Year 12 - 2025/2026: Support Thread 2

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for us to keep chatting on!

@CreamBeforeJamOnScones - I am not buying anything, I think that is more fiancé territory! I have to restrain myself though.
However, if you do want to buy something, voucher to coffee shop or a joint meal out are better or cinema tickets etc.but close dates!

I still have this most wonderful scarf from Liberty from the 90s which my ex boyfriend’s mother bought for me. I also remember my own mum buying my brothers exs way too much stuff like jewellery. So I have vowed to not go there, ever!

Hope you’re feeling better @Oblomov25 We’ve all had the flu jab bar DD3 who flatly refused because ‘it’ll hurt’ 🙄
DD3 got an end of term award for one of her subjects - her new school award two students per half term per subject. How lovely!! Despite being 16 they still love recognition; something that didn’t happen at her previous indie. I’m quite blown away by how good this state school is in comparison. They’re also doing a Winter Ball at a local hotel for the whole 6th form. So she’s now focussed on a slinky dress purchase! It’s not at all OTT; just sounds like an opportunity for them to party a bit. Again, how lovely!

@NotDonna- that all sounds lovely. Well done on your dd for getting her award.

My dd is desperately trying to shrug off the dreaded flu/cold. She was insisting this morning that it was just a bit of a drippy throat but she sounded shocking! She has rehearsal this afternoon for two hours too. Not sure much singing will be done. Not in tune anyway!

We’re hoping for exam marks this week. She already knows that she got an overall mark in chemistry of 96% which she was thrilled with. She’s expecting biology to be lower but is hopeful for maths. Grades do, I think, top out at an A rather than an A star but not sure why. Will find out next week at parents’ evening.

@NotDonna - Abercrombie have 30% off everything, got DD a slinky dress and a short wool coat there.

@QueenMabby - your DD sounds amazing! But I would be insisting she comes home and looks after herself and has an early night. DS has friends who have had this flu and were off for absolutely ages and one has a really bad chest infection now.

Agreed DS Yesr 8 was off for a week last week with it - I have it and it is a strange one it seems as if it is just a cold and then it hits hard (it did me today) so definitely needs rest.

DD is really hoping to not get it - her sixth form has a rag week this week so fun activities, she is dancing at our local village thing kn Friday and then we are watching Humger Games live and she has Grade 5 flute Monday so needs not to get it

Dd has a biology dept day out tomorrow so she knows she can miss that and rest up if she’s not feeling good. To be fair though she is just pretty hardy. She had a lot of medical stuff going on when she was younger and generally breezed through that too. Dh is the same. I’m not. I’m full on Victorian sick bed!

I'm back after my grumpy post last week.
The situation.
DS was accepted to study A level Eng Lang and History and AAQ Engineering.
March last year they changed Eng Lang to Combined. He wasn't happy but after talking to tutors decided to go with it. He really wanted to stay on at this 6th form.

Early on in the term Eng Lang teacher went on compassionate leave.
Long story short, it's a small 6th form, they don't have good teacher back up, nor did they have a contingency plan. Lessons were not covered. Communication was poor.

This 1/2 term they decided the course would be just Eng Lit (Lang teacher resigned). DS, having done everything that was expected of him, been really mature in his approach etc is now really fed up and feeling ambivalent.

Just had a meeting with head of 6th form. His options are to ditch Lit and start either Business or Sociology (with support and catch up), ditch History and do Sport (so Eng Lit, Engineering and Sport), leave 6th form and try and get an apprenticeship, try and find another 6th form (unlikely).

He doesn't really know what he wants to do long term. He has suggested studying law to learning to be a bricklayer!

So, that's where we are. Head of 6th form said she will write a reference and/or his UCAS application will explain what's happened.

@BringBackCatsEyes that is rubbish for him - I'm not surprised he's confused and demoralised - he's done everything right and been let down. How does he feel about sociology and business - are they well taught at the school and are you confident that they can help him catch up? Does he like the history? If that's the one he'd picked in the first place it would seem less obviously to ditch it?

This stuff is so hard, but in the end, unless it was actually an Eng Lang degree he wanted to do, there probably isn't much he can't do at uni with the Sociology or Business as opposed to the Eng Lang, and it's probably less disruptive than starting elsewhere. They seem so young to be making big decisions like apprenticeships.

Here, we've had Dd2 home for exeat. She was on decent form, but has a very heavy few weeks coming up including school play where she keeps missing rehearsals for orchestra, her annual music specialist technical assessment (which I always think is like bakeoff but is apparently less about gingham cloths and more about scales in fifths), a couple of big solo performances including one with full symphony orchestra, parents evening and her first paid music gig. It always crunches up before christmas and they always all get sick, so I'm not looking forward to that.

I'm hoping parents evening will be enlightening anyhow.

Meanwhile DD1 has passed her first module at uni in fine style - I've rewarded her with the free steak bake voucher for greggs I got from Octopus energy this morning. Nothing says I love you like a free pastry, especially when you have a greggs on campus.

@BringBackCatsEyes - that is really hard! There was a whole thread on here about Sociology A level- it sounded like a really interesting subject. I hope your DS can go to a few business and sociology trial lessons to see if he likes either, ideally this week? I would also ask the school how they are planning to catch him up properly. At least a full list of what they covered this term and websites/resources to get him
started and an Upper Sixth mentor.

