Year 12 - 2025/2026: Support Thread 2

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for us to keep chatting on!

@CocoPlum sorry Dd is struggling . DS1 is finding it tough and seems exhausted when he gets in the car after school . GCSEs were less than predicted - I think he was overextended to be honest ( I think he is now too- the downside of grammar school ) Hope you get some help and guidance at parents evening . It’s a really good thing that she’s talking to you

Thank you both. @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest DD would like to do MT at uni but I think she felt it would limit options doing a BTEC instead of A levels. I've told her if she was doing that she'd be stressed about the things she struggles with in dance, for example! It's a huge step up.

I'm already looking into getting a tutor for her, and a teacher friend has said this is expected at this stage of A levels.

We’ve bad big wobbles with Spanish being a big step up despite a 9 in GCSE. College won’t let DD change A level so I’ve got them to swap her class timetable so she’s with her best friend again and have found a tutor to do some intensive lessons to help build confidence. She will need to stick it out and I’m hoping that this is a blip as she’s enjoying History and Politics.

@CocoPlum how soon is parents eve? And do you get more than 5 minutes with the teacher? I’m just wondering if you and DD may be contacting them now for a proper chat?

In 2 or 3 weeks I think.

DD has gone through the feedback and it sounds reasonable tbh. I don't feel quite as panicked today having heard about the comments, as many of them feel like things she can easily improve on. I have booked a call with a tutor as well.

Dd has her first “serious” assessments (which count towards her UCAS grades) in the week after half term but she’s currently in the midst of the school musical so no extra work is being done. Then she has commitments for four days of half term so isn’t going to have a huge amount of time to revise. It’ll be interesting to see how she does. We’ve had our first parents’ Eve already and then we have a second one after the main end of year exams in June.

She’s always so busy @QueenMabby - I’m very curious as to what the assessments could be that are important for UCAS that she’s sitting so soon! Music stuff? Will she be applying to conservatoires?

DD2 bit taken back her strongest subject chemistry the mock came back as a D instead of the predicted A range. She has to work through paper in half term - it's likely it a large part exam practise - and she supposed to be working on that anyway.

Have to see how the other subjects go as the results trickle back in rest of the week.

Ds is still doing all 4 A level subjects. They haven’t said anything more.

He’s secured work experience at a local accountancy firm. We couldn’t think what else is maths based. This is for July.

Ds was annoyed at his further maths mark yesterday, he “only” got 32 out of 36. Not good enough apparently, a few others had better. He still has high expectations. I wish he’d give himself a break sometimes.

@CatHairEveryWhereNow chemsitry was DD weakest as well spoke to the teacher(s) at parent evening and she said that the jump from how exams work in gcse to a level is huge they are used to having so much time to spare at the end they don’t plan properly in the a level so yes it is highly likely to be exam technique

DD realised on hers and her questions got steadily worse through to the end with time management

Her a level subjects are maths, fm, bio and chem. It’s just that at her school they take into account grades at Feb and May exam weeks when putting together UCAS grades. These come out in June and then if you think they don’t reflect your capability you have to formally request to be put in for progress assessment in September to see if you can up your grade.

@icanbewhatiwant all that palaver for nothing? Will school let him continue all 4 into yr 13 (as he wishes)? And will the yr13 timetable allow? I’m assuming both maths and Fm are two year courses. I know some school do maths in yr12 then FM in yr13. And huge well done to him getting accountancy work experience!! Is that what he fancies?

@QueenMabby Aha! I’m getting your DD muddled with someone else’s I think, sorry. Yes, that’s what they did at DD1 & DD2 school. They were fine (ish) but its waaaay too early for kids who are borderline or slow burners. I’m pleased they don’t do this at DD3’s school albeit they do proper AS levels that’ll have to go on the UCAS form.

Re chemistry - Even if DC understand the concepts those pesky synoptic questions are tricky! I remember DD1 having a tricky time of blinking A level chem. ugh

@NotDonnads says he can keep FM now if he wants to, all the way to A level. I suggested just waiting until he’s decided if he wants to go to uni and what he wants to study if he does.

