Year 12 - 2025/2026: Support Thread 2

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for us to keep chatting on!

Well done on theory test @waitingquietly - a relief to have that out of the way.
We are already at the end of term - picking DD2 up tomorrow lunchtime. She's had a great first sixth form term, enjoyed the school play, and something called House Speaking (which they won) and informs me she has some 'academic colours' though seems to have missed actually being awarded them because she was helping someone with a medical issue.

Mainly though I've been so pleased she's made lots of new friends from the people who join her school in Sixth Form - many more musicians - and she seems to be in much better shape than she has been at the end of the last two years' of boarding. She usually has a massive stressed argument with her dorm mate on the last night of term because they all get overwhelmed but MAYBE we will avoid that this year.

Fingers crossed.

Good news about test passing.

DD2 not been as good - she got maths back lastest test were bad and further maths really bad- she asked to re-sit the test again.

I'm not sure she can drop FM -and she doesn't want to yet -as they let her drop welsh bacc - which is being a huge time sink to her mates still doing it at the moment. In fact one of her freinds doing 4 A-level been told they can't drop it - it's a huge work load which DS struggled under.

DH says it's not so bad with DD2 probably a kick up the arse for them and she better at asking him for help than older two - he has maths background. The chemistry dropped last test as well as did other one both by a grade. Parent evening been pushed back to next year apparently.

Problem is courses she look at for uni all want really high grades though it is a nice feature with the AS level though worse case she could re-think end of Y12 and possibly spend another year here with us.

thank you @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest so jealous of end of term already and @QueenMabby hope all goes to plan for your DDs provisional . So hard when health issues get in the way of dreams (DS1 has had to put on hold a hobby he loved due to medical issues)

DS1 has some tests and then mocks in April , I think he is thinking to do AS Further Maths in the summer and then drop it , the EPQ he says is calm and not too much work to do over a year . He would then concentrate on Computing Maths and Physics in year 13 . Agree completely about only really needing 3 A levels . I think realistically he is not now aiming for the places that require Further Maths if your school offers it .

I can see a couple of options opening up though with lower grades that might suit him , not too far from home . I think it will all come out in the wash. Just have to see what happens - sitting on ones hands though is sometimes the hardest! I do need to remind myself that this is his life not mine

Well done @waitingquietly, mine has just passed his as well, it’s a relief to have it out of the way!

4 A levels and an EPQ sounds a huge workload, 4 without adding something else in is a lot. I agree doing AS then dropping further maths sounds a sensible move if it isn’t needed for uni courses.

Well done Waiting ds.
Ds2 has assessment week next week.

Is anyone’s child struggling with Spanish A level? DD got a C in her first assessment and was spiralling last night thinking she won’t be able to improve. Feels the teacher isn’t supporting her enough. Quite a few native speakers in the class so she feels out of depth. Doesn’t want me to contact the teacher. She has always been top of class at high school and got a 9 but I’m assuming the A level is quite a big leap in difficulty.

“4 A levels and an EPQ sounds a huge workload, 4 without adding something else in is a lot.”

It is the norm at the grammar school DD attends. They expect it. DD is still doing 5 Alevels as she is doing FM. It is huge workload and she has hardly any free periods. They are meant to drop one A level and take it as AS in the summer. So most of them end up doing 4 A levels in Year 13 (if taking FM), or 3 A levels plus 1 AS and EPQ (if not taking FM).
They have a lot of med & vet students and a high Oxbridge rate so I guess somehow they must be getting credit for it. Or at least I hope so as they all work incredibly hard.

“I think realistically he is not now aiming for the places that require Further Maths if your school offers it .”

@waitingquietly - I am really confused about this one. If a school does not offer FM at all, but a DC attends such a uni and most of the kids did FM on the course, can they actually keep up on a maths heavy course? Does the uni then offer extra help to those students to catch up on the Maths element?

DD did AdMaths at GCSE. She struggled with it, we knew she would not get an A star, but it has really helped her with the A level maths content as she has had a head start. So we really do not know what to do.
If the unis are not giving credit for the extra work load but it does actually help the DCs in question with their uni courses to do FM and into their careers, what exactly is this? It is so confusing. Surely all DCs should be encouraged to better themselves educationally in the broadest sense?

