GCSEs 2018 (15) The Reckoning

[mmzz]

thread 14
The next step of the all new GCSE journey.

this site is good for inexpensive suits www.dobell.co.uk

Also this Scottish company has been THE place to buy a decent, but not over-priced suit for about 30 years. I see they have expanded south now. www.slaters.co.uk/

Alternatively, there may well be a liquidation sale at House of Fraser's within the next few weeks.

DH has always bought suits in the ratio of 2 pairs of trousers and 1 jacket since before I met him. It makes sense that the trousers would wear out faster.

I’ve been recommended Debenhams for a wide range of choice and sizes in suits

Results day here is collect from school only, between 9 and 11.
DD so far has lots of social plans for the day, but not quite sure where I fit into any of it!
She and her friends are meeting for breakfast in town, then will all walk up to school together to collect results.
They are planning to open en masse either at the park next to school or at the closest house (not ours!) but haven't decided yet.
Then she plans to have lunch with her boyfriend and meet back up with friends in the evening.
Meanwhile I'll be waiting anxiously at home for a phone call!

2 years ago when DD1 got hers I was at work and hated it.
So I have the day off but now think I'll be sitting on my own all day which will be worse than work!
DH and DD1 are both away that whole week for work/work experience too so it will be an empty house!
You lot will have to keep me company!

Always an eventful holiday with a dog around!!

DD has kept all her notes/guides from GCSE for her A Level subjects (in case she needs them) and passed on science/maths/spanish to her younger sister.

I have paid to ship them all back with our other household goods so they had better get used!

Less than 2 weeks until CIE results - eek! DD too busy on her phone to care atm... If I tried to predict her results based on how hard she worked then or based on what I see her brain doing these days, they would be totally different. Will have to wean her off it for A Levels.

oh HesMyLobster that does sound like a tough day! There will be much hand-holding from all of us, I'm sure.

Slaters was definitely the place to go for prom suits, though DS3's colourful one was from Dobells.

I got DS1's sixth form suits from Next. They had a nice grey basic one for £100. I got an extra pair of trousers and washed them in the machine. It did start to look a bit tired after a year but he'd grown out of it by then. He had a blue one for Y13.

This sort of thing but the slim fit version for DS1.

www.next.co.uk/g67314s19#162063

DS has his suit for 6th form from Debenhams but we are going to get another made when we are in Thailand!

DD's Sixth form Uniform has arrived ...so I'm seriously hoping that on the 23rd August she has the right grades!

Bluebelle you have my sympathy - my last doggy visitor burnt his nose on the oven door so it was a vets visit for us (I wont go into the saga of the whole stay - but I havent had another doggy visitor since although Ozzie is coming to stay in October.

Im probably jumping the gun a little but I've read a few posts about Uni applications and predicted grades... assume DD's next exams in May 2019 (albeit not formal) will be just (if not more) important than the GCSE's given that these are the results that go on the Uni App?

I think buying smart clothes for 6th form would have been cheaper than DD's wardrobe of Gandys, Hollister & Jack Wills! I'm regretti g treating her to Bumble & Bumble curly hair stuff as well, because nothing else now compares.

DD took her history & geography revision notes/cards/timelines in for the teachers before the end of term as they had asked her for them. She says she has kept everything she needs for maths, but her history syllabus will cover totally different periods. We took all of her revision guides into school for them to pass onto anyone who can't afford to buy their own copies. The staff usually seem to know who they need to discretely "lend" items to.

Reservoir be careful where you go in Thailand for his suits and never accept first price. They ALWAYS hike up the prices for foreigners and it’s often cheaper to buy off the rack in UK (especially when on sale).
If you go the Bangkok Expats group on Facebook you can ask for recommendations from people who live there and who can give you an idea of what you should be paying.

I think dd is pretty much sorted. We spent a fortune on black leggins and jogging bottoms in sports direct along with a multitude opf sports bras and layer over the top black tops.

No more school shoes ever!

