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 he did, atia- just! Did yours?

Oh, very pleased! Hope it lives up to his expectations

Yes, ds's first choice of 6th form college was less demanding than his school I think. At least, they are only really bothered about maths and English and your A level subjects, so it was never too much of a worry.

Good luck to all those making changes!

DD will be about a 75 min drive away and come home for school hols and approx one weekend/part weekend a month, so it'll seem very quiet here.

To those who've been home schooled, one opportunity they will have is to meet lots of other similar aged kids and hopefully form some close friendships with like minded (I'm not saying they don't have good friends now by the way). Also, they're growing more independent now anyway (DD is already saying she's doesn't want to do a certain break with us next year and we have a friend whose son flatly refused to holiday with them after 16), so it might be they don't want to do every weekend break/holiday with the family over the next couple of years so you'll probably be free to do the odd thing as and when. I hope they enjoy their next experience in life.

Hope you're all coping okay with another milestone and whatever your DCs are doing, it works out well for them!

Sixth form college for a level 3 BTec for my year 12 daughter - she has an induction day on Friday and will start next Monday. She's already picked up her bus pass, valid from 1st Sept, so now she could technically go off anywhere with friends and not rely on my taxi service. The other two sixth form colleges in the area, where a lot of her friends from school are attending, start this week.
We've been stationery shopping and to Asda to buy the £6 black trousers to wear for her placements (any clothes are acceptable at college - literally!)

DS started at his sixth form college today having missed out on the induction day.

He went in mega early this morning to sort out timetable, ID, anything else he might have missed.

Luckily two of his close friends are also going to the same college.

He's doing Economics, History and Government and Politics.

First time for us, as DS is the eldest.

My stomach is in knots

DD2 starts at a new sixth form tomorrow. Only one from her present school going there as far as she knows. This doesn't worry her as she was the only one from her primary to go to her initial secondary too! It's the little things that are making her nervous - how does the canteen work, will I have a locker etcetera. She's making a list ready for enrolment day tomorrow, and plans to ask lots of questions. Good luck to all of our Y12s, - I hope they all have a happy and successful two years.

DS only knows a couple of people and there is no uniform at his new sixth form, which is part of a school 20 miles away.

He is on his way home and messaged me to say today was 'okay'. He is never a glass half full person so I am hoping it was actually pretty good. I will find out in half an hour or so.

Induction day today and lessons start tomorrow. I just hope he engages with it all 🤞

Just waiting for dd to get back from 1st day. Same bus journey and school since year 7.
She tried to wear her oldest ripped jeans this morning despite a shopping trip to Primark to buy respectable black ones last week Also she washed the new jumpers I bought for school with a belt that has left brown marks all over them. This is fairly typical dd. She always looked a mess in school uniform so the teachers will just sigh to see no change!

I'm feeling very sorry for the Drama teacher as it sounds like the A level won't run this year. Dd and 2 of her friends have dropped out of the A level as the GCSE results were lower than predicted/hoped although we have asked for a remark as she is 1 mark short of an A Think it is because they lost a period a week at beginning of year 11 when the head reduced all the Humanities, Languages and Arts' GCSE curriculum time in order to give more to Maths and English. So many staff are really fed up. Lower results will get blamed on their teaching even though it isn't their fault, and it will in turn reduce numbers choosing their A levels, and thus weaken their departments. So unfair.

I am glad my DS can't see this thread. He has to wear uniform and school tie in the 6th form and he nearly decided to go to another school because of it. Seems like he is the only one on this thread so far. I am secretly pleased because of the daily fashion show and clothes dramas, even though it is mad at their age.

DS is in tomorrow - same school but different uniform (more casual than the main school uniform, with a little more choice).

Main issue seems to be what to do with the stuff that used to live in his blazer pockets, and I am VERY glad to be rid of the annual dilemma of 'do I buy him the specific school trousers he is meant to have - in which he would look like a clown - or will anyone notice that he's wearing extra long extra slim ones from BhS?

Main school starts the following day. Tomorrow i think he might have 1 tutorial period, then into normal lessons, but I might be wrong....

Bertrand Very glad to hear about your DS - I was a bit concerned when I couldn't see any definitive statement one way or another on the GCSE threads (sorry, that makes me sound like a stalker!) so very glad it turned out OK!

Dd starts on Friday.

She's excited and keen. Bit nervous as it's a new school and she doesn't know anyone. School has a reputation for being strict and hard work so I think it will be a bit of a shock for her from a workload point of view as she's never had any homework in years and I reckon will get about 2 hours a night at new school.

Has to wear work wear so have bought a suit from m+s. she will have quite a long journey on train then bus to do on her own.

Nice stories here.

DD is staying at school sixth form, doing two MFL, History and Latin. Is currently considering changing to Phys, Chem, Bio and Maths. She's been undecided all along. She likes them all, and has equal ability at them all.

