Year 12 - 2025/2026: Support Thread 2

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for us to keep chatting on!

@ThisPerkySloth2 I'm thinking along similar lines, although might get it done next spring rather than summer in case it's hard to get a slot. I also think while they are still living at home there's much less risk that early symptoms would go unnoticed.

@Eccle80 My understanding is that it all comes down to the STEP/TMUA for the top maths institutions. This seems more important than the 3 or 4 A level debate that schools/colleges like to get into. DS is likely to be predicted 3xA* from maths, FM & Physics, but I suspect that is the case for pretty much everyone else applying to the unis he is targeting. I think he's ruled out Cambridge now, because he really doesn't want to sit the STEP. But he's intending to sit the TMUA in October and use that as a guide regarding where he places the weight of his applications (aspirational/COWI vs. solid RG).

Mine ( an yr11 and 12) are booked for the vaccine in about a month . One of them has a Reading Festival ticket .

I was going to wait a bit longer , but there has sadly been a recent fatality not far away so I decided to bring it forward .

driving theory - other than the 3 in 1 app, what other resources did your YP use? Can they do practice tests?

Thanks, that’s interesting. Funnily enough, after the conversation on here, DS is now saying he isn’t sure he wants to carry on with chemistry in year 13 and might drop it depending how his end of year exams go. He was doing really well, but he says he isn’t enjoying it, and the current bits are less maths based so don’t suit him as much.

He wants to apply to Cambridge, but engineering rather than maths

Mine just used the app, and passed first time, though was right on the pass mark for hazard perception, he said it didn’t feel quite the same doing it on the screen at the test centre as it did on the app on his phone

DS1 just used the app .. 2nd time pass - the issue was also the feel of the hazard perception test

I think there are practice tests in the 3 in 1 app. They need to pass them regularly before that are ready to take the actual test.

@waitingquietly that seems sensible in your local circumstances, just had DD (19) jabbed second dose is in four weeks, so in time for next uni year.

I have been wondering if they will start vaccinating all teenagers. But if they do I guess it’ll be school age rather than 6th form.

There doesn’t seem to be any sign if a roll out yet but if there is I’d expect it to be yr11 as easiest to co-ordinate. DD1 didn’t get the vaccine as it simply didn’t occur to me. She would have done if it had. she did a degree apprenticeship so wasn’t in halls, no clubbing/partying and just a very different set up so I think (in hindsight) the risks weren’t great. DD2 it was on my radar and she had the vaccinations in Yr13 in very early summer. I’m keen for DD3 to have them now as also has Reading Festival and likes a party BUT she has a very real phobia of needles so could be difficult to persuade her. I’ve already said it’ll hurt a lot less than dying. She hasn’t missed any of her vacs but boy it’s hard!

DD has finished her AS level exams now. Really nice that they’re over in just 2 weeks. Have others also finished? It was a mixed bag regarding how they went. Results I believe are out same time as A levels, which I think is Aug 13th. Nowhere near as anxiety provoking as the GCSEs and I’m hoping there’s the same chilled but studious vibe next year.

DD2 finished AS exams now - she just left to stay with one of her siblings in uni city for long weekend.

The results here are out same day as A-levels. She thinks everything bar FM mechanics went okay to good but will have to wait and see.

We only live in a smallish village. A young family in the village lost their dd to meningitis while at university. Apparently she told her mum her legs ached and she couldn’t understand why as hadn’t done anything unusual. She said she felt a little under the weather but that was all. She was due to come home for Christmas in the next day or so. Apparently the next morning her mum tried to call her and there was no reply. Something made her dm feel something was wrong. So she got in the car and drove down to Sussex (about 3 hours) she found her dd rolling about on the floor, I think a bit like a seizure, she stopped breathing right in front of her, dm is a nurse, her instinct kicked in, she called an ambulance and did whatever she could, but they couldn’t revive her. It was that quick. Ds2 was at uni at the same time, in Sussex too. I really wanted him vaccinated but he refused. I think I’ll be getting ds3 vaccinated. The only thing putting me off is the fact that when he had all his booster vaccines age 3 the next day he started having small seizures. He was having 20-30 a day. He was diagnosed with epilepsy the next day. I said to his consultant that I felt it was too much of a coincidence that it happened the day after his vaccines. He told me it was the shock of all the vaccines that triggered it. Anyway…2 weeks on medication and they stopped. 5 years after that he came off medication as has been fine. Touch wood.
When they have all their boosters again in year 10 I was worried, so they split them into 2. So he had the MENAWCY first, then a few months later had mmr, tetanus etc all at once. So I’ll be worried about this meningitis, but I think he should have it. Unless he refuses like ds2.

DD finished AS exams last week and has to revise for end of years in the heat this week. She is in a grumpy mood! I have put one of those aircon units in the kitchen for her with a large bowl and she has spread her maths papers all over my kitchen.
I usually have the air con unit in my home office (we only have 1). So now it is me who is sweating away. Hopefully the weather will turn tomorrow towards something more conducive to work.

I paid for DD to have a MenB jab in the last holidays, when we were in France. I need to remember to get the second dose this summer. It was cheaper in France, like 80 euro or something.

How does DD book a driving practical test please? She passed her theory this morning and jumped on the Gov site but got an error message saying ‘you have been blocked by DVLSA rules’ or something similar. First time she tried. What’s that about? Does she need to wait until the theory test updates or something? The new rules say that it has to be her who books so I can’t book it for her either. Any clues anyone please?

Ahh she’s managed to log in now but there’s nothing available for the 5-6 nearest test centres. How often do they release new dates? And does anyone know if we can book whilst overseas as we will be in France for the next two weeks.

@NotDonna she needs to be logged on and waiting just before 6am on a Monday morning . She will need to know exactly what she can do as she won’t have time to check with you . Also if she plans to do it in an instructors car she needs to know their availability- they should have a code number she can input which does that automatically ( if they haven’t changed that )

Just checking in, sorry I haven't been around much. I've been very very ill diabetically for a long time and fighting the hospital who insist I'm ok, which I'm clearly not.

@Oblomov25 that sounds awful- so sorry to hear this. Hope it is sorted soon

@Oblomov25 - so sorry to hear that! Really hope it improves for you. Do you have a pump? Type 1 or 2. Do you think hormones are making it worse? Like for teens.
Hang in there.

That’s rough @Oblomov25. I hope you win the battle with the hospital.

Back to school today. This is their last full summer term. Scary.

Dd has made the interview stage for head of school and has those interviews at the end of this week.

DC starting mocks, got 3 uni open days booked. No work experience.. time is absolutely flying

Btw what do people do about curfews. We had a bit of a run in Sat eve as DC out very late. I have let him stay with friends with no parents and trust him, he doesn’t drink currently - v into healthy lifestyle. I think we’re moving to no curfew territory, he is 17! We are in a very big/ not v safe city…big issue for me is not sleeping until he gets back. I encourage uber/ travel with friends. Where are others with this?

With DD1 moved to more let us know when you expect to get back and what's your plan to get back safely.

Pushing the focus on more her safety but curfews were a bit of a flash point with her generally though and it seemed to take the sting out for her while still being a two way discussion so it wasn't all her way but with good reasons from us to push back when needed.

DS never really went out later while living here - he does at uni. DD2 always been better with curfews but recently last half term let her take the lead more - she's sensible.