Year 12 #3: Open Days and Predicted Grades beckon

[whistl]

Yikes! The title has just hit me! It's too soon! I'm not ready!!

Thread number 2 link: https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3443840-Year-12-2-Carols-commutes-a-few-stocking-fillers

Thought it was something. We can compare notes after. My DD will be the short gobby jolly-hockey-sticks one 😀
But that's probably just my view as a south Londoner!!

I remember both ids (who could forget the name!) and andro welcome back!!!

Agree with the teachers thing too. You will need to get them onside to get the extra time agreed - it's different if the DC has always had extra time throughout school vs asking for it in Yr 12 (you can't demonstrate a 'normal way of working'). So unless there's a massive difference in grades with and without the time, thereby proving the need, it is going to be a bit more tricky - so lots of sucking up to the teachers required even though it should simply be a right.....

Exams start next week for DD although they are not being described as 'mocks'. She is however fully aware that they will influence her end of year predicted grade. Does it never end? At least when they are at Uni we won't know about it!!!!

Good news about the job Kilash. And agree re exams. DS just has 'normal' end of year exams this year. On the one hand I'm really glad he's been able to concentrate on enjoying sixth from life, covering the material and think about post sixth from without having to break for mocks and exams but if he's thinking he can put the work in and lift his grades in upper sixth he may have to do a persuasive job on teachers to up his predicted grades too.

DS school give a number of DC extra time in internal exams and tests and make them change pen colour or mark where they got to at the end of normal time so they can see the impact.

Definitely worth getting the tests done and then going from there. If nothing else you will know the position. And even if school don't accept it, it can be used for DSA at Uni where the support is very extensive and Ed pshyc tests no longer have to be within the last two years.

Hi and thanks something and loose - and yes limit I do recall discussions about anxiety but I cant for the life of me remember your old username!

DD told me yesterday she had applied for a summer school at Durham for politics and history I think - school alerted them to it, so who knows - she may get a place! Waiting for results of history AS mock now.

Now moving onto coursework for Eng Lit - new experience for her, hopefully good.

I have 3 weeks left in my job before I move to a new company - been in current job for over 16 years so a big move, but not so bad as I am going to a company where I know a couple of the managers anyway, so they know me and what I can do!

All this late diagnosis of learning issues is worrying - hope you all get it sorted soon.

In other news - provisional driving licence arrived today

At least when they are at Uni we won't know about it!!!!
DS1 keeps us updated with every deadline, every grade he gets back and his accumulated overall grade up to this point. 😆

Just watched the Martin Lewis money program on student finance. Such a minefield for first time parents... As my username suggests I have twins as well as oldest DD, bearly any extra provision made for when and if they go to Uni.

Really don't know how we will cope financially if twins both do go to Uni.

Pressed post too soon!

Twins are only y10 but will soon come round.

Also trying to persuade DD to reapply for her provisional driving licence. We applied for it for her Christmas present but as she didn't return the forms back they sent a cheque for a refund payable to DD. Also trying to persuade her to get a better paid job. She earns about £7.50 a week doing a paper round she is 16 and could work in a shop and earn a lot more, but no.
Trying to get through to her that if she wants to go to Uni she needs to put some money aside......

Thread on Martin Lewis programme here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3492821-How-can-this-be-right-It-isn-t-Martin-Lewis-on-uni-costs

Limit Agree with Somethingsmellsnice to go ahead with (private?) Ed Psych assessment and then use that as a springboard for action in school. DS2 was in Year 8 and had some exceptional scores in CATS but poor reading and writing scores. That raised flags with Head of House who called us in - school SENCO was pretty much useless and in the end, we went for a private assessment. With that in place, school was more willing to review his case and to test him themselves. He was awarded 25% extra time. Even then, it was a struggle as they then didn't tell anyone! It wasn't till Autumn term in Year 9 that a teacher (also a friend of mine) commented that he got every question he attempted right in his Biology test but he didn't complete the test! There's a lot of follow up and double checking the SENCO in his case. She said she was going to talk to him about how extra time works and will be recorded but so far (3 months later), he hasn't had this meeting.

TheFirstOHN Our DSs are so similar. I get the lowdown too - not complaining! I love hearing about his life.

