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.

Guess who's lost his whole mobile phone?
That is fucking essential for Teams in lessons.

Oh and he's a "bit miffed" because he still wants the contacts on there

And he hasn't seen it since Monday but we were only notified yesterday

Guess who has phoned railway offices, college, newsagents today?

I was informed by his lovely college receptionist, "my nephew was the same but he's great now. How old is he? 24"

Twenty-four!

Apparently they get it once they have to replace it on their own account.

I bet they fucking do!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHH

Apart from this been a great week.

I went to an online thingy about Maths at Cambridge, offered by the school (DD too tired to attend - thank God she’s got a fortnight of half term), and they said they’re just looking for some evidence of interest/motivation in the personal statement, eg one thing you found interesting in a book you read (there’s a reading list on the Cambridge Maths website). I guess it’s more important if you’re applying for a non-school subject. (I did put in mine that I was doing Ancient Greek in an evening class when I applied for Classics.)
@frozendaisyDD will never lose her phone, as she normally refuses to charge it, turn it on or take it anywhere: the joys of ASD + OCD.

Thanks all for your advice; DD2 is most relieved that she won't need to take up acrobatics so she has an interesting hobby to add to her UCAS form!

DD1 is home from uni for the weekend, and is reinforcing your advice. She suggests watching lectures and YouTube videos, and reading research papers around the subject, and trying to find a particular niche that really fascinates her, and talk about why she's interested.

Lots of really helpful info, thanks all!

Ds didn't get a place on the ski ⛷️ trip.

@Oblomov25 how's he taking it?

If it helps Ratty's college sent out a letter, for a trip Feb 2027, he said he would think about it, but answers had to be in last week, if you wanted to go you had to be a basic competent skier. Nope only done ice skating and sledging on frozen water! So you could enrol on an indoor/dry ski slope beginners course and then pay best park of £2K and then most likely come back with a broken wrist just in time for real A'levels.

There was no way he was going so I just left it to out natural laziness and let the deadline pass.

What I am trying to say is there might be a silver lining in not going.

That’s a shame @Oblomov25 - is he very disappointed?

dd is desperately hoping that school runs a music tour next summer. They’ve had one foray but not enough people expressed interest. This time they’re hoping for more interest because they’ve reduced the price. From £1600 to……. £1500! What a bargain! 🤣🤣

He seems ok about it. As frozen says, silver linings, no broken wrist pre A'level exams I guess.

DD was informed of the Senior Maths Challenge results yesterday. I'm sure there were many successes on this thread.

DD2 hasn't said a single thing about any maths challenges 🤦‍♀️ although I have given the "supra-curricular" parental lecture.

DD1 has secured a place on the much-coveted school trip to Italy next summer, so is cock-a-hoop. "Special friend" is also going on the trip

We’re on half term already so probably won’t get our results until we’re back. Dd rather frustrated about that!

Was your dd pleased with her score?

Ours have just been told the level of award for UKMT, DS got gold. They haven’t been given their score or told if they have progressed to the next round.

Oh no! Thats so disappointing.
we’ve had zero luck with school trips and my 3 DDs have never managed to get on one. School were absolutely shocking. Because of Covid DD1 wasn’t ever offered any trip. DD2’s year had a trip to Costa Rica that was first come first served so we quickly paid the deposit and she was told she was third on the list (plus had a receipt). Two weeks later we received an email saying that they’d decided it wouldn’t be first come first served it’d be names from a hat. Her name wasn’t picked but all 5 (yes 5) sets of twins were! Taking up half the places. We got the deposit back but she was gutted. She also applied for an Ypres history trip (prior to her doing A level history) and was unsuccessful and a similar messing about fiasco. DD3 popped her name in the hat for a yr10 ski trip and was selected; paid the deposit only for school to realise they’d not offered to Yr9’s so needed to do the hat thing again. Of course DD3 wasn’t lucky. There hadn’t been a ski trip previously so it all felt quite unfair. We’ve since given up with school trips that are selective. It’s a bit harsh saying yes you’re going, pay the deposit, then a couple of weeks later, oh no you’re not. For it to happen once maybe but 3 times! 🙄

Do you ski? Can you take him?
On the back of DD2’s Costa Rica debarkle we had a flipping fabulous family trip ourselves. It really was amazing and is joint first place out of all our family hols over the years.

