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

Yeah it's a great target 😀the problem is, it isn't really happening atm. But I'm happy to see some structure and I can nag her and remind her it's the timetable that she created herself.

Morning 😄
DD has had a few test results back in chem and bio and is doing well, pretty much in line with her GCSEs. She has been revising for them though so can see how hard she has to work to maintain. Others in the classes have been a bit shocked at their D/E/U grades, DD said it is only because some didn't revise so it is an early blip the teachers use to prove how much work they will need to do.

DD and others have spoken to HOD about the bio teaching variation issue. HOD was very understanding, offered their extra support and hinted this is not the first time they have heard this so will be addressing. Not sure if anything will actually be done, however DD feels heard and is happy with the response so that is a step forward!

@steppemum glad your DD is feeling positive about her resit, getting that out of the way will be a little weight off her shoulders, when do they get results from Nov resits?

For those of you who have teens looking for jobs. Sainsburys Christmas jobs came out this week.
DS applied last night and has an interview at 6am (!!!) tomorrow. £12ph 5h pw
He's grumpy because I said he needs to wear proper trousers and shoes, not jeans and trainers 🙄

That's an early interview! How did it go? Is it his first interview?

@bluefineliner resit results in January. She has to continue classes until then.

@Waspie that sounds really painful for your ds. How is he now? I have ot say I used to live rugby until I had a son and then I suddenly realised how dangerous it could be 😂

dd actually sitting at the table doing homework at home!!
had an interesting conversation with her earlier about how some kids are late to lessons, and not handing in homework etc and she is surprised at their lack of committment, and that they think it is ok. For example road works mean that one bus route is diverted and arriving late (this is a midday bus). She cannot understand why you wouldn't get up and get the morning bus so that you were on time for your lesson which isn't until 12:50.

It was nice to see her positive attitude to attendance, but quite sweet that she couldn't imagine why a 16 year old wouldn't get out of bed and then hang around for 4 hours until their lesson rather than be 15 minutes late!

@YellowphantGrey early isn't the word!

The lady interviewing him said she had no idea why it was so early and told him at the end, they were looking for over 18's, but she would see if she could find another role for him. He says loads of people in Y12 applied.

I'll be a bit cross if they wasted his time. He got up at 5:15 to get ready, bless him.

He had an interview for a local chippy at the beginning of the summer but never heard back from them.

It's so hard to get a job at 16 round here unless you know someone with a small business.

If I had got up at that time for a wated interview I would have been upset, and I'm not a teenage boy @gingercat02 . Sainsbury's definitely employ 16 year olds - ours do anyway - as DS' friend got a job there in year 12. I hope they manage to find your son something; they can see that he is committed by interviewing at 6am!

Our local Tesco is desperate for staff but won't take until 18 years old. They are really doing themselves out of a large number of sixth formers.

DS has bounced back after a few days of arnica gel and ibuprofen, thank you for asking @steppemum. I agree, I used to take him to training and matches but I haven't for a couple of years as I just can't watch him play full contact.

DS could happily tell your daughter why extra time in bed, and being 15 minutes late would be preferable to less time in bed and arriving 4 hours early

An aspirational timetable @anoukis is better than no timetable at all (looking sternly in DS' direction).

I'm glad your daughter has had a positive conversation with the HOD @bluefineliner, and has done well in her tests so far.

DS has said that they are going to have some baselining after half term. He knows he isn't doing the work he probably needs to do. Not getting the grades he thinks he can achieve in these tests might give him the boot he needs. Fingers crossed.

Lovely to hear how our resourceful young people are doing. DD seems to be settling into a good place socially, which is a huge relief after some tricky years. Leaving the “mean girls” behind has made a huge difference. She’s also had a boost with her first set of grades which are really encouraging. Both DC will have 2 weeks off for half term and we are all much looking forward to the break!

Oh that's ridiculous!

Has he tried pubs for kitchen staff pr glass collectors? Garden centre cafes round here seem to take on students

He's very determined what is and isn't an acceptable job! He's also a bit sick of me WhatsApping Indeed ads 🤣

The Sainsbury's job would have been perfect it's a 20-minute walk and sensible hours.

My big hope is a lifeguard course coming up soon, they are guaranteed a job in the local council pool at the adult minimum wage. It costs £250 and is 5 days, but it would be brilliant as a qualification. The last one was May, half term, before their exams!

