle responds well to RICE

Thanks Cherry, Loose, Peggy and others for getting it and for offering support and encouragement. Always good to hear that your older dc with spLD are now succeeding at work Peggy. Sticker - as Cherry said, your approach to your students sounds spot on.

Hoping for a better day today and that dd has a constructive meeting with study support. At the moment she wants to quit biology which sounds a bit kneejerk, but she is convinced that in order to keep up with it, the work involved will be too significant and will squeeze out her other A level subjects.

Thank you to everyone for your concern. Spoke to dd this morning. No break or ligament damage but muscle/soft tissue injury. No dance for a few weeks.

She had a physio appointment booked for Monday anyway as she had gone over on pointe last week. She is hyper mobile & had a bad sprain in Year 10 and I think a lot of her weakness stems from that injury. She is insured so we (and one of her teachers) wants things investigating in more depth. There is an NHS clinic in Birmingham that specialises in dance injuries and it is supposed to be very good so organising a referral is a priority.

But this is why, although I think its important to let your children follow their dreams, in my opinion its important to choose an accredited course with back up options. Ds's form tutor at his school was in a premier league post 16 academy provision and played for the reserves but an injury stopped that. The club helped him to retrain and get qualificatins to become a PE teacher.

I was critisised on another forum by the principal of a certain college because I said that I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole (someone asked for MT course reccomendations) as they were unaccredited & offer no qualification for the 3 years work. They might offer excellent preparation for the industry but what happens in the case of injury?

Limit Hope your dd has a better day today

Limit I hope your DD's meeting goes well. The right support can make all the difference.

The story about my DC coping with real life and doing well at work was aimed at our lovely visitor and I hope it didn't look insensitive next to your DD's troubles.

My point was they needed my support to get what they needed fron school but it didn't make them incompetent adults.

Alex My next door neighbour was in a similar situation, playing for a PL academy throughout his childhood. They were told all the way through that they would be unlikely to achieve their dreams and forced them to do their homework and get their exams before letting them play. He gained various coaching qualifications. He made to through to their reserve team and played for them in the Championship, but then they got promoted again to the PL. When his contract was due for renewal he was simply told that they had bought in a more experienced player from overseas and he was being let go. He is now working overseas in a semi-pro capacity and just has to accept that it was nice while it lasted.

Get fit soon AH's DD.

Agree Korma, talk of empty nests may be somewhat premature! It’s the travelling I’m looking forward to...it’s such a beautiful morning and I have a real urge to take a trip to Scotland. Sadly DS would wonder where we’d gone when he came in from school.

Limit remind me what other A Levels your DD is doing? I’m very glad that DS is only doing 3 from the POV of his dyslexia. I don’t think he’ll do an EPQ either as his History is actually a Pre-U which includes an extended essay Personal Investigation (they can choose what to write it on so it won’t be part of the syllabus.) Your DD may well be better dropping the Biology if she’s doing it for the right reasons and not as a response to yesterday’s test.

Not in the least bit insensitive - I genuinely do like to hear of examples of where those with spLD have flourished and done well - gives me hope !

Peggy I think we were all snarling & circling protectively.

Cherry - she is doing Psychology and Art. She is managing the psychology fine (it just seems to 'stick' in her brain more readily) and Art is her chief passion. She wants to do fine Art at University (after a mandatory Art foundation year) so would still need 112 UCAS points - which is 3 A levels. She would therefore be looking at a subject swap rather than dropping to 2 A levels. Not sure how viable that is in a mega sixth form college with 2000 students per year and the consequent timetabling complexities. She would like to do Graphic Design she thinks. I feel a bit of an idiot for not putting enough forethought into guiding her with A level choices in the first instance

Cherry, as capable as your ds is, given his dyslexia its probably a good thing that he isn't taking on an EPQ too

Limit a friend of mine has 2 DC who both chose Biology A Level alongside arts/humanities subjects. Both found Biology was the hardest by far, I think because neither really had a true science bent. Loads of facts/info to learn and a very, very prescriptive mark scheme at the end of it. Both had enjoyed it and done very well at it at GCSE.

Hopefully your DD is able to switch if that’s what she decides. Now’s the time to do it!

I never want to change Dr's surgeries.

Dd hasn't yet got round to registering as a temporary student so at 8.30am she phoned our home Dr and asked for a telephone consultation (armed with the IADMS information about the clinic).

Dr phoned her at 10am and he is going to try and make the referral.

Cherry - you've summed it up neatly re having done well at GCSE but not truly having a science bent. She has hit the Peter Principle in biology I think..

DS school is strongly in favour of complementary subjects too ie doing science subjects helps other science subjects and doing all essay subjects helps you become proficient at analysis and essays - although recognise there are exceptions and doesn’t fit for everyone

Agree Alex doctors surgeries vary as much as schools although I have had the opposite - when the girls have had to change for school and uni I have been amazed at how responsive the new places were. I thought ours was the norm but have been really impressed with campus health centre and gp

Thanks for the new thread! Got so much to catch up on as I have been away for a few days seeing my beloved Manic Street Preachers in London.

DD had an off timetable day yesterday, they had to make and edit a music video - DD loved it and took sole charge of the editing. Tutor is apparently going to give her an achievement certificate as he was so impressed with her efforts.

Relations with best friend still strained.

Oh and DD has booked an Open Day visit at Edge Hill University - eek.

Love and hugs to all that need it today.

Has everyone else heard of a MOOC? Or is it just me that had never heard of them?!?
DD and I looked at them yesterday and we are even doing one together. Apparently Unis love them, so she is going to do a few this school year.

I've heard of them I even regited for one with the OU but not done it yet.

Alexander good luck with the referral - sounds like your GP is very organised!

No never heard of a MOOC - but have just looked it up. Every day is a school day

Great news Jufus. Hopefully you DD will really fly now she s in a better environment.

Meant to say - well done to your dd JufusMum

If she s heading for art foundation limits it makes it a bit easier as the third subject is less vital in itself and can be something she enjoys and can do well in. I think the foundation year for art is a great idea and could be usefully applied in other fields too (not just where dc don’t make the grade) especially those that don’t match to a level subjects

Limits it looks as though there are a few options for graphic design which all seem to be a little bit more commercial than fine art. Graphic communication sounds good if you're arty. A friend is taking the classic graphic design course alongside photography and film studies at another mega college and loves it so far. Alternatively, has she thought about sociology, if she is enjoying psychology.

Jufus did they play theme from MASH? Grown men sobbed as they played that when I saw them.

Quite impressed with college and its responsiveness. Had a call from dd who met with Faculty Head today who was constructive and helpful. Dd will drop biology and is meeting the Graphics Head teacher (there are a few of them – big sixth form college) tomorrow and the English Lit Head teacher tomorrow to help decide between these two subjects. Apparently, Graphics is full but there is space in product design which is similar but in 3D (sounds pretty good, and vocationally useful). English Lit might sound a bit left field for a student with dyslexia but she did score an A* in English literature and appears to have a flair for interpreting imagery and meaning etc, so it is in the mix for the Biology replacement. I could probably help her with English Lit too (as it more within my competencies than biology). We have prize giving at her old school tonight with presentation of GCSE certificates so she is going to speak to her old English teacher for her honest assessment as to whether dd could cut it at A level

So hopefully as early as next week she could be started either Product Design or Eng Lit
Really heartfelt thank you for listening to me bore on and for showing interest and concern.