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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Continuing Year 13: January 2016

943 replies

Needmoresleep · 06/01/2016 13:25

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

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Dunlurking · 08/05/2016 11:40

I am easing up on the Maths Papers nagging encouragement Blush

We are having to postpone his 18th birthday party until all his friends have finished - so it will be 2 weeks late. Slightly concerned that it may be wild if they all see it as their end of exams party but there is another 2 days earlier so maybe they will get the wild behaviour and we will get the hangover results.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 08/05/2016 12:00

Another summer term birthday here. I think she will always be condemned to have exams on her birthday. Because of the length of the exam timetable, birthday parties do not seem to be happening. Or rather the boys seem to be getting together but the girls are staying at home. Quite a lot of her friends need A*s and are really having to give everything. Luckily she does not, but there is a level of pressure from not blowing it when you have an achieveable offer.

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EllenJanethickerknickers · 08/05/2016 12:32

Well, if they all do brilliantly we may have a quite a few on the thread going to Warwick! DS1 seems pretty relaxed. I'm sure he could be working a lot harder. He's been doing a lot of STEP (maths) past papers which have made his maths and further maths seem easy, apparently. Confused Grin

He's at his dad's this weekend but he's back this afternoon and going out with Network (18+ scouts) tonight. It's their prom next Friday. Getting it over and done with before exams start. They are all so geeky at his sixth form that they don't seem to have arranged anything post exams, too busy concentrating on exams.

LIZS · 08/05/2016 13:05

Anyone having problems loading the online Student Finance application form?

Northernlurker · 08/05/2016 13:16

Joining the thread as the exams approach. Dd1 has firmed Dundee for Medicine, done the finance thing and applied for accommodation. Biology and Chemistry Empas done and seemed ok so on to the exams now. She was complaining yesterday that she hadn't started revision early enough. We pointed out she was revising in February! She's very focused and pushes herself hard. Which is nice but means I put my energy in to getting her to give herself a break. There's always something!

peacheshoney · 08/05/2016 14:57

D's hoping for Cambridge for maths.after lots of dithering decided he would rather insure Durham than Warwick as it is much closer and he really liked the feel of the place.not enough STEP practice going on for my liking bit I am.not going to nag
Ithink our job is to alleviatd stress not add to it.

hellsbells99 · 08/05/2016 19:10

DD has the written Empa papers this week in physics and chemistry, and then maths FP1 next week. She is suddenly revising very hard!

SecretSquirrils · 09/05/2016 14:07

As all curriculum has finished DS is just doing revision at college as well as at home. Last week his Chemistry teacher set them a mock which apparently made headlines last year it was so hard. I think that anticipating the impossible meant it wasn't quit as bad as he feared.
Accommodation opens this week so he can get that out of the way. They don't confirm which you get until after results day.
Things are much less stressful this time round. Two years ago DS1 was aiming for maths at Cambridge and the pressure of STEP was immense. Certainly he spent far more time on STEP than on any of his A levels. (He missed his STEP and went to his insurance).
For those headed to Warwick, I seem to recall that when DS1 applied to Warwick the accommodation didn't open until June. He got his second choice of accommodation even though it was his insurance.

hellsbells99 · 09/05/2016 15:51

Secretsquirrels - I think there was a hitler YouTube video posted after chem4 last year! My DD1 did the paper and survived ....just.
DD2 sat her maths C4 mock the other day (again last years paper) and was shocked how much harder it was than previous past papers. Do you think this years' papers will be harder again?

Secretsquirrils · 09/05/2016 19:18

Ah yes that Hitler clip Grin. I've seen it remastered for all sorts of exams including a STEP version.
Do you think this years' papers will be harder again Good question. Obviously the new A levels started this year are intended to be tougher. I get the impression that the existing ones have been getting gradually harder each year but there were a number of science papers last year at AS and A2 that were unexpectedly different and caught students by surprise.
DS's teacher said there is nothing on that paper they don't know, it was the style of questions that had changed.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 09/05/2016 19:55

The first paper is done. CIE Biology. Not easy but not too hard either apparently. A long way to go, but it's better if the first one is not a stinker.

DD is taking five which oddly relieves the pressure. She only needs to do well in three, and her offer is reasonably generous about which three. If the exam timetable had been more compressed she might have dropped one, but she will have biology over by the end of this week, and the rest are pretty spaced out with some before and some after half term. Next up is lots of maths past papers, which she prefers to revision proper.

