Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

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

Finishing Year 13 / Exam Results support thread (number 6!)

916 replies

Littleham · 17/06/2015 18:00

Thread continued for results day! Fingers crossed everyone.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
mumslife · 20/07/2015 18:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Leeds2 · 20/07/2015 19:07

Please don't take 5 bin bags of teen books to the same charity shop on one day! One to five different shops, or five to the same over five weeks. If you take them all at once, you run the risk of them throwing some away. speak from bitter experience

Glad that some of you are enjoying tidier rooms though!

sassymuffin · 20/07/2015 23:05

We have a local charity shop that has the upstairs set out like a book shop with wall to wall shelves but I was thinking of dividing it all between a few charity shops. I don't want them thrown out so thanks for the tip Leeds2

Very nearly finished and took 7 bin bags of rubbish to the tip Blush

DD does not need any toiletries for the next couple of years mumslife

mumslife · 21/07/2015 07:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Horsemad · 21/07/2015 10:12

Blimey, did anyone see BBC news yesterday reporting of a shark attack on a surfer in South Africa? Shock
DS is going diving whilst there... He'll be about 800 miles away from where it happened, but them sharks can swim long distances, can't they?!! Shock Wink

hellsbells99 · 24/07/2015 07:22

Hello everyone - hope you are all enjoying the summer.
Horsemad - I am sure your son will be fine and have a great holiday!
DD1 has kept herself very busy with holidays and working, and is currently away with her music group. We then have a week's family holiday. She is going to have a week at home then before results day ....and I think that will be a very long week. I am already dreading it. She is convinced she has missed her grades - I am hoping that her firm will still accept her if it is 1 or 2 grades dropped. I suspect they will take her 1 grade dropped but not 2 - but I have my fingers crossed. We went to have a look at her insurance choice again last week as DD2 was visiting it, and DD1 would be fine there too but again we could be relying on them accepting her with grades below the offer. She has announced she doesn't care where she goes as long as it is for her chosen course - which is the same accredited degree whichever uni you do it at......I just wish she had said that ages ago and then her insurance choice could have been one with a lower offer!!!

seimum · 24/07/2015 12:28

hellsbells - there was a bit in the paper today about how there should be lots of choice in clearing this year and unis are going to be offering inducements to candidates, apparently! Hope it's true.

And hopefully won't be needed.

Horsemad · 24/07/2015 15:06

DS moving camps today - 12 hrs on a coach!!
Encouraging news re Clearing, seimum!

Decorhate · 27/07/2015 18:56

Please tell me I am not the only parent secretly freaking out now in case it all goes horribly wrong?! Only 16 days to go or something. Wine Wine Wine

eatyourveg · 27/07/2015 19:23

decorate if you really are freaking out, ucas still have the clearing vacancies up until midnight so have a look on there to see if your dc's course appears, it can be reassuring if it appears to still have vacancies as it may indicate they would look more favourably on a dropped grade - if its not there, try looking for the insurance or one of the original 5, a plan B is always worth having as you don't want your dc having to face making a split decision on results day. Remember 9 times out of 10 it all works out fine.

NiceCardigan · 27/07/2015 19:23

Me too Decorhate I have to keep blocking it out of my mind.

Decorhate · 27/07/2015 19:48

Eatyourveg - she wants to do medicine so that won't be in clearing. However I had a quick look today & there seem to be plenty of Biology type courses around.

Horsemad · 27/07/2015 21:29

I've not been too worried about Results Day I'm kind of telling myself DS has not achieved his grades, so that if it happens, I will be prepared. Obviously I want him to do well, but I honestly have no idea how he's done Confused
I checked the other day and his firm is in Clearing, insurance isn't. Fingers crossed he's managed to scrape AAB...

eatyourveg · 27/07/2015 22:21

Medicinal Chemistry comes up quite often too

EscaMac · 30/07/2015 00:16

Hi All, new to MN...thought as seen as there are only 7 days until UCAS receive or DC's exam results and only another 7 until chaos ensues I would join and hopefully see that I wasn't the only mother worrying for her DC. DD gained great GCSE results and became completely complacent for AS...gained an amazing DDDU in The three sciences and Geography. After dropping one science she re-sat all her AS exams along with A2's...madness. She has been extremely focused this year. No other option than to pull her finger out and has fortunately has gained a conditional place at university. They obviously ignored the low predicted grades and focused on her personal statement and interview. However, I am now over thinking about the grades from last year and worrying that history will repeat itself. Anyone else in the same boat? ????

Decorhate · 30/07/2015 07:13

Welcome EscaMac! I think we all worry about the outcome on results day, regardless of predicted grades/past performance!