@gingercat02 I was keen for DD1 to do lifeguarding as she was a swim teacher assistant. Sadly she was put off lifeguarding as she said they had to clean up a surprising amount of vomit 🤑DD1 got quite good at spotting which kids were about to sick up in the water and was quick to scoop them onto the side. She went on to have a holiday job at Sainsbury's instead 😁

DS was meant to be job hunting applied couple of places but never heard back. Thankfully college seems to be going well not made any new friends but reconnected with some old mates. Been doing OK in tests so presuming revision is going well even got his first A* ever.

@Philandbill - DS is a tennis coach and had to clear up vomit last night when one of his class threw up all over the tennis court! Nowhere near as bad to clear a tennis court as a swimming pool though.

A* is amazing @Tebheag - well done to your son! I hope the job search is going well. Jobs for 16 year olds do seem few and far between.

DS is doing some tennis coaching, and also has two year 11 students from his old school whose parents are paying for English and History GCSE tutoring for a few hours each week.

Hope everyone's students are doing well. DS has reading week next week, then half term. As part of reading week he's signed up to do an essay for an external competition, as well as work for his A level subjects. He's looking forward to not having to get up quite so early for a fortnight. He didn't have reading week at his last school, but it seems like a good idea as this school doesn't have any inset days. The school staff do all of their training at school during reading week.

Does anyone know when the GCSE Certificates are available?

One of DS friends has applied for a job and they won't accept the results slip as proof of gcse and want the actual certificates?

I'll be honest I didn't think to ask and can't remember when mine came, DS doesn't know either

They get sent to the schools November-ish (after all the appeals are done I guess)
Schools often do presentation evenings in November and those that don't attend have to make arrangements to collect them or get them sent.

Brilliant thank you

Well,dd is doing quite well, but ever since she started shes been feeling a bit unfulfilled in her social life. The college is massive so everyone already has their own friendship groups , and thankfully she has two friends come with her as well. However, one already has two closer friends from their high school
(One goes to the college and the other doesn't) and the other she feels she's outgrowing. Tbf shes done quite well, she got dropped from her entire friendship groups at the end of y10 so only became friends in y11. The area we live in and the school she went to had a very high proportion of muslims and so it wasn't the norm to go out etc. Its only the end of the first term, so she may well meet new people. Any advice?

Are there any clubs or societies that she can join to meet more likeminded people?

I have no advice, but hope she will son find her people.
This Friday after football DS asked me to drive home one of the new transfers. I was very pleased that they involve new youngsters in their friendship group.

@PinkChaires I echo the thoughts about clubs and societies. DD has really bonded with like-minded people through her sport and drama. Remember it is still very early days for them.

Hope everyone else is doing well. DD has collapsed gratefully into the half-term break, tired but happy. She received a lovely first report which confirmed our impression that she has made a good start academically. The only fly in the ointment is that she has been late to registration a few times. No excuse, as her “commute” is a 10-minute walk!

DS got his exam timetable. His exams.are w/c 4th Nov.

4 exams in total. School have said the results will form their predicted grade and their base target.

Those grades will be what they need to achieve in the remaining exams in year 12. They can be the same or higher.

If the June exams come in lower, they can't continue to year 13.

He doesn't seem too stressed about it but has been working on coursework that's due in the second week of November

School aren't offering any revision or past papers, students are to use their self made revision guides

DS Just come home on a high had his first proper driving experience today and really enjoyed it. Also had a party at the weekend so lovely to hear him laughing while telling us stories. Normally all we here about are utube videos and games he played. Giving him a few jobs around the house so he can earn some extra money.
Hope l your dds and dss are enjoying a lovely restful half term.

Hope everyone doing well. Half term has brought the inevitable illness to our household, boo. Having a slight panic about the whole university application process - when should current Y12s be going to university open days?

Fairly chilled half term here.
@MamOfTwo i think advice is to wait until next autumn for open days, but I think starting to think about a short list of courses and universities is probably reasonable now. Dd is keen consider London universities. I’m not sure this is best and want her to at least look at a few other options. She’s enjoying economics and thinks this will be her subject choice.

@MamOfTwo I am trying to persuade DD2 to go to local university open days this year. Not because she intends to go to any of them but because, as she has no idea what she wants to do, to go to subject talks to start to rule things in or out. She's going to take a gap year rather than go straight to university so we have a bonus year. 😀