Continuing Year 13: January 2016

[Needmoresleep]

Only two more terms at school. Let's support each other support our DC in getting through to the end.

We got confirmation that DD will get DSA today. She now needs to have a needs assessment - this stuff is just never ending! I really don't see how anyone based where we live, hundreds of miles from the nearest conservatoire, could have any idea of the support needs of someone with DD's issues who is attending conservatoire. Also her post 16 assessment included a needs assessment in its conclusion (though that in itself was general and predicated on a normal degree not a conservatoire music course). Still. It will be sorted. And she has been accepted - now it's all about what she will need and get, not whether she is entitled. And confirming entitlement was the key thing because that triggers all the college support mechanisms.

Uhtred, I agree that it is not just the assessment per se, but the access to college support mechanisms. DD has very slow processing speeds, but has thrived at sixth form, now she is not taking any essay subjects. University is a big step, and we don't know the extent to which her current coping mechanisms will be challenged. The current research (where I have just had brilliant help from a MNetter) is on Halls and which offer a reasonable social life but are quiet enough to allow her to concentrate. I am sure she will be fine, but it will help for her to have support and acknowledgement.

DD didn't have a choice of halls. There is only the one. And it's new so who knows how it will be. But it is soundproofed! (Obviously) so there's that. I'm hoping that the DSA will pay for Sibelius for her. And any other software she needs. But if it doesn't it doesn't. The key thing for her is understanding I think. And organizational support. Which does have a money price but not one she or we have to pay - access to it is triggered by eligibility for DSA which is now confirmed so really, she is sorted. I know her college does their own needs assessment for the eligible students once they get there, because it needs to be contextual to their particular circumstances (eg, DD1 will have to lug around a lot more crap (not a nice way to refer to £1000s worth of instruments but you know what I mean) than single instrument kids, and being dyspraxic and in particular an Olympic level 'dropper' she may need help with this). This is the sort of support that would have been so useful for her to get at school. Sigh.

You are right. Acknowledgement and understanding are really important. Both Dds secondary schools, she moved for sixth form, have been fantastic. And it is the small things that have made the difference. She no longer gets 70% on a class test because she only has time to finish seven out of ten questions, but is marked on the questions she completes and is allow to do the rest outside class. Teachers are aware of her ability to misread questions so don't jump to the wrong conclusion if she has a poor exam result. She was even (really cool) invited to speak to the staff room about the impact of dyslexia on learning.

We did not go to open days, so she did not get a chance to ask about provision. However we spotted that one University routinely videos lectures, so if her notes are poor she could watch and pause. Hopefully this will be available where she is going.

Well done to Bucking & Needmore's DDs for offers.

Hope all those needing support at uni will get it.

DS eventually realised the reason why he hadn't heard back from student finance was because he hadn't pressed 'send'. DH entered his NI no. wrong then found he couldn't correct it, think it's sorted now. I was trawling through bank & bs statements adding up minute amounts of interest & stressing that it would time out & crash - why don't they tell you you need them before you start rather than half way through?

Quite a lot of past papers being done here. DS has one 'sort of' friend applying to first choice. Close friend applied but didn't get offer despite v good results.

It's all past papers here. DS1 keeps quoting further maths questions at me which occasionally sound vaguely familiar but mostly sound like Greek.

DS1 is NT (though very geeky) but DS2 has ASD so the info on DSA has been useful. I don't think DS2 will go to a traditional university though. We've already ruled out school sixth form in favour of a rather more flexible college.

So far I've found that as the educational establishments have got bigger, the experience and knowledge of SEN has improved. Primary was better than pre-school (which was awful.) Secondary was better than primary and college looks to be better than secondary with a dedicated ASD coordinator. I would expect that universities would be very used to accommodating student with various abilities and disabilities. Good luck to your DC.

