Thread 17 - Corona Cohort Summer Vacation to Yr 13, Finding Freedom?

[Orangecinnamon21]

PLACEHOLDER FOR NEW THREAD ...PREVIOUSLY TO BE FOUND IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

When was your test?
Are they just cancelling certain venues?

3rd time its happened. DS has rebooked. very odd.

@ChristopherTracy if there is another test centre near you, it is probably worth booking there. I strongly suspect that it is due to the age profile of people doing theory tests being the same as the unvaccinated people catching and spreading Delta variant, and a positive result for a test taker might mean there are enough staff isolating that they have to close. It is very annoying for theory test, but whole extra level of stress for people doing UCAT at same centres!

Hope everyone is ok haven't been able to post recently as been busy with work. Some advice needed on driving lessons. DS1 has had about 15 hours with instructor and has also been out with DH a few times. I text instructor today as payment for lessons needs to be next week and asked him how DS1 was getting on and when he would be ready for test. He said getting on ok but can't say when ready but on average it takes 45 hours of lessons and 20 hours with family member before a test. This seems really excessive to me was just wondering how long it took for those whose DC have passed.

@Nard75 that sounds like a lot! DS1 did about 8-10 hours with a friend and maybe 4 hours with us, then went away to university for a year, came back and had about 6 hours with the friend, 15-20 hours with me (to and from Bodmin) and 7 hours with qualified instructor in Bodmin. I think 25 with instructor and 20 with parents should be fine for most people who have done enough cycling to have some road sense.

If he had not been away for the year, I guess 12 hours with friend (used to be a bus driver, then paramedic), 7 hours with instructor and 20 hours with us.

Well success at last!
Dd got her jab at the third clinic they tried.
Her friend got her second jab at the second one they tried though they wouldn't do dd. Even though both are 17.

@20newnames We did Newcastle & Durham in one day. We looked at Durham university science campus and sports facilities, and had lunch in the town. Newcastle we walked all around the campus, had a drink in a uni coffee bar and teens spoke with a couple of students but we had two boys in tow who had no interest whatsoever in walking round the city centre. So was easily doable in the day.

Thanks @EwwSprouts and @Zandathepanda. We are staying in Durham for 48hrs before going on to York so we should have enough time for both. If we don’t by any chance we will leave Newcastle as DS really wasn’t keen on the virtual open day talks there.

@Nard75

Hope everyone is ok haven't been able to post recently as been busy with work. Some advice needed on driving lessons. DS1 has had about 15 hours with instructor and has also been out with DH a few times. I text instructor today as payment for lessons needs to be next week and asked him how DS1 was getting on and when he would be ready for test. He said getting on ok but can't say when ready but on average it takes 45 hours of lessons and 20 hours with family member before a test. This seems really excessive to me was just wondering how long it took for those whose DC have passed.

That seems a lot! Some young people never practise at all with family members.

I think I read about 30 hours of lessons is typical.

@Nard75 the hours your instructor is quoting are the official average hours per a study by the DVSA. DS1 passed after 36 hours with an instructor and many many hours with me. DS2 (17) will have had 33hrs with an instructor and many with me when he takes his test in September.

@Orangecinnamon21 we had been yesterday already. Yes....noticed everywhere was packed. Wasn't sure whether that was normal.

Dh is just about speaking to ds3 now. We haven't packed up and gone home. Holidays are always stressful for us. I always say never again. Ds3 is so awkward though.

No word from Ds2. He said he'd get on with work and his epq. But he doesn't reply to texts. Ds1 has text to say he cooked dd2 dinner and he ate it. So I know he's alive.

@Nard75 it says online the average is 40 hours. Ds has been learning with a learner instructor so I think that has held him back. The chap in Norwich we've used for 3 lessons claims on their webpage to teach students in 30 hours. So I guess it depends. Ds1 had about 20 hours. Ds2 will have had 36 hours with the learner instructor and 8 hours with the chap in Norwich by the time he takes his test. Far too many lessons really. But he is so reluctant to drive anywhere with us. He's been doing school and back for a while, but apart from a roundabout it's just double track country lanes all the way. So fairly easy. When we get back from our holiday Ds will re start his summer job. As I said before it's 17 miles away, so I will make him drive home each day. He won't drive there because it's too early, apparently. If he passes his test he can drive himself the last week, but I'm not sure he will even find the place...he can't remember the way when we go 😂

Sorry that should say ds1 had about 20 lessons, 2 hours each.

