Starting secondary support thread 2

[PenguinPandas]

Support thread continued.

Have a lovely summer. Have you got anything planned?

We have 3 days left and that's not painful at all Wednesday is sports day.

DS got his timetable in advance today - he's got same form tutor which is great, same English and history teachers which is also great. Both those have been amazing and last English he got an 8/9. Science still at war with and I called LEA in. LEA have told school what they are doing is illegal and so school are thinking of another plan, same teacher next year though. French, well DS has gone from 8/9 at start of year to a U largely as he's a French test refuser, did 1/3 of test and got 100%, been similar all year. They have put him next year with a 'Spanish co-ordinator' for French I presume this means he's in bottom set - I told him I wonder if she's a teacher or if she speaks French and he said its fine with me if she speaks no French and isn't a teacher.

DD got timetable envy as hers is not out yet and told DS he had the most horrible teachers in the school for every subject. She has been approached and told that music is oversubscribed next year and can some children who put it 4th like DD please choose another option. Lots of kids then declared music was vital to their future careers. DD then said well as its so vital to you I will change and do drama (she had changed her mind anyway but when she had chosen options before drama teacher said she recommended DD chose art or music not drama). DD has since improved at drama. Looks like she might have been moved to other half of year.

I saw Dobbins on the Goose and Carrot thread in SN chat.

hello, thought I'd drop in here to wish everyone a fantastic Summer.
and DS's comments witchend, he's got a brilliant sense sof humour there.

Wave @ Penguins, will probably see you around the G&C. I hope you get the answers you need from school, their approach is bonkers and bizarre, I hope the LA find a way to put them in their legal place.

DS2 finished on Weds. He's health seems to be improving nicely, though Winter will be the tell I think. The parents evening was just basic and rushed, seems to be doing o.k. Tendency to daydream in the subject he doesn't like (English) working hard in all the others I could get appts for. Got a couple of top in class certificates, not for maths even though DS2 finished top of class in the end of year exams etc. But they generally give to the pupils doing the Elite Scholar thing, as outside effort counts more?

Had a lot of struggles and woes with DS3's school , so that's why I've not really been on MN much and have just felt a bit generally clobbered by life at all angles! Even DS1's transport has been up the wall and we've had so many sagas it's just ridiculous. Looking forward to the holidays as I'm not sending DS3 back this term so we are good and done.

Hello again all.
DS is struggling with the start of the summer holidays - sleeping badly mostly. Hopefully he’ll calm down / relax in a few days. It was activity week the last week of term, he enjoyed the trip to a museum but the day at school doing DT all day less so. I had thought 2 busy days out would be too much but in hindsight that probably would have been better. Am planning to give him his first few days at home alone and over the summer, 1 day a week for 3 weeks. I won’t be far away and can probably get him into holiday club / work from home if the first one goes badly. Am debating whether to leave a packed lunch or just instructions. The rest of the holiday will be a mix of me, DP, PILs and holiday club.

Got as usual a bitty holiday with lots of things for each person, but little time all together.

All the children do one or more residentials, but none at the same time.
Dd1 has A-level results that come out the day ds needs picking up. I think she wants dh with her to help her think rationally if all's gone wrong, so I'm going to be travelling as a bundle of nerves. Ds has swimming lessons, and dd2 is going to be told she isn't going to spend the entire holiday on Discord. That's going to be a fun conversation.
However we have now acquired some budgies that can't fly, and ds is besotted with then, as is dd2. Dd1 was not impressed to arrive back (from first residential) to find them. However I found her sitting in ds' room talking to them because she thought they might be lonely. I think she has come round to the idea.

Interesting reports for them. Ds has apparently not always handed in homework in a number of subjects. He claims this is because he didn't hand in homework over the week his was absent (authorised) performing. I reserve judgement on that, I suspect he's just discovered they don't do much if he doesn't.
Dd2 has her lowest estimated grade for next year GCSE in maths. Which is interesting as she's top of the top set (never out of top 3 in tests), and we discussed this last term with her tutor commenting that either the teacher was underestimating to try and make it look like they achieved better results than expected or this teacher is admitting to seriously underperforming. Her tutor (unofficially) agreed with that. We've now passed this comment to the head of maths (not saying her tutor agreed). Hoping that they give dd2 a different teacher next year. Unfortunately ds has seen his timetable and seems to have this teacher too. I can see we might know the head of maths very well by the end of the year if they both have her.

Hope you are all having nice summers. Glad to have got there.

Got all summer with the kids. DD is going to France to stay with MIL for 5 days or so and DH suggested we go away too - DS was very happy at the idea of a weekend with no sister. So we will go to Torquay for a long weekend. Then have 2 weeks in Norway and Sweden.

Good luck for A level results Witchend We have mysteriously disappearing homework which is never the fault of the DC here too If your DD is doing that well in tests wouldn't worry about predicted grade, we have a few odd ones, normally correct over time.

So hot here, DD made the rabbit a paddling pool but he was rather unimpressed. He's happy though to have DD home. Cat has struggled, she fell in her water bowl 3 times one day when she was so sleepy with old age / heat but is now well enough to be grumpy when someone doesn't give her attention first. No timetable for DD yet, DH said he was told by TA they don't have all the teachers, kids told they got timetables muddled. DS seems to have 2 Spanish teachers for French.

Hi, sorry to crash the thread as I can see you all have got to know each other! My DS has a place at a pretty good school, not our first choice but it's fine. We really liked his form tutor and I was v impressed by the year head. Anyway, I'd written off our first choice but then there was a flurry of later admissions (one child lives down our road) and we are now 1st on the waiting list!! Part of me wishes we could forget it but we did really much prefer it and although my DS is happy with the school he has a place at he would still like to go to the other one. He has friends going to both. He doesn't know the waitlist position as I just want him to look forward to starting his new school. So, we will see what happens over the summer!

Hi Popfan Good luck on getting your first choice - we got our first choice for DD in July and then more places came up end August / first week September so would imagine you will get a place.

We have all got children just finishing year 7 on here (I also have a year 8, about to start year 9). You're most welcome to join here though think there is another thread running for new year 7s as well in secondary education.

Thank you @PenguinsRabbits that's good to hear. I really hope he doesn't have to start then change schools. Keeping my fingers crossed we hear something over the summer. I imagine no shows in September are pretty common!
I'll check out the thread for new Y7s. It feels such a big step!

Anyone up for a year 8 thread?

I think if we keep this one it's going to get confusing.

Yes I'm up for a year 8 thread.

New thread is here for anyone that wants to join: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3649336-Year-8-Support-Thread