I think she should stick with the languages, as she is a good linguist. She seems to think that she is wasting her ability by not doing sciences, as generally the academically more successful girls at school are doing them. I have told her that not everyone finds languages easy, and that her choices are good solid subjects, and that she shouldn't doubt herself.

No idea what she will do at uni. I think languages, classics, history or law. If she sticks with her arts slant, I think Maths may still replace History.

She has also suggested doing five, as a fair few of her friends are doing five (one is doing six ), but I've stamped hard on that idea. She is a very hard worker, but not that physically robust, and I think five would be bad for her health. She needs a life too imo.

She has two more days to decide. Quite excited about going back on Wed. She's not that bothered by clothes, but has happily bought a new school bag.

Glad to hear that Bert, I'd been watching to see if you'd tell us.

I'd be to cautious to outright ask anyone in case there was disappointment. It's a vicarious pleasure to hear that the children of regular posters who I have been hearing about on and off over the years have done well and are happy and excited about their new schools.

Titchy I agree it's better to be have a bit of a wake up call at gcse than A level.

Just a bit worried he'll forget what it feels like and lose the early resolve. He's just very laid back and not very competitive. I can help him with support, encouragement and advice but I can't make him want to do it!!!

He's just very laid back and not very competitive. I can help him with support, encouragement and advice but I can't make him want to do it!!!

Exactly the same boat here. DS is just not that enthusiastic about it all. I have explained that is why people not as good as him will do better than him unless he steps up and engages in his learning. He replied "that is why I am doing BTEC instead of A levels isn't it?", I said yes. A hard conversation to have and there are many contributiry factors to why he didn't achieve his potential but his lack of engagement until the last few monthis of year 11 is a big factor in why he is where he is. (To be fair he had the choice of BTEC at amazing sixth form or A levels at a mediocre one and chose the BTEC).

I just hope and pray that he engages properly this time. First proper lessons today although typically Tuesday is his quiet day with only one lesson so he will have a lot of free periods to sit around in (knowing no-one).

Me too

Raskolnikov sorry, but I did chuckle to see that your dd is still completely undecided! I'm sure it's not funny at all for her, and I do hope she comes to some resolution over it. Maths, physics, 2x MFL? She's clearly going to do well whatever combination, and no point committing to a career as a scientist if that's not what she loves!

Pesky hope your ds's day went well yesterday - and everyone's dc who started yesterday!

Ds has a horrible cough/cold thing so he's feeling very relieved that he's not starting this week.

We survived the shoe shopping. Went to Clarks Village. Bought a brown pair and a black pair in ten minutes. Then a belt. Looked at football boots but decided his current ones are ok. Done. Blessedly easy!

Then came home and he tried on his suit with shirt and tie and shoes. He's a bit excited about the suit. I just hope it conforms to dress code. After we bought it we got an email saying nothing ostentatious. It's sort of Prince of Wales check but a bit more flashy. Would have fitted in any office I have worked in including a firm of accountants in the City so fingers crossed.

Thanks Atia! Yes the combination you suggest has been considered! We both regret not considering the baccalaureat, which is wider, but that would have entailed a change in schools, and she is happy where she is. She is sticking with her original combination for now, and has symbolically closed down the science route by taking the calculator out of her pencil case! Since she starts tomorrow, hopefully she now knows what subjects to do. Her German result was very good (20% higher than the A star boundary) so I do think that's the right option for her.

Hope your DS gets better by next week and makes a great start to sixth form.

DS1 starts 6th form college on Friday, A levels: Graphic Design, Media and Geography. He and I are excited about him going now, despite initial disappointment on missing out staying on at his old school.

He will have a 20 min train journey - a new experience! Shopping for new clothes here too- he suddenly looks very grownup!

Good luck to all the new starters!

Dd said this morning that she looked like a supervisor 😂 in her suit.
She has told her younger sister that if she someone bothers her to let her know - she is in suit and the children will think that she is a teacher, they both are at the same school!

Thank you everyone who was watching out for ds.I couldn't say straight away because he got a B in history, despite the school's confidence that he was as certain an A* as they had ever had so he had to argue his case....A nerve wracking few days!

Bertrand - another one here looking out for your DS! Mine starts at 6th form college on Friday to do MFL, History and Govt & Politics. He missed out on his school 6th form by 1 grade, and then they said they'd take him anyway, by which time the dust had settled (and my nerves were shot) and he'd decided he was ready for a change. He can now wear what he wants, call the teachers by their first names and will be doing a history course that he absolutely loves. He's a natural linguist, but history is his passion and I hadn't really considered the difference in the course content offered by the two places. That's what swung it in the end. We're still awaiting news on some GCSE remarks but they won't affect his place either way. This has been one of the most stressful fortnights I can remember! Best of luck to everyone's DCs on the next stage of their journeys - and thank you to everyone who posted such lovely messages to me on MN about my DS.

Glad things have been sorted out so well Cafe. There is such variation in history course - even once you've picked a board there are so many options within that. Fantastic that he's found one he's really excited about