Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other (new thread from y12)

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Hello
I have started a new thread following on from this one
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/5340007-year-12-202425-support-discussion-and-looking-after-each-other-thread-2?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Apologies, I wasn’t trying to gloat, just indicating my own lousy understanding of NEA results. DS has said that (in English lit in particular) that getting good results still doesn’t necessarily mean that the NEA score will be high. I find it very confusing.

Ds has a big rugby weekend coming up. He, and the other year 13s, leave junior rugby and potentially join the adults. Of course going off to university means that their playing might be curtailed but DS is looking forward to playing adult rugby this weekend. There is so much on for the “commemoration of rugby” weekend. DS and DH will have a great time. Weather is looking a little dodgy though…

good luck for the apprenticeships @Tebheag

I’m sure your daughter has done well with the art coursework - so difficult @ArchitectureMumOnce the EPQ is moderated it will probably be better than expected 🤞

thank you @HereWeAreTodayvery useful to have those grades in hand. I didn’t realise that UCAS did updated grades, that’s so helpful,

Great to read about more fabulous NEA results, @Ventress, @PinkChaires, @Fabfabfab, @HereWeAreToday, @Tebheag! Fingers crossed for the art coursework, @ArchitectureMum, I am sure she’ll do great. My DD finalised her GCSE art coursework now, and it’s such a relief to have it finished!

The big news here is that DS has made his UCAS decisions - he has firmed Warwick and insured Exeter. Accommodation decisions will be next on the uni front, but for now it’s all about revision. First exam (microeconomics) on Monday!

I remember the relief of having the art GCSE out of the way when DS did his @ComingInByAnsible fingers crossed it went well for your DD. Glad to hear that your DS has made his choices.

We made the accommodation application to Bath today, so much doubt and swapping around once we were on the portal despite having written a list already! I don't know why I'm worrying about it, he may get none of his preferences - DS1 didn't at Notts and he survived! 😁

Oh gosh, me too. Art GCSE was so difficult. I can’t think how difficult A Level art will have been for our DC. I really hope they have got through it okay and are ready for the next exams.

Fingers crossed for son’s accommodation choices @JustHereWithMyPopcorn I have seen a lot of Bath recently (rugby) - such a beautiful little city.

I hope your Ds1 is doing well 😊

I hope your DS is happy with his choices @ComingInByAnsible. They sound very good. If your DS is like mine he will be very relieved to have made this decision.

Apparently it was last day of school yesterday! Although DS is actually up and I can hear the shower running so perhaps he is taking last minute revision seriously. One can hope!

I hope your DC are into their revision and ready for their exams. DS is also economics, so exam 1 on Monday morning.

DS has gone in for his last day today - signing each other’s yearbooks and shirts, leavers assembly etc. And then prom is in a week. Feels odd to have all this happening before the exams have started/finished but they have to I guess as everyone will finish at different times.

He seems in pretty good shape re revision from what I can tell, has been doing a lot of printing with the goal of going through all past papers. Very glad he dropped down to 3 A-levels instead of sticking with 4!

Although he’s got his degree apprenticeship offer, we’re continuing with the uni application to keep his options open. He’s firmed Bath and will sort out his application for accommodation this weekend now that the portal is open. He’s pretty fixed on the DA though and their grade offer is lower so think uni is unlikely.

Last day of school here - just a weekend of 'study leave' as first exam is on Monday (English lit lang). Good luck to all!

Hi all,

So many positive bits of news from everyone! NEAs are something DD hasn't had to do with her subjects so not familiar with them. The results on here sound great so far, nice to get it out of the way with an indication of how they may do now.

@ComingInByAnsible it is nice to know your DS has made decisions, makes things feel a bit more settled, hope he gets accommodation sorted too.

@MiniMidiMaxi it is a lot all at once pre exams isn't it, DD had last day Thurs with all the celebrations that went with it. Her prom is not until the day after results day though, which is probably better for her, one less distraction in this heavy revision period. Hope your DS enjoys his.

DD's first exam is psych on Friday so good luck to all those sitting exams from Monday! I feel DD may be better once we actually start the exams and things feel to be moving forward. It feels like she's been 'locked in' to revision for months now 😂. With most of her exams after half term DD can finally relax after 17th June.

Edited to add - to those who have been here since GCSEs, how on earth has 2 years gone so quickly!! Seems like a few weeks ago we were supporting each other through the relentless amount of GCSE exams, and here we are again 😮.

DC on study leave now... feels quite weird that they're effectively no longer in school. First exam in a week and a half, then a couple of weeks to the next an after that the rest are over within a fortnight, just after their 18th birthday.

Birthday falls on a Friday, so I think the plan is we'll go somewhere nice for dinner as a family on the day, as their last exam is on a Tuesday.

No leaving stuff here as they are all supposed to be in throughout (no study leave). I think my DS will just not go in on some days. But I am such a rule follower that I hate it when the school calls me to tell me that he hasn't shown up.

I am hoping that they don't bother with phone calls for those students that they know are all on track.

Morning all.