DD is exhausted. No half term til next week and just one week. Of course the rest of the world is off now and for two weeks so she’s a tadge miffed. She’s definitely ready for some time off.

@QueenMabby DD was top scoring girl in her year at her new 6th form so she's chuffed.

@PoisoningpigeonsI don't envy the staff having to keep hormone-fuelled teens apart.

@NotDonna those trip palavers sound appalling, I would be full of rage.

Our CR trip was canx due to Covid, and now flights aren't direct in the summer. If you didn't drive out there, do you mind if I DM you to find out how you got around???

@TheyNotLikeUs we went in 2018 when there were still direct flights. We went with a tour company (imagine travel iirc), which was amazing value and who were bought out by Dunns I think (or Audley or someone a lot pricier). BUT there’s a beaten track to be honest with you that everyone kind of follows. Local tour agency would be good it’s pretty well developed and very forward thinking. Amazing country. We spent three fabulous weeks. By all means DM me.

@NotDonna That sounds horrendous and so incredibly unfair. I feel ds2's school trips have been very crap, few and far between, but nowhere near as bad as yours.

First of all there have basically been none/few. One in year 7 when they all, as a year went off to some activity weekend. (Presumably to make up for zero covid year 6 celebrations?)Poor teachers slept none I think.

Then practically nothing throughout the rest of schooling. One geography day trip in the pouring rain, where they weren't even allowed into the local WH Smith to get any crisps or chocolate. No days out or shorter trips. nothing. so miserable. There is no excuses for a school to be so miserable. But all schools round here seem the same. Ds1 went for a very cheap exchange week to Poland and Auschwitz at least.

All his friends are going on this ski trip. All the boys he plays football with. So this is thus particularly painful, to be away with your mates for a week. Which they all apparently did in year 10? and I now for the life of me cant remember if we said no to that, couldn't afford it back then? So if all your mates are going, and they went last time, and you didn't, and you now don't even get a place, this feels rough?

I can ski, although haven't been for years, but could take him. He could go with my best friend whose family all ski , they've already offered. But I think it may have been the week away with his mates that actually really appealed?

Well done your dd! Dd was the only one in her year last year to get gold but we’ll have to wait a while for this year’s result!

My ds got a place on his y10 ski trip but didn’t originally. When he heard all his friends were going he very politely went everyday to ask the organiser if any spaces had opened up. When the day for paying the deposit came and someone didn’t pay they gave him their place. Don’t know if worth asking if there is a wait list?

My DD went on one school trip just after Covid when her grammar school decided the kids had to do “grit” and they went somewhere with no hygiene whatsoever cleaning up rubbish and all sorts and she got lots of ticks and hated it! I think even the teachers absolutely hated it. That was the last and only one she did. She has done lots of music tours though abroad which are heavily subsidised and great apart from the 5am start they tend to book them on to save money on flights. DD is now at the stage she does her own trips with friends. She went abroad after GCSEs with her friends and is abroad again right now. I also organised her French exchange through a family we know as I did not want her with some total strangers. When I say go abroad, I mean one of them tends to have eg a grandma they all stay with for free or an aunt or so. So it is not completely unsupervised (yet).

@NotDonna - DD2 is knackered as well, and her college half term next week is only a week too. To be fair, this part of the country only seemed to start the 2 week October half term last year, so it's not "normal" for DD2. She has booked a few extra shifts at work, and has several parties to go to, but really she could just do with a proper rest and some decent sleep!

Yes, thank heavens it’s her last day today. She really needs that week off. She was tearful last night as quite overwhelmed. She seemed to be coping really well but it IS a lot to be fair. A brand new school, knowing no one, starting four brand new subjects, with assessments fortnightly. She often falls asleep on the journey home (and isn’t having Kate nights). I think that’s a lot of ‘energy’ for anyone to take on but probably a bit tougher for a neurodiverse kid. She got a great report so hopefully that’ll help her see the hard work is paying off. But yes, this week off is SO needed.

What do 6th form age parties look like these days??? Tamer than in our day? Parental supervision? Alcohol?

DD has a Halloween one to go to, all girls who seem decent but lively.