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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

2015 Yr 12 support thread

837 replies

Needmoresleep · 08/01/2015 11:48

Mocks this week, and the reality of AS exams in a few months is starting to hit home. I don't think it will be an easy journey, so would welcome some company.

OP posts:

Leeds2 · 23/02/2015 18:51

Do they get guidance at school about gap years?

I would love DD to have one, but after graduation rather than before.

hellsbells99 · 23/02/2015 23:59

DD2 has had her mocks and the school are taking them to a UCAS event in a couple of weeks time. We looked round some universities last year as DD1 (yr 13) was applying. DD2 is considering medicine so she has been trying to build up experience etc. - but I think she may have a change of heart before October and apply for something totally different!

MorvahRising · 24/02/2015 00:35

Hallo! may I join in? DS did his mocks way back at the end of the autumn term and then the remaining ones right at the beginning of this term. This seeemed rather early to me and frankly he was knackered by the end of term after starting Sixth Form College and all that that entails.

We're having traumas over Maths. He's perfectly OK at it but panics, and is getting more and more worried about it. He's doing maths and further maths but I'm wondering whether he should drop the FM. Not sure if you can though as he seems to think they're entwined. Also it's really useful for what he wants to do!

AS exams seem horribly close . . . . .

Original poster

Needmoresleep · 24/02/2015 10:24

Please join. Sorry to hear about the maths. DS is two years older and a lot (70+) of his year group took double maths. Looking back the ones who did well were often the ones who worked hard and practiced lots of past papers. Those that slipped up were often ones who were naturally talented but having coasted through GSCEs failed to realise they needed to apply a bit more effort.

DS discovered that several quantitiative courses were looking for at least AS maths, so useful to keep it up if he can at least to AS. I never understood how the two A levels worked, but think that if you do both there is some scope to allocate some of your better papers to the A2 you need the grade in. He has also discovered that the pace at University, even when taking maths courses as part of a non Maths degree, is fast, so having done more at school helps.

DD is very aware of how close the exams are, though a bit of panic might not be a bad thing.

OP posts:

MorvahRising · 24/02/2015 13:47

Thanks needmoresleep - you're right about the past papers. He did a couple over half term but the trouble is they seem to be set so much homework on top that finding time to do extra isn't easy! He'll need to carry on with maths as he wants to do engineering.

It only seems like yesterday we were all on tenterhooks over GCSEs. There's no let-up!

SecretSquirrels · 24/02/2015 17:08

It is relentless for them. DS did well in his mocks and we have a parent's evening this week.
It's second (and final) time around for me as well. DS1 always knew what he wanted to do at university and so didn't look at enough alternatives really. I am amazed at how hard he has to work and how many hours he puts in.

DS2 on the other hand has really no clue where he wants to go or what he wants to study other than probably something mathsy or sciency. I think a mixed course would suit him but I don't really know what's out there. He had an idea he wanted to do medicine at one point but frankly he hates competition and wouldn't put himself through it.
He is adamant he wants to drop Physics next year. Maybe do FM AS instead.
We just had a short break in Edinburgh and added in a mini tour of the university. He quite liked it but at least it starts him off with something to compare when he visits others.

Original poster

Needmoresleep · 05/03/2015 16:50

How is everything going? AS exams seem very close. No progress on Open Days. No progress on much as far as I can see. Sixth form social life is too much fun. However DD has always been good about hiding the fact she has been putting in effort so my fingers are crossed that it is all OK.

I think however I will demand to see some form of revision timetable over Easter. She is at a private school so she gets over three weeks. I have no idea how much is reasonable, but perhaps will start with what she is given by the school and get her to plan how to get through it. Life would be easier if she were a natural swot!

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AtiaoftheJulii · 05/03/2015 17:20

In some ways life is easier with natural swot dd2 (than with so-laidback-she's-horizontal dd1), except that she is an anxious perfectionist! I am usually wishing that the one was more like the other, and wondering why I can't have the happy medium ... ds perhaps, although I'm quite happy to wait for a while as he's only in y9.

Marni23 · 05/03/2015 18:08

DD is mid-mocks so is revising for them (and has been since half-term). Can't really see her letting up till the real things now because they're pretty spread out and won't really finish till a week before the end of term and then it'll be the Easter hols.

She's morphed from a laid-back Y11 who suddenly got turbo-charged at the last minute just before GCSEs into a Y12 swot (with definite perfectionist tendencies). I'm not complaining-she put years on me in that GCSE year. It's much less stressful knowing that she's doing the work and she says she feels more relaxed too.

Leeds2 · 05/03/2015 18:46

DD finished her mocks today.

