Year 12 - 2025/2026: Support Thread 2

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for us to keep chatting on!

@waitingquietly hope you can get some info from the teacher on what’s happened with the further maths

DS has further maths AS level coming up, with both papers in the first week of exams in May, plus then end of year exams which he is keen to do well in. He does seem more motivated to work than he did for GCSEs last year, I think it helps only doing the subjects he likes, and knowing what sort of grades he needs for what he wants to do.

He also has his driving test tomorrow which I have everything crossed for!

Oooh good luck @Eccle80 for DSs driving test.
Im a teeny bit concerned regarding DDs ASs in May. She worked her socks off for her GCSEs and I’m not really seeing the same urgency. I’m not talking about them as don’t want her stressing but I think I will ask if she’s made a revision plan for Easter. They’re mid May so Easter revision will matter. Part if he is pleased she’s relaxed but the other part is a tiny bit worried.

Big good luck re driving test! Also those with ASs - so glad we don't have those to add to the stress.

Good luck with the driving @Eccle80

Thanks very much everyone!

@NotDonna does she have ASs in everything? DS just has one because of the way his college do further maths, but I imagine it’s hard going doing another complete set of external exams when it feels like they only just did GCSEs. Hope you can manage to gently persuade her to do some revision!

So glad our school don’t do As levels. We were told if they take them they have to be declared on the UCAS form so it’s better to just concentrate on mocks for predicted grades. Then by next summer they will have had more chance to prepare them for the full A levels.
Ds has been allowed to drop computer science so is now doing Maths, further maths and physics.
He is also doing lots of supra maths and TMUA practice. His number theory project is giving me flashbacks to my maths degree final project as I was one of the few in my year comfortable coding.
This week all y12 were given Monday off and encouraged to explore a university city. He had a whale of a time in Manchester, with a group of friends, mostly at an arcade 🤣🤣🤣

It’s ds’s 17th birthday today. He’s had his first driving lesson. He enjoyed it.
He was called out of class by the head of 6th form today. Remember I said they were insisting he drop an A level? She suggested he keep going with all 4. But if he doesn’t get all A* in the summer mocks then he has to drop one. He’d already decided to drop chemistry. The head of 6th form told him if he wants to apply to any of the top universities like Cambridge then he needs 4 A levels as he will be competing with private school students who will have 4. I don’t know how true that is. Seems he’s made a decision on maths at uni.

The work experience place who said they’d take him have emailed to say they can’t take him in after all. The other place that originally said yes have taken on someone else instead. So now he doesn’t have a place. The 6th form head told him he can do an online course instead. I’d rather he did work experience somewhere.

I think that’s rubbish. Cambridge specifically say that they don’t need 4 A-levels. Dd is at a private school. With the exception of students taking FM, they are encouraged to do 3 only as more aren’t necessary and it’s better to have 3 really solid grades than take 4 and risk them slipping due to the workload.

@RigbyRight that gave me a big smile! Exploring a town by hanging out with friends sounds like a fantastically appropriate 16/17 year old way to spend a day. I love that his school did that!

Can I ask, did he basically just find computer science dull? My DS is considering it, but he likes more creative idea-thinking.

I agree that it must be hard to find the drive for that full on revision for AS exams. @NotDonna maybe she will re-find her revision mojo after a little break over Easter. The step away from daily school will maybe make it easier.

@icanbewhatiwant happy birthday to your DS 🎉. How rubbish about his work experience! It is such a shame for companies to let kids down like that. Hope he finds something cool (or at least something he is happy with).

@QueenMabbyone is FM.

The problem with the computer science A level is that it can’t possibly keep pace with the changing world. At university you would be taught by people researching the cutting edge. At A level they can only reasonably change the syllabus every 5 years and in the world of AI that can mean learning things that are already obsolete.
My ds found the first term was very mathematical which he enjoyed. Then the next term involved interesting ethical discussions and projects. His school does teach it very well though so this may differ. He dropped it because he wasn’t predicted an A* and since he is commuting to a nearby college in a big town, 3 hours per day are taken up with travel.
There are only so many hours in the day and he is also learning to drive and as I mentioned supra curriculums and entrance exam practice.
Interestingly his old friends from school are all super competitive about who will pass their driving test first but few at his city centre college are bothering.

The 3/4 A-level thing is really interesting! My DD is doing 4 (one FM), and she won’t get all A * predictions (hoping for 3 and an A). She will keep all 4 (her 4th is essay-based and although she finds it hard she likes the variety). I would be upset if she was being pressured into 4 and upset if she wasn’t allowed to do them if she wanted to (although I would encourage her to do 3 if doing 4 looked like it was negativity impacting on grades or wellbeing).

@RigbyRight that is so interesting. My DS is thinking about what is right for him for A-levels. He loves philosophy, but isn’t in top maths (he disengaged from everything in y9 🤦‍♀️).

I can imagine that commute takes a lot of energy. When I do over 2 hours round trip four times a week I’m exhausted nowadays!

My DD and her friends are totally uninterested in driving at the moment (big city crew). I am glad because the idea of her driving terrifies me 🤣.

