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Secondary education

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Original poster

Parents of Year 11s - the end has been and gone

999 replies

BitOutOfPractice · 27/06/2016 10:59

The thread that got us all through the exams is now full so here's a new one to get us through the nervous wait for results

Well done to all our brave Y11s and wish every last one of them all the best

Link to the last thread

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 27/08/2016 19:19

TheSecond: DS1 has been wearing vans as school shoes since the start of Y10. He wears the black leather ones. I always offer this info on school shoes threads to horrify the uniform rules fetishisers on here. Grin

His school has a dress code for everyone rather than a uniform. DS will be continuing with his school trousers black/dark grey (primark) shirt and very occasionally a black woollen jumper (all with the vans). And a coat that he takes everywhere with him, like a security blanket (his HT has said he needs to give it up when he leaves so she can frame it and display it; it's a running joke).

StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 27/08/2016 19:20

Also driving lessons are terrifying. Ds1 has a summer birthday so he's only just 16.

MsMermaid · 27/08/2016 19:31

Dd has an October birthday, just before half term. She's surprisingly keen to learn to drive, considering her anxiety over most things. So I've booked a semi -intensive course for the half term, then she can have as many weekly lessons as she needs. That's her birthday and Christmas present, learning to drive, nothing else, the driving lessons are expensive enough.

needastrongone · 27/08/2016 20:40

Yep, it would be handy if he could drive himself to school. Bus far is £680 pa. He could take DD and her friend.

Although, that would mean buying and insuring a car, so unlikely!!

I did learn quite early, but was never so keen that I needed to learn immediately.

The 6th form dress code is very relaxed, considering how strictly the main school one is enforced.

I'm in the 'iron it yourself' brigade too!

FantasyAndHope · 27/08/2016 20:45

She irons everything else herself,
Gosh I didn't realise this would cause such a stir! Shock I would just like to see my child neat and tidy. She can iron and irons everything else but I take pride in appearance and I would hate to see her a bag of creases at school

needastrongone · 27/08/2016 20:50

No worries from me Fantasy, we all do what we feel is the right ourselves. Sorry, no criticism meant here. I bet it's a bugger of a skirt that is a pain to iron!

littledrummergirl · 27/08/2016 20:52

Ds1 is just 16 so he has to go on the bus this year. The plan is intensive lessons next summer Confused so we can save his bus fare and he can be more independent.

FantasyAndHope · 27/08/2016 20:52

need
It has 9 pleats in so even I struggle to iron it and DD is clumsy and if it's not ironed the pleads don't hang right.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 27/08/2016 21:59

DS2 has no uniform at college, I've just bought him some new jeans and chinos and some slip on shoes. He can't manage laces, too dyspraxic. I might get him some new trainers and elastic laces?

He enrols on Wed and I'm not sure of his start date yet. I think it's the following Wed but still not sure which site his course will be running at. There are 3 sites in different towns and we are hoping there are enough students in our town for the course to run here. In which case it's just a 3 mile bus journey on one bus. If it's in the next town it's two buses and 8 miles, which might be a bit much for him. Wibble!

He is 17 soon but the idea of him driving is terrifying. He has ASD and is very dyspraxic. Maybe we'll wait awhile...

StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 27/08/2016 23:13

Ds1 gets the (local) train to school. It's not very far but it is in the city centre. So even when he gets his driving license, he'd still be much better off getting the train. I suspect it might take him a lot of lessons starting next summer though.

He doesn't have the motor skills for laces either. If it had to be laced shoes I'd buy him a pair of camper peu with elasticated laces. But no one has said anything about his leather vans (slip on) and he likes them.

raspberryrippleicecream · 27/08/2016 23:50

I took DD to London for a post GCSE treat, and she got kitted out for sixth form on Oxford St. She has been wearing Doc Marten shoes for the last year, but is looking forward to wearing her boots!

Sept 5 the start here.

My older DS drive my 3 DC to school for the last year. WhatvI saved on bus fare paid the insurance and his driving lessons.

HesMyLobster · 28/08/2016 00:28

DD starts back on 5th September (a week after the rest of the school) They have a ridiculously fairly strict dress code which means "office appropriate" wear in the school colour scheme which makes it quite tricky.
I've been secretly buying bits over the last few months whenever I've seen something suitable, so had a reasonable pile to give to DD on results day.

DD has some difficult decisions to make - she can't do the combination of subjects that she wants.
(Maths, French, History, Drama)
Well she can, but only if she moves out of the "top" set in French into the lower group. She doesn't want to, mainly because she has a brilliant relationship with the teacher, but also because she got maximum UMS in all four units of French (Shock) so it would seem a bit daft not to be in the top set.
Her only other option is to not do drama, and do English Lit instead.
She was torn for ages between English and History, but never considered not doing drama.
It's her passion and she loves it. She won the school drama award this year.
But she was disappointed to 'only' get an A, when she had been hoping for, and predicted an AStar.
So now she thinks that if she couldn't get a top grade for GCSE, she'll have no chance at Alevel, and she should do the subjects she got the highest grades in.
Which makes sense logically. I just worry that she'll miss it. The drama department has been like a family to her and a huge part of her life.