GentlyBenevolent · 05/03/2015 20:04

DD1 has booked 3 open days plus the oxbridge conference, and signed up to be informed when another open day goes live for booking. She's still waiting for mock results from 2 subjects which I think is a bit poor given they did them the week before half term. She's been in a show this week and has work experience next week (which also involves being in a show - on one day next week she has a school's matinee for one show and then the final performance of this week's show in the evening. She also has a band call most of the day in Sunday for next week's show, then a performance of this week's show in the evening (also performing Saturday evening).

eatyourveg · 05/03/2015 20:42

Parents evening with combined ucas talk, here in a fortnight. ds3 has identified most of the open days but none of them have allowed him to register yet and two others haven't put up any dates so he's really not got any further than he was a couple of months ago. All in June/July but one clash means delaying one until early September.

Anyone know if there is a coach equivalent of a student rail card? ds seems to be predominantly looking at places at the other end of the country, the closest is just short of 200 miles away!

AtiaoftheJulii · 05/03/2015 20:42

I think I would need a colour-coded chart to understand that last post Gently !

Original poster

Needmoresleep · 05/03/2015 20:56

Atia, any tips on how to turn a DD into a swot?! Mine is having the time of her life, in a positive way. Lots of lovely friends and an active social life. I'm not sure I can persuade her, or myself, that teenage years are supposed to be a never ending cycle of working for public exams. And given she wants to be a medic, she also needs to focus on a further schedule of UKCAT revision, volunteering and work experience

Gently, I'm equally impressed that your daughter is booking open days. I'm still the diary secretary. Yes I know she is supposed to be an (almost) adult and should do this herself, but I think setting time aside for AS revision is the priority battle.

I'm sure she will grow up one day, and that I will miss her....

OP posts:

Marni23 · 05/03/2015 20:57

Yes, I'm exhausted just reading it gently!

DD has booked a subject open day for later this month and has been invited to attend the Oxbridge conference (at her school it's invitation only as I think there's a limit on the numbers each school can take). She hasn't got any further than that yet...

GentlyBenevolent · 05/03/2015 21:53

Sorry if I was confusing. The show that started this week carries in through the weekend and has one final performance next week, the show that's happening next week kicks off with the band call on Sunday. It is a completely exhausting prospect but it's decent relevant work experience so she has no complaints.

GentlyBenevolent · 05/03/2015 22:09

need DD1 is being ridiculously proactive actually - but she has such an early deadline on her applications she has to be - also, the conservatoires typically only have 1 open day so if you miss it it's gone. She has also attended a subject open day this week in cambridge (she booked that but I organised the travel - I have to organise ALL the travel). She's also competing in a music festival next weekend (but hasn't really prepared) so it is a complete perfect storm at the moment. She hasn't had much time yet to work on her audition pieces but I suppose she has the summer... part of me worries she will burn out but the other part of me thinks that this is what life will be like if she gets what she wants so she just has to step up - which she has definitely done.

AtiaoftheJulii · 05/03/2015 23:26

Lol, no, it wasn't a complaint about your clarity, just an argh about your dd's busy-ness :)

Need no idea whatsoever!

Coconutty · 06/03/2015 06:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

eatyourveg · 09/03/2015 21:52

6 out of 7 open days just booked, one place still not got any dates up for his chosen school - every other school showing that registrations are being accepted except his. Have to say it makes me a bit worried as its a much lower ranking institution (below 75th) yet consistently top 20 for the subject - just wonder if the whole department has been scrapped!

Leeds2 · 09/03/2015 22:50

Should DD be looking at booking Open Days now? Because she isn't, and I don't get the impression that school is putting pressure on them to do so.

AtiaoftheJulii · 10/03/2015 05:58

I think a lot of kids don't look at them until the AS exams finish. But given that some do clash, and some even fill up, it can be useful to look sooner rather than later. My dd2 hasn't booked any, but she's got a massive pile of prospectuses and is getting prepared in other ways.

Actually she was a bit annoyed yesterday: she was in France last week, helped in a nursery and has come home feeling really ill from all their 4 year old germs, so was of school yesterday. She got a message about a meeting for those the school have identified as 'high flyers' I guess, about Oxbridge and EPQs, and when she sent her apologies for not making it, got a slightly snotty reply about needing to see her asap because it's important. She's already been to a Cambridge masterclass and applied to two summer schools - it's great that the school are trying, but they need to be doing this stuff earlier. Shows you why some schools underperform when it comes to getting their kids into university.

eatyourveg · 10/03/2015 08:10

ds only booked them now because we needed to know when they were as they all seem to be at the other end of the country which means overnight stays and possibly a flight. He's asd and never been on a plane and I'm not sure its the best time to test him out on one so it might just have to be 5 hours each way on the train and that will have to be a super super saver as national rail are quoting the fare as £140 off peak!

GentlyBenevolent · 10/03/2015 08:19

DD1 has no choice but to be super organised - music open days are often very early. Especially for conservatoires.

The actual UCAS launch at her school is next week, she's the only one of u R friends who has organised any open days at the moment. We have massive logistics problems because of where we live, too, which doesn't help.

BrendaBlackhead · 10/03/2015 08:23

Ds has disengaged from the whole caboodle. The water is roaring down the river and I've told ds it's fine to pull himself out, sit on a rock for a while and then jump back in when he's ready.

He is, however, making some gap year plans (no orphanage building!).

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