Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

GCSE'S 2019 Done, Results Received, Moving on to 6th Form and College

473 replies

ArthurtheCatsHumanSlave · 04/09/2019 14:06

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3671029-gcse-2019-support-thread-6

New Thread for all our DC's moving on to 6th Form and College to do ALevels and BTEC's, and anything else exciting and new.

OP posts:
Foslady · 17/09/2019 21:55

@ROZ12 dd is on a two week timetable with 2 teachers per subject and both setting homework. Combine that with tiredness no wonder we had a meltdown at the weekend......

Theovertoad · 17/09/2019 22:15

Yes - a 2 week timetable with 2 teachers and 2 lots of homework for each subject here too
Dd is tired and irritable

Arewedone · 17/09/2019 22:37

No 2 week timetable here but 2 teachers per subject, both setting homework. An endless amount of maths daily and languages a lot of work sheets.

ROZ12 · 17/09/2019 23:10

So not just us! Yes it’s intense I guess the next two years we will have no life . Confused

ROZ12 · 17/09/2019 23:11

Dd fainted on the tram
As well it’s the lack of sleep and anxiety 😞

raspberryrippleicecream · 17/09/2019 23:20

DS2 has a one week timetable with 2 teachers for each subject also, each covering different areas of the syllabus.

TBF some homework is 'nice'. He had to watch a Prom last week to discuss with his music teacher.

Further Maths has kept changing as one of the teachers is ill. He is also Head of Sixth Form, nothing was said at the information evening last week so I hope he is ok!

My 2 UNI dc keep telling him how much easier it is at uni and that A levels are the worst thing he will do - not sure this is helpful!

Hope your DD is ok Roz

Hoooo · 18/09/2019 06:22

Oh dear roz!
Hope she's ok!?
I'm currently trying to wake the monster from the deep ds1

Hoooo · 18/09/2019 06:27

Is she doing 3 or 4 roz?
I don't think they should allow them to do 4 tbh.
Leaves no time to, you know, actually have a life :(

Bimkom · 18/09/2019 10:13

Yes DS has dropped his 4th A Level (Physics) and switched to an EPQ, which is four lessons a week. He is excited about the topic he has chosen as well (bit too large, I think, but anyway). The travel is also harder for us, he never had to catch trains before (just buses, and often he would walk the 40 minutes to his old school, especially as he got older). In theory we are not adding that much time on to the journey - it is supposed to be 45 minutes by train rather than 30-40 by bus or foot, but I think it is much more tiring, and there are periodic delays. We are half way between the underground and a mainline station, and either will do (underground about 10 minutes slower in terms of journey but more reliable and frequent), but the stations are in opposite directions, so if the wrong choice is made, catching the other involves quite a lot of time wasting. My job now in the mornings is checking both the live underground and mainline websites to find out whether there are issues, so a decision can be made as to which way to head!

Bimkom · 18/09/2019 10:14

DS was so tired on Thursday that I came home to discover he had come in and put himself to bed. DS hasn't had an afternoon nap since he was about 2! He was always the hyper wired one who couldn't sleep during the day.

Bimkom · 18/09/2019 10:18

I think there has been a fair bit of homework, but DS, in usual style, is on top of it, and I have no idea. I did hear that he was the only one who got 100% right in the maths homework, but he didn't do very well for his "presentation". Presentation for maths was never a thing in his local comp! I mean, he was expected to show his working, but I think they were so relieved that he did the work and gave the right answer that he hasn't been hauled up for neatness since primary school.

Hoooo · 18/09/2019 10:21

Sounds stressful re: travel situ

eatthatfrog · 18/09/2019 10:44

Dd also one week timetable 2 teachers per subject and both set homework. lots and lots of maths. She has managed to stay on top of all the homework but seems a lot and EPQ starting next week. Plus also seems to be doing lots of volunteering/ community action work on top . Looks like a long first term as she also has 4 Levels

DontCallMeDarling · 18/09/2019 10:52

Hope you don't mind me joining a bit late. My dd1 did brilliantly in her GCSEs which was great for her confidence and is now doing a BTEC in an area which has been her passion for a number of years at a specialist college. The journey is over an hour but she only has to be there three days a week so its not too bad. And more importantly she's really enjoying the course. I'm really proud that she stuck to her guns, even though she's had a few negative comments about choosing a BTEC when she could do A-levels.
Hope all your dcs settle into their new timetables, subjects, schools/colleges and travel journeys over the next few weeks.

