Year 11 GCSE support thread 6 - exams and proms

[HSMMaCM]

Good luck to those still taking exams.

Word how lovely! I often have one child away, sometimes two, but never all three. A weekend away must be bliss. Oddly it seems harder to do with 2 teens and an almost teen than it was when they were small as I'm not comfortable leaving DS1 in charge for that long, but I don't think he'd accept a babysitter.

Hair done, tick.
Managed to buy a clutch to match her dress in the 10 minutes I had between pick ups, tick.
I have permission to take photos.

Nails done eyebrows done DD says it's the most painful thing she's ever done. She's packing, because tomorrow's schedule is :

Hair
Corsage
Prom friend's house
Pre prom
Prom
After prom
Sleepover

So I do taxiing, photographer and have a free evening benefit of an only child

Oh ... Forgot sixth form enrolment

Hi all. DS1 has done his two days of sixth form induction. He has had a sample lesson in each subject. he wants to change his choices already.

The 'smart business attire' seems to have been taken all different ways. Apparently they are allowed out at lunchtime so there were about 150 of them in the local supermarket buying a bottle of pop each today.

What is he changing Sparkling? DS has decided against History and is going to do Further Maths instead, I think.

German Horse. He thinks it may be too big a leap. I am not overly disappointed, we had the discussion about how hard it would be months ago. But what to choose instead? To go with his History and English.

DD changed her choices during induction days too Sparkling - but she's been planning to for a while and I think now is quite a good time to do so. Her school have definitely given the impression that they're not set in stone just yet, and for example it's also possible to change them after results if necessary or you feel you'd like to. They'd rather you stuck with them after the first week or so into term though. But I think it's great they've made it clear to all that at least for now changing is entirely possible.
Getting there with the prom dress. I've seen it and she's found one of her nice shawls/scarves to wear with it. We tried to buy a black bra this afternoon, but are going back tomorrow for part 2 of that mission as we ran out of time today.
And DD told me all about her induction days, sixth form, and A level taster lessons today, in quite some detail. Was lovely that she wanted to share it all with me "So we can be on the same page - more or less"

DS is wondering about his choices too, specifically Computing because of the statistically low grades both nationally and at the college he's going to. ICT is less interesting to him but has much better results.

One of the sciences Sparkling, or PE maybe? Does he have an idea of what he's like to do after A levels?

Does the school offer Politics, Sparkling? I think that would be a good combination. what do I know, I did sciences Economics? Business Studies?

What about Geog Sparkling?

*OddBoots, what does your DS want to do and what else is he taking?

He's not sure Horsemad, he likes numbers, he is looking at engineering, finance and surveying. He's taking Maths, Further Maths and Physics A Levels too and a C&G in computer aided design.

he didn't do GCSE geography so has ruled it out Horse. I think IT/Business would be good and YY Economics or Politics Woolly, he should think about that.

Chemistry is on his list because he loves it and he's good at it but it doesn't fit at all.

he did mention Psychology and I may have winced.

And no idea whatsoever what to do post A Level the only thing he has ever mentioned is Journalism (boooo).

On Monday DS is going to sixth form induction at a school which has no point asked about SN. DH didn't think to say anything when he took DS for the "interview".

Not sure whether to phone tomorrow and point out DS is on the autistic spectrum.

DD is wavering between biology and chemistry, but doesn't want to do both.

Blimey, DS has just this minute said he's sticking with History AND doing F Maths but now contemplating dropping PE

It changes in the blink of an eye.

Horse he sounds like DS1. I think he will change his mind again on results day then again when he starts 6th Form. The staff doing the timetables will be thrilled.

I was a bit sad because he has been asked to move Tutor groups. They do vertical tutoring and in one tutor group there were no Year 12s so DS1 and another girl have been moved into it. He has been in his since he moved to the school at the end of Year 8.

LynetteScavo - I'd call.

I went with my ds to see the sendco at the college yesterday, he has hypermobility as well as 'ASD traits' (he didn't want a diagnosis, getting a letter from the ED Psyc about his traits was our compromise) and the college have put things in place for both things including lunch and study groups for children who identify on the spectrum, extra transition and tours between now and starting and later on specialist help in terms of university and career planning.

I did wonder if colleges would be at all interested in his additional needs but they couldn't be more helpful, hopefully that is normal these days (it certainly wan't in my day).

DS thinks it will be hard to achieve an A in PE because footballers score notoriously badly on the practical part, especially if they don't play for an Academy or the County team. This would mean he'd have to work flat out on the theory to improve his grade and it's very sciencey - not a fave of his.
He's just about to Google entry reqs for Sports Science/PE teacher courses at uni.

This is giving me flashbacks to DD1 she stumbled round the sixth form fair trying to find 4 subjects that she wanted to do - AND still changed her mind two weeks in. She ended up enjoying History so much that she did a degree in it, despite it being one of her "what else can I do" subjects.

Sparkling perhaps your DS was asked to move tutor groups because the school knew he was mature enough to cope with moving and be a good role model to the lower years.

Sparkling I am giving you a Paddington hard stare DD is planning to do History and Eng Lit with Economics and Psychology! But agree with Woolly about why he's been asked to move.

Horse that's intestine re the footy at A level. DS is 2 years off GCSES but it's worth thinking about - he is a footballer, just wavering on Academy standard *has been scouted for 3 or 4 U14s but not signed. DH says BTEC Sports Science (I think!) has a good reputation.

Sparkling, if your DS is interested in Journalism, then maybe doing a science would be quite a good idea - specialist science writers aside, too many journalists seem woefully illiterate. Or maths (Journalist who Understands Statistics would be a headline of itself ).

Oddboots, what's this about computing grades? Not that I want to put my DD off it now that she's decided that she does want to do it (with the maths/fm and physics too) - the one statistic I do know about it is that girls doing it are ridiculously rare.

Anyway - we're up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to take DD to a couple of open days -B'ham tomorrow and Loughborough on Saturday. I wasn't supposed to be going but DH isn't sure he can walk (certainly not at DD's speed) very far at the moment (hernia, poor man) and parking at B'ham is bad, so I may have to drop them and park some distance away.

I am quite open to having my mind changed about the Psychology if you will pardon the pun. i just wish he had 4 definites and wasn't doing all this pondering/dithering. His mates seem to be all Maths/Science.

Hadn't thought of them picking DS because he would be mature enough to get on with it. Could be I suppose...

I laughed because he will be the scary 6th former that he was worried about in Year 8 now.