I have emailed the head of 6th Form saying how disappointed she is and asking if there's any chance of a solution. But given the time tabling issue I don't think there will be. I don't know what to say to help her.

What would you advise her to do?

cloudyday99 · 28/08/2016 06:48

That's a shame for her lobster Would it be an option to keep up lots of extra curricular drama instead? But personally I wouldn't be deterred by"only"an A in a subject like drama. It's not like maths where you really need to have understood everything at GCSE to cope with the ALevels. The marking's more subjective in drama and she'd probably be fine at Alevel if it's her passion. Would it be that bad a thing not to be top set French? Presumably all the kids who choose it for Alevel are going to be reasonably good aren't they?

I'd not thought about clothing. The two state sixth forms that DS has applied to have no dress code at all, so that's fine. But the independent one that we've now done the last minute application to has a dress code of no jeans and shirts with ties. DS owns precisely one shirt, one tie (both bought for Yr 11 prom) and only his black school uniform trousers. And they start back FridayShock If he goes there we will need last minute shopping trip I think, but won't know til Wednesday.

TheDrsDocMartens · 28/08/2016 07:12

No uniform here and not back until 9th.
If we keep this thread going we can incorporate driving lessons, dd1 is 17 just before xmas so that's her present and try & get as many as possible during the holidays.

FeckinCrutches · 28/08/2016 07:12

Back on the 7th here. DD is still being flaky about going uniform shopping, will need to raid Topshop at some point. She came back from her interview with the pre course materials and notes and a bunch of work to hand in by the 12th, had anyone else got to have homework done already?

OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/08/2016 07:23

what were her reasons for doing Maths Lobster? Would dropping that ease her issue?

baringan · 28/08/2016 08:19

I'd drop the maths. It's the one most likely to cause an issue.

needastrongone · 28/08/2016 08:32

Yes, the plan for DS is to pay for driving lessons for his birthday. Job done, he's awful to think of things to get for him!

Don't let your DD drop her passion Lobster, if you can possibly help it, that would seem an awful shame. A Level's are a big step up, and her enjoyment and skill at the subject will help enormously.

How about Maths? I have heard you have to be pretty good to cope at A Level. Was she a secure A*? I am not being critical of her skill btw, just making a suggestion.

We may face the same issue, as the 'block' DS needs to take chemistry in already has 21 pupils (is that the right word for 6th form students?). Chemistry was a 'change' subject for him. We will hear in the next week.

Just need to get a school bag for DS today, he wants exactly the same one as he already has (broken), from Primark. Creature of habit!

needastrongone · 28/08/2016 08:33

I would love the thread to carry on pleeeeeeaaasssseeeee, it's lovely and supportive and informative too.

MsMermaid · 28/08/2016 08:35

Dd has homework for every subject. She started it yesterday. Each subject gave a booklet of notes/questions. She also has a maths test next week.

At my school maths is the only subject to give any homework for the summer. There's a booklet of all the algebra from GCSE that features in A level, with exercises, and then the back page is the but to hand in, which covers all of the content from the booklet. I'll be setting a test on all of that on their first lesson. The theory is that it sets them up knowing that they are expected to work on their own and not to expect spoon feeding, in reality I know I will be running sessions at lunchtimes to cover that content, as well as running numerous resits of that "Alevel ready" test.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/08/2016 08:57

no homework set here, but dd has been voluntarily working on her main subject partly for fun and partly so she doesn't get rusty.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/08/2016 08:58

MsMermaid, that sounds frustrating!

Icouldbeknitting · 28/08/2016 09:04

Lobster What does she want to do after A levels? Does that help the decision between (say) drama or English literature?

I'd have one sheet of paper headed "French with drama" and another for "French with literature" and get her to just dump her thoughts for and against down on paper. Sometimes having to form the words helps to crystallise your thoughts.

What would I advise her? I don't know her but if she got maximum UMS at GCSE I would have thought that her A level French outcome would not be put at risk by being in the second set. When she's applying for uni no-one is going to care whether she was in the second set or the first, it's just the grade that counts. If drama is her thing then why is she sacrificing that? Two years is a long time to spend regretting your subject choices.

Just when you think you've got past the difficult time you find you haven't.

228agreenend · 28/08/2016 09:07

Cloudy - why don't you do a Next internet order (or another store)? Also, if you look on the clearance section on the Next site, you can often get shirts half,price (as well as suit trousers, jackets etc). You can also return it if it's not suitable.

FantasyAndHope · 28/08/2016 09:18

No homework being set here. In one of her subject classes DD is the only kid! Hmm so
I suppose that will be really good and she will be able to get a top grade.
I did try and bug her into driving lessons she refused last year and refused this year. I can't make her drive it has to be her choice.
We've made a compromise she has to learn to drive next year though.