Year 12 / 6th form support thread

[minesawine]

The term is about to start and I though it would be good to have a support group to help us on our 6th form journey.

May the year be drama-free and our DC's study hard and without complaint

Yes, if she hasn't recovered shortly then I might get her checked out, as sore throat was one of the symptoms. But she didn't have glands up, and dd2 had something similar too a week apart and the incubation period is much longer for glandular fever. I think it was flu.

Reeling dd1's problem was the teacher thought the lessons were for not doing anything and then would tell them for homework they needed to research whatever and then they would have the homework the other sets had on top.
She was often spending 4-6 hours in an evening-which is partially her as she's a perfectionist and she wouldn't move on from each bit until she was totally confident that she understood it. Which is great in some ways obviously, but was coming at the sacrifice of her other subjects-and I think her health too.
Dh is a chemist and he said she was going into far too much depth at times, or getting upset because she said she didn't understand it, but when he talked it through she did.

Witchend - I hope the school management knows what is happening in Chemistry, it is so unfair for the students.

We had predictions at the end of January, parents' evening the following week. Predictions were based on AS range rather than A level, so was not possible to get A. Teachers were willing to tell us what they expected to predict for UCAS. Our school also has a positive/optimistic approach to UCAS predictions, so it is probably worth checking your schools do too if in doubt - would not be fair if some schools are using a different basis. It may be important - for example Medicine at Edinburgh, you pretty much need A predictions to get enough points for an offer, even though the offers are As.

Hi everyone. Its been ages and I hope all your DC's are doing well in their first year of 6th form. My DS has announced that he really hates it, his subjects are boring and he wants to drop out. I want him to keep going and finish his A'Levels and then take a gap year whilst he decides what to do. It is so hard trying to reason with my man/child who thinks he knows it all, but really doesn't, and I am so conflicted because at the end of the day its his life. I just don't know what to do. HELP. Any advice most welcome.

What would he intend to do instead? He does know he has to do something work or training related until he is 18? Could restarting in September be an option? I hated school by end lower 6th but did stick it out.

He doesn't know what he wants to do. Not a clue. He has a part time job and loves having money and they love him, but he doesn't seem to understand that a few hours a week is not the same as the day to say stresses of working full time.

I guess he would have to start again doing something different (don't know what) or an apprenticeship (don't know where). There is no logic to him quitting now, he just needs to get through it.

Minesawine - One of my DS's friends was bunking most of his lessons because he was not enjoying them. The school had some meetings with him and he has found an apprenticeship in computing, which he is really motivated for. He is happier and positive again. I guess it is about finding the path which suits you. The other possibility is to re-do Y12 with other subjects as the govt will fund 3 years of 6th form education. Most important thing is to make sure he knows you are listening and trying to help him work out what is right for him.

minesawine, just came on here to look for this thread. I know of a couple of boys who've become disillusioned with studying. I totally understand why you'd want him to complete his A levels though. It's a hard one. I wonder if there are any one year college courses out there that would suit him?

DD got herself a music scholarship at a private school, hated it originally and we had calls/messages every day wanting to discuss whether or stay. She ended up staying and loves it there. She's still making the most of music, but has changed her mine and wants to do geography/liberal arts for a Degree! She'll be getting her predicted grades soon for uni (although school are willing to review in the summer).

How's everyone else's DCs getting on?

I guess he would have to start again doing something different (don't know what) or an apprenticeship (don't know where). There is no logic to him quitting now, he just needs to get through it.

Conversely, there's also no logic to him spending two years to get mediocre grades that won't be much help to him.

I wouldn't want to make him stay for another 14 months or so doing something he really wasn't interested in. But he can't just drop out - if he did his research, applied and got accepted on e.g. an apprenticeship, would you be ok with that?

If he's serious about not wanting to do A levels, he's the one who needs to find an alternative. Otherwise he stays in school.

My ds is doing ok - has booked onto a couple of open days for May/June (although he says he hates open days - having been to precisely one, for his current sixth form college). Is much happier just doing his 3 subjects, even with me teasing him that double maths doesn't count!

Minesawine, my DD in year 12 is exactly the same, hates it but no idea what else she wants to do. I've suggested looking at more vocational courses at local college, apprenticeships, etc but she just shrugs.

Attendance is about 60% now, pretty sure they'll ask her to repeat year 12 but what's the point?

Atia same with dd1, she's happier doing 3. I can't tease her though as I did exactly the same (albeit with the waste of time General Studies).

Has he considered doing the Extended Project? Dd1's considering doing it at the moment. Sometimes she thinks she would love to do it, other times she thinks it'll be a lot of work for very little bonus.

