Year 12 - 2025/2026: Here we go again!

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for the new school and college year. A friendly thread for parents of those going into year 12 in September 2025.

EPQs are weird. Ds did his about space travel. Apparently that was ok because even though he was taking physics A-level they weren’t doing astrophysics so it didn’t overlap. He was told as long as it wasn’t covering something on his A-level spec it was alright.

DD2 settled well but is asking without outright asking to drop welsh bacc. They've all hated it at GCSE and A-level.

Her friend in the sections she can drop bit that gives qualifications has just dropped it - their aiming for oxbridge who have no interest in welsh bacc and like her doing 4 A-levels. D2 teacher as so often with nebulus area is poor - it's not an area they want to teach - which isn't helping. She's also worried about volunteering section coming up she'll need too approach people for references and she nervous about doing it - though it would likely do her some good - did with older two.

We'd say just drop it but we think when DD1 didn't get the grades it helped them accept her into uni course where she doing well. DD1 years at college you had to take 5 A-levels to drop it - so she had to continue it. Apparently at some point in DS time there it changed to 4 though he didn't realise. We think it added to DS work load and stressed him and he came out with 4 decent A-level grades and welsh bac grade is poor in comparison and basically no use to him.

Best I can say to her is keep on for now and if it gets to much drop - ideally end of Y12 she could drop with AS level equilent in it. I'm not sure where or entirely waht she's aiming for uni wise other than she wants to go - so no idea how it might be viewed.

DD’s remark for CS came back - up from 7 to 8 (she was two marks off an 8 originally). She is thrilled.

A- Level remark back for DD1 - after they sent off the wrong paper in the wrong subject. SHe is now up a grade. Thank god we finally noticed.

I am so, so happy for her @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest that's amazing news!

Thanks @OhCrumbsWhereNow

I am actually crying. She was so adamant it was wrong and so, so sad. We drop her at uni tomorrow and though she was already in it was so tainted by the shock of it all being not as expected.

It's a joy to see her being so excited. We'd only sent in one paper and it went up six marks.

Champagne is chilling tonight...

Does anyone's sixth form use the Fisher Family Trust FFT targets for A levels? Ours does, (we've not seen them yet), I'm quite intrigued by what they will say for DD. They take the birth month into account too, so I'm interested to see whether that will be in DD's favour or not - she is summer born, so wondering if that will mean they improve her target grades or decrease them.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest that’s brilliant news!

I'm glad it went up - but the delay must have been infuriating though sounds like place was okay either way.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest
great news
I want champagne as well now! Not sure Ratty having his first full further maths morning is quite worth dragging a bottle to the fridge
(Perhaps I can get away with it tomorrow 'surviving the first week') as H looks on and says "don't get too used to this" :-D

Still no news on remarks here, but on a positive DD is allowed to do her new EPQ plan

dd had an assembly on EPQ and has decided to do it. She now has to ‘apply’. She wants to do an ethics type question. Any rough suggestions? I think more medical than AI/society themed. Pleased she’s agreed to do it as she couldn’t do FM due to timetable.

What sort of medical ideas or things does she find interesting? Some ideas could be around maternal mortality, look at communication and the trust between science and patients, euthanasia is quite common, maybe look at the book, 'DidHe Save Lives: A Surgeons Story' has lots of conflict around ethics and could trigger some ideas. Things about access to healthcare could work. Does she want a more specific medical idea or more general ethics?

@TheLivelyViperinteresting her immediate thought when we discussed in August was something about saving mother or child in birth but is now rethinking. Ill get that book and we’ll have a chat.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- that’s such good news! I’m so pleased for your dd. Hope you get her off and settled at uni ok.

My ds is back off to uni this weekend. Dd thinks she might stay home as she has a lot of work to do. She’s left her cello in school all week this week as she needs it every day but hasn’t had time to practice outside of school. she is going to have to bring it home at some point! She was excited to be told she’s won the Further Maths and Biology prizes this year so that’ll be nice to see her get those.
She’s also discovering that sixth form can be expensive! The sixth form centre has its own cafe which does yummy smoothies, fancy coffees etc as well as food. She gets a school lunch but has still managed to spend £15 in the first week! Mostly due to novelty value I think but not a level of spending that sustainable for her.

35/35 on first maths a level assessment. Someone is very happy in this house seeing as she’s not awfully keen on the maths teachers. Not much news from the eldest in his 1st week at uni, he’s never been great at text messages. My mum insisted I phoned home every evening when I was at uni (and long after), no mean feat when cheap rate begun at 6 and it was 1 pay phone between 32 youngsters ….

That’s great! (Though sorry she isn’t keen on the teacher)

it must be so different now at uni with phones - I also remember similar with one pay phone in the block, long queues and for parents to call you they had to dial the pay phone, hope someone passing would pick up and go and knock on your flat!

@labradorservantDid she see the recent documentary by the retired brain surgeon, Henry Marsh? I haven’t watched it yet, but his two books are very interesting and thought-provoking (‘Do No Harm’ and ‘Admissions’).

My DD is reading Henry Marsh's Do No Harm - he makes some interesting points in there about knowing when not to operate being as important as operating. I'm also reading Rachel Clarke's Dear Life which considers whether trying to prolong life is the right thing to do in all cases, and whether allowing people to die peacefully and with less intrusive medicine is a better way forward for some.

DD has spoken with her HoY to ask if she can swap from sociology to history. He’s agreed and didn’t try to convince her to continue despite him being one of her sociology teachers. She’ll have a bit of history catch up to do but better now than several weeks down the line. She’s also managed to bag Weeknd tickets for next August - so she’s a very happy bunny!

Good that she was able to swap so easily. My DD has also just got Weeknd tickets for next August!!

Thank you for all the suggestions. We’ll get watching and reading.

Yes I've heard of him as well, the story in 'Did He Save Lives', not to spoil it as its very shocking and sad but also thought provoking. It involves a false accusation against a surgeon and it had massive implications for the surgeon whose book it is. He wrote it across a number of years. I don't want to spoil the story but I highly recommend the book, it's sad but also very joyful in a weird way. Did make me shed a few tears. I haven't heard of Rachel Clark but I'll take a look at her work.

Ah @NotDonna was it your DD where there was a separate thread about should she do three/four new subjects and people suggested history as she got a high GCSE grade?

It’s great that they were able to facilitate her switch and I bet she feels better for having given sociology a go and not liked it, rather than just not trying it. Sometimes you really do have to see for yourself and she has done a positive and brave thing. My DD switched from music (which seemed to focus at A level on her weakest area at GCSE) to French after about a week which was a similar big decision. All the best to DD.

@clary yes it was!! A levels are such big decisions aren’t they? She’s changed schools with no one going who she knows and 4 new subjects so I’m impressed! Her old school teachers (really lovely teachers) were very much encouraging her to do take English a level as she got 2x 9’s but she hates poetry. A few ppl on that thread suggested why not history (also a 9) but she wasn’t sure about late Tudors and the set up of OCR exam board, but the thread I think was English v politics rather than v sociology). She thought she’d like sociology. It was the main impetus for moving schools as not offered by her old one. I think the move is a good one though so… and they instantly okayed the swap, which is great. I’m guessing your DD has no regrets with MFL over music?