Year 12 - 2024/25 - Support, Discussion and Looking After Each Other

[BlackBean2023]

A survival thread for Y12 parents (24/25) now that GCSEs are over and our young people move onto KS5

Hi

Can I have your opinions on how much work DS should be doing?

To cut a long story short he didn’t get good GCSEs - only 4s and 5s. We didn’t see him do much work at all but he said what he was doing was enough. He went to extra (mandatory) classes every day and always did his homework. He didn’t think he needed to do much more on top and obviously he did because this is reflected in the grades he got.

We were disappointed but he still met the criteria to do the A levels he wanted at sixth form. He promised he would work harder this time and I’ve been through with him step by step what he needs to do to succeed (I’m not an expert but I do have a degree and was good at studying).

However we’ve now had a fight as I’ve asked him what independent study he’s done so far and he’s only done the homework set. Apparently homework IS the independent study and so he is doing what he’s supposed to.

I know it’s only been the first week but I’m really worried that he’s not got the ‘drive’ to work hard enough. I feel that he should be doing more than just the homework.

We have a parents meeting next week so I will find out more then. If your DC got good grades at GCSE how much work are they doing now?

@LadyTinHat DS got good grades at GCSE and is only doing homework so far. They're only just getting into the swing of things so I don't think he knows what extra he would be doing so early into the term in any event. I'm not worried yet.

DS has had two pieces of homework so far that he has done after his first full week. They have been told they are expected to do at least 15 hours a week independent work alongside homework

This seems to be preparing revision. They've been told that any homework that sets revision, needs to be done with accuracy and detail because the school won't be providing any revision notes or guides for exams and pupils will only have their own prepared revision.

They've got exams in October, January and June. If any student gets below their predicted grade at the Jan exam then don't improve at the June exam, then they can't come back to year 13.

If any of the students who are doing the extra Maths because they got a 5 in Maths and need it for their other A Level, they need to get a C or above in their summer exam to be able to continue into year 13, regardless of whether they've achieved higher than their predicted grade in that subject.

Same applies to year 13, except the June exams are July and their finals

Predicted grades will be put up the week before the October exams take place

School lose around 100 pupils apparently because they can't keep up with the work

@YellowphantGrey I am exhausted just thinking about that! So your DS has his first set of exams next month??

Maybe it would be worth looking for CGP or similar study/revision guides in his subjects? We found them invaluable at GCSE, and once DD has decided which subject she is dropping I can see another order on the horizon. WorldofBooks is also good for 2nd hand ones, some of which seem very lightly used indeed.

My DD got very good GCSE results but did work extremely hard for them. She studies in her own way so I don't know what homework she has now as I leave her to it.

I know she is determined to keep on top of things from the start for A levels, so is making revision notes/flash cards after each lesson to consolidate what they have gone through. Apparently the pace of teaching will be much faster, so once a topic has been covered that is it, move on to the next. If they don't fully understand it, it is their responsibility to ensure they do whatever is needed to embed the knowledge.

Probably a bit too early to tell just yet though.

A full week in and DS has a cold. With four A level subjects (for the time being), he seems to get immense amounts of homework and only has two free periods during the week, so there is no time to do much extra if he is still to have a life beyond school. Which is important for mental health and learning to maintain a good work/life balance.

I will happily buy the revision guides however the school has emphasised that the pupils are old enough now to create their own revision and this will show their understanding of the subject which will reflect in their results so if they achieve below their predicted grades, they are not understanding the work and therefore are making inadequate revision notes

The first exams will give them the results to form their predicted grade, expected grade and there's a column for UCAS

So say DS expected grades are Geography B English B Btech Sport Distinction he sits the October exams and comes out with A, A and Distinction, that becomes his predicted grades.

If he doesn't maintain those grades for Jan exams but gets those results in June, he can continue. If he doesn't pull them back up come June, he can't continue

If he gets the predicted grade results but doesn't get the C in Maths, he can't continue, despite the Maths course only being 12 months

I assumed all sixth forms were this way but it seems not. DS never knew why there were less year 13s than year 12s and I assumed people dropped out because they weren't enjoying them not that you're asked to leave because of results

Of course the predicted grades vary and it's not all predicted As but if at any point you drop below a C then they would rather you weren't there (excluding additional needs and reasonable adjustments) and help to effectively manage you out

They've also got to provide a list of Unis they wish to visit and the dates they intend do this and have an idea of what course and it's requirements so they can monitor the UCAS points alongside their grades.