ReservoirDogs DH and I have done that before - had suits made up in Thailand (and other parts of Asia).
If you have not done it before then my tip is to beware when choosing fabrics. All of the ones there are summer-weight and they just seem far too "thin" from September to June when you are looking at them back in the UK. It seems different when you are choosing in the sweltering heat.
TBH, If i ever do it again, I'd take the fabric with me from the UK, and also I'd probably find a suit that your DS really likes and take photos of him from every angle in it because the designs out there are a bit different too.

Lucky you though. I wish i was going there.

Farangatang - thanks for the tips but we are seasoned travellers in Thailand. My Dh is an odd shape/size so he always does very well out there for suits and shirts too.

DS has his own style!

I will have a look at the Expats page though!

DS is sorted for next year too, if he goes to the selective sixth form. Its just t-shirts, hoodies, jeans and trainers.
If he doesn't get the grades, I'll be down at House of Fraser buying half a dozen shirts and another suit in their closing down sale whilst trying not to weep into the racks!

DS and I haven't spoken about the grades for 7 weeks, but we spoke this morning since its 3 weeks away. We seemed to have moved in opposite directions. He's gone in an optimistic direction since mid-June and I've become pessimistic. It just matters that much to me for the sake of his future hat he gets the place at the selective, that I just can't believe it might really happen.

DS was going to buy some T shirts today but ended up watching a film with his mates!
I have ordered the trainers he wants but that's my contribution to 6th form non-uniform done.
He has some ripped jeans that he loves and I joked that if he wasn't careful they'd be more rip than jeans but apparently they're very restrained compared to others he's seen. I slightly hope he isn't planning to wear them on day 1!

Reservoir that’s all good. I once paid 5000THB for a suit before I knew any better so didn’t want you to be similarly targeted.

โชคดีและช้อปปิ้งความสุข !

So DD casually dropped into the conversation yesterday that is no longer of thinking of joining RAF I mean I have no problem with her joining up but didn’t know it was a consideration......

She is still considering an engineering degree apparently but without science A levels it’s not impossible but limited... oh the joys of my DD

I once encountered a "F^%€=!g Tourrettes" t-shirt on a newly enrolled professional student (without the symbols). Classy.

DD already has perfected the more hole than denim look. I'm particularly fond of the skirt where the pockets poke out through the rip.

I've suggested DD should keep her lace up school shoes from Dune in case they come in handy for future interviews.

mmzz Every single one of us is with you on your DS getting the grades he needs. With your spreadsheet skills, his dedication & the power of the thread mums, how can he not get them?

3 weeks today!

If DS3 gets his preferred sixth form he needs school trousers, uniform polo shirts and uniform sweatshirt. It's a strange old uniform, after 5 years of blazer, shirt and tie back to a primary school look.

I've bought the trousers and polo shirts already in the hope he'll make the grades. I'm hopeful, so on the balance of probabilities I've got them in advance of the 23rd, but haven't taken the labels off just in case. I think it's given him a warm feeling that I'm confident in his abilities even if I can't take the labels off!

We bought shoes today as well. He's only a size 6 1/2 so finding 'adult' shoes is tough but he really doesn't want Clarks anymore. He can wear brown shoes for the first time in 12 years, so that's what we've got. They'll clash with the black school trousers, but oh well. Found some nice ones in Shuh.

Stickerrocks that's a really nice thing to write! Thank you!

I'm hoping that everyone on this thread gets what the want / need too. I feel like I half-know some of you!

Ellen black leather Converse are another popular choice for Clarks-free feet.

So close - lovely suit in TK Maxx for v. v. reasonable price. Jacket perfect, but Italian trousers just too tight on the old rugby player’s thighs - and that’s before he spends the next two weeks on tour.

I have had Tyrwhitt recommended for the boy with (ahem) larger legs...

mmzz It's true. All of you whose DC need particular grades for year 12 felt that extra bit of pressure during the exams which will have given them that extra impetus. Even in the (extremely) unlikely event of something going wrong, we'll all be here to reassure & advise, but for now have faith.