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hellsbells99 · 09/05/2016 21:47

DD2 has just said only 13 papers left 😁

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 10/05/2016 09:36

That sounds a lot. DD has twelve left, despite doing too many subjects. Apparently the last coursework is now completed, which is a relief. Having the exams start alerady helps, as it gives a focus. She now needs simply to revise for the next paper, whilst doing enough to keep the other teachers happy.

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hellsbells99 · 10/05/2016 14:48

DD now has 12 left - but I don't know how this morning's paper went yet.
I let her come home yesterday after the morning exam so she could carry on revising for today's exam - unfortunately they are not on study leave yet. Her next exam is next Friday and I have told her I am happy for her to take time off school to revise if she feels it would benefit her. She still needs to attend physics lessons though as they have not finished the course yet 😒

UhtredRagnorsson · 10/05/2016 16:37

Blimey. DD1 has 4 papers in total. Including 1 which is a redoing of her composition sleeve note from last year. She has had a lot of coursework though, plus she is only doing 3 A2s (she already has one, plus one equivalent (as far as her offer is concerned) - grade 8 theory.

BethanKate · 10/05/2016 20:59

Didn't think DS had many exams but just counted & thirteen papers including STEP 2 & 3. First two exams before study leave starts but they're extra Maths papers he's chosen to do. Week beg 20 June will have an exam every day. All courses finished now so just revising & doing past papers. Maths & Physics going well but last Chem paper not so good.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 10/05/2016 21:10

We have chanced on a solution to the study leave problem. It does not start for another couple of weeks though DD is able to take the day off before an exam. (Though she needs to go in for one subject where they are still finishing the syllabus.)

Our builder, who was asked months ago, has suddenly turned up to do our boiler and bathroom. (You never argue with a London builder, and there is every likihood it will take forever as he is bound to be on two jobs at once.) DD has therefore been able to negotiate being on study leave in the school library rather than at home. I can understand why they would not want gangs of pupils not in lessons wandering around the school. DD luckily has been allowed to be an exception.

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BethanKate · 11/05/2016 16:05

Good news Needmoresleep - both about study leave & that you're getting building work done.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 11/05/2016 17:08

Or just a case of taking all the stress in one hit!

I want my empty nest to look nice.

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EllenJanethickerknickers · 12/05/2016 15:42

DS1 only has 9 papers, 6 maths/further maths, 2 physics and just the one STEP.

It was his last proper day and they all wore their Y11 uniforms today, (those that still had them) from their many secondary schools. A nice tradition but just as well that I have DS2 and 3 or I'd have parted company with his blazer by now.

LIZS · 12/05/2016 15:58

Ds has 6 papers, one AS resit before 1/2 term one just after, then 4 A2 papers over 2 weeks.

Dunlurking · 12/05/2016 16:52

Ds has his last day Monday when they all go wild. Lots of farmers' children so chickens are often let loose around the school.... Staff Room etc

Think they have spent the last few days being fed cake and ice creams by all their teachers - I don't remember any of that in my day Envy

Needmore I like the idea of making the empty nest look nice. I'm going to start saving!

raspberryrippleicecream · 12/05/2016 17:45

Ten papers for DS1, not counting the Empa already done. Six for Maths/FM and 2 each for Physics and Geology

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 13/05/2016 11:59

Now eleven...apparently yesterday's paper was fine. (Exams are always "fine" in our house even the ones they don't do well in.Confused) Apparently its a weird mark scheme so it is difficult to know how you did.

Maths S1 next, which is better as revision is past papers. And nothing else before half term. I like the way DD will emphatically cross out each exam the timetable which is pinned up in the kitchen.

I like the sound of chickens. I have been baking like crazy as here it seems to be students feeding the teachers. Though if they are lucky a teacher will bring in a tray of coffees from Costa.

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Sotaku · 13/05/2016 12:36

Just catching up with this thread. DS firmed Birmingham which offered him an unconditional so he's going there. It was his favourite, especially course wise, so he's happy. He's applied for housing. We've done the finance application and he's had the loans confirmed. He just has lots of revision and exams, though feeling less pressured thanks to the unconditional. I suppose next up from my side of things will be the shopping for uni supplies. I'll have to take a look at that thread mentioned in another post. I really need to spread the spending on that to afford it.