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.

Leeds on the list here too, probably not first choice but on the list.

Both my niece and nephew went to Leeds and loved it. My niece even stayed on another year for her Masters. They both rented in Hyde Park after halls

Oh thanks all, actually feel better hearing re Leeds. Makes 3 on the list!!!

@jamimmi so pleased that things are improving, it all sounds very positive.

Do schools really make students put down 5 choices? My DS really only has one choice as he doesn’t want to leave home (ASD). He will put an insurance choice but is unlikely to take it.
We haven’t managed to go to any open days as we had to cancel due to one of my DC’s being very ill. Not really able to do much now, awaiting a referral. DS doesn’t want to attend any open days without me so we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Exciting times with all the open days. DC1 was at Birmingham yesterday, and liked it a lot. Her head was turned by yet another course though...she's changed her mind a lot about what she'd like to do over the last year. She may have more than one subject on her UCAS form, which might make things tricky.

In other news she's dropping Further Maths. She has firmly decided that she doesn't want to do anything Mathsy, and isn't consistently hitting a stars in every assessment, so it's starting to feel a bit like a millstone in terms of the workload and the hours in college. The slight disadvantage of this is that most of the 3 a level people are doing EPQs, and this isn't open to her now.

I’m new here but would just like a bit of advice please as it’s technically a year 12 issue. DS has just done year 12 but wants to switch college for next year as he hasn’t enjoyed it at his current place.

He had an interview last week at the new college for the level 3 courses he wants to do (not A’levels). The tutor he spoke to said she needs to double check with the heads of the courses he wants to do because he only has an overall average of 3.8 in his GCSE’s! He has four grade 4’s and two grade 5’s. He passed maths and English but failed history and Eng lit so that’s obviously brought down his average score.

Isn’t it a bit odd to calculate the entry requirement in this way. If they are going to use an average then surely don’t include the GCSE’s he has failed! I can’t see any mention in the prospectus regarding this average scoring. It just says the usual entry requirement is 5 GCSE’s at grade 4 and above.

Hopefully it will be ok but I am preparing myself for if it’s a no as I don’t think this sounds a fair system.

That does sound odd! Everything we looked at with DS (a levels and BTECs) had an entry criteria of a certain number of GCSEs at a certain grade or above- like you said in your post.

I'm sure your son will be fine if he's got the entry requirements though - fingers crossed!

@OhFlapJack - thanks. Yes, hopefully all with be ok 🤞🏻

Four open days in two weeks here! Though two with college, one with friends and one with me - I feel like I’ve got off a bit lightly thankfully. It does seem very intense, but definitely worth it for the variety and opportunity for comparisons.

DS didn't go to his London open days in the end as the relative he was supposed to be staying with was ill and we couldn't move his registration. I guess that he knows what London is like and if he's very keen he will put them down and go on offer day. But he thinks London is too expensive and he's probably seen enough higher grade options to put on his UCAS form. Now he needs to think about a couple of insurance options in case he doesn't make those grades.

Any advice for independent career advisors/ career counselling please for DC, Done BTEC level 2, college said might not cope with demands of 3 A Levels. At present we are looking at National Career Services, but other than that one of the independent advisors are charging £90.00 for 30/45 min online assessment and access to certain things!

@Hopeforb what sort of advice are you looking for? Next steps in studying or what doors will the BTEC open or what sort of jobs match their interests or where to look for apprenticeships?
The “what I wish I knew about university” face book group has loads of different infor on it if you use the search icon for course or topics all posted by parents or students, Would Searching on you-tube give ideas?

We are away this weekend big competing weekend for DD & her sport. Oftern the best bit for me is we get hours together sitting in the car as I’m driving just chatting about all sorts of stuff. I did joke next year hopefully we can share the driving as we have to travel hours and hours to these venues (it was 8hrs yesterday due to horrid traffic). Hopefully I’ve finally found a driving instructor she can start with in mid-July. It’s been really hard finding someone with capacity and fitting around her super busy training schedule but it would really help us out if she could drive herself to training.

Advice needed mainly for DCs progression after BTec Level 2, either 2 A Levels or do another BTec Level 2 course in related subject or completely different subject. Need councelling to know in what subject DC will excel. I know their interest but not sure what course/subject will help to follow interest and lead to career path as well.

@SummerChilling good luck to DD and it is lovely to spend time together and chat with DC as it is not always possible. All the best for driving lessons too..

