Y12 2023/24 - support, discussion and looking after each other

[BonjourCrisette]

GCSEs are over and we are beginning the next stage. Let's hope it's a bit less stressful than this summer has been! All welcome to discuss, share experiences and support each other as our children move into Y12/BTECs/apprenticeships and start a new phase.

DS is supposed to be doing an EPQ, though I think work has yet to start in earnest. I think it would balance out his mainly maths-based A-levels.

Personal statements - I get the impression these are sometimes referred to and can make a difference, but mostly not. Bit like a tie breaker. Might as well make it a good one though, just in case.

Of course, I wouldn’t suggest paying no attention to the ps - I think it’s a bit like exam technique and ticking the boxes of what they’ll want to read.

DS has some good relevant work experience lined up which he can talk about so I don’t imagine he’ll start his till after he’s done that.

He didn’t do an EPQ - two of his subjects have NEAs so felt that was enough. His brother started an EPQ but he was a year where lockdowns kept happening so in the end he decided to focus on A levels instead. I’m not sure they are really worth the hours of work required to get a good grade but just my opinion!

@Sadtimes1 DD also at a high achieving school but I think their focus is more on stopping the girls doing too much as they are a ridiculously conscientious and hard-working lot on the whole! They won't have actual mocks until next year, maybe January I think.

About personal statements, we were told that it can definitely be a tie breaker (this from a woman who works in admissions at Exeter) so worth ticking all the boxes possible! And DD's school will probably have three quarters of the year applying to Oxbridge so I guess they need to start thinking about it now.

Geez nightmare morning dropped DD for earlier train as it’s her worst exam this morning & in a different location she’s not been to before. Get a call 20mins later mum they cancelled all trains! Arrh Q me logging off work jumping in car stuck in school traffic driving a round trip of 90min but got her there with ten minutes to spare and now very late for my job thank god for flexi. She hasn’t slept or eaten this morning as this was her “worst one”. I can only hope that all the other kids impacted were ok as well as that train line had kids on it for GCSEs too 😔 it was cows on the line so not predictable

@Monstermunchy , I don't know what happens with the non-early applicants at DD's college. The personal statement was only a part of the 1:1 she had - lots of it was about medical school admissions/tests etc more generally (nearly all the medical schools say they don't consider the PS or only use it as a tiebreaker).
Based on the Y13s I know from this year - some have been intensively coached about it, some have been left to it entirely, some have just lied(!) - it seems a pretty flawed system, though I'm not sure what would be better.

My boys are at a good sixth form but prob only a smallish proportion are oxbridge/medicine/law - I believe that group do get supported by school on the various tests and PS though.
The rest do get support - probably as much as they want or need - but it does feel like one of those things that a parent could write for them with plenty of made up content!

Good point about effort vs result, @Monstermunchy
Hopefully we'll know how much progress he's made before he has to put it on an application form! I think it would be good for him to maintain his writing skills though.

@SummerChilling That sounds just like an exam nightmare, how stressful to live it. Great that you got her on time though - and will be good to have got it out of the way ahead of a break at half-term.

Absolutely - if he’s not doing essay subjects it’s a good skill to keep polished

What a nightmare - good you could help out

There were a couple of teachers waiting for the train who gave some kids lifts plus other parents helping where they could. It was English gcse for some stressed kids I hope they got in on time as the traffic was a nightmare. I’m guessing there’s no consideration for them despite trying to catch a train 1.5hrs early.

@Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky That is my worry as DS already has a ridiculous amount of work to do. I don’t want it affecting his A levels.

@BonjourCrisette That’s interesting, I much prefer your school’s approach. My DS is telling me already that some of his friends have been told to drop subjects for yr13. Students that got a D and below in mocks.

Dd currently asleep, just done 3rd set of exams this year for predicted grades. Maths not going well for the entire class ( honestly does appear to be the teacher). This is the first break since Christmas with no revision going on. We now need to start the uni planning as it's just not happen yet!