I Completely agree about all happening at once @MiniMidiMaxi and @bluefineliner. DS had his last day of school on Thursday with leaver’s assembly and various sports events, but, luckily, his prom isn’t until the end of June. I hope even with earlier celebrations our dc enjoys them!

The DA sound interesting @MiniMidiMaxiI don’t blame you/your son firming a good course just in case. Bath does sound like a great uni. And dropping from 4 to 3 (if 4 isn’t required) is very sensible.

absolutely @bluefineliner! I can’t believe how quickly the last two years have gone. I honestly (naively?!) thought that year 12 at least would be easier than it was. Hard to believe that we, let alone our dc, have almost got to the end of year 13!

All the best to your daughter @bluefineliner- She has great offers so these exams will probably be a walk in the park for her 😊

Ds has his first exam on Monday am - micro economics. Good luck to all who have exams on Monday. You have got this!

I was a little worried when I saw your dc’s exam Monday @MamOfTwo(thinking that DS also has English literature) but then I saw it was lang and lit. That’s an interesting course; have they enjoyed it? What’s next for them?

DD has to go in until half term. Then has to go in to all lessons that she hasn't done the exams for. So will effectively be in every day until her last exam on June 18th. Start on Wednesday. She's happy with her English NEA so that's good. And the textiles coursework is finally all in!

Good luck to those starting exams next week, DS doesn’t start until the 20th when he has Physics then nothing until after half term. Post half term is full on though. 😬.

At the moment DS is doing next to nothing in terms of revision. He’s basically doing one practice paper a day and behaving like that’s exhausting for him. He’s feeling quite anxious so it’s a fine line between keeping him level and telling him he needs to pull his finger out.

Ha! Sorry @Ventress for the unnecessary panic! She has enjoyed Lit Lang (the main difference from Lit that I can see, broadly, is that there was no Shakespeare and the NEA was two pieces of creative writing inspired by books of your choice - one fiction, one non-fiction then critical analysis of your writing). She's hoping to do Sociology at uni.

Reminder to all - check your YP still have their clear pencil cases etc to hand!

Sorry @MamOfTwoi should read more carefully! Sociology sounds great- hope the exams go well 🤞

good tip about the clear pencil case etc. I’ve just reminded DS. He always seems to forget his calculator for some reason 🙄

I think DS quite liked the Shakespeare in his lit course, but it’s definitely “marmite”. I hope your daughter enjoyed the NEA. I think DS did, although he had rather a mini-breakdown over the “Girl, Woman, Other” piece he had to do. Perhaps one more similar to your daughter’s would have suited him more.

best of luck to your dc too @JustHereWithMyPopcorn@Echobelly(we have birthday here too, but mine. We missed DS’s birthday due to ill health so plan to have a joint dinner) 🥳 @AuntyBulgaria@hels71

All the best everyone!

Happy birthday @Ventress - hope you have a lovely day and joint celebration!

Good luck for next weeks exams everyone!

DC has his first exam on Monday (econ) and seems quite confident about it. He’s a bit more worried about English (Wednesday I think). Annoyingly he’s left his Durham college selection to the last minute and is now unable to log onto the portal for some reason. Will need to call them on Monday after his exam before the 2 pm deadline and hope he gets through to them…

@Fabfabfab my DS also has economics in Monday and is pretty confident. So much so I think he has left most of his revision to this weekend 🤦🏻

Then the first further maths is Thursday and that's where the pressure is as he has to do really well in that.

Isn't further maths a week Thursday? 21st?

It’s both 🙈 (14th and 21st)

@SilverBlue4 apparently it's core pure 1 this Thursday coming and then core pure 2 the following

Must be a different board - AQA is 21st May pure 1, 5th June pure 2 and then option paper 12th.

So many economists! Dd is not feeling confident for Monday, she’s not a fan of her micro teacher and says he wasn’t organised and only just finished the course a week ago, she much prefers macro, we had tears yesterday but she seems a lot calmer today.

New clear pencil case was ordered and arrived yesterday! She’s fretting about the bus, so I’m driving her to the station on Monday. Be glad when this one is done, I don’t think she’s as worried about any of the others.

I just can’t believe it’s almost time! Dd has done a few hours today but has declared she’s burnt out. First exam is geography on Tuesday. She is in school until half term.

How much work is everyone else doing at the moment?

We are same, geography Tuesday and school until half term but on revived timetable from Monday.
DS is persevering. He swings from reasonably confident to despair. He's still doing about 4 hours a day.

DC keeps running out of time on Econ past papers. Still managing to get Astar though but annoying he can't finish the questions...The good news is that he got full marks on his History NEA though!

Economics fast approaching here too (anyone else doing Edexcel?).

DD started study leave on Wednesday, appearing to think it was some kind of spa break. I have had to have words with her about pulling her finger out. Nice to have an unconditional offer of course, but we expect her to knuckle down and do her best. Like @JustHereWithMyPopcorn I am hearing that apparently two whole hours a day of past papers is soooo exhausting.

I have so far managed to refrain from banging on about how many hours I did back in the day so I shall just vent on here, if that’s OK!