Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Just waved my Sixth Former off to school!

86 replies

Horsemad · 05/09/2013 08:03

How on earth can he be in sixth form?! Doesn't seem five minutes ago since he started Reception and I was wondering if he'd cope as he is a July baby!

Good Luck DS1, work hard and enjoy!

OP posts:
hellsbells99 · 05/09/2013 14:11

MrsDavidBowie - no lessons all week?
What are they doing then?
My DD started on Tuesday - they missed the first lesson for new form time etc but it has been full on after that. Had 2 taster days in July where they got their timetables, met the subject teachers and had 'taster lessons'. Lots of homework on Tues and Wed, but off lessons tomorrow as they are away for the night on a team building residential.
Clothes situation has not been as bad as I expected although she was up early yesterday to do her hair etc as it was photos! Just wearing skinny jeans, smart t-shirt/top and trendy cardigan (is that a contradiction - 'trendy cardigan'??)
Good luck to all of our year 12s - I hope the work won't be too hard and they cope ok.

Abra1d · 05/09/2013 16:28

Russians Grin

My son has only had one lesson as at close of play on day two.

RussiansOnTheSpree · 05/09/2013 17:25

DD1 had 3 lessons today. And she has homework. :)

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 05/09/2013 17:32

Yes, homework here too... and she somehow didn't get the information booklet about French that everyone else got over the summer, so that's a bit of an arse.

circular · 05/09/2013 19:06

Another one here, DD1 started 6th form at new school yesterday but just 'team building' day. Seemed to also involve getting them signed up for extras, before they realise their workload.
Apart from some peer mentoring training tomorrow, doesn't start properly till Monday. Guessing that's why holiday homework was substantial, maths alone familiarising a whole topic.

Business dress too, and quite strict, sombre colours only, skirts no more than 2ins above knee,. White shirts and school tie too.

Not a clue how well DD will manage her time, lots going on out of school too.

Original poster
Horsemad · 05/09/2013 21:23

Well mine had a good day, had lessons, went into town to get lunch (not allowed off school premises until 6th form, so big novelty), no homework - so he says!

He said 40, FORTY!! of last year's L6 did not get good enough grades to progress to U6 Shock. After negotiation, 20 were allowed to return; they have to get Ds in their AS apparently which seems a low target considering this is a high achieving grammar school.

OP posts:
mumslife · 06/09/2013 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Horsemad · 06/09/2013 22:13

He says he's had no homework for the w/e! Hmm I'm going to check his planner in a bit.

OP posts:
webwiz · 06/09/2013 22:42

DS started on tuesday and has had mountains of homework already. I've just sent him to bed as he'd fallen asleep on the sofa watching QI!

AmazingDisgrace · 06/09/2013 23:00

DD loving 6th form college. I'm really pleased. She just missed her offer for the local super selective GS by 1A* (got an A) and was a bit gutted at first but I think she'll be happier where she is so it all worked out

Abra1d · 07/09/2013 08:17

Son already wants to swap one subject because he doesn't think he'll like it. Friday night blues or correct gut instinct?

Original poster
Horsemad · 07/09/2013 11:25

Hard to say Abra. My DS1 did this with GCSE. Dropped French for Media!! We weren't happy but school didn't consult us, he asked them if he could swap and he did.
Tell him to give it another week maybe? What does he want to change from/to?

OP posts:
prettydaisies · 07/09/2013 11:28

Abra1d If he's absolutely certain he wants to swap, then it has to be better to do it sooner, rather than later. But he can't have had many lessons yet. Why did he choose this particular subject in the 1st place and not the other?
DS started in the sixth form on Wednesday. DD is just one year above him, so she thinks it's very funny seeing him in sixth form uniform and being allowed in the same common room!

Original poster
Horsemad · 07/09/2013 11:36

So you'll have 2 at uni at the same time then prettydaisies? Expensive! Smile

OP posts:
sashh · 07/09/2013 12:16

cory

Well done to your dd, she sounds determined, good luck to her.

Abra1d · 07/09/2013 14:10

I think he chose it, Philosophy, not really understanding what it might be like. They do not do it at GCSE, so no real way of telling. There are two teachers, though, and he hasn't yet had a lesson with the second. Perhaps his teaching style will reignite enthusiasm. Otherwise, as you say, best to change sooner rather than later.

ohtowinthelottery · 07/09/2013 17:02

Horsemad DS tells me off every time I refer to his 6th form as "school" he calls it "college" even though it is at the same school he was at before, where he had some of his lessons in the 6th form block and he now has some of his lessons in the main school building. They are a 5 minute walk away from each other though.
DS is also enjoying the freedom of going in to very small 'town' to buy lunch. Apparently as part of their induction the Yr 13s told them that the Burger Van in on the town carpark on a Thursday as it is market day, and the Chinese Take-away opens at lunchtime on a Friday and does a good Chow-Mein. Have told him I'll give him £3 a day for lunch - any more than that and he pays put of his own money.

Abra1d I think swapping is quite common in the 1st couple of weeks. Think they have up til 20th to change at DSs school. One of his friends has already swapped History for Physics, and DS has changed Maths groups after discovering his group had to do Statistics whilst the other group were doing mechanics (his preferred option).

No uniform guidelines here. DS just wearing jeans/chinos but am finding my washing load increased already from school uniform days Hmm

FeetUpUntilChristmas · 07/09/2013 17:34

DD1 started 6th Form on Tuesday, lessons and homework started on Wednesday. Getting the correct, business smart with a jacket/blazer clothes this summer has been a bit of a trauma, but she has a good start now and will keep adding more.

DN started school YR this week, he looks so small and cute, remember DD at that stage is it really 12 years ago?

roisin · 07/09/2013 18:09

ds1 started on Wed: he's tired, but he's always tired at the start of terms whilst he adjusts back into routine.

He's got loads of homework, but seems to be making good use of the few frees he has to get some done. He's doing 5 subjects initially, so he needs to be organised and busy!

Abra1d · 07/09/2013 21:17

That is reassuring, Ohtowin.

cory · 08/09/2013 10:25

That's impressive, roisin; he sounds really ambitious and focused!

waikikamookau · 08/09/2013 10:34

dd2 started weds. did not enjoy it Sad
but by the weekend she is enjoying, apart from history which is boring

she should consider changing now is that right?
she did consider philosophy but at the college in town the teacher was quite convincing but at her chosen sixth form, teacher less cool, as was subject.
which put her off.

cory · 08/09/2013 10:34

Oh dear, we've already had our first day off here: dd fell through a trap door during the evening performance of her show and injured her knee; had to spend Friday getting hold of a doctor. Thankfully nothing worse than a sprain; she is bandaged up and rearing to go again on Monday. She won't have missed any teaching as they had a two day induction; she'll just be the one who doesn't know where anything is or how anything works. Thankfully, she knows some of the people in her class already and has been texting them.

Abra1d · 08/09/2013 13:54

Oh no, cory. Glad it's not worse, though.

SauvignonBlanche · 08/09/2013 13:59

DS is loving it so far. I never imagined he'd get this far when he was first diagnosed as having AS, I'm very proud of him. Grin

Swipe left for the next trending thread