@Sadtimes1

My dd school also culls those not getting d's. They seem to get plenty of support though - they were identified from January mocks - so at least they have warning and k iw they need to get there scores up.

They also do stuff like not allow them to leave school etc in free periods I think if they are in that group.

I also like the emphasis on trying not to add pressure. But to be fair, it is easy for them as it is very selective and there will be very very few students getting anything less than a B. There is no culling because there is no need. They are all capable of getting very good grades. Having said that, I mean, a D is a pass. So I don't see why someone shouldn't do the A level if they want to and are putting in a reasonable amount of effort even if they will get a D. Someone who wants to learn should be allowed to do so even if they aren't going to get the best grade IMO. I guess it's the slightly toxic league table nonsense.

Anyone’s kid learning to drive? I phoned up yesterday to get a quote to add DD onto our 15yr old run around and they wanted £600 for 6mths!!! I nearly fell off my chair. We didn’t do it. I’m fully aware it could cost £1-2k to put her on once passed but to just pop out with DH 1-2x a week for half hour we didn’t think it was worth it. It’s mental that it can cost £4-5k to do lessons, pass test & get insured in that first year how do they expect YP to afford this? I could weep when folk say ooh get past nursery fees stage it gets cheaper it flipping doesn’t between this & her sports fees plus Uni fund which will be needed raising a human is SO expensive.

We can't afford to pay for DC1 to learn to drive. We pay for an insanely expensive extracurricular activity, and there's only so much money to go around. She doesn't have a job, as aforementioned extracurricular activity eats up all of her spare time!

While it would be great if we could stretch to it, I don't feel too bad. There's no parking at college, and no advantage to driving into town, so she'd drive only very infrequently. I learned to drive at 24 when I first had an ok paying job, and it was no biggie.

Wow @SummerChilling that is a lot! I’ve just put ds’s name down with the instructor who taught ds1 - for august when he’s finally 17. Not priced up insurance yet but we have PAYG from Marmalade for our eldest - as he’s away at uni and not doing many miles - works out fairly reasonably. We buy up to 500 miles and his driving is monitored via a chip which they Bluetooth to wheh they’re behind the wheel

Anyone at Exeter open day today? - my dd is loving both the city and campus so far.

Oooh, please report back on impressions of Exeter! DD is interested but we have not been to an open day as yet.

We both love it. We came down late yesterday afternoon and had a walk round the city itself and down to the quay.

Campus is really green, also loads of places you can see people would sit and gather. my dd said she can just imagine herself sitting around here and bumping into people.

For her she said it's a lovely balance of a community with the campus but short walk to Exeter itself which is big enough to have all you need but not so big it would be overwhelming to move away to solo ( she is an end of August baby so will still be very young)

Very hilly on campus though so not good if you have mobility issues!

We saw Cambridge last year and although she has decided not to apply there anyway it's a completely different feel. That was separate bits dotted around.

That sounds really nice!

My friend’s DS is just about to finish their degree there. They absolutely love it and my friend loved Exeter so much she now talks about moving there. It’s a great uni and area.
The only thing that has been said is that it has a high number of privately educated students.

I only have one DC learning to drive. They have a job so are paying for the lessons themselves and they have had loads (ASD)! Sadly, someone drove into him during his lesson so when he does eventuality pass, his insurance will be eye watering ☹️!
I have one DS who passed before going to uni, then went to uni and didn’t drive at all. He came back and was like a learner again 🤦🏼‍♀️, his insurance was lower though as he was older. It’s worth checking whether it’s worth them passing the test as some unis have great transport and no available parking.
Luckily, my other DC’s are not wanting to learn atm.

the frustrating thing is she does a lot of sports training and really it would help if she could drive herself to training or help to share the driving when we have to go to competitions, but the reality is we can’t easily afford the sports training £££s and driving costs at same time! So I guess I’m stuck being chief taxi driver for another year min. She’s planning to do a gap year to earn some money for uni so we’ve suggested learning then instead.