I'm a bit put out to find they only finish the further maths syllabus two lessons before the Further maths A/S exams. And it was planned that way apparently.
Seems to me that it's scraping it very tight to the bone. Particularly as it's new spec and no one actually seems to know what the paper will be like.

She also got some questions home labelled "for revision" that they hadn't actually done the method of the particular ones they were doing. I worked it out although I hadn't done it before (thanks Google), but it wasn't the sort of intuitive step up from what they had been taught that would be fair enough.

She's finding the mechanics a bit tough, but I keep telling her that I did at that stage, but when I got to university I loved the mechanics and found it really easy. She doesn't believe me though.

She's booked 3 or 4 open days so far and is planning on going to them on her own or with friends, which is quite nice. I just hope she gets predicted the grades she needs for the unis she's wanting, especially with the last minute A/S further maths.

Sorry haven’t RTFT as so many posts but wondering if anyone has any tips to help a student who is struggling with an essay writing subject for A level? I’m sure they explain technique at college but it just doesn’t seem to go in and his essays look really basic. He’s bright in other areas - doing pretty well in maths for instance - but just doesn’t seem to grasp the subtleties of building an argument.

Btw witchend I agree with you about finishing the syllabus too late. My child had this for gcse and so revision wasn’t ever really revision but learning for the first time IYSWIM.

College is v different in that they seem to be pushing them really hard in year 12 - tons of homework since day 1, lots of tests, marking them from the beginning as if it’s a final A level exam. They’re all exhausted and coming down with colds, coughs, tonsillitis etc. But I think the strategy is a good one because they’ll have much more time next year to focus on exam technique, going over past papers, revising etc rather than just completing the syllabus. This is hugely better for those like my child who aren’t massively self-motivated or exam-smart. Those that are would do well anyway!!!

minesawine DC1 has yr12 classmates who are a year older having restarted doing different. It's not uncommon.

The IB workload is kicking in massively here. EE is done & submitted (like the EPQ). IAs (the coursework essays) are in full flow. DC1 is still loving all the subjects though and is happy despite working all the hours possible.

I'm a bit put out to find they only finish the further maths syllabus two lessons before the Further maths A/S exams. And it was planned that way apparently.

The exams do seem really early to me, I was trying to remember when the dds' AS's were. Ds said for his classes it's the further mechanics that will be finished last, think the pure and stats are basically done. He's not bothered, saw it as a good thing that he wouldn't have to revise it much as he'd have only just learnt it, lol. He's very laidback though I still think it's a pita that they're having to do them at all.

Son is at a VIth form that, thankfully, does not do ASs, but internal end of year exams instead. Maths, FM, physics & chemistry. He is finding the physics tedious, it does seem a like an extended version of GCSE with different topics and a longer formula sheet.

ds is taking maths A Level soon.

Thank you all for your really helpful advice and views. My DS went to see his Connexions advisor last week and she did a psychometric test on him and said he should go into Media. My DS has never shown the least bit of interest in media, is not creative or arty. I have been told about a test called Morrisby. Has anyone used this and is it any good. It costs about £90 but I would pay this if it is useful.

Or does anyone know of any other good career, study psychometric tests available for students.

Dc school use Morrisby, it sometimes throws up anomalies but is reasonably sensible.

Ds said for his classes it's the further mechanics that will be finished last, think the pure and stats are basically done.
I think that's the case. But dd1 finds the mechanics the hardest as she's already so it's panicking her a bit, she finds the pure and stats easy.

I remember finding further mechanics tough, but when I got to uni I loved the mechanics and never felt it got much harder than further Mechanics, but it did take a bit of work between the mocks and the actual A-levels to get there. Here they haven't got that luxury. It's particularly silly as apparently they spent a good proportion of the first term going over things that the whole class had already done.

DS' school did Morrisby too. I think we paid £30 for it. It suggested all the obvious careers for DS, given his choice of A-levels so I did just assume they asked for A-level choices and then suggested careers. If that's not the case and it's done on personality traits, I'm impressed!

DS is doing his Maths A-level one year early too LittleEnd. I hope it's the right decision and he'll get a good grade. His school offers it this way to those who want to do 4 A-levels i.e. Maths this year and Further Maths next year.

Does that mean they're doing the old maths A level? Do they have to do the new FM one next year?

Yes, they're doing the old Maths A-level, which I've just worked out means that there's no possibility of re-sits of any modules next year. (Because this is the very last year those papers are being offered.) And then they will do the new Further Maths next year which they haven't started yet and presumably will start in September.

In addition, DS has decided to re-sit one of his GCSEs this year, except it's not a re-sit as it's a new board. I'm a bit anxious but trying not to show it!

I thought you could do a resit of an old spec the year after. Maybe that's not a universal rule.

Good luck with his exams!

Yeah, you can normally but not anymore because this is the last year of the old spec.