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.

My daughter has her first proper day today after 2 days induction. She is enjoying meeting the 'externals' and as children in our area can easily split to 15 or more secondaries after primary she is generally finding they know old friends of hers.

School are running a welcome event this afternoon to help them all mix and meet.

She isn't in the same tutor group as any of her friends but she seems ok about it.

@bebeansoup
Sorry to hear this!
My DD is also struggling despite being at same school.
Most of her friends have moved to other schools and she is doing subjects which were not her first choice as her grades were low.
I had texts saying can she come home. I never know how to respond when she does this other than saying go speak to the school nurse if unwell.
It's so hard. Feels like y7 all over again.

I thought things had been improving since Monday. Nooo. Ds hates his tutor group apparently the tutor shouted at them for talking. He refuses to talk to anyone in his tutor group or find out about them or who they are because it's pointless and a waste of his energy. And he's worn a sweatshirt all day in 29 degree heat and wonders why he's come home in a bad mood. I suggested maybe he wasn't actually mature enough for college (not wise on my part but I'm fed up). That didn't go down well

@Wolfcub it's difficult. Next week will be new week and hope he will feel better and things will improve.

As an adult I feel I acted immaturely and now feeling stupid !! Ds secured a place in college and had induction today, prepared last night feeling good. After all this, this morning upon advice of my neighbour I went to the school requesting if Ds can get in BTEC on the ground of social needs and anxiety !!😩

Exactly that - Year 7 all over again but worse! Calmer today but it was online classes today so no interaction! I hope both of our DDs settle in over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks to all who replied to me - I'm working on some strategies for DD to cope better on Monday! We are also trying to sort out applying for some part-time work for her - she has to do work experience and I think it will help with confidence!

Here's to a peaceful weekend! :)

@DarkChocHolic sorry to hear that. We have to probably give few weeks.
@beansoup we too are trying for part time/ voluntary work for motivation and confidence.
Have a lovely day and hope we all have nice beginning next week.🤞

@HHopeforb
How did the induction go? I hope DS enjoyed it.
Don't beat yourself up for going in to school and asking again.
We as parents somehow want to do everything we can and more for them.

And you are right. We need to give them a few weeks to settle in.
Being zen like in the meantime is so hard for me 😞

@DarkChocHolic it went smooth as seen from the first instance body language and facial expressions, liked tutors and happy to be having 2 days off a week up until half term and will get chance to do higher maths. Still not sure about making new friends. I was not meant to ask too many questions as it was only first day yesterday🙄

I wish we all were zen like. Most of us ( anyone please don't take it personally) are not that's why we are here on chat😀

Morning folks. I hope that things get easier with time and familiarity for those struggling. I changed job recently after over a decade, and even the little things like fitting in clothes-wise and parking etiquette were stressful at first, so I think these big changes can't be underestimated.

Relief today as DC1's timetable finally came through. She had a clash which they were 90% confident that they'd sorted at enrolment, but the 10% was worrying me.

She's doing FM as a fourth, plus music seems to have double the timetabled slots of the others (presumably to allow for ensembles and instrument tuition???), with the result that she has very few free periods compared to her mates. Luckily one is last period on the day she's legging it to the other side of town for two of her ensembles, so she can keep those going.

Hope this week has started well for everyone.

DS finally started in sixth form today - he's taking 4 a levels for now, but will drop one once he's worked out which three he can tolerate haha. So his timetable is quite busy at the moment - although he has lots of free period 5's so can come home at lunchtime. Feels a bit of an anticlimax - not sure what I was expecting really - he did get set some homework which he's come home and done.

DD is also doing four and will drop one at the end of the year. So far, she loves three of them and hates one so it may be an easy decision! Then again, things may change...

So far, all going OK except she has a ludicrous number of rehearsals for the school play and is a bit wiped out getting home at 8 or later a few times a week. It looks like she has some easier weeks coming up, though, thank goodness.

Ooh that is a late night. Sounds like it should be easy to narrow down her choices. I think I know which my son will drop and sadly it’ll mostly be down to one of the teachers - but we’ll see!

First proper day here with lessons but only two so she was home early which is good as juggling sports training with college is going to be challenging. She doesn’t get home until 9pm+ when training plus weekend training & a job. She is a person who thrives on being busy but I’m a little worried the extra commute time with college doesn’t tire her out too much. She’s going to have a couple of very long 12hr days with training after college. She also got told today if you don’t pass the AS levels in June you can’t stay on for 2nd year which has shocked her but hopefully will motivate her.

9pm+ must be brutal. DD would be in bits! 8pm is quite the challenge here, especially as it seems like homework has really stepped up quite a bit from last year.

College here is off to a very slow start - two days' induction last week, three days off, news that they aren't running the physics A-level at the specialist campus because of timetabling issues, but no info as to whether that includes the physics for engineering course or whether he can do it at the main campus. Then he had yesterday morning off because they're not starting the maths module this week, and a message just now to say they're finishing at lunchtime! DS is struggling a bit with the irregularity of it all, but he's loving being at the airport - they had to pause a class yesterday because of the noise while a Hawk jet landed outside the building!

That sounds so exciting! I would love to see that.

That is pretty cool @spiderlight ! Hopefully it'll settle into some sort of routine soon. It must feel so different to the fixed timetable of school.
Ds has worked out how many frees he'll have once he's narrowed his choices down to three - it's a lot!!
So far economics is bottom of the pile so I feel like that may well be the subject he drops.

DS's second full day, and actually today has been full with 3 lessons plus tutor, compared to tomorrow when he has one lesson! The biggest issue so far is the buses, they're just so unreliable! He was waiting half an hour yesterday afternoon - the bus was there but no driver!

My ds enjoying it, just started at local college. The Biology and Chemistry teachers seem really good. Chemistry class only about 10 in it!

I agree about the buses! There may as well not be a timetable as it doesn’t mean a thing! So frustrating.

Dd on the second week of her mechanics apprenticeship. She came home covered in oil yesterday but with a big smile on her face. She now has full uniform, a nickname and has got the tea order down to a fine art. The college Kalex in Coventry, have been in touch for ID and basic maths and English tests. She will then spend a couple of hours on a Friday doing college by zoom.
They'll then give her a start date for in person college. So every 6 weeks for 3 days she'll have to be taken 3hrs away and left. Apparently there's transport to and from her accommodation to college. No idea what the accommodation is. Her employer have never sent a 16 yr old before.
At the beginning of the year at school everyone had to be dbs checked and I had to give written permission for dd to travel 5 mins in her teachers car.
Now I'm expected to wave her off to god knows where with god knows who.

Great that she’s enjoying it but her going away must feel like a massive step @Rowgtfc72 - hope you can get plenty of info so it feels less daunting

@BonjourCrisette goodness I was just coming on to say the same - it's only week 2 and DD is already struggling with the amount of homework and her other interests. She's also doing a play and the rehearsals for that are all day on Sunday. She's got choir and dance after school every day so not home until 7 or 8 after going to school for 8am. I think she's going to have to drop one of the four A levels sooner rather than later as has no free periods during the day right now. She wants to do musical theatre after A levels so not a hope of dropping any of that stuff I don't think.. and still no answer about dropping hockey as the games option, with the potential Saturday matches - why she can't just do the gym sessions she actually signed up for I don't know.

Ds has a full day off today but is being very quiet about homework ! He has his first set of internal exams in December so that will tell. He is enjoying the freedom and his new 6th form seems very set up as they have their own cafe, common room, quiet study space etc which he is enjoying. It is a lot more work though!!