Starting year 13 2016

[HSMMaCM]

Continuing from the year 12 - 13 thread.

Good luck with continuing studies, uni open days, driving tests, etc.

Grrrr. So hacked off right now. Just spoken to examinations office about dds PE remark. And guess what? Despite having her medical papers since March, they didn't send them to the exam board for special consideration. They are sending them off today for late consideration before her theory paper is remarked!
Could I ask you lovey people to cross your fingers for us

Fingers and toes crossed for you dingit.

dd3 is starting to put more thought into the application process. She is going to have a look at the maths and physics departments at Bath University on Saturday. She can take the train to that one by herself as we are relatively local.

dh is driving her to the Warwick one so that means I don't have to go to any more. Hurrah!

All crossed for you dingit. How annoying.

Faire, I think DD has asked all her teachers already - key information for deciding which to drop!

Thanks littlehohum. Bath was lovely. High grade requirements though

Started the fight I've been having for the last three years about DD having extra time. Response: she didn't have extra time for her GCSEs or AS levels, so it's not her normal way of working !!!

They have conceded that due to the overwhelming medical evidence that they've had all along, she can have respite breaks. She has said this will help and is happy with the compromise.

I just have to try and get past the below expected grades for the last 3 years now.

And fingers crossed for Dingit.

Dd2 has just started Y13 and got her timetable today. She's doing Geology, Geography, Physics & Chemistry. However there's a timetable clash. One Physics lesson is at the same time as Geology. School have told her she must attend Physics & miss one out of 4 Geol lesson a week. Geology is her favourite lesson, and her best (probably only) chance of an A* and the one she wants to study at university. Physics is a much weaker subject. I don't know what to advise her. If she doesn't do so well at Geology she might not get the uni she wants bit she doesn't want to drop physics which is what I'd probably do. Why do things have to be complicated?!

That's terrible So sorry for your DD Rooby.

How many Physics lessons does she have Rooby?

I wouldn't be happy at having to lose a lesson a week in my best/fave subject

Just looking at the lessons again Rooby - are they hour-long lessons? So 4 hours for each subject but she would just have 3 in Geol?

Thats a PITA Rooby. On the other hand, not everywhere even does Geology - I'd guess that there will be other applicants to her courses who have (some of) the other three subjects. But if the standard offer for the course she particularly wants includes A* then losing a lesson a week isn't good news. Has she discussed it with her geology teacher yet - does s/he think your DD will cope?

One suggestion Rooby. I have no idea how a school / teacher would feel about this idea, but could she get one of those recording devices and get a friend to record the other lesson?

As long as she is organised it would mean she wouldn't miss anything.

Yes there should be 4 hours per week of each subject but she'll have 3 in Geology now. She hasn't spoken to the Geology teacher yet as he only works a couple of days per week. He's actually delayed his retirement to teach dd2 because she's so enthusiastic about the subject. Perhaps he'll be able to come up with something. I think it's unreasonable of the school to impose this "solution" on the hoof without discussing it with everyone involved. If all else fails that's a good idea LittleHoHum. A* isn't a requirement. I think A is the highest she'll need but even that might be out of her reach if she misses 1/4 of her lessons. I feel like we're going to have to pay a tutor to make up for something school should be providing.

Rooby, is she the only Geology student? If so, and he has a suitable free period when she is also free, he might be willing to teach her then?

On another tack, DD has 5 hours of each subject a week and Rooby's DD has 4 hours of each one - how does that compare with your DC?

I think we touched on this upthread but my DDs splits the difference with 9 hours per fortnight. Thats the most that can be fitted into the timetable which allows for some of them to to 5 subjects (they didn't have to do 'enrichment' in yr 12)

5 subjects?

Actually, I think I might have got the 4 hours per subject per week wrong. I think it depends on the subject and Geology is 4, Physics 5. I haven't got a copy of the timetable (and have forgotten my school login for the 20 billionth time ) so I can't check the other subjects. DD is doing 4 subjects plus conversational Japanese which I actually think is too much, but she's very stubborn and doesn't want to drop anything. Some high flyers will be doing 5 including Further Maths but the norm is 3 now.

So it would make sense to miss one of the Physics so there are 4 of each?

Thank God DD was able to drop 4th at AS!

Yes, 5 tends to be a few and usually includes double maths or maths, 3 sciences and something else. Not that many doing that for A2, most are down to 3 now. I do think its a shame that the way offers are often structured means that kids may be advised to drop one if the prediction might be eg A*AA versus AABB, grades rather than breadth - A levels seem to be too much a means to an end (uni place) rather than an end in themselves (learning!)

Dd's just called me. After talking to another member of staff she's been moved to different groups for a couple of her subjects so she can fit everything in. She's sad to leave her familiar groups (and loose a 3 early finishes) but hopefully she'll adjust. I don't know why she was told by the administrator yesterday that the only option was to drop a lesson

Rooby I'm relieved for your daughter.If a school had said that to my dd I would be doorstepping the headmaster until full lessons resumed.
Errol I agree with you there.I still wish dd had done a Langage at A level as she did 4 at GCSE and did brilliantly .But she was indoctrinated by her school to do 3 only.I currently don't have much faith in the school as their exam results were terrible this year.
Anyone know anything about Cats?Dd2 has to sit a Scholarship exam for year 9 entry.Can we practice similar questions anywhere ,as dd last did 11+ type questions 2 years ago.

4 languages at GCSE There are clearly some very able DC on this thread!

I will ask DH, but I think they are used as a predictor of future achievement, so if you could practice, that would kind of invalidate the results IYSWIM?

DD has 5 hours for each subject. She seems relieved to have dropped her 4th subject, but one of her friends is continuing with 5.

Rooby - whew, that's good news. I'm sure she'll be fine with the new groups, some/most are mature enough to be beyond cliques by this stage. Pity you had the worry, but TBH timetabling must be a fantastically complicated task to get all the combinations not just for the one year but bearing in mind teachers have other years to deal with as well.

I know they are BigTillyMint but this is for entrance to a New School and I'm sure the other applicants will be familiar with the test.It would be different if it was testing within her class.Maybe I will see if there are13+ vr & non-verbal in the 11+ ranges.