And how is FM going? If well then it should be fine but it seems harsh if forced to do 4 if that results in a lower grade profile.
dd is doing 4 as she is also doing fm.

@Eccle80 yes it’s ASs for all 4 subjects. But she will then drop one. She’s already decided which one. @RigbyRight yes, that’s correct the ASs have to go on the UCAS form hence why I’m a little worried. They have finished all the curriculum (1st year obvs) so will be doing exam papers from now til May. @Onvacation i agree I think without school she’ll get a fair bit of revision done over Easter albeit I have just seen what she’s been sent to do for history ‘alongside’ revision!

Re the 4 A levels thing & Cambs. I do believe it’s because FM is in the mix that it complicates things. Cambs (and a lot of other universities) specifically state that they only want 3 Alevels. However there’s also a small handful of universities that see FM as the same subject as maths so want another. So, those kids that may apply to that tiny group of universities take 4 (if they’re capable) to cover themselves; it then follows that these kids are bright and likely to apply to Oxbridge (who don’t ask for 4) so DC are then inadvertently competing against kids with 4. I think it’s pretty rare to have 4 without FM. I’m also unsure now which universities say 4 if FM or which courses but they’re definitely only a handful.

@icanbewhatiwant but to demand all A stars in his end of years to be able to continue is very harsh and totally unfair.

I don’t understand why anyone would see maths and further maths as one A level. You study maths to A level, and then you continue to study maths to a level much higher than A level. There are students who find GCSE maths a doddle but end up dropping further maths so it does make sense to start with 4 and see how you get on though.

The grammar DD is at do see the FM and Maths as 1.5 A levels. All the kids aiming for CompSci, Econ, Physics, Maths and Engineering degrees are doing it. So Engineering is typically Maths, FM, Physics and Chem. CompSci typically Maths, FM, Compsi and Physics. Econ is Maths, FM, Econ and then typically History or a language or even Physics. Econ is more fluid than the former. Med is all Maths, Chem, Bio and a 4th for now that will be taken as AS but typically been told to do something different to show versatility like English lit, or a language or drama. All a little confusing, but this is what they were advised to do.
Oxford has a Physics and Philosophy course which I think a couple of DDs friends like the look of (over different schools) - they seem to be doing Physics, Maths, FM and Philosophy ideally.
DD is all over the place against this hyper focussed group of kids and parents who seem to have known before their GCSEs where exactly they want to end up. Personally, I think some kids know what they want and others are on a path of self discovery. DD is an all rounder, if it takes her longer to get to her ultimate goal it is fine as long as she learns on her journey what it is she actually wants to do.

Just dropping back in after parents evening . Real mixed bag . DS got a real confidence boost in general with Physics teacher telling him A* is very possible if he wants it . Further Maths his teacher seems to think that with a bit of Easter past paper work it’s possible to get a C in the AS and then drop it for year 13 . Issue seems to be that my son has been too quiet and not let the teacher know when he’s struggling . So currently trying to set up some Easter tutoring with a friends son who does such things ! Worse case scenario we withdraw him from the exam to avoid the U on an UCAS form . My kid is the child that @RigbyRight mentions - good at GCSE - Further Maths not so much

@QueenMabby Ds is currently working at A star in FM he prefers it to maths. He is working at A in chemistry, physics and maths. Predicted A* in all, that is based on the fact he had A star in those at gcse. They’ve been pushing him to drop a subject since Christmas. He’d decided to drop chemistry after Easter. I think there are only a few still on 4 subjects, they all start with 4. My older 2 did 4 for the whole of year 12 but that has changed.

@NotDonnayes it is the fact it’s FM that it’s a 4th. No one is doing 4 that doesn’t include FM and it sort of goes with maths. Though Ds keeps insisting it is a completely different A level and doesn’t go with maths.

(Each time I add a star it has gone when I preview, so had to write the word)

DS passed his driving test! Very pleased for him, and that we don’t have to try and go through the test booking process again!!

@waitingquietly great news on the physics, and at least it sounds like there is a plan on the further maths, and agree it would be better to withdraw if it looks like it could be a U. Is he doing ok with maths?

@icanbewhatiwant it seems excessive to say he has to have all A* to carry on, and I’d say the 4 he is doing is a really common combination.

Such good news @Eccle80 well done to your DC !

yes DS is working at A in maths . He says Further Maths isn’t intuitive in the same way GCSE and A Level is- we shall either sort it out over the holiday or not - but feel so much better now we have a plan .

Yay @Eccle80 !

Must admit I had no idea maths and FM were so different. We're not a mathsy family at all.

We get DD2 back at the end of this week for THREE WEEKS! Can't wait.

🚗 congrats to @Eccle80 DS!! 🚗

I think unless you are pretty much guaranteed an A it isn’t worth doing As. Just my opinion.

Congrats to your DS @Eccle80 - how fantastic!
Ours is mid April some time. The reason I am fretting about it is entirely down to the horrific booking process and wanting to move on from that stage psychologically. Also fed up of the weekend practice because we are in London and box junctions and bus lanes are another level of stress I cannot for much longer take right now. However, we have not had a fine yet, so there is some hope.