Thread 29 - Covid Cohort - Whirlwinds and Waiting

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

previous thread 28

DD has just had an email from school confirming that for Mocks next week they don't need to be in school when no exams and there will be no lessons for the week. They just need to go to registration at 8.35 if they have a 9.00am exam so that's something (especially as she doesn't have anything Monday).

No study leave for mocks or A level papers before half term for DS.

No study leave here either until May half term.

On Facebook someone said you (ie parents) had to say it they had student finance personally and what their details are. Is that right? Is it just if you had a loan? As dh did

Sorry that’s confusing - parents have to declare the details of their own student loans

Thanks for the article @Fruitygal

Ages ago we talked about black box insurance. I have finally bitten the bullet and paid for DSs to go on insurance as qualified drivers and we got a black box (Hastings Direct). He drove today for the first time since November and scored 100, so much better than I feared it might be. I feel quite happy about their driving being monitored so I know if they are bit driving safely.

That’s great Monkey. I joke with DD that her car is setting driving boundaries - I think she secretly likes the box, it acts like a pseudo parent

Gah...DD's school has moved graduation from a Thursday Night to a whole school attendance required Saturday in July. Clashes with an important comp for UK Team selection for her sport. She can't compete in June due to exams and if she goes to graduation then she'll miss her qualifying comp. That and no study leave is just pushing her over the edge.

Can't imagine a compulsory Saturday even in July is going to be popular with anyone.

@Decorhate I’ve asked Ds to check-I’ll let you know when he gets back to me. Weirdly, he is showing very little interest in going to any open/offer holder days.

I don't think a compulsory Saturday can be actually enforced Wheresthebeach, especially for a social event and whilst it's a horrible clash, if it's the sport selection that's more important to her, then I'd be supporting that.

Schools are very good at doing this to appeal to those who fear possible consequences, we have it re Open Day participation. But it gets to the point where DD had done so many, and clearly some students were more very good at ducking all of them. With no negative come back.

I agree @ealingwestmum. Its absurd. And frankly what are they going to do? She's done and dusted. But DD doesn't want to miss her graduation and prize giving, which she will have to in all probability as she won't want to miss team selection for Euro's. I'm just so cross about it.

I feel for the rest of the school - it's the last Saturday before they break up so they will be under pressure to show up.

That’s such a shame @Wheresthebeach. But surely there will be a prize giving in the autumn to give out A Level certificates? At least, I thought that’s what usually happened?

Dd has suddenly decided that Nottingham is the place for her She hasn’t actually been to the offer holder day, but it seems to have been sparked by speaking to a boy on the train who’d been to his and liked it! Plus he told her the gym membership is included in the accommodation fees. She texted an older friend who’s a third year there and she was very positive so that’s it - decision made apparently!

@crazycrofter I don't think that's correct about the gym. DS and I went in there and had a chat with one of the men working there, I specifically asked about whether it was free and they said no, its around £200 a year if I remember rightly.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I think it’s something they’ve brought in this year as part of the accommodation fee - for second years it’s about that much. I did check on the website but I’ll double check on the offer day next week.

Well I really hope you’re right because it’s a fantastic gym and DS would be over the moon to have that included. Please let me know what they say.

www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport/membership/studentsportsmembership.aspx

@justherewithmypopcorn Have a look half way down - from 2022/23. Maybe I’m mid-reading it?

I just found this

From 2022/23
Student residents living in our Jubilee and University Park Campus accommodation as well as Broadgate Park, Dagfa and Varsity accommodation locations in 2022/23 will have access to the Sport, Health and Wellbeing Package included in their accommodation offer. This includes complimentary UoN Sport and Fitness Membership as well as access to an enhanced programme of social sports and activities right on your doorstep to better support your health and wellbeing.

ah just xposted with @crazycrofter. I thought it was just those on campus (catered) but seems also Broadgate etc.

Struggling to keep up with the thread at the moment.

No study leave until exams start for my two - DS (y13) boards so he will be at school anyway, DD (y11) has limited options for getting home from school apart from the normal school bus at the end of the day. DS definitely prefers to work at school, DD not so much. DS has his last mock today, DD has some more before Easter. Neither has decided where they want to go in Sept yet 🤦‍♀️.

Student finance - applied Sunday, it is approved but he didn't get an email, I logged on to check. His documents have disappeared from his DSA application so I have resubmitted them plus one extra, hoping it works this time and glad I checked.

wheresthebeach, our school has speech day in the last day of the summer term every year.
This year, term finished on a Thursday because of the jubilee bank holiday weekend; usually it’s a Friday.

Every year, exam candidates are told they’re expected to come back for it…every year, whole swathes are missing, probably working/on holiday.
We thought about missing it this year so that we can squeeze a holiday in before the schools break up, but as both DCs are now leaving the school, I feel I’d really like to be there.

It’s such a shame for your DS but her other commitment is too important to miss, clearly.

DS has speech day the Saturday after term ends on Friday too. It is compulsory and you are expected to ask for permission for absence (everyone gets a certificate so there is an awkward silence if anyone has gone AWOL) but I've never heard of anyone being refused permission. He particularly wants to go this year as it's his last and so do I.

@crazycrofter and @Alsoplayspiccolo - No autumn event that I know of. I think they just post out the A level certificates. Yes, I'm sure others will miss it too as some have booked holiday as the last day of exams is June 29th. Its just that she was looking forward to it and is grumpy about the change.