@BringBackCatsEyes oh crikey what a mess for your DS! My DD3 chose 4 new A levels of Politics, Psychology, Sociology & Business. None studied at GCSE. I honestly thought she’d adore sociology (I did decades ago) but no; after around 3 weeks she said she couldn’t keep her eyes open - 2 differing teachers so doubt it was both who were poor. Anyway she switched to History, which she really enjoys (psychol & politics are faves though). She’s not loving Business either but says it’s better than sociology. I’d really really push for him to have trial sessions of any potential subjects because another switch is highly unlikely and it’s so important he’s studying something he enjoys. Huge good luck!!

It's hard for them to make A level decisions when they haven't studied the subject at GCSE. I think I would have enjoyed sociology, but I didn't really know what it was at the time (late 80s) and my parents were rather hands off.

DS has been encouraged to do trial lessons, but it likely means skipping his current classes and then getting behind on them (not too problematic but not helping his muddled mind).

I've said we need to sit down together this afternoon and list all the options, strike some out, explore others and make a plan. He's a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Yes, he can go to trial lessons and they do have a catch up plan (supported learning one afternoon a week). He's taking 3 subjects so does have plenty of free periods.

Thanks @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest
One of his main concerns is the amount of writing History and Eng Lit entail. When it was Lang he was OK because he's very strong in that and is passionate about it, so it didn't feel so much like 'work'.
He needs to look at the exam structure for the subjects he's considering now - end of course exam, course work etc.
There are a lot of factors e.g. he gets on very well with the business teacher and that makes a difference at this level, the students in sociology look like a good bunch (he says some of the students in history don't participate in class discussions at all).
The head of 6th form has his back and we have a good relationship so I won't hesitate to communicate with her.

@BringBackCatsEyes also consider the exam boards and exam layout - history with the OCR exam board has a reputation for being tougher.

I can look at exam layout, but I wouldn't know which board was tougher than others.
The history he is taking is Pearson Edexcel

@BringBackCatsEyes school should guide you really. DD3 was told that OCR history is less forgiving bc there are so many marks on one particular paper that isn’t the breadth study or something. It’s apparently easier to mess it up. I can’t recall the detail now but she still switched from sociology to History despite her school choosing OCR. Tbf you’ve both got enough to consider and if his history is Pearson then fingers crossed it’s not so mean. Huge good luck!

Bit worried by this, my child’s a level history exam board is OCR. Can you elaborate about marking please?

@herigoagain DD3 says that she was told the issue is that there’s 3 papers and an NEA for all boards but the other boards have pretty much equal weighting for all 4 elements of the A level, whereas OCR is 25% for British period (Tudors in DDs case); 15% for the non-British (Russia for DD); 20% for the NEA (the coursework essay) and a whopping 40% for the thematic study and interpretations. She was warned that the weighting of the papers makes it difficult as the thematic paper is analysing, synthesising etc (not easy) other boards are much more evenly weighted so perhaps less reliant on those high level thinking skills. Her elder sister also did History OCR but at a different school so different periods of study. She was fine with it. BUT it could have been worth a consideration for the OPs son if taking alongside other heavy essay subjects.

@BringBackCatsEyes would your son be interested in doing English Language degree? The A-level isn’t required because so few places offer it. But if loves it then maybe making his choice based on that might be helpful? It might at least be so
to think about? It must feel so demoralising to have one of his favourite subject taken away.

Thanks for your words of wisdom.
He has decided to switch History for Sport. There are a number of factors - the subject itself (he took PE GSCE so catch up won't be as hard), the teachers, the students and the exam format.
As he's not sure if he wants to go to uni he has chosen subjects he's most happy with NOW.
I will admit here that I'm a bit disappointed - History and Eng Lit are good strong subjects. He has been pointed towards a post-18 law apprenticeship and I think that will be hard with the 3 he's chosen, but I absolutely support him and think he's shown a great deal of maturity. I don't know the first thing about that apprenticeship but I imagine competition is fierce!
Sport and Engineering probably opens up very many opportunities in areas he's interested in. He's a very keen footballer and into the gym and fitness/nutrition.

Glad he’s made a decision @BringBackCatsEyes. I think there’s much to be said for taking subjects you love (rather than ones you are just good at). We were a bit worried when dd picked maths and fm as although she’s very good at them she’s never really loved maths and indeed actively disliked it until GCSEs. Fortunately she’s loving it now (thanks in no small part I think to her three amazing female maths teachers!)

@Araminta1003Jumping back a few posts, I've been surprised by our urge to buy gifts for the boy, thanks for sharing your experience, that's so interesting.

@NotDonna another one of your relatable posts (are we the same person???!!!) DD's new setting acknowledged something and it meant the world to her. They see her. She said something about how could good it could have been at the old place but sadly it wasn't to be.

I had what will probably be my last administrative follow up query with the old setting and it's like pulling teeth. Sigh.

@QueenMabby DD really liking FM too and her female teacher. Only a couple have dropped it so far, I thought more would, but that might happen later.

Ds2 been off school all week, on antibiotics with a chest infection. School asked for a sick note. 🙄

Wow ! DS1 had emergency surgery and 10 days off school a couple of years ago - no sick note requested - that’s nuts