This of course is common sense but seems overwhelming when they've got the pressure of trying to keep their place

I see (I think!), @YellowphantGrey. Well, they certainly seem to be clear on what they require.

I am seeing the first signs of overwhelm in DD. This isn’t new - she is dyslexic and prone to procrastination which can quickly turn a demanding schedule into a crisis. She is capable of doing very well, but needs quite a lot of TLC to achieve her best. I suppose this is why I like a good study guide (everything you need to know is between these covers) rather than watching her spend hours making a handful of very beautiful revision cards which cover 0.001% of the syllabus! We’re going to spend some time today helping her get really on top of things.

@YellowphantGrey that's draconian. I can't see how such a pressurised and punitive environment would be conducive to learning or developing love of learning.

I've no idea. I know things have changed since I started sixth form but the pressure seems very real and a hundred times worse. I fully get why some students that go there need a year out after A Levels

I find it stressful as a parent, DS is very laid back about it and considers it normal

The Grammar School has a sixth form and they have 200 pupils per year group and offer 60 sixth form places and they don't guarantee a place for existing students

The colleges seem to be the most relaxed and oversubscribed as they declined hundreds of places. Their grade requirements are over and they don't kick anyone off their courses either but support them a bit more

DS doesn't do revision notes particularly well and seems to revise better by doing revision classes and past papers rather than reading notes

A lot of parents on the Facebook page are looking for Tutors as the school don't rum revision classes for year 13 either

DD is coping well so far. She's doing 4 A Levels and an EPQ so a lot of work but they are subjects she enjoys so is not finding it a chore (yet). Her first exams aren't until March - October is really early; they'll have barely covered enough topics to adequately assess.

Her sixth form is selective though and they have to get a C in their March mocks to continue - after a nerve wracking GCSE experience because her effort was inconsistent she seems to have learnt her lesson!

When I was a 6th form tutor we used the below book quite a lot, both for ourselves and with the students.

I hope this isn’t withdrawn as advertising and I certainly have no links to the author or publisher, but it does answer quite a few of the questions on this thread (MN, happy for you to take this down if it goes against your policy).

The one that really sticks out is how much work should a year 12 be doing. The general answer is, for every hour of timetabled work, they should be doing another hour of private study)-this doesn’t have to be hardcore calculations or essays (although some of it will be), it can be just reading around the subject.

So, if you are doing 3 A levels, with a total of 15 hours of lessons, you should be doing another 15 hours of private study, either at school or at home. And you need to be proactive in asking teachers for work, not moaning that they haven’t set enough!

The book is primarily for teachers and tutors, but I think both students themselves and supportive parents can learn a lot from it.

www.crownhouse.co.uk/the-a-level-mindset

@YellowphantGrey that sounds a LOT of exams but I also think they get kid’s attention and not leaving everything until March/April.
DD also so far enjoys the lessons and talk a lot about it at home, so I think it’s going well so far. No job/ gym/ Lamda or anything outside of school organised/signed up yet and I am a bit worried about it. She practices guitar/piano at home following YouTube but that’s about it. And read lots of books.
same as @Newbutoldfather mentioned DD also came home to say they have to match the private study hours to the lessons in school. Even if not on daily basis, I think they should be able to do this weekly, putting hours here and there. @LadyTinHat DD also spent good hours revising for GCSE and her results reflected this. May be for this week, or two until they settle in, it’s fine. But I would go with roughly the hours of lessons.

@bluefineliner that’s really good to have revision cards from the start, mine is also a “make it pretty” type, going to spend ages on this. Early start would help
DD was using Quizlet and paid subscription for two months towards GCSE, she is looking for a free good tool, if anyone has any please let me know.

If anyone is interested in the CGP A-Level study guides, there’s 20% off until 30 September with code BACKTOSCHOOL24.