Most universities are very good on SpLD provision. The problem is that since the rest of the world caught up, a bit, SpLD provision has increasingly been linked to eligibility for DSA which isn't always the same thing as having an SpLD. In particular, some people neither want nor need to 'claim' (we would be in that boat, really) but you have to now, usually, to trigger eligibility for support in HE because it's how the HE establishment's funding is worked out. They can no longer afford to support kids without the money assigned for that purpose from the government. Or, maybe they no longer choose to do that.It's more transparent and it's more accountable but it isn't always in the best interests of the kids themselves, possibly - that's my worry anyway. And eg Post 16 assessments cost £££ so there's a hurdle in place now which some kids will fall at.

NMS Several of the unis DS2 applied to video all the lectures for his subject (while stressing that this is for revision purposes not lecture skipping). It was one of his criteria in making the final decision.
I'm surprised that it's not universal but it certainly isn't. At DS1's uni there are one or two lecturers who film but most don't. Some don't even provide lecture notes which was a problem when he was too ill to go in one day.

So, DS1 has to wear a suit to sixth form. It has made 'what to wear to the ball' a bit tricky. DS1 (geeky, fairly quiet) has found this! It's in the sale and cheaper than the posh shirt I was going to buy him.

EllenJane Wow!

EllenJane Ha Ha. He can't be that quiet if he will wear that in public .

And only £29.99 including a tie!

You folks are way down the line with offers being accepted! My poor DD is still plodding on with auditions it feels like this has been our life for all eternity.

She has had an offer from RADA to do the Foundation year today. Which is Fab. But she'd have to go through the whole audition process all over again next year to get on a three year course. Sigh.

Well done to Bucking's DD.
My DD is 18 today and has spent the weekend celebrating but was back to school yesterday. After a family meal out tonight, I hope she starts focusing on revision and exams. First exam (an Empa) is this Friday!

Happy birthday for yesterday, hellsbellissimo and good luck with the Empa.

DS1 has his physics Empa next Friday. He's already done maths coursework for A2. The whole concept of maths coursework is alien to me.

Thanks Ellen. Good luck with your DS' Empa. I have never heard of maths coursework either (and DD is also doing maths - I assume a different board).

Happy Belated Birthday, to Hells Junior!

The maths coursework is for OCR MEI board, I think.

DS1 had Maths coursework too, no idea which board
He seemed to think went OK. Physics Empa next Tuesday.

Thanks Leeds2.
DD is doing Edexcel. Maths is the one subject I am not worrying about unlike physics.
Physics Empa part 1 today.

Luckily DD was required to complete the maths coursework last term. There is still one coursework left but she tells me it is close to completion.

The first exam is only four weeks away. Poor DD has both the first and last exam in the timetable so she has weeks and weeks of it.

I love the suit.

Hello all.
Only 5 more weeks at college and DS leaves at half term on study leave. He's finished the curriculum in all subjects as of today so it's all revision from now on. He still hasn't got round to looking at accommodation but applications don't open until 5th May.

For those of you who haven't already got DC at uni there is usually a very,very long thread on Higher Ed about what-to-take-to-uni. Littlham has LISTS

We'll soon be needing a "Freshers of 2016" on HEd as well .

Not for me. DD has decided to defer her place. Its been a long year, not least because she was very ill last summer, and I think she just wants to catch her breath. The University are kindly allowing her to do this.

She wants to do a ski season then some substantive (medical) work experience. Ideas are welcome.

One small advantage is that she will get a chance to look round the accommodation before deciding.

I think that sounds like a good plan for her NMS and good on the uni for agreeing.
A young man I know was rejected by all his med school applications and so had an enforced gap year. He got stunning A level results and was offered a place at all four places he applied to post A level.
In his year off he got a (paid) job as a receptionist in a walk in clinic. A place that catered for all sorts from minor ops to occupational therapy to out of hours GPs.

Indeed, good on her uni for agreeing to defer.

The daughter of a friend of mind got a paid job in A&E for a year, before embarking on a nursing degree. I am not sure what her exact job title was, but something like auxiliary/nursing auxiliary. I know part of her role involved things like booking people in, but she did also get some medical experience.