Page 6 | Year 12 - 2025/2026: Here we go again!

QueenMabby · 2025-08-25T14:49:16+00:00

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

Slimtoddy · 27/08/2025 12:08

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2025 08:12

I obviously can't say much, but there are both automated and human elements to the system.

I can't imagine a single 27 mark difference in either direction - but marks moving down is why I always say to get someone to check first.

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@MrsHamlet yes, imagine my shock when my eldest who was very close to the higher grade in A levels and we got a remark and he lost 27 marks. Almost lost the grade he was originally given. This was about six years ago but it comes up every so often (now because of GCSE). Certainly makes me very wary of remarks. DS is close (1 or 2 marks) in a few subjects but I think leave well enough alone. I am calling for scripts in Eng Language just to see.

Elevenmillion · 27/08/2025 12:17

Thismotherthingisconfusing · 27/08/2025 09:49

Oh, and did you come to an agreement?

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Yes..we hope the school agrees!

Thismotherthingisconfusing · 27/08/2025 13:01

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 27/08/2025 10:51

That is definitely a hefty workload!

The upside is that the Conservatoire route is very different from the University one, so you don't need to make one personal statement work for both.

One thing I would advise is booking all the open days for the conservatoires this year. The application form is due back on the 2nd Oct for 2026 entry, so 27 entry likely to be some similarly early date, and open days in the Autumn are AFTER the closing date, so you need to have everything sussed in Y12 rather than Y13.

In my wanderings round Music degrees, there are quite a lot of dual major ones, but they tend to be more academic less performance based and at RGs rather than conservatoires. I didn't look in depth as DD definitely only interested in very performance heavy courses, but was intrigued how many options there were.

I wish you luck on the uniform front!

DD's college have no rules at all, so I guess I will be having more than a few 'you are not leaving the house in that' conversations this year. DD did seem to manage to live permanently in PE kit (baggy joggers and a sweatshirt) for last 3 years of secondary as it was permitted on PE days or if you had after-school sports, so I have suggested that she just continue in the same vein...

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Thank you that's very helpful re Open Days. Her piano teacher had told her to look out for them and book but of course I didn't get the why, now I know.

Sisublondie · 27/08/2025 14:55

Posted earlier but seems to not be here…

CONGRATULATIONS to those who have had reviews/ remarks and gone up!!! Excellent news!!!!

@Slimtoddy, bloody hell, that’s terrible. That surely must trigger and scare you off!

Still waiting here, school paying for two, but not been asked for payment fir the third yet, so 🤷‍♀️

Sisublondie · 27/08/2025 15:32

Hmmmm. Slighty cross. I chased the school, and the Language, (we asked for both papers to be reviewed/remarked, and we would pay), has not been actioned yet— because we need to pay. No contact been made to request payment ( which was why I chased). It’s nearly a week since the Results. I’ve been told it will get sorted once the EO is back in…….. I would love DS to start on Monday, without facing a resit alongside new course/college/ everything….

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 27/08/2025 15:34

@Sisublondie I've had an email from one of our teachers today saying they're working through the list and will be in touch once they get to DD's but could be a few days.

So feel reassured given I haven't been sent a payment link yet either.

I have said 'do tell me if she just majorly bolloxed it all up'... 🤔

ETA: And... just seen your post. That's infuriating!

Michele09 · 27/08/2025 15:41

Sisublondie · 27/08/2025 15:32

Hmmmm. Slighty cross. I chased the school, and the Language, (we asked for both papers to be reviewed/remarked, and we would pay), has not been actioned yet— because we need to pay. No contact been made to request payment ( which was why I chased). It’s nearly a week since the Results. I’ve been told it will get sorted once the EO is back in…….. I would love DS to start on Monday, without facing a resit alongside new course/college/ everything….

I've seen the job description for our EO is term-time plus 3 weeks to allow them to be in school around both sets of results which seems like a good idea.

Oblomov25 · 27/08/2025 16:45

Ds2 is ill in bed, very sore throat, presumably picked up from the other germ 🦠 carriers - 8,000 people at Reading festival? 😀

Oblomov25 · 27/08/2025 16:46

Sisu irritating, but good job you checked then!

waitingquietly · 27/08/2025 16:53

I have DC in different schools and years - the state school is on it - the private school for my yr10 not so much

NotDonna · 27/08/2025 17:15

Bloody g’parents!! They’ve just told DD they don’t understand why she’s chosen such incredibly easy’ A levels (psychology, politics, sociology & business - school don’t offer economics) rather than history and English given she got decent gcse grades. 🙄🙄🙄 errrr… because those are the subjects she’s interested in? And who says A levels are easy? Neither g’parent has a string of O levels let alone A levels. DD was annoyed and defended her decision to me (not them as pointless). She doesn’t like poetry for a start or Tudors. She has thought about. She’s not stupid. Rant over!

@MissyB1 my eldest DD (22 now) did a degree apprenticeship and it’s very very wise to apply to uni as a back up. The process is usually through October - January of yr13 so is nit easy doing online testing, interviews and assessment days at the same time as applying to uni, taking mocks and generally keeping up the pace.

@TheyNotLikeUs snap!! My DD is also moving from an all girls indie to a large mixed comprehensive. And has two older sisters. It’ll be a change in many levels but good prep for whatever comes next.

