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

[Orangecinnamon21]

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

That’s formatting all messed up! It’s meant to be the first 3 letters are the A’Level grades, the next 3 numbers are the old UCAS tariff equivalent and the last 3 numbers to the right are the new tariffs. Clear as mud.

I think all bets are off on everything at the moment. We have DD back with us and her second vaccine appointment cake through today but she would prefer to have It here so hoping to get her to a walk in.

Was thinking if taking DS at the same time, DH got put into shielding category earlier this year and I would feel happier if DS were able to have a vaccine.

Yes, @FoolsAssassin I think you're right.
Dd1 has booked here here too - 2 weeks earlier than Bristol.
And in good news I've found a driving instructor for my two that can fit them in in two weeks time.
Is it normal to have 2 hour lessons though?

@Fferny1 yes 2 hours are normal here. Though very first lesson is only an hour. I think an hour is enough if you live in a city. But here it takes 45 mins or so to drive to the city.

Has anyone been successful with their 17 year old turning up to a walk in vaccination clinic? DS wants to try this week and I just want to manage his expectations.
Is it just luck of the draw?

No, but dd's friend has @Fiddler.
She told the London clinic that she was travelling imminently. She has her second booked on the 2nd - so less than 3 weeks I think.

@Fiddlersgreen we were not able to persuade anyone to give DS2 a vaccine today, although his friend who works at a vaccination centre managed to get one. I have heard that they are giving them in Kent, definitely think there is an element of luck.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn as well as people who do lots of music or drama and dance, some people do exams outside school if they grow up bilingual. DS2 is likely to have 120 points for music exams, so if he gets the AAA he needs and an A for EPQ he will have 284, although a lot would be irrelevant.

An epq is worth half points I think so an A=24

@Zandathepanda You are correct, EPQ is not equivalent to a full A’level.

Here is a UCAS Tariff Point calculator
www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

Basically for DD
A Levels:
A=56/A=48/B=40/C=32/D=24/E=16

EPQ
A*28/A= 24/B=20/C=16/D=12/E=8

Core Maths
A=20/B=16/C=12/D=10/E=6

None of the unis on her list currently use Ucas points though (York, Nottingham, Bath,Bristol or Swansea) Although the list could easily change once 1, her predictions are in 2, she actually reads through the course material properly 3, we visit the towns/cities.

@Heifer thanks for that. I'm confused about ucas points then if places don't use them. How do you know if they use them or not?

If you look on their websites for the course you are interested in there is usually a tab called entry requirements which give all the details.

But does it say whether ucas or just grades? I've not seen any that mention ucas points?

UCAS have an historic entry guides tool...it is just for advisers though, and data should not be shared...lots of caveats... but it could be useful for an individual student not to be put off as they imply.

www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/adviser-news/news/our-historic-entry-grades-tool

Just seen this which is relevant to some of ours,

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4299602-Teens-will-not-be-routinely-vaccinated-JCVI-recommends

@NCTDN

But does it say whether ucas or just grades? I've not seen any that mention ucas points?

From what I can see (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but it tends to be courses with lower requirements that use points instead of grades. I guess maybe because they have more applicants with alternative qualifications, rather than 3 A levels or whatever.

So at 17 and 9 months they can have the jab. It’s going to be annoying for those with summer birthdays though as they’ll be less protected and getting their jabs over ALevel exam period.

[quote Orangecinnamon21]UCAS have an historic entry guides tool...it is just for advisers though, and data should not be shared...lots of caveats... but it could be useful for an individual student not to be put off as they imply.

www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/adviser-news/news/our-historic-entry-grades-tool[/quote]
This is such useful info, I don't know why they don't make it public, obviously with very clear caveats that it doesn't necessarily predict what will happen. Luckily you can see what successful applicants achieved elsewhere.

I'd love to see full stats for each course though, number of applicants, number of offers made and what they were, how many missed the offer but were allowed in etc. It seems quite basic info when you're trying to work out whether it's worth using up one of your choices on a particular course.

I don't get it either. When I applied back in Ye Olden Days , it was in every prospectus.

I agree @singingstones!

I might try some FOIs and see if I can winkle it out of them that way.

singingstones I agree that looks really interesting if I could get into it! Since Dd is only going for one course, I think I have worked out ABB for an AAA course would get her in THIS year.

The points v grades thing is annoying as points confuse the system with most courses. Uni Dd1 got 24 points for an EPQ which wouldn’t have been taken into consideration if she had got low grades but did allow the offer to go down one grade in the first place.
But it was the grades that counted and she needed at least an A on one subject. She wouldn’t have got in on extra points from music exams etc. The 240 points example from pp above is very extreme!!

@Zanda mine will be able to have it from April then. I really don't know why this decision has been made to vaccinate at this stage and not the 16-18 year olds as a whole.

Zanda is she only applying for one course at one uni and leaving the other four options blank? I am gonna be stressed enough with DS and his five chances to get in somewhere!

Urghh, hope Telegraph was wrong and the more promising BBC angle is right on teenage vaccines. I guess we will find out what the future is for our teens soon.