Horsemad · 30/07/2015 07:28

Esca - Yes! DS had brilliant GCSEs; very average AS levels, promised faithfully he'd work hard and re-sit them and do A2 at the same time and then just basically sat back and did very little. Angry
His mocks were dreadful. I nearly gave myself a coronary with the stress and shouting and as I felt DH enabled him, (he's way too soft with him, so I'm always the bad guy) that didn't help either.

So, we then spent a small fortune on a Chemistry tutor and now it's fingers crossed that he's got his grades. Amazingly, he got 4 offers from excellent unis - I still can't believe he managed that, tbh. Confused
I really have no idea how he's done Hmm I'm not too stressed at the moment, but I'm sure I will be as we get closer to 13th Aug!!!

Where is your DD hoping to go?

circular · 30/07/2015 07:38

Welcome EscaMac. Similar situation with DD1, did slightly better than expected at GCSE without too much effort. Then a combination of not listening to advice on how big the leap to AS was, a bad subject choice that she refused to drop early on and not taking well to independent learning. Also, has a weak area in her Uni subject which is compulsory at AS only So also ended up with a U for 4th AS, being a grade down in 2 and 2 grades down in the 3rd. Fortunately, with large discrepancies between modules, only resat 2 where she felt she could gain the most marks. Don't think A2 work has been hugely better for her, but she certainly put in more revision than last year. Also had a great PS, predictions 2 grades in total above her AS results, got all 5 offers which were mostly a grade in total above predictions.

So keeping everything crossed that she hits her firm choice, knows they generally allow a drop, but maybe not 2 grades, and maybe not a D in her 3rd subject, being an RG Uni. In her favour is that it's not the most competitive of subjects, and she has been offered a music performance scholarship there which may carry some weight.

It sounds like your DD has been very focussed this year. Good luck - at least only 2 weeks left to go. Is it a very competitive course she has applied for? Does she have a plan B?

sassymuffin · 30/07/2015 11:02

We had major panic stations here last night. DD casually mentions over dinner that she has had an email from her firm (last Friday!) asking for her to copy and send her GCSE certificates and AS level certificates asap.
Now this would not usually be a problem as I keep all certificates together in a cupboard in the living room. However we redecorated and got new furniture a few months ago and I give them to DD and told her to give me them back when the furniture arrived. She forgot to do that and I forgot to ask.
Anyway DD had put them in 'safe place' and couldn't remember where. I knew they where not in her bedroom as we had done the epic clear out last week, but I had nightmare visions that DD had thrown them out by accident.
Three hours later and sick with worry I found them really far back underneath the sideboard in the hall... apparently that is deemed a 'safe place' Confused

circular · 30/07/2015 11:24

Sassy surprised they have AS certificates. DD's school have kept hold of them till A2 available.

circular · 30/07/2015 11:32

DD also had email from insurance choice asking for anything not automatically listed from UCAS here.
Bit confusing, but looks like they get A level ones. GCSEs not included, so guess they need to be sent. Also seems that ABRSM Music not included, but TG is, though think they hav been requested separately.
Nothing from firm choice yet.

sassymuffin · 30/07/2015 11:36

Yes same here so DD has sent a statement of results for her AS grades that shows a breakdown of UMS scores on it.
I'm glad you mentioned that and its not only DD's school that didn't issue certificates.

circular · 30/07/2015 11:56

Just checked with DDs insurance re GCSE Certs - seem to be saying unless included in the offer, they don't need them?

sassymuffin · 30/07/2015 12:11

DDs GCSE results are definitely not included in her offer. I wonder why they have requested them? Oh well she has sent them by email and made copies and posted them too just to be on the safe side. Two weeks and counting...

EscaMac · 30/07/2015 13:40

decorhate you're probably right with regards to all of us worrying nearer the time.
horsemad DH is the opposite (He's the bad cop!) I too am quite strict but I think if you work hard you can enjoy a small amount of time off. DD on the other hand DD realised that she couldn't rest on her laurels and pushed herself to the max. So, in the end she was harder on herself than we were. Fingers crossed she gets the results to go to Newcastle.
circular not sure in relation to whether the course she has applied to has been competitive as it is a brand new programme within the civil engineering and geosciences department. She has only found one other person who has an offer for it. Hopefully, as it is a new course, they may be a little more flexible with the grades.
However, we (that's the royal we) like everyone else have plan B (insurance uni) and Plan C (swimming instructor) in place if she doesn't gain the grades.
I know she won't stick as she is a hard worker, (currently has 2 jobs to give her extra cash for uni and to take her mind off results day) ...I just think the jump from GCSE to AS threw her off guard and made her pull her socks up! Might be a blessing in disguise.