@Oblomov25 Ive just been to the pharmacy to purchase aciclovir (cold sore), blistex (crusty lips), cold & flu (cough & aches & flu symptoms) & Berocca (generally exhausted) all for DD post Reading in the hope she’ll be able to survive enrolment in Monday & start school Wednesday. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Sisublondie · 27/08/2025 17:21

Oblomov25 · 27/08/2025 16:45

Ds2 is ill in bed, very sore throat, presumably picked up from the other germ 🦠 carriers - 8,000 people at Reading festival? 😀

Oh, no no no nooooooooooo!! 🙀🤯🙀! I’m so sorry to hear that!!
Well done on your purchasing of a pharmacy, and absolutely with the Beroccas!! ( I don’t drink tea or coffee. .. if I forget my morning Berocca Boost, I’m feeling it by mid
morning 🙄!). I’ll keep everything crossed she kicks it to the kerb by the weekend! 🤞🙏🤞 🍀

TheyNotLikeUs · 27/08/2025 17:23

2 of DD's chosen passion A Levels are subjects she got 8s in, rather than the 6 subjects she got 9s in...

Last week I had to get Aciclovir prescribed for myself for the first time ever, which I attribute to the stress of DD's results day @NotDonna!

Sisublondie · 27/08/2025 17:23

Michele09 · 27/08/2025 15:41

I've seen the job description for our EO is term-time plus 3 weeks to allow them to be in school around both sets of results which seems like a good idea.

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Oh, absolutely!! Thst definitely sounds sensible! She just gave no indication what that will be, either. As I’m left thinking whether to hassle her assistant.,. 🤷‍♀️!

NotDonna · 27/08/2025 17:27

@Sisublondie grrr! You just need to know the situation. Of course they have holidays but timings need to be communicated. No one wants to harass anyone esp an assistant who’s likely inundated. Hope it gets sorted asap as your DS could do without the nit knowing too.

waitingquietly · 27/08/2025 18:48

I’d imagine they are harassed a fair bit - with varying degrees of reasonable…

Oblomov25 · 27/08/2025 21:17

Laughing at NotDonna and her purchase of the whole of the chemist stock! 🤣

Oblomov25 · 27/08/2025 21:20

Ds2 is actually quite unwell. This is the most unwell I've ever seen him. He is a a child , actually both ds's that have only had about 2 days off sick, in both primary and secondary. He looks a bit green now, seriously!

NotDonna · 27/08/2025 21:58

Oh no @Oblomov25 - I know a few ppl who’ve had Covid recently and been very unwell. No clue where they got the tests from. We certainly don’t have any tests to check but given DD is out again tonight she’s clearly not that unwell. Do hope he makes a speedy recovery!

Saeurcat · 29/08/2025 07:50

TheLivelyViper · 26/08/2025 15:57

@NotDonnaJust catching up with this new thread but thought I'd answer your question from the last one. I don't have any children, but I work in educational policy, lots of different things from working for exam boards doing things like topic recommendations/new things to be added to a specification, making more diverse and inclusive specifications, looking at the digital exams planned and pilot programs etc, working on developing new qualifications whether that be in oracy, financial education, political education etc, regulation of AI in schools (how to use it well because students will need to in the future whilst making sure they develop skills themselves, particularly for coursework), and that digital changes don't further class divisions (access to computers etc).

Then I do other things like training teachers and doing workshops in schools on things like comprehensive RSE, HSB policies, EDI in schools and the curriculum (particularly for KS3 and incentivising them do so, providing resources, training on anti-racist education etc, improving wellbeing in schools. I work in a mixture of non-profit education charities, and exam boards, working with other stakeholders, so policy makers, trust leadership and school leaders as well, LA's, this is also in things like improving SEND policies (so something I'm particularly interested in is the adultifcaiton of BAME girls, and the damage that causes I'm safeguarding and diagnosis of SEND), reporting for the government's Curriculum and Assesment review, the government's SEND review, the Ofsted changes and trying to improve youth advocacy and participation from them.

I mean I don't do all of this at once, but this is the majority of my works focus is and what I do/have been doing recently, it also hasn't been that long since I did GCSEs and A-levels, so have advice from there, and I've been doing such work for a while (started on youth boards etc at 16ish and then built the connections and platform to be able to do lots of things in the educational policy field in at once, which as a whole I'm very passionate in.

Wow this sounds like an amazing job to have! The power to effect meaningful change, glad you’re on the boards here and can see firsthand the issues families face.

Sorry to derail but you said you sat on youth boards as a teen, do you mind sharing how career progressed from there, what a levels or direction did you take?
I have a DD who currently sits on youth boards for things in our area and wants to go into something like politics to affect good change but doesn’t like the underhanded-ness of some areas!

familyissues12345 · 29/08/2025 08:14

Oblomov25 · 27/08/2025 16:45

Ds2 is ill in bed, very sore throat, presumably picked up from the other germ 🦠 carriers - 8,000 people at Reading festival? 😀

My eldest came back from Reading a few years ago absolutely rotten. Some sort of lurgy plus the ground was very dry so the dust had aggravated his throat.

Hope they feel better soon!!

katgab · 29/08/2025 08:23

Mine has had a horrible bug since coming back from Reading. She is soldiering on though!

NotDonna · 29/08/2025 08:56

@Saeurcat youth boards? This sounds great! How did she find those please? DD would be very interested.

SB1971 · 29/08/2025 10:32

Sorry @Oblomov25 that ur DS is not good. Mine came back coughing and covered in dust but nothing too serious. Hope your DS is on the mend today.
DS went for his enrolment and has now settled on Spanish,Politcs and Philosophy-I’m not sure on philosophy and thought business wd have been a safer option . I am definitely biased by the work I do though as is marketing related so I need to think about him rather than my own preferences and what I could help with potentially. He did get an 8 in RPE in and keeps saying he is a deep thinker so will be fine….

chalkyc2 · 29/08/2025 11:19

Yr 12 induction day today for DS - here we go!! Feels horribly soon after results day!