Year 12 - 2025/2026: Support Thread 2

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for us to keep chatting on!

@QueenMabby so 50+ law grads?

No. Not all law grads. Some have done conversion but I couldn’t tell you the proportion.

I really liked studying law hated the practicing of it - so moved into legal publishing - a route I definitely would not recommend publishing is being decimated by AI.

From the authors I deal with (mainly barristers now) I would say 60/70 percent do conversion course

Lots of stress here this last week. DD is very into musical theatre but decided against a BTEC in this and to do A levels instead. She is doing very essay heavy subjects and chose English lit at the last minute - I told her I didn't think it was a good idea (I did English lit). They started with Shakespeare and poetry which isn't that interesting to her.

I think she's regretting her choice to do A levels but we're so far in now. I don't know what to do tbh.

That's interesting. I hope you don't mind me asking- which university was it that was offering criminology with forensic investigation?

Thanks!

@CocoPlum - does she know what else they might do that she might find more interesting? It might be that they've just started with the worst bit! DD2 is enjoying Angela Carter's bloody chamber which is on her list, for example - finding some more modern stuff she will eventually be studying might enthuse her a bit?

Tricky, I agree. DD1 dropped English lit - she took four to start with to see which she liked - because it isn't for everyone...but fingers crossed it's just a slow start.

@MackenCheese Ive sent you a DM.

I was interested in your reply to this too - any chance you could copy the DM to me too? It's not for my year 12, but my year 9. Thanks :-)

Just looked it up and pretty much all the other texts look more interesting! Streetcar, Handmaid's Tale, Great Gatsby, Feminine Gospels. So I hope that this is transitory. I wish all students could have less self study for the first half term/term with the chance to start 4 or 5 subjects and drop 1 or 2.

I do keep pointing out that she wanted to do A levels for a reason, and if she was doing a BTEC she'd still have to do essays and would also be getting herself stressed about the aspects that she wouldn't be as good at.

Sounds like the teacher made a bad choice on starting then! Those are all great texts that appeal far more to young people (I did streetcar for A Level, DD2 did it for GCSE and we are both huge fans). Hopefully the only way is up.

It's 2 teachers - while I reckon there's merit in getting it out of the way, it's a bad choice for starting!

I did Streetcar for A level and we went to London to watch it before we had read it ... the shock on our faces when we realised what was happening ...

oh wow @CocoPlum - that must have been a shock! Mitch will always be Marlon Brando for me, but I've seen two amazing versions at the National too.

I have a chat with DD2's head of sixth form today (on googlemeet) as I asked what they were doing about releasing her for open days etc given the fact that she's basically chained to a symphony orchestra. I was expecting a more generic reply to be honest as this must happen all the time, but I guess it's useful to get a perspective. She's got tests next week and is stressed.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- hope the chat is productive. We have tests upcoming too. “assessment week” although it’s really over a fortnight. She’s done a bit of revision but not much!

Dd has a maths comp today. She got her maths challenge results yesterday. She got a gold and was best in year. There were 4 boys in year 13 that got a better score than her but she was the highest scoring girl in the school which she was very happy about!

Rehearsals for the school musical have started too so I have dd talking at me in an American accent at random times to try and get it to stick!

Well done to her @QueenMabby... Chat was useful - I've sent DD2 off to have a sixth form 'next steps' chat too so they can make sure she's at all the right things. She sent me her timetable today - colour coded with things to do up to 9pm most nights - though she does seem to have allowed herself a sunday lie in.

That sounds frighteningly organised @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest! Good on your dd.

What musical @QueenMabby ? Similar here - DD started rehearsals yesterday so that's another thing we have to squeeze in, getting her from school and to a dance class while I'm on my way home from a day in the office ... no wonder I'm exhausted.

DD got really good feedback on an essay on the first day back, so I think that's helped too.

Hello

I have just started downloading exam papers - started with A Level maths (OCR). DS won't let me buy any resources and I know he is unlikely to ask either little so and so!!!! But I have insisted he will use more past papers this time. As DS's PA and a stationery nerd I am looking forward to printing and labelling and filing ready for DS!

From what is now a distant memory of GCSEs I was one of the parents who's DC wouldn't entertain any input and went it alone - did well and got his first choice sixth form! My DS is not into making revision notes and won't entertain making flashcards - at home he just revised by reading through text books and some online stuff 😱 but I guess it worked.

Out of interest and just in case - what resources are you providing / enforcing on your DC (😁) or what are your DC's using - we'll stick to A level Maths (is doing physics and DT too)?

Would welcome some recommendations just in case DS does by some miracle ask.

Currently assessed at an A for DT, high B for Physics and low B for Maths. Would very much want DS to bump up the maths to ensure at least a B if not greater. DS said I have to be realistic 😶

Cheers

Tbh I am leaving all of this to the school. They get pretty good results so I am guessing they provide revision advice and materials.
Interesting that you have already been given predicted grades. We have just had a half term report but it only gave average percentage grades for tests so far. They say they will give predictions after mocks in December.

I've started printing out the course booklets and past papers from https://www.mathsdiy.com/ and will do try and use exam bank from wjec board to make past papers for FM and other subjects.

She has many text books from her older siblings for three of her subjects - and bought a few in completely new area subject - though more subject general ones.

But this partly as she will have AS level exams in May which are around 40% of final mark with WJEC board - so want her to start looking to revise around christmas - (based on previous two kids experiences) - but once I've handed over the printed past papers it's on her to use them.

College has suggested grades based on GCSE and previous students but from priro two kids they are really rough and not more than a very rough ball park and AS levels next August are best indicator.

I’m doing nothing. I’ve always had to be hands off with dd as she doesn’t like “interference”. She uses physics and maths tutor for materials and past papers and dr Frost for maths.

@CocoPlum- the musical is legally blonde. OMG you guys!! 🤣🤣

Awesome! Cannot wait to see that again when it tours next year. What's she playing?

It's Sister Act here!

I’ve not printed anything - again relying on school and DS1 to ask if he wants anything . He is very independent so far - more so than last year . Interested others have reports or grades - no report due till December here and no parents evening till March

On the talk of independence, my ds ended up on a rail replacement bus and very late into college one day. I asked what school said when he turned up late and he said “oh I emailed the office once I knew I would be late”. It hadn’t even occurred to me to ask about the dreaded attendance line so this was a nice surprise.

I didn’t get involved with resources for GCSEs and she did well so I think it’s best I do the same again, unless she asks or school suggest anything. She got grades on the half term report that reflected the fortnightly test results, but they’re not proper predicted grades at this stage I don’t think.

Our first parents' evening is not until Feb - seemed a long time to wait in my opinion given they fly through the syllabus and test them along the way, and in Feb they're only 7 months away from the early applications date - so I gate-crashed the sixth form open evening they were holding for prospective parents and went and spoke to one of her teachers for each of her 3 subjects! The maths teacher was very happy to chat and very happy to discuss predicted grades and med school applications. The two science teachers seemed less keen, but I was able to tell them that DD is aiming for 3 x A* predictions, so if she is falling short of that then she needs to know early. I don't want them thinking she's doing really well and then find out her aspirations are higher than theirs. She out-performed their predicted grades at GCSE and has high aspirations for A level too.