Year 12 - 2024/25 - Support, Discussion and Looking After Each Other (Thread 2)

[BlackBean2023]

You’re a chatty lot… continue

Been rather manic here DS managed to get a B in core Maths which was his predicted grade. He passed his driving test not sure much studying has been done looking at his past papers I have marked. He got a gf who lives a fair distance away so keeps going to visit her no nagging there so he enjoys it.
Well done to all those who got the results they wanted especially to those who have or nearly completed there Personall Statement. Struggling to get DS to even start his or his Geography NEA 🙈

Definitely start the NEA, it's likely to be 20% of your grade and Y13 goes fast, you'll have UCAS, exams, at least start with the research, planning out, have a massive to do list and start with small tasks - make your own earlier deadlines so you're always slightly ahead and I had a whole notion page which then had sub pages from it to help me keep track on mine. Whether it's reading the extra books you need to (even if that means you start writing later then you'll normally write quicker). Honestly you shouldn't need to persuade him to do it, it's an independent piece of work for a reason, which is a lot of work but also good to do well in before the exam, let the school deal with him if after some basic persuasion he slacks on it, to a certain extent, he should be able to manage discipline and motivation to get it done himself. If he's struggling, there's student forums, YouTube videos, email teachers in September, find online resources, he's aiming for university and should start preparing for how you'll need to act at uni, in a slightly harsh way.

@TheLivelyViper thankfully he is not going to uni. Planning to sit down with him later today to work out exactly where he is with the NEA if he has even picked an area to do. DS does struggle with starting work and sometimes just needs someone sat in the same room to stop him being sidetracked!

Yes I understand but it's still relatively independent, even if he's not going to uni the skills of writing and analysis for a long piece will be useful for a career and work and you shouldn't help him too much as it's meant to be independent, I know parents sometimes want to help but writing or doing parts of the coursework research for them doesn't help your child learn yourself so definitely don't do that. Does he have ADHD and so body doubling helps him? At least try that first but let him just get on with planning and organising as that's a very useful skill when you have a large project in front of you, where do you start, if anything both a skill for the workplace and further study if he was going. He should at least be picking his study focus himself and should have already gone over this with teachers etc.

@TheLivelyViper your up early! We currently have a sick dog so on night 2 off little sleep.
Trust me I am definitely not going to be doing any if his work. I normally do some work or read a book while just staying in the same room with him. He could be ND we have never looked into him being assessed.

Unfortunately I'm unwell and cannot sleep either due to medication, have been listening to a book instead as I can only do a few hours at a time. I'm very sorry about your sick dog, I hope it's getting better, that must be stressful.

I’m sorry you are unwell @TheLivelyViper, I hope you recover soon 💐

I hope your dog gets well soon too @Tebheag💐

Have a great holiday @bluefineliner!

Positive decision by your son @AuntyBulgaria. I agree with @MuchtoomuchtodoYear 13 is going to fly by.

I felt really nervous too @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. We had friends with DC waiting on results and I was anxiously checking my phone for messages! I also kept an eye on clearing for DS’ subject as forewarned is forearmed.

@TheLivelyViper wishing you a speedy recovery.

@Waspie @TheLivelyViper thank you she is getting oldish for a GSD nearly 12 and seems to have a upset stomach hoping it's just due to the heat!

For those of you with high achievers did you have to speak to the school or anything DD is getting bored, she is doing Gcses next year. Maths teacher only stated DD could have probably done the stats gcse paper after she got highest mark again for end of year exams. She did no revision . There was a clash in subjects and she chose Electronics instead. Only subject she ain't bored in. Sorry asking on here as I can't find a year 11 2025/26 or yr10 2024/25.

Thank you for the well wishes, unfortunately it's just a flare up of my chronic illnesses, but hoping I'm back to more baseline symptoms soon and medication works better, so I can sleep.

Get her to do wider reading of journal papers, articles etc and ask her teachers. I'd did a lot of A-level content for English Lit, Sociology because I found it interesting and wasn't really pushed that much by GCSE, my teachers gave me most of it and integrated it into my lessons, I'd get more challenging reading and concepts and for History as well, it meant I was enjoying learning more. So I'd have discussion with teachers on this and also do some herself. Watch videos on content slightly more challenging e.g gener theories for Macbeth but look on Jstor and journal articles and see how she can integrate that into her analysis of Macbeth and more. What subjects is she less bored in? She could also focus more on those and getting better at them.

@TheLivelyViper sorry to hear it is a chronic illness hope you find your baseline soon.
Thanks for the tips about MacBeth will look into that. To be honest she finds all but Electronics boring, English and RE 7,8,8 rest are 9s worried it will go down in grades as she keeps saying she is bored. Apart from Spanish where she did 30mins revision she did nothing else for end of year exams.