@Eccle80 would you believe the school make every child start an EPQ.

Well done to your DC too on the theory

@Araminta1003 - from what I’ve read I think the children that do Further Maths have an easier time of it at Uni and those that don’t really have to hit the ground running and get to grips with the extra content needed in year 1 on maths centric degrees . So in theory it’s best to get Furrher Maths under control at A level . However if it’s so hard that it means they aren’t going to get the grades, and hence no place at all , then I guess it’s worth delaying until the Maths syllabus is secure and having a go with a bit more maturity at Uni age . DH is a civil engineer though not practising now for years , my friend is too and she dropped further maths a level after 1 month . She qualified though and went to a RG uni - thinking about it she is also no longer practising ( not sure this is a good advert for civil engineering 😂)

I've only seen Sheffield chemistry instead of wanting higher grades as some other department wanting 3 A-level and either ESP or FM:

A Levels + a fourth Level 3 qualification
ABB including Chemistry + B in the EPQ; ABB including Chemistry + A in AS or B in A Level Further Maths

There are possibly other out there - welsh bacc helpd DD1 get into her course where she doing well when she didn't quite meet the conditional offer set.

Some Uni with some courses FM drop a grade in other requirements others do not. We were asking at careers events and it's a real mix of reponses.

DS course at Sheffiled wanted ABB - which he got but they FM and Welsh bac weren't needed though if he'd dropped one grade I'd have hoped they have been considered but no idea if they would. Some of his offer were long lists of if this then if that variety - with all the combinations covered.

We looking more at chemistry courses saying they want 3 Bs - swansea reading lecister etc or ABB at most - she A/B with chem - apparently C having dropped from B with art based subject and not sure where with FM and Maths - predications with our older two were all over the place. There are some ideal courses in Manchester right in area she wants to aim for but they want AAA or A*AA and she not ever going to be that level.

When we looked at sixth forms everywhere seemed to advise that there was no benefit to taking more than 3 unless it was further maths, as unis only consider 3 grades so it is better to get the best you can in those rather than spread thinly. I know DS has a friend at private school doing 4 (not further maths) but they aren’t very happy and are pushing her to drop one.

I don’t think as DS’s college it would be possible to start 5 A levels as there are 5 timetable blocks but that has to fit in enrichments and tutor time as well. He has very little free time in his timetable with having 4 plus the other bits.

@CatHairEveryWhereNow i’ve seen similar at Sheffield for engineering courses with a reduction for further maths or EPQ

A Levels + a fourth Level 3 qualification
AAA, including Maths and a science + A in a relevant EPQ; AAA, including Maths and a science + A in AS or B in A Level Further Maths

@waitingquietly that sounds sensible to me, whilst it might help to have further maths, if it detracts from the other grades then not everywhere requires it

@Eccle80 - they didn't do that for DS engineering course though I think it's a very popular area at moment so perhaps there was less need.

DS had wanted to drop FM in Y13 - cash out with AS level as you can here but DH insisted it would help with the maths - DH did both himself - and Ds think it end it possibly did. It worked out though DS said he gave up on the welsh bac by that point and grade not great. I do think it was all too much but hard to say what effect it had in end on grades.

DD2 not doing welsh bacc so it'a already less for her - she could still cash out at AS level and continue with three but not sure what college would say as most do 3 A-level and welsh bacc (they get funding for it) though most uni won't count welsh bacc as a third if you do just 2.

At least one uni rep we spoke to told us to directly contact admissions to see how FM would affect an offer as it was so varriable across their courses.

Happy last week of term! Well done to all our DCs for navigating their first term of sixth form, college or other setting. It really feels like dd is bedded in to a-levels now. She finishes on Wednesday and is TIRED! Looking forward to a bit of a rest over Christmas.

The term seems to have gone really fast! My DD is exhausted too, just hoping she gets to Friday still happy and healthy. She is doing a lot of Christmas music things this week, which I am happy about as in October it looked like she may have lost interest. She is not doing A level Music but is involved with the A level music students and enjoying it, it is a good balance to have and they are all lovely and very engaged/proactive despite being a small crowd at her school.
I hope everyone is holding up? It can be a really big transition this first term and quite emotionally exhausting for all, especially so soon after the palaver that is GCSEs.
Thanks to all those offering FM advice etc. To be honest, DD/we are simply not ready to face the big uni question head on yet. DD is still figuring out who she really is, not just academically, I think also socially and emotionally.

