Year 12 #2: Carols, commutes & a few stocking fillers

[Stickerrocks]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3410431-year-12-1-gcses-are-sooo-last-year

Thank you brainmelt
Am home but not allowed out of bed till Wednesday so shall miss prizegiving.
Happy Xmas and New Year to one and all!

sost she's doing so great!

Wow thats great sost. Well done her and get well soon

We are counting down to Thursday. It's been a long half term. When does everyone break up?

What did your DD get for GCSE Physics, Teen?
DS is finding the Physics more difficult than the maths, and TBH, I was exactly the same 35 years ago. I'm still not exactly sure how I passed! Not everyone finds FM the most difficult.

The Physics teacher at DS's old school told me that A level Physics is 50% maths. (Which of course means that 50% of it isn't maths...!)

If your DD got a 7 for maths, then she scored somewhere between 60% and 70% in the exam, meaning that she couldn't do 30% of the exam. If the 30% was the more algebra type stuff, then that would explain why she is struggling now.

On the other hand, she did pass that test for doing FM... so either your DD is up to it or the college's screening processes are not very good. You could probably work out which it is by looking at the college's FM A level results for the last couple of years!

I get what you are saying about your DD not doing enough work, and that won't be helping things, but maybe she's been given bad advice too?

Is it too late to change course? If it is, then your DD needs help now. I understand that she doesn't want you involved, and there will be hell to pay if you do something against her express wishes, but I think in your shoes, I'd contact college anyway and ask for a meeting for the three of you to work out how to get your DD back in track.

The threats about not working unless you do exactly what she says are empty. It doesn't work that way i.e. students work even if the conditions around them aren't absolutely ideal. No one lives in a world that is perfect. The only person she'll hurt by not working is herself, and that's her choice. Given that she's already chosen not to work in the past, there's a reasonable chance she won't in the future either, but it's her choice what she does and she'll be the one who will suffer if she doesn't. Whether she works or not isn't conditional on whether you obey her or not, no matter what she says.

That's really good, Sost. What a great start to her A levels!

I'm sorry you are back in hospital again. Is that your third stay this year? I really hope that this is the last setback and you turn the corner healthwise in 2019.

Wow, well done Kilash's DS, and Sost's GD. I failed my grade 5 by three marks, then passed it by three marks, so am in awe of a distinction at grade 8!
Currently waiting for DS to appear, he is 19 today! I will be taking him out later to attempt to buy his present - he needs a dinner suit for university. DD made his cake last night, then they decorated our Christmas tree together, without squabbling and without intervention. I call that a parenting win!

Whistl DD did foundation level physics and got a 5, College accepted her based on her maths result as “a level physics is mostly maths anyway”... 🤦🏻‍♀️

She only just got the required pass mark to do Further Maths following the assessment in September.

As you say other DC pull it out the bag in far worse situations up and down the UK, so flimsy excuse.

Hopefully College will come back to me today, I will take your advice and ask for a meeting in January

twinplusone my thoughts with you I know how you must feel as though my dgd is a hard working student my dgs refuses to work at school at all and is on course to fail all his GCSEs. He is not interested at all in school even though he is at a tech school what he wanted. He talks that he wants to be an aircraft engineer, got himself an apprenticeship he won't be able to do as he must get the qualifications to start it. He's totally not listening to anyone. At the end of the day they are responsible for their own future and even though we try to instil in them how important education and working to achieve is so very important they must learn it is down to them alone whether they succeed or not. Do not be blackmailed by your DC. Tell her in no uncertain terms, as I did to dgs , that if they do not work they won't achieve and the only one to blame is themselves, then leave her to it. You have done your best. Its very hard to do that but they have to learn the lesson the hard way.

Thanks sost don’t worry gave DD a dose of tough love over the weekend, can only do so much at the end of the day. As my mum would say “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”

Off to work soon, fingers crossed College contact me today. Maybe check in later depending on College outcome

Twin good luck - I hope you get the information you need from college today.

Was there no discussion or comment made at the time of signing up for A levels about the step up for these 3 subjects, especially as she had only taken foundation physics? As a PP said for my DS's board even an 8 was 61% leaving a big step just to get up to speed on the harder gcse stuff. My fear is that her college hasn't advised her well.

I hope there is a plan they have for her. What were her own expectations gradewise for her A levels.

At DS school they were only allowed to proceed with those subjects if they had an 8/9 unless there were mitigating circumstances and then they may be allowed to study them with lower gcse grades.

