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.

Hope it went well for everyone despite teething problems! Mine has induction tomorrow (staying in school sixth form, but lots of new kids always join so I hope that he is friendly to them..!)

Dd went OK, still no idea badge but will sort that tomorrow I hope. Had 2 out of her 3 classes but was only in form 1330 as has just 2 lessons and the don't do induction. Hopefully she will meed some people tomorrow. Apparently all he friend have one other person from school in their classes , she doesn't so far. Seems ok though

DS2’s first day went well.
He only had one lesson, Physics. There are only 10 students in his class!
His favourite part of the day was going to KFC at lunch time!

Pleased everyone’s first days went well.
One of my DS has an induction day tomorrow. It’s for a course he wouldn’t really have chosen if he hadn’t failed English so 🤞. The other DS starts on Wednesday.
I am starting to hear back about whether to review, not sure if anyone else is waiting on this.
Good luck to all that start college and 6th form this week!

Pleased everyone had a good first day. Good luck for those not started yet.

Dd had a great day in her apprenticeship. Lots of Hr and health and safety. Met all the staff and got her uniform which she came home proudly wearing!
She had to check oil levels and got to lift up the car on the ramps. She thinks she's going to have to acquire her own tools so is getting excited for the visit of the Snap On tool van- which she's always wanted to look in.
All is good.

DS doesn't start until next week. He is at least using the bonus week to have a good bedroom tidy and get organised.
Once we know his timetable we'll know how well his extra curricular activities and any part time job will fit in.

My daughters starts tomorrow. One of her good friends from primary who went to a different school is moving to hers for 6th form - all different subjects but she's really pleased she will see her around lunch free / periods. Other than that she just quite excited to meet other new people to the school and even those she didn't know before. It was over 300 a year in main school so plenty of people she didn't really get to know.

DS is off today, suited and booted and looking v smart. Induction today then lessons tomorrow, same 6th Form and due in all day 8.30-3 so not that much different really.

Apart from the bus tickets. OMG I hadn’t realised he would be an adult, it’s gone from £17.50 a week, which I thought was expensive enough, to £38.90! We’re just going to have to fork out for this week but I’m looking into other option, including lift shares with friends which he will hate but we can’t do £40 a week for the next two years!

DS is off to a flying start - the lecturer for their first period this morning hasn't shown up!

Oh no that's so disappointing:-( 😕
What was the lesson?

@HairyMaclary That’s awful. I know all companies are different but dd can either buy a 40 trip card which is much cheaper or there is a 18-23 discount card which gets some fares half price. Is there no option like that?

@Letskeepgoing - no idea! Still just induction stuff, I think. They all sat around for a bit and then someone went and told another staff member - apparently the lecturer's flight home from holiday had been delayed and the person who would have been covering for him had gone to the dentist 🙄 All a lot more informal than school, evidently!

@HairyMaclary - find out whether there's subsidised transport available. My DS has to get two trains and it would have been over £2k a year in fares, but his college provides a rail pass so we've only had to pay a £50 admin fee.

Ouch. That's a lot. Have you checked for any home to college schemes available? Locally ours is called a scholar's permit, and means 16-18 year olds can pay child fare when travelling to college on the train or tram. Bus is £10 annually, which is amazing.

Ds also went off looking very smart today. We also currently have no bus and the service bus which is 10 minute drive away does not come back at the right time in the afternoon. We need know this, we just live in hope he will pass his test quickly!!

Is this an ordinary bus he catches? Our local area has a 16 -19 pass - you order it for free on the website then can buy day/week/month tickets for the card. You use it by tapping the 16-19 pass when you get on the bus.

I think ours can be done via an app but I always use Payzone at the shop round the corner. I've just bought DS a monthly ticket starting tomorrow and it was £35. He can use it on any bus trips not just those to and from college.

I do agree though that costs can easily rack up. On the way to buy the ticket I had a chat with DS about budgeting. I pointed out to him that whilst I wouldn't want him to starve I'm not paying £10 a day for loads of fancy coffees!

So I would like him to think ahead and take a morning coffee in a reusable cup, ditto water bottle. Or if we happen to have cans of pop or other snacks in the house take those sometimes.

The college has the same thumb scan system as school did -linked to an account you can top up. Except there's quite a bit more to spend it on than school and probably a bit more free time.

DS is done for the week! They've been told not to go in tomorrow unless they need to finish their on-screen welsh Government test (which he has) and he's adamant that he has nothing timetabled for Thursday or Friday because teaching doesn't start until next week - Friday's blank on his timetable so far and Thursday has one session that seems to start on week 7. We've been given no information at all, really, and the timetable is incomprehensible - any guesses as to what ESW might stand for in an engineering context? I am also quietly seething that he has two courses called 'Mechanical Principals' and 'Electrical Principals' - it's a good job they're not teaching English :/

Today seems to have gone better. Phew

Reading about all these expensive travel passes makes me very grateful that Manchester has free bus passes for 16-19 year olds.

DD goes for her college induction on Thursday afternoon. She’s pissed off that the one close school friend who is going to the same college has been given a different time to go in so they can’t get the bus together, but is looking forward to meeting new people. She’s kept in touch with a couple of girls from the taster days who were planning to do the same subjects so is hoping to meet up with them.

Can I join you please? Ds starts sixth form tomorrow. He's staying on at his existing school. He's highly academic but has ASD and has some sensory issues, particularly surrounding food plus struggles a bit with executive function. His small mainstream comp in SW London has been the making of him. After a very rocky journey through primary school, his secondary has been great, viewing him from the outset in year 7 as an asset rather than 'problem'. He has plenty of friends and is happy to stay put, doing 4 A levels (maths, further maths, physics and chemistry).

Fingers crossed he gets out of the door to catch his bus tomorrow!

Hope all the inductions/first few days go well for everyone

Yes the bus prices are eye watering - my dc will walk to sixth form so I feel quite lucky!

@foodledoff that's nice to know. My D has ASD and always struggled academically. Likes to make friends but due to certain obsessions and communication difficulties loses them soon! Good luck for tomorrow.

I teach at DS' school, and offered him a lift this morning, but he preferred to spend an extra hour in bed and cycle! Fine by me.

DD and DS (twins) both start sixth form tomorrow. Buses will cost almost £1500 a year (for both of them even with the student discount).
DD not very happy that she still has to wear a uniform! But is happy that they get 3 half days as free periods which they get to spend at home.

Anyone else’s child manage to lose their brand new suit jacket on day 1? Just mine?
more annoyed that I didn’t even think to name it and I am the queen of labelling!