We are so close now … just two days to go - for once the state child will finish before the private child .., even if it is only by 2.5 hours ! DS1 is pleased ! Siblings !

I tried to book a driving test this morning - joined a queue of 10,000 + people at 6am and got absolutely nothing - nothing near us at all . As we only have automatic cars we’re dependent on where the instructor is willing to go … if you search too often they block you for an hour too - which is a right pain .

Anyone else had any joy ?

Hope they have all survived their first terms ok! It seems to have gone well so far for DS, but it’s scary thinking how far through they already are and it feels like A levels will be here before we know it.

@waitingquietly I think it must be quite test centre dependent. With a bit of refreshing last week I managed to pick up an April date for DS for a test. I need to consult with his instructor as it sounds like he may be ready before then, I have got the Testi app (just the free one until I know if I am actually trying to move it or not!), and from occasional checking have seen the odd date come up, and at 7.30 this morning there was quite a lot for late May which must be today’s release. But I have heard some centres are much worse than others. If you can find the time just going on randomly and keeping trying did work for me.

@Eccle80 thanks - I shall , it’s encouraging it’s worked for you . This morning I’d scrolled down the list miles from home and when I scrolled back up to the closer ones for about 30 seconds it looked like there might be one - it was gone when I clicked though ..

When I managed to book it last week, I was just clicking in and out of different test centres, getting annoyed with the whole thing, and then one popped up under the nearest test centre. The whole test thing does seem crazy now that it’s so hard to get one, when I learnt I passed in 5 months at my second attempt, and I don’t remember there being any issue at all booking a test or getting another one soon after I failed the first time. It shouldn’t have to be that you speculatively book a test months out without knowing when they will be ready for it, whilst racking up huge driving lesson costs if they are ready sooner than you can get one!

DS has no interest in learning to drive - not that it's an issue yet anyway because he's not 17 until next August. I learnt when I was 17, drove my parents car every now and again for less than a year, and then moved away from home without a car and didn't drive again until I was 28. I had to have refresher lessons. So, given his reluctance and having other things to concentrate on in Y13 when he's finally 17, then perhaps we'll just leave it until after university!

This weekend saw the start of revision for mock A level maths. DS sits maths in May and FM at the end of Y13. So, he's already covered the entire Y12 curriculum and has his mock in early January. All seems too soon and is bringing GCSE revision flashbacks. He seems pretty organised though - knows what he needs to do and says it's all pretty easy. So, we will see how it goes in January....

@otherthoughtssareavailable- dd has also finished year 12 maths although they don’t sit the A-level until end of year 13 with the others. They’ve had a week of year 13 maths as a “psychological boost” (apparently!) before the Christmas break.

Ds has got assessment week starting tomorrow. 3 exams tomorrow. Plus Christmas lunch and Christmas jumper.

Ooof. @Oblomov25That’s harsh to have assessments so close to the Christmas break. Fingers crossed for your ds!

@Oblomov25 my goodness that’s harsh - good luck to him

Ooh that is a bit harsh @Oblomov25 - it’s been a long term; must be pretty shattered and ready to wind down a bit.

DD has been having fortnightly assessments for all 4 subjects, which because it’s ongoing hasn’t seemed so onerous. They’ve been given dates for mock AS levels; the two weeks prior to Feb half term. So pleased they’re before half term then she can have a proper week off. I think the AS levels will be end of May. They take all 4 at AS then can choose to drop one. I think they get reports tomorrow. We’ve not had a parents eve yet and I’m desperate to meet / see her teachers - just out of noisiness really. I don’t even know all their names, which feels so odd!

I’ve just been chatting to her and she’s got a LOT of work for the holidays - 5 essay plans for politics (she says bc they’re plans, it’ll be fine; then 2 to 3 essay papers for her other 3 subjects. Sounds pretty heavy for her fortnight off!