Nothing to add about careers advice, sorry. It does seem like it's hard to find useful info/advice if you're not following a totally traditional academic path.

Summer of open days just about finished here - four in two and a half weeks, which has been a mission as the nearest was a four 1/2 hour drive away! Definitely been useful though and I agree, it's been good to spend some time with DD on the long journeys (I did two and DH did two). She's off on a college trip to South Africa today, so basically finished with college for the summer as they'll have broken up when she gets back. It has gone so fast!!

My Y10s are doing sixth form taster sessions next week, so back to thinking about what A Levels etc to pick!

My youngest is following a different path as we are home ed her through gcse level due to send issues in school. The home Ed community has lots of intel often on different paths in education. I’ve only looked as far as GCSE level at the moment but there’s lots of different groups on Facebook including HomeEd Uk Exams & Alternatives maybe another source of information for you to explore.

@Hopeforb Would a level 3 be an option? There are so many different ones and some focus much more on vocational subjects and have no exams, that is what my DS with severe dyslexia and on the assessment pathway will be doing, following his English GCSE retake and completion of level 2. There are also so many different apprenticeships available.

We are going to one open day next weekend for my other DS. Their brother is still very ill but will hopefully just about manage to come. It’s amazing how much life can change in the blink of an eye even when they are so young ☹️.

Well we have only done one open day so far. However that was helpful as she's realised she definitely wants a BA nor BSC (her course can be either)

But we managed to book 2 more for September tonight - York and Kings.

Bath and Loughborough have been wiped off the list as they are BSC.

If I talk about universities for more than 10 minutes though she shuts off - it's a pain as I'm an organiser 😂

Dd just about finished term but large volumes of holiday work arriving from college. Plus we have found a maths tutor /ex 6th form tutor who seems to.understand her and what she's not been taught so.she has alot to do pushing her maths form E to B.as she's fallen for biolgy courses at york! He feels it is doable particularly as she's an A at chemistry and apparently thats very math based??Trying.to get her to stop.working. Also been to Lancaster and suggested a trip to the edge hill open day on Saturday as possible low insurance option. She wants a campus site. Heading for Leeds and Liverpool in September for comparison, possibly Sheffield. I'm not sure where this year's gone. She also grumpy if a talk for more than 10mins as I'm a planner to @Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky . It a pain isn't it. Thanks.all.fpr your support over the maths a couple.of weeks ago.too.

DD’s last day at college before the summer break today. The year has flown by so quickly.

She’s just been selected again for a team competing at the World Championships next year, but has found out that this is going to cause problems with one of her btec sport assessments at the start of May next year. She’s speaking to the head of department and exams officer to see if anything can be done.

@MoFoFlo Wow! Congratulations to your DD. Fingers crossed the scheduling issue gets sorted - I'm sure college will really want her to make the most of such a brilliant opportunity.

DC1 has a few college things left to finish up even though term's officially ended. And she has her first saxophone gig on Monday, having only started on it very casually in October.

She's also decided she's not continuing with Further Maths next year. She's not nailed-on for an A*, and has finally decided against anything mathsy in the future, so would rather have the time for other stuff. Most excitingly of all, she has just secured a summer job. Zero hours contract at the boating lake, but it's a start!

Hope you get it sorted @MoFoFlo sounds like an incredible opportunity for her. Is she like my DD & looking forward to a summer of great sport on TV with Wimbledon then the Olympics. We spent this weekend 100s of miles from home at one her big competitions then she has one more mid-July before training eases off a tiny bit in Aug.

College finished Friday but they encouraged them to find some work experience this week. So DD sorted it out herself at a local physio and they are letting her observe this week.

Feels like a lot of good and exciting news on here with sports, tutors, work experience etc. Nice to hear about some summer plans too!

DD is currently in South Africa volunteering with college. They are in the middle of nowhere, so communication is limited, but I think she's having a great time. Then a few weeks of hard work in store before the UCAT (horrible-sounding exam you have to sit for medical/dental school). And then a summer of holidays with us and with friends before the hard work of Y13 begins. It's been strange having her away for quite a while (2 weeks total) - feels like a foretaste of how things will be when she's hopefully at university next Autumn. My other kids get on much better when she's not here (not her fault - same is also true for any combination of two of the three of them!).

South Africa sounds amazing!!! Ds done some work experience which he enjoyed. He is driving 4 hours to visit his brother at the weekend and I am a bit nervous for him!!