@icanbewhatiwant there’s some good finance / accounting apprenticeships around if he’s not 100% keen on uni. The big4 and others do insight days, as do some investment firms (eg JPMorgan) that could be worth him looking at. Sometimes if you do the insight days (even virtual ones) it can open doors to work experience which can then open doors to assessment centres for the apprenticeships (not always but certainly worth investigating). DD1 did a big4 apprenticeship so if he is interested and you’ve got any queries please shout out.

Well we had mocks in December and predicted grades were taken from them. We were happy with predictions so don’t know the process for querying. College are now lining up UCAS meetings with each student so they are ready for the opening in May/June. They want as many as possible submitted in September.
They have done a great job of preparing them though, university open days and alumni talks etc.

@NotDonnads would probably like something like an insight day. But I don’t know anything about them. We are in east Anglia so London would be commutable for one day. Ds always says he doesn’t know what he wants to do next. He’s applied for summer school at Cambridge University, we know he is very unlikely get a place as it for disadvantaged dc’s. But it’s worth a try. The only criteria Ds fits is that we (his parents) didn’t go to uni. It would be great for him to get a feel of university though. I think he’s probably got an idea of what he wants to do, but he just doesn’t tell me.

He can start by googling JPMorgan insight days / early careers. Then go to all the finance firms’ websites he’s interested in and search for ‘early careers’; subscribe to any that say they’ll keep him informed. There’s also apprentice websites, which are a good starting point as the companies who offer degree apprenticeships often offer insight experiences too - even if virtual they’re still informative. Most degree apprenticeships are advertised Sept/oct/nov of yr 13 BUT he should do all his research (delve deep into the company, what they’ll want from him etc, how to sell his attributes, tap etc) over the summer so he can hit the deck running in Nov/Dec which tends to be interview season followed by assessment centres. It’s a lot of effort if DC are applying for several apprenticeships alongside uni applications alongside studying. Insight info / webinars etc are around now but often rolling & without deadlines albeit applying for their insight dates themselves often have deadlines BUT can run into summer. DD3 did a law webinar on Monday and another one tonight - they’re just from law firms talking about how to apply for their apprenticeships etc. She’s found some law insight days but they’re contextual (free school meals etc). But others will come along. It does take time and effort to find them. I’m lucky DD1 is helping DD3 find them!

I spent a bit of time looking for insight days for DS1 and they were all contextual which won’t work for us . Never thought I would feel guilty about DH and I being the first of our families to go to University so that our kids don’t qualify

@NotDonnathsnks. I’ll chat to him to see if it’s something he’ll look into.

Ds has just announced that “everyone” has now dropped their 4th subject. So he thinks he’s going to drop chemistry. He says his mates are doing extra further maths revision together but he can’t because he’s in his chemistry lessons. If he drops chemistry he’ll be left with maths, further maths and physics. I still think he should stick with 4. He’s enjoying Chemistry too.

DD sent some speculative emails with her CV for Y12 work experience to Early Careers departments. Heard nada.

"Early Careers" wasn't a thing when I was growing up so I mistakenly thought a department named as such might actually reply to a young person making contact. No such luck.

Contextual is probably the word I needed for the summer school at Cambridge, it was free school dinners, low income, deprived area, parents didn’t attend university etc.

Some of the schemes which prioritise contextual applications state that, for example, all previously successful candidates fulfilled at least 3 of the contextual criteria.

That way you know you're unlikely to be successful if you don't meet any of those categories of disadvantage.

Yes it’s usually very clear in the application form or in the blurb.

@CreamBeforeJamOnSconesyes that’s what I thought. But I was reading a post on the university Facebook page and a few had got a place when only meeting one criteria. So I guess it depends how many apply.

And depends on the firm’s criteria too. Some will only require one criteria even though a candidate may have more than one. For apprenticeships they are not permitted to apply contextual criteria only - it’s often taken into consideration but will be open to non-contextual candidates too.