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

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

Frustrating that schools and colleges are judged on top results, when DD collected her GCSE results, school were not interested in her. I could go on about this experience but have got to let it go.

Off to watch DTs watch football this morning, so check in again later 😊😊

Slightly off-topic but I've just seen an ad for the DofE's advice to parents on GCSE choices pop up on my twitter feed.
It heavily pushes ebacc and contains statements such as "employers value language skills".
I think that's a bit misleading. For a start French, German, Italian and Spanish are the main GCSE choices and how many times is international business conducted in any of those languages, especially the first 3? English is the international business language. It is the one that a German would most likely use to speak to an Italian.
Secondly, if you were to try to do business in French, using just GCSE French, you wouldn't get much further than the greeting. I don't think many employers would pay more for that. I know that I wouldn't.

Whenever I've had to translate something written in another language, I just use Google translate to get the gist of it and a native speaker/ professional translator if I need to understand it word by word.

To be brutally honest, employers will buy language skills! They aren't going to make a hiring decision based on a GCSE. A level could be a whole other matter but because A level MFLs have a reputation for being difficult to get higher grades in, a lot of students won't consider them.
I would really like DS2 to choose French as one of his GCSE options but unless the school insists on him doing it I'm going to be struggling!

Thanks for all the advice on Art - it's something that we are worrying about so will definitely be finding out more before we plunge in. DS1 really spoilt us as he madr ot so easy; he was so sure what he wanted - triple Science, History, Geography and Music - all of which he then went on to get 9s for. Given a choice, DS2 would rather not go to school at all!

So just realised we are on on last page of This thread. What will we call year 12 #3 - any suggestions?

How about 'Open Days and Predicted Grades beckon" ?

Sounds good to me. We have a few more threads to go before we catch up with the long running Archers thread.

@ShalomJackie - good choice for next thread title.

DS2 has GCSE choices to make. He gets three choices and will do French a year early. I think he's going to go for DT, Latin and Geography. He's really good at DT and has done a lot of Latin (since Year 5). He quite likes geography. He also has the option of doing Italian or Russian in a year (Year 11) but I think he won't as two languages are quite enough and he's not an amazing linguist.

I'm not particularly concerned about his choices (third child!). My only worry was that for some reason he might not do DT and that's the thing he really shines at. He's just been asked to do an Engineering Masterclass organised by the Royal Institution. Can't tell anyone in RL but I know you lot will understand. 😉

The Masterclass sounds like a great opportunity. Hopefully it will steer him towards DT.

We had the choice of French, Latin, German or Russian at O level, with Cornish thrown in on the side. I think I regret not taking Russian now as my French accent was atrocious, whereas I don't think it mattered as much in Russian. Meanwhile DD's school only offered French or Spanish from day 1, with no opportunity to take a second language. You can definitely see the impact of the budget cuts and I think MFL teachers will be harder to find than mathsbor physics teachers in 10 years time.

Like the thread title suggestion 😊

Masterclass sounds good sandy

Feeling happier and less stressed about DD now 😊

sandybayley DS1 did the RI Masterclass when he was younger and really enjoyed it. Do you have to travel far for yours? We were lucky to have one run quite near us - took up a few Saturday mornings. We are now members of the RI and DS was mentored for a Crest award there a couple of years ago - on robotics. I think he designed some kind of arm for picking stuff up underwater. As you can see, I am au fait with Science and Tech.

DS too has done Latin for a number of years but doesn't want to carry on. I am surprised as he had said before he would. The CS is looking like a certainty here and possibly DT with history. He has the option of Russian but doesn't want to do.

DD did the RI Masterclass a few years ago too at Imperial and found it really interesting. I think that was the start of her love for sciences. It was every Saturday morning for about 6 weeks.

Twin
That sounds really tough. It sounds like you can't make her work harder or differently but instead have to watch and be supportive if and when she needs a plan B.

There are lots of DC on this thread who are flying through but most DC don't. There are loads of good courses that don't have high tariffs but are still worth doing if you love the subject or it gets you where you want to go.

2 of mine struggled at sixth form.

One did 3 year sixth form. Still did underwhelmingly. Went to ex-poly. Enjoyed life in big city. Enjoyed most of course and 2 modules in particular which led to career choice not previously considered. Has new job which they love.

Another DC dropped out of y12 having got engineering apprenticeship. Worked in cafe until starting apprenticeship. Refused to do AS levels. Now doing HNC. No debt. Determined to do degree and PhD.

They are dyslexic and found it hard to perform in exams, organise things and got tired after school.

@242Mummy - no not far to travel and DS2 can get there independently - huge bonus! DD did the RI Maths Masterclass and is still doing it. She loves it as she dies it with a good friend and combines it with a trip to Oxford Street each time at the moment.

That's the thing peggy I think she should consider engineering apprenticeship but she isn't having any of it. I think it stems from secondary school where they were repeatedly told Uni is the everything she has now seen through the schools pressure on the kids to do well.... For their own benefit, league tables etc..

New thread https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3491933-year-12-3-open-days-and-predicted-grades-beckon

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3491933-year-12-3-open-days-and-predicted-grades-beckon

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3491933-year-12-3-open-days-and-predicted-grades-beckon

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3491933-year-12-3-open-days-and-predicted-grades-beckon

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Next thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3491933-year-12-3-open-days-and-predicted-grades-beckon