Dh had 3 driving lessons and can't understand why it takes so many.

I’ve received a text from GP inviting DD for a jab - obviously she hasn’t updated her contact number on her medical records.
She’s currently away on a course , so couldn’t go, but looking at where she could go, there’s a ‘grab a jab’ bus in a supermarket along with the medical centre where I had mine.
Strangely enough, last week another ‘grab a jab’ bus was in a supermarket near my work place ( a totally different area to my home address) and a couple of staff ‘bounced up’ with leaflets encouraging folk to attend
I raised the issue of 17.9 and said that DD was away but would attend if allowed.
They agreed with my ‘stance’ on 17.9 and said they’d report my feedback to the bus.
An hour later they returned to say that DD could go and have a jab!
I guess I’m saying it looks like things are moving for our Corona Cohort?

@proggymat we live in the sticks so Covid vaccinations are not available unless you're 18 here. DD has only just turned 17 last week. Her school have announced they will vaccinate any 18 year old kids so I need to find out whether they will do her second one. Otherwise we may have to head down to London again🤦🏼‍♀️.
DD feels really awful tonight after her jab, so I hope she's fit enough to come back by train tomorrow. She's booked in for her driving theory Wednesday morning.

We visited Leeds on Saturday for their open day which was good to do. I had no idea the campus was in the centre of the city. I also had no idea about the accommodation costs-£200 pw if catered!! When I was in York it was £25!
We've also got open days booked for Bristol and Durham but had to cancel Nottingham as it clashed with other things-shame as I really think dd needs to give it a chance.
What is WIWIKAU?

It’s a Facebook page for parents talking about UK universities. Some parents can get quite emotional. It can have some good tips and useful if you have specific questions but obviously it’s not anonymous.

Oh scrap my last post - it seems way bigger than that nowadays. There’s a whole website and forum if you google.

Stands for What I Wish I Knew About University

yeah the campus is pretty central although most students live up towards headingly. It (was ;-) a great place to be a student and the town was really student friendly : although Leeds is all much posher now! I have a mate with a child there in y2 who has loved it.

@NCTDN Bear in mind that I think only Devonshire Hall offers a proper canteen on site. I think the other halls just give credits to purchase in the various on-campus cafes & restaurants.

I do think self catering works out cheaper & you are not restricted by opening times.

My Dd was catered though as that was what she was allocated, not her first choice.

She had an amazing time at Leeds. Ds2 is also considering it.

@Fferny1 surely now she’s had the first, your GP or school if she boards will give the second?
I hope she’s feeling better today.

That's good to see some are getting covid vaccines. Ds2 is 18 in November. So hopefully will get called soon.

We are still having a great holiday with ds3. We are ready to head out to Weymouth for the day. Sealife booked, which he wanted to do. But he won't go out until he's had breakfast, but doesn't want anything I have for breakfast (wants white bread, I have brown, or wants a cereal I don't have, I bought his usual) Just waiting for dh to lose his temper again. I expect it makes you all glad you don't have 12 year olds. Though he is an odd bod 🤣

Oh dear @icanbewhatiwant! McDonalds breakfast on the way maybe?

Dd is back from her festival in Cornwall. At least 3 of her (50 strong) group had positive tests yesterday. Ds is going on a camp on Monday and the whole family have to have negative tests before he can go. It’s going to be a nervous week! He’s desperate to go…

DD out of another period of SI, resulting in her driving test this week being cancelled. I know she’s double vaccinated but after spending a 3 hour brunch with a friend who later that day had tested positive, I couldn’t take the risk. But she has another break in a couple of weeks and got her head down to clear out a lot of work and reading. And her attitude improved as a result. Result! Or reprieve at least...