Yes try and do that it's easier for English and R.E to find more journal articles, documentaries, wider reading that you'd use for A-level or university, lectures on the subjects (Gresham College is great for this, they do free online lectures and have a bank of archived ones). I'd also speak to teachers in those subjects and ask for the more challenging work, things I've mentioned above.

Also the challenge to Y11 is remembering Y10 content whilst learning Y11 content - I'd get her to start making revision resources for all her Y10 content and do spaced repetition (watch YouTube videos on this) to make sure she's going over content periodically enough that she doesn't forget it and make sure her resources use active recall (again good YouTube videos on this). Other than that, try sports, arts (painting etc), baking and just resting as Y11 is a lot and balance is key, it's not always 50-50 but both must exist at the same time.

DD has apparently done her PS. However, I'm not sure she has done any of the homework she should have and we are now away on our family holiday. She is however enjoying The Importance of Being Earnest for her English NEA.

My dd is the opposite, we are not to talk about personal statements or university. Too overwhelming. She is however desperately trying to get through her mountain of homework before Reading Festival starts on Friday. I think she took her foot off the gas a bit too much in summer term, and she’s had a few days of feeling unwell so has a fair amount. Credit to her though she’s cracking on with it.

MAT booked! Way easier than the TMUA malarkey and free too 😀

And TSA booked here! We were on a flight back from the holiday when the booking opened so DS booked after we landed between the plane and the passport control. Only 8am slots at a centre about an hour drive from us seemed to have been left by that point so that’s what he went for! Ah well, at least it’s booked.

DD booked her CAT yesterday , all a bit real and scary now!

Checking in. I can’t believe it’s a year since our DC got their GCSE results!

I hope your daughter enjoys Reading this weekend @wonderstuff. At least it’s not going to be a quagmire this year.

I hope all of the study for the TMUA, ESAT, LNAT etc exams is going well.

DS has shared his PS first draft with us and I’m really impressed, he’s obviously given it a lot of thought. It needs editing as it’s over by about 400 characters but after he’s done that he will share it with his teacher for initial comments.

Finally DS has got his PS partially done just needs work experience and grades to be added according to him when I questioned why it was showing 62% completed though will see what his tutor says.
Hope things aren't getting to stressful last couple of weeks before kids start back.

DS has had a v productive week so far.
History and Geography course work well under way. UCAS started, we appear to have finally settled on Business and marketing. Northumbria and Leeds definite we just need to research the other possibilities.
He seems to have his head back in the game for Y13, after a bit of downtime.
I have a few friends with GCSE kids today, it was so stressful I'm glad of a year off (and an only)

Hi everyone. Hasn’t the year flown since GCSE results! Lovely to hear of all the plans coming together for your youngsters.

DD has finished her French summer school and it’s been so good. She’s now officially certified at CEFR level C1 in French and was the youngest student to achieve that in her cohort. So she’s feeling pleased with herself and has absolutely loved her time in Paris and Montpellier this summer (also “met a boy” about whom her little brother is predictably pestering for more details).

Now to catch up on all the homework not yet tackled!

Do any of you who went to a Manchester open day in the summer still have the email containing the day’s timetable? We should receive one by about 8 September for the 11 October open day, but ideally I’d like to get the trains booked before then. I fear useful stuff like accommodation talks may be first thing in the morning.

A year since GCSE results - wow! Amazing how the time flies but also how they have all grown and matured! DS’s younger sister is getting nervous as it’s going to be her next up for GCSEs next year!

Well done to all your young people on progress this summer, @JessyCarrthe French school sounds brilliant, well done to your DD. Great work on PS, @Waspie’s and @Tebheag’s DSs, and @gingercat02’s on coursework and uni plans.

The biggest news here is that DS passed the driving theory test (hooray!), any tips on booking the practical test gratefully received!

No PS starter here yet as he’s still torturing his gigantic geography NEA. I am really hoping he’ll be finally done with it this weekend though, then it will be onto history, PS and fingers crossed TSA practice.

@ComingInByAnsiblecongrats to him passing his theory. log on at 5.45 am to be ready to join the queue at 6am on a Monday morning to book the practical driving test. If he is planning to sit it in h his instructors car ask the instructor for his reference before you book, you only have 15 mins once you start.

@ComingInByAnsible we got Geography NEA out of the way last year, it was a huge amount of work! Hope it's done soon, and well done on the theory test

@ComingInByAnsible that’s great news! Ds’s driving school takes care of their practical test bookings but friends have said that they release new slots at 6am on a Monday. The top tips are to get in the queue 15 minutes in advance and just book a test anywhere, then use one if the apps like Testi to get notified of more acceptable locations and do a swap. I’d get onto it asap as ds’s was 6 months from the time of booking. Good luck.

Test shift is better for moving a test to your local centre once you've managed to book one (anywhere) in the first place, as instead of notifying you about open slots, it actually books it for you so you don't even need to be paying attention to notifications etc.