He's doing great - 100%s on most recent Math and Chem tests and Purples in required practicals. His Bio teacher told him they were passing his work around the staffroom and marvelling at 'degree level' work. Sorry for tooting my horn - I am so proud of him - will pipe down now.

Planning Open Day visits but no idea where DS1 wants to go - not Scotland, not Wales but everywhere else is fine! Think I'll need to start researching costs and grants/loans etc.

242 toot away. You know this is a safe space where we can do what we can't in RL!

Twin exactly the same thing happened with DS1 and his provisional licence - so he won't have one or any driving lessons unless he sorts it out!
I think AS levels and mocks are beneficial for students like DS but I can see they wouldn't be good for everyone.

DS2 has received his provisional license, and also managed to sign up for the organ donor register at the same time.

Loose - we are refusing to pay for the reapplication of provisional licence as she has the refund in her bank account. DD has no interest in learning to drive as we live on an excellent bus route into the local city centre. She can't see that she won't be living with us forever.. (I hope not anyway!) 😄😄

The same happened to Dd too. She applied at our home address so by the time we forwarded it to her & she got photos sorted they refunded her).

DS has his and could apply online because his passport photo was current and could be used. We too live on a good bus route and being the city we live in he cycles everywhere . The only thing that has got him into gear (excuse the pun) is that his girlfriend (now of 6 or so months) lives a 30 minute drive away.

Twin same here - he has the refund so he has to pay! DS is spoilt by living in London - he doesn't have quite enough of an incentive I suspect.

Whereas dd is fairly rural, school is along a lane with no footpath or lighting and she has to rely on taxis a lot.

DD hasn't bothered applying for her licence. We won't buy her a car, she can't drive either if ours & she would prefer a new iPhone than driving lessons.

We'll be heading up to Cambridge for the Politics & IR masterclass in a couple of weeks. She has applied for PPE and History with UNIQ. The college has had over 60 Oxbridge offers this year. Although It's still a teeny %, they obviously know the system. They are starting their year 12 push this month.

Going back to the Martin Lewis program, did anyone see the mother and daughter on there. Daughter's maintaince loan had gone down because Mum's partner moved in during her second uni year(not daughter's father) and his salary was now taken into account. Thanks for the link peggy made interesting reading.

Speaking of Martin Lewis, are you all aware of the government's latest passport advice?

If theUK leaves the EU without a deal, after 29 March 2019, you’ll need at least 6 months left on your passport when you travel to most EU countries and a passport that’s less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left).

I've been caught out by this, as my current passport had 8 months added to it. It will be valid for a holiday at the start of April, but not for a trip I'm taking in June.

Same here!! DD doesn't want to drive either although we do have an all night bus route into central London 5 min walk away and a fast (20 mins) train into central London. To be fair I have a car and probably only get in it at a max of 4 times a week ( and even that is for journeys less than 20 mins) so I do get where she is coming from.
I am trying to persuade her that not everywhere is as 'convenient' but she hasn't got her head round it yet!
If she chooses somewhere rural it's going to be one hell of a shock 😀

DS3 isn’t 17 until June so no driving licences here, or can they apply for a provisional one early?

We get the full loans here for DS1 and DS2 as I’m divorced and on a low income as working in a school term time only. ExH doesn’t contribute except for ‘pocket money’ for DS1, nothing for DS2, and child maintenance and pocket money for DS3. Child maintenance isn’t counted but even if it was I’d still be under the threshold.

DS2 lives at home so part of his maintenance loan is paid to me. I very much doubt he’ll ever earn enough to pay it back, but DS1’s job offers have all been above £25k so far, so he’ll start paying his loans back fairly soon.

Yes you can get provisional at 16 as it is the same licence they can use for mopeds.

Of course, I should have remembered my DB had a moped at 16. Mind you he’s now 60 so that was a while ago!

My dd has had about 8 lessons so far and tonight she drove us back from town on proper roads for the first time

I was absolutely terrified! Completely unfairly because she's really good but I can't get used to her being old enough to drive .

You can get a provisional driving licence from age 15 and 9 months onwards.
It costs £34 online or £43 by post.

I think the main point, until you want to learn to drive, would be to have photo ID.