DS is doing 2 A Levels 1 Btech Sport and AS Level Maths and they've been given a guideline of 15 hours per week but have made it clear that's above the "free" periods they get - these are supposed to be used for prep for the next lesson, such as reading but have been told not homework

It's that fine line of me starting to withdraw back and letting DS manage himself which so far so good but he tends to do his homework during his free periods as he has, pretty much two whole days worth of free time but can't leave school till 3.10.

thanks for all your support.
dd has bounced back quickly from tears, which is good. She had to join an extra curricula activity which I panicked about due to work load, but she has signed up for pottery and crochet! (they don't both run all the time) Good bit of creativity and another slot to make friends.

She has been given very little homework so far, but she is seriously timetabling her flip study and homework slots, all of which can happen during the day, which is really good for her (autism makes it really hard for her to work at home).

She is coping easily with work for A levels so far which is no surprise as she is good at those subjects, and she is down to do English re-sit in Nov, and seems pretty positive about it.

I'm holding my breath.....

@steppemum glad she’s bouncing back, pottery and crochet sounds great, imagine having timetabled time for crafting! I encouraged dd to think about a creative enrichment option, but of course any recommendations from me are quickly dismissed (you’d think I’d learn to keep quiet), think she’s considering Amnesty international, all her friends are in sports teams, but bless her she’s got no coordination and it’s just not much fun if you’re no good.

She’s booked her theory driving test so that’s a focus but she assures me she completed all her homework yesterday which is a day she doesn’t need to be in college. Her room is a mess and I’m not sure how she can work there, but I’m picking my battles.

Picking your battles made me laugh, I have become expert at biting my tongue!

dd can't work in a messy room and can't tidy it unaided, so when it is messy I have to go and sit in there and chat to her whileshe tidies it, otherwise she ends up on her phone. It is one of her autism quirks that I actually find really hard because I spend so much time just sitting on her bed so she can get on with stuff. But it works, and at the moment we will take anything which works!

Pottery and crochet sound like great fun!

DS is settling in, I think. I get very little back from him about the social side of school that it's hard to know. He is really enjoying lessons though, so I guess that's good. He's joined the Economics club and is going to his first CCF meeting after school today. He still hasn't decided what to do as his school voluntary contribution but thinks he might ask to run a chess club as they don't have one currently.

He's also got himself a girlfriend! She's at the private girls school around the corner and they met on the bus. So five years at a mixed comp. and no love life, two weeks at a single sex school and he's found lurvvvve 😂

Oh I spoke too soon.
Nightmare day yesterday.
dd started texting me mid-morning. She had had a run in with ex friend again. Not really ex friend being nasty, but her actions triggered a huge reaction in dd because it is what her bully did all through year 8, 9 and 10.

So dd texted, won't talk, just text, nothing I suggest will calm her down, and she won't go and talk to her learning support person because she doesn't know her well enough yet.
dd left and came home, missing her 3 hour computer lesson.

she had to change buses, and ran to catch the second bus and tripped. She went head over heels, landed on her head and backpack, skinning both knees, elbows and hands. Her tablet and phone were in her hand of course they are now scratched but at least not broken. Some lovely people helped her and the bus waited, but she phoned me from the bus in a complete state. I went and found her and spent the whole afternoon in damage control. She was so shocked and shaken up by the accident that she was really emotional and mixing it all in with what happened in the morning.

I did have a really good long talk to her learning support person on the phone and dd was happy with that, they are going to quietly intervene when needed. And dd now feels a little more confident to go and talk to her now that she has the full picture.

dd is limping badly this morning as she can't bend her knee, and still on the verge of tears all the time, so I ended up driving her to school and will probably pick her up this afternoon, but at least she went to school!
ironically academically she is doing great, and LOVES the English re-sit class which seems to be doing a great job in boosting her confidence for the exam.

@steppemum
bless you what a horrible day for you and your daughter.
It is so painful when they are going through a difficult time and especially when things are new and unfamiliar. Glad you got some support from the learning team and well done to your daughter for going to school.
hope things improve xxxp

@steppemum Your poor DD! That was stoic of her to go in today after such an awful day yesterday. Hope things get much better from here.

Does anyone have any experience doing holiday courses? I’m thinking that it would really help focus. For example for a couple of days in the Easter holidays