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

[BitOutOfPractice]

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

No work here. Dd even emailed her college to ask for a reading list but they didn't reply.

Now worrying it may be the wrong institution.

Not sure being the only one in a class is a good thing. Sometimes having others to bounce ideas off can be a great enhancer.

exit
It's a private school so small and no-one else wanted to do it. They may be people in September but there only expecting one if any. For DD I think it'll be a good thing so she isn't distracted as last year she was easily distracted by being surrounded by friends and did minimal work

She is the only one doing english history or RS. Gosh. If dd had stayed at her private school which is very small she would have been the only one doing Latin probably. But those three subjects are pretty mainstream. Is it rs where she will be the only one?

Sorry no she's the only one doing R.S I've just realised. No there's a large class for history and English. Only R.S that she's the only one. English and history I think are nice classes

Doc - Second set French at A-Level aren't going to be particularly low ability are they ,will need at least a B to join.^
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DD will be going to 6th form at the comp she went to before. Top set will be students who got A/A , other set will be those who got B/C, so there will be quite a difference in ability.

BOOP you're right, she will eventually have to drop something.
She just wants to make sure she makes the right choice for now.

Thankyou for all your words of help and advice - I will pass them all on.
It's very useful to have some dispassionate thoughts on the subject.

It's a terrible idea to study RS alone - an exchange of ideas and discussion is vital.

I'm also wondering why she needs an essay based subject. It certainly isn't essential for law indeed science subjects are an excellent foundation for law.

Feeling a bit cheesed off because I can't sleep, and suddenly remembered that they changed the six form entry requirements in year 9, increasing what was required. Ds would have easily met the old requirements. Can't get his dejected face out of my mind. You shouldn't feel sad with 5xAs. (Ds missed getting into six form by two points).

I think I feel a bit rejected and sorry for ds. He won't get to wear the upper school tie, and other six form privileges. These things have always been important to ds (he likes tradition, routine etc).

I know there's advantages to new school, it's nearer, although still academic it's not full of boffins so he may be one of the brighter ones etc, and will have its own traditions. However, I do have dome concerns about it also.

Ds had friends at school 1 but never mixed socially outside. He'll probably do this more with school 2 (already knows a dozen kids due to sports clubs, old junior school etc) so he won't be a total stranger there.

I admit, people were always impressed when I said that ds went to school 1, and I think I'll miss that (shallow reason). I also feel sad that ds will be loosing the Oldboys Network from this school which will naturally develop stronger in six Form (shallow reason no 2).

Sorry, hope the above is not too self indulgent. Don't really know anyone else in our situation, and sometimes it's hard being positive and upbeat about school no 2 when I still would like ds to go to chool no 1 (which he would be eligible for if re-marked papers one back upgraded).

I'm waffling in my tired-but-wide-awake state.

I'm sorry 228. Totally understand why you are upset. You had a certain path in mind and that had been turned on its head. Seems unfair. Hopefully he will flourish at the new opportunities and you will be back here soon telling us it was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Is RS Religious Studies? It's called Philosophy and Ethics here, I would imagine debate and discussion is imperative? Just something to think about Fantasy.

Not too self indulgent, I get that totally 228. I am sure things will be fine at school 2, but it's understandable to mourn the loss of a certain path you might have imagined, and be anxious of the unknown too.

DS needs to go back to school now, he's done too much lounging around for my liking.

That is tough 228.

Hopefully he will flourish somewhere he is top end. Everything happens for a reason.

I agree that RS needs a fair bit of discussion and debate, but I think the that can be achieved through joining discussion forums on the internet. I know at our school they have an RS group on the vle, but I'm sure there will be similar groups on the proper internet, it's just a matter of her finding and joining them. RS teachers are pretty good at playing devils advocate too, making young people think about their opinions and why they hold those opinions (unless it's a religious school, where me experience many years ago tells me the RS teachers spout the views of their specific religion - in my case Catholic)

228 I understand completely. I'd have been feeling just the same if dd had missed the grades to follow the path she's chosen. It's an adjustment that takes time to make, don't feel guilty for how you feel.

need dd is ready for going back to school too, since she finished NCS she's been lounging about in her room (which is a complete tip!!). I'm dragging her out today, we're going canoeing with 6yo dd2.

228. I understand too. His old school has been part of his identity for sometime now and it's hard when things get shaken up and you have to think about things a little differently. The where is your ds going to do a levels question may feel a tough one when people ask it for a bit.

I think that for many of us here it's going to be something that happens one way or another for the next two years. We all have ideas of what path our dc may follow and they probably do too. But AS and A levels are tough and some will not manage as well as they hoped and will have to make difficult decisions. In the end all will be well, but it may not feel like it at the time.

Thank goodness we have here to let off steam.

228- I understand too. Not self indulgent at all.

My ds might a sort of similar-ish problem next year. He very much does not want to stay in his current school for 6th form, but all the ones he wants to go to are oversubscribed and don't care for his school at all. So he has to absolutely nail his GCSEs in a way that none of his friends have to-either because they are happy to stay where they are, or they are already in the desired schools! So he is not looking forward to this year at all...........

Sorry to hear that 228
In regards to the comments about R.S I can't make her change she has a genuine love and passion for the subject so it would be wrong of me to say change the subject and make her choose a subject she would just be doing because I made her change
Tell me If I'm wrong but it's down to DD she's the one doing the learning not me

F&H, no you can't tell your dd what she should study. It is a difficulty with small 6th forms. Hopefully her school will point her to resources where she can debate with other students about the issues. Is there a debating club she can attend?

Think it may be a bit weird for dd to go from 30 in a class, down to around 15. Hopefully a pleasant sort of weird!

Fantasy - definitely up to your dd - and school would not offer the course if they didn't think it would work with only one student.
DS had was the only student for AS German and he survived and got an A, partly due to the teacher only having to cover the topics that ds didn't know very well and skipping over others that he found easy.

There was only 5 in the class last year. It's not a small sixth fom it's pretty average sized for a private school. R.S just isn't a popular choice. The teacher is old and is the sort to do everything by note last year very little debate went on but the R.S alevel students 4 last year all got A*'s? Every class he teaches comes out with top grades

lol! Compared to the average 6th form college size (around 2000 iirc) it will be a small 6th I expect.
I'm sure your school knows what they are doing.

oh
It's small compared to a state. DD is happy and that's all that matters imo

Thanks for all your kind comments.'mourn the loss...' Is a good way of putting it. I'll soon be on the new path and every thing will be okay.

Fantasy - I agree, it's up to do to decide what she wants to do, unless you feel it's fundamentally wrong ( now being a hypocrite because ds wanted to do DT for a-level but we deterred him as he's not a creative type).

DD moving from very small private (in her year) to huge sixth form.

I am anticipating lots of wobbles over the coming weeks.

228
If it wasn't a facilitating subject I would try and convince otherwise but it's facilitating and the alevel results are amazing for the department

228 I have an idea of how you feel. Since before the exams I had the different permeations going through my head, the what id's and more importantly how do I support ds1 in that situation. I know that I would have been gutted for him although his back up was the local grammar that still gets great results.
So don't feel bad about the way you feel, it shows you care.
In our house we say that you don't always get what you want but you get what you need. I'm sure that in time you will find out why there has been a turn in the road for your Ds and that the reason will be unexpected.