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

@MiniMidiMaxi I've had a nightmare trying to find an available instructor. I've got one lined up but until I know DS's timetable I can't confirm if she can do the times. Unfortunately we're also trying to work around his sport which he trains for 3 nights a week and on Saturday and most competitions are on Saturday and usually take up most of the day. This instructor doesn't do Sunday (don't blame them really!) so that's out too.

Hi! My dts both got a place at their preferred 6th Form college. Dtd doing Geography, Chemistry and Biology plus an EPQ. Dts doing English Lang, Politics and History, plus the EPQ.
I had not thought of getting new stationery, I assume their pens from Y11 will still work!

That's good news @gingercat02 - 10 marks, wow!

Well done to your DTs @Curlyshabtree. No new stationery here either. One of the few new things I haven't had to buy! Spent £80 on Economics text books this morning.

It is unusual to have to buy your own text and course books for A Level? I've spent almost £300 on DS' required books for sixth form.

I'm hoping the college provides them. My DD went to a different college to where ds is going and her books were provided, though there was a couple of books she also purchased.

So far he has had a new calculator and I think he wanted a new notebook.

Thanks, @Waspie and @JustHereWithMyPopcorn . School said within 20 working days, but obviously, it's only been a week, so that's brilliant from our end.
I'm really pleased as that means he passed all 9, which might be a low bar for some, but he worked really hard.

I've had to buy DD texts for English so far. Not heard from other subjects, and she had a fancy new calculator for GCSE which I'm hoping is enough for maths...

Pretty much no schools have 6th forms here so off to college to do Psychology, PE and Classics A Level plus EPQ. Trials for the rugby team today so she was very much looking forward to that. No uniform - hurrah! It's a massive college and set up more like university with loads of enrichment opportunities which they have to participate in so she's added a level 3 Sports Leader course into the mix. She's more excited than her brother who is starting secondary!

Hello! Joining in 👋🏻
My son has eventually decided on his sixth form. It was between his current school and an academic sixth form in a different school which gets really good grades, but will only allow further maths as a 3rd A level. He has decided to stay where he is - they managed to get him good grades at GCSE so must be doing something right. Will be studying Maths, FM, Physics and DT - product design.

First day next Wednesday!

Hello-joining this thread after following the GCSE one and getting support from that. DS moving to new sixth form and still finding it difficult to settle on subjects. Currently doing:

history economics and sociology with core maths AS.

His maths/science results were good (6s but a couple of marks off 7s) so he's now thinking of:

history economics and maths with physics as a 4th (they either do core maths or a 4th alevel in yr 12 and drop one).

Dad did degree in physics so on hand to help and thinks DS could manage. English language was a 5, he's dyslexic and doesn't love essays (but can motivate himself for history because he loves the subject). Sociology is a complete wild card and no idea whether he'll actually like it.

Argh seems like these choices can really narrow down uni choices (he has no idea what he wants to do).

Any advice?

@optimisticvibes Have you read noblegiraffe's thread about likelihood of success of maths A level from a 6? Many colleges won't allow maths A level with less than a 7 and for very good reason. Did your DH attempt to help with maths and science GCSEs?

@optimisticvibes This is the thread @TeenToTwenties is referring to - written by a maths teacher and well worth a read at this tricky stage of choosing subjects:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5146609-yearly-warning-not-to-take-a-level-maths-with-less-than-a-7-at-gcse

DD does not want to do maths A level which is fortunate as DH is absolutely opposed to DD doing maths A level despite the fact that she got an 8 in her maths GCSE. He feels that you need to be a natural mathematician, to sort of "speak" maths, to be happy studying it at A level. DD got her 8 through a mix of being capable and a lot of hard work to prove she could get an 8 to a teacher who told her a 7 was likely. I have to say I agree with DH about this, DD's natural capability level is not high enough to make for a happy two years of studying maths A level no matter how hard she worked.

I did Sociology A level and it involved a lot of essay writing. If he's not keen on essays, it might not be the best option for him.

Thanks both that's really interesting. Sounds like a big step up. Any views on physics with core maths?

For DS it is weighing up whether dyslexia and problems with organisation/planning would be more difficult to overcome (if doing all essay subjects) than working hard and overcoming levels of difficulty with a more logical subject (maths/physics).

Or views of other possible alevel combination with history and economics?

@optimisticvibes I agree with @TeenToTwenties comment about reading NobleGiraffes annual thread before deciding on subjects. Physics involves a huge amount of maths, our school won’t let you take Physics A level without maths A level unless you got a 9 in maths at gcse.

His dad did a physics degree, what does he think your DS should do?

Politics?

DH is very pro maths and physics and thinks both DCs should carry a numerate subject on as long as poss to leave doors open in future. His view is it's possible with hard work and practice. Certainly his career prospects have been very good due to a physics degree so he's probably very biased!

DS is doing English lit with history and economics but not ideal for your DS I'd imagine as it's yet another essay subject.

DS got an 8 in maths and toyed with the idea of A level maths for a long time. He is very competent, but not naturally a maths person. In our area you can't take physics without maths at any of the sixth forms. My BIL has a Cambridge first in physics and thinks that's restrictive- he says the most you need is further maths GCSE, but, unfortunately, he doesn't make the rules!

@MyOtherProfile although we talk a lot about politics at home I wouldn't say he's especially well informed-he doesn't have a strong interest in reading newspapers or watching the news yet. I think that's a maturity thing though.

I imagine politics is very essay based?

Similar A levels. Business and history. X

I find the maths thing very odd. I’m absolutely not saying noble is incorrect, they are correct.

But it seems a bit mad that unless you get an 8/9, A Level maths is a bad idea.

That basically means very very few young people will end up succeeding at maths/ continuing with any maths at higher levels.

Bit of a travesty.

Off to look at what other countries do re maths in later schooling.

@optimisticvibes Politics A Level will be essay-based and is reputed to be on the dry side as there is a heavy emphasis on learning and comparing the political systems and institutions of the UK (possibly mostly England - not sure how much coverage the devolved administrations get in the exam specs) and the US. At least with a US election this year there will be a clear tie-in with current affairs!

How about Geography? It has aspects which appeal to the scientifically-minded and a real 21st-century relevance, as the younger generation prepare to grapple with environmental issues and their human consequences.

I really appreciate this advice, thank you, I feel like we've been going round in circles for a year. Re geography do you need to have done gcse for alevel (his sixth form don't require it) to succeed? He did history not geography.

Yes I agree this seems a real shame. I suppose that is what core maths is, a way of keeping up maths skills without the more difficult parts?

@optimisticvibes It might be worth your having a chat with a Geography tracher at the college if DS is interested. I’m not a teacher so I can’t really say whether you’d need the GCSE. Having spent some considerable time alongside DD’s revision this summer I would say probably not. There might be some catching up to do on some aspects, but so much of the AQA GCSE seemed to be about memorising case studies (a specific country’s economy, a specific natural disaster etc) that unless the same case studies appear in the A Level spec it wouldn’t be an obvious carry-over. Perhaps google the A Level spec and see what it looks like.

DD thought about Core Maths so I had a brief look at it and my impression was that it focuses on the maths which facilitates other studies (such as data interpretation, statistics, sampling etc) rather than pure maths concepts such as algebra and calculus. Again, you might want to look at one of the specs online to see in more detail what is involved.