It’s true the step up will be tough but I think we should remember that not everyone doing a levels will be chasing A A* and top uni courses. Before ds got his results and we were having discussions about potential a levels the message was that whilst 8/9 gcse at gcse or minimum of 7 was desirable to target A to C grades, students could still move to A level with 6/7 on the understanding that it will be tough and require a lot of work and would probably convert to C to E grade rather than A to C. But remember C to E at A level is still a pass and could lead to good apprenticeships or level four courses or uni courses outside the top tier. It could be that the uni courses outside the top tier if researched well could be more practical and vocational and more suited to the dc in question my ds I guess the key is knowing what is achievable and the work requred to get there - I hope you get a clearer picture

What you say is true, Oratory, but twin mentioned work being returned ungraded.

I know its early days, and changes are possible/ likely but something has to be different in the future for a change to occur.

The college mark her at "Amber", which i guess means in the danger zone but not actually failing now. Except the same college is returning some of her work ungraded, so what would it take to get a red?

I totally get that not everyone is chasing an A*-B having had a CCD child now working and a high earner and a BBD in final year at uni on course for a 2.1 but for those subjects in particular (as well as chemistry) they are generally flagged as difficult especially FM which is generally taken as a 4th A level I would assume at least a discussion with a student signing up having taken foundation level sciences.

Agree FM may be the hardest to pull round.

Posted too early - and is one where students often (but not always) tend to score at the extremes of grades.

I tend to agree with you, ShalomJackie. Its as if the school has pinned an awful lot on that 7 for Maths GCSE.

Normally it would be a 7 for GCSE would mean you'd have to really apply yourself for Maths A level, but the school went further and said that Teen's DD would have to really apply herself for Maths AND stretch further for do FM AND stretch even further to do Physics A level.

A lot is resting on that 60-70% score in maths last June. Did the college even bother to find out what Teen's DD's maths papers looked like i.e. how good was she at Algebra or is that where she was dropping the marks?

It is asking a lot of one person to do 3 hard A levels based on an A in a single GCSE.

Physics A-level with a 5 in Physics GCSE will be hard and F.Maths A-level with a 7 in Maths GCSE will be hard. Not impossible, but hard work will be needed. Hopefully the college will be able to give her some extra support to get her to where she needs to be.

Thought I would pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas...I do lurk occasionally but have been really busy work wise.

DD is a completely changed character and working extremely hard both at school and at home - its so nice to see her using her intelligence instead of the lazy days of Yr 9 and 10. No grade's have been given out by her school although we have had effort levels and also a parents evening - where the teachers were singing her praises - even the Chemistry teacher said she was brilliant and Physics teacher stated she is showing signs of genius! Its taken a long time in coming but I'm probably the most laid back I have ever been about her education - although she turned me grey a long time ago.

Hope your DC's have time to rest and recuperate over Xmas/NY...DD broke up on Friday but is working as an ELF during the Xmas period then we are off to sunnier climates on the 29th to celebrate NY - 13 adults and 13 teens!

College have been in touch, but no action plan going forward as yet. Don’t worry I’m like a dog with a bone

Admissions just looked at her maths GCSE grade and decided it was high enough to do Maths and physics. The Further maths entry was based on the ability test she sat in September.

The school where she sat her GCSEs were not interested in her once she got her results. All we got was “you’ve got a problem haven’t you” and the school signposted us to local College. I was so cross about their attitude but had to let it go to move forward.

I would love to get top grades etc, but got to be realistic. At the moment I just want her to pass and avoid resits.

Forgot to say, I’ve asked for clarity around the Amber flag, also waiting for College to reply. - I don’t think they like me interfering as they “treat students like adults”, but DD isn’t an adult, she is 16 and I’m her parent so 😝

Good luck teen. I hope you get some answers.

At dds college you needed a 7 to take maths and an 8 for FM. I'm not sure of the specific grade for physics but for most A levels they wanted a 6 at the GCSE (if studied).

It does sound like the college are prioritising bums on seats over students' best chances.

It must be very demoralizing for her if she's finding it so difficult. A bit of a catch 22 really. Who wants to work at something they don't understand.

Maybe the Christmas break will give her chance to go over things at her own pace (or maybe she'll sleep all day like my dd plans to )

Good luck with it.

That’s a good point kick. Sometimes it is actually a confidence boost they need to get them to work as your right it is tough working at something you find difficult and a great temptation to put something off if expecting low scores.

@oneteen its nice to see you posting again and to hear your DD has really come into her own.

Happy Christmas to you too, and everyone else.

I drew a line under work about an hour ago. From now on, I'm going to focus on getting ready for Christmas!

I got a bit of a shock this morning. DM called me and talked about "the weekend". I was totally lost as to why she was telling me about the trivia of her weekend when it hit me - she is coming to stay with me. I have been so busy recently that i thought Christmas was still 2 or 3 weeks off!

Anyway, I am now in a flat panic to get ready in time!