Corona Cohort’s Year 12 adventures

[FoolsAssassin]

We’ve made it into year 12 and rapidly approaching the end of the first half term .

Lots of challenges we could never imagined as we started the year but we’re all keeping on keeping on and this thread is for anyone who would like to jump on board to share the rather unusual journey this is turning out to be.

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Year 12 assessment week for my DD this week. She said most people get Us at this stage. Is that true?

It depends on how they assess.

Seemed only those doing Chemistry got the super low grades at DSs school, everyone else seemed to get roughly in the region of marks received this past half term.

Been lurking but felt it is time to jump in. My DS has just been diagnosed with dyslexia and his tutor has said he should also be assessed for ADHD. He has been suffering with dreadful anxiety for the past few months.
He started off with three A levels, Maths, History and Economics. Maths brought on a total meltdown and was switched to Psychology, which has been great. But then Economics became impossible and led to the dyslexia being assessed and diagnosed.
His anxiety has led to hallucinations one night and muscle spasms and twitches. He is quite isolated due to the blended learning at college, and the college football team has also stopped for now. He is in a band, but they can't meet to rehearse.

I am speaking to GP tomorrow and will ask for referrals if they think its appropriate. Luckily we have Bupa cover so that might speed up help.
All this from a boy that was described by teachers as a model student and who got 7 x grade 7s at GCSE. Needs help more than ever.

@Fern204 that is such a rough start to sixth form! Hope things improve soon, there are people on here who can give you more practical support, but we all feel for you and DS.

Sorry to hear about your son’s struggles @Fern204. My year 10 son has ADHD, so I know a bit about what that entails (although my ds has never been the model student!). Medication hasn’t suited him unfortunately- it made him feel low- but we haven’t been able to explore different types due to lockdown. I can imagine if he’s always done well but he’s now finding the extra demands difficult that could really trigger anxiety.

Dd got a D in her latest Psychology test after getting a C last time but apparently these sort of marks are normal at this point.

Fern204 hi, and I hope your ds gets the help he needs - it's amazing how far a child can go through school without anything being flagged up sometimes (not necessarily blaming schools, as there can be all sorts of reasons for this)

DS got a B (nearly an A) for his Computer Science assessment and an E for Physics! Quite a few U's and highest mark was a C in his class. He knows that he needs to put more effort in.

Thank you. We had an initial assessment done but it turned out to be an unqualified assessor. College have given him a study skills support session but we need to get a full assessment done next week before we will have all the recommendations to help him properly.
He has dropped Economics so he can focus on 2 a levels this year and is planning to do a BTEC next year to make up UCAS points.

hi @Fern204 sorry it has been so tough for you both. Things seem to be moving in right direction?

Can he start the BTEC now @Fern204? I think the balance of A Level(a) and BTEC is a good idea, and I’m thinking of similar for ds when the time comes.

@crazycrofter He won’t start the BTEC until next September. This year will be learning skills to manage the dyslexia and helping to overcome anxiety. It’s been