Arewedone · 18/09/2019 11:00

So sorry about your Dd @ROZ12 hope someone helped her, is she feeling better?
Dd also taking 4 and this week has been told they are being seconded to local primary schools 1 afternoon per week to help with maths and English and free period on Friday is now a volunteering session in school so she only has 1 free period all week as the other 2 are taken with language oral lessons. It’s pretty full on. I feel bad for telling her it would be less stressful than GCSEs!

FiveHoursSleep · 18/09/2019 11:57

Don'tCall Me I have a DD in the same boat. Did well in GCSEs and doing a specialist BTEC instead of A levels and getting some stick about not going back to school. I am proud of her though, especially as she has already organised a job for her none working days. As you say, it's been brilliant for her confidence.

Hoooo · 18/09/2019 12:00

Several of ds1s friends are doing btecs and loving them :)

Hoooo · 18/09/2019 12:12

Don't

My dh did very well in his gcses.
Went into an apprenticeship at 16 and did hnd, btecs and then a degree through the company.

He is now very senior.

There isn't only one path :)

How wonderful that your dd is following her passions! I wish her every success x

Arewedone · 18/09/2019 12:28

Many moons ago I did btech and no A levels and went onto a degree course. Can’t say it’s held me back, we have a very nice life . When I’m hiring passion and drive will always be the deal breaker.

MaddieElla · 18/09/2019 13:10

DDs fab start took a turn on Monday when she cut her hand really badly in chemistry. Now can't use her hand to write which she's bereft about as she was adamant about taking notes after each lesson and being organised.

But she's loving A Levels (same school). She swapped from maths to physics on results day so is now doing chemistry, biology and physics and the EPQ in Nazi propaganda or something...

Here's hoping her hand heals quickly as she's currently hammering the laptop!

Oh and we have started on the open days too, has anyone else? We've done Sheffield, Nottingham, York and have Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham in a few weeks. Mop up with any others she wants to see next summer and then it'll be application time before we know it!

PoppinsandPartridge · 18/09/2019 13:21

Can anyone help with how much you leave to your teen to sort and how much you try and sort yourself?

As Mum of an sen child I'm used to having a lot of contact with school. At the moment she is sorting things herself which is good but at the same time they have just switched around English lessons and she was in class A, has been moved to class b but is being marked absent from class C which she has never ever even been in.
This means her bursary will be rejected, her course is at risk and also she will not be able to use the college bus if it is marked absent one more time and I'm having a slow nervous breakdown...

PoppinsandPartridge · 18/09/2019 13:22

MaddieElla could she use a dictaphone app if she cant use hand and is worried about notes?

Saucery · 18/09/2019 13:28

Poppins I wouldn’t hesitate to step in with all that and try to sort it out. It’s a level above ‘you need to find which room your group is in’ imo. Very bad organisation on the part of the adults around her, so probably needs an adult to sort it out.

DontCallMeDarling · 18/09/2019 13:34

@FiveHoursSleep @Hoooo and others - thanks, I'm excited for her and to see where it takes her in life. I'm also glad that it's giving her younger sibling ideas for the future, there is definitely more than one way to get where you want to be!!!

@MaddieElla hope your dd's hand gets better soon

@PoppinsandPartridge I would speak to your daughter and ask her if she wants you to help and then give the school/college a call to sort things out. If she doesn't then have a quick chat to her to clarify what she plans to do about the situation, adding any suggestions then leave her to it. It is a worry as I don't have any real contact with the new college.

Theovertoad · 18/09/2019 14:29

Dd is doing 4 A levels but has now switched one so that there is more subject crossover.. so hopefully should ease pressure a bit.
Personally, I’d like her to do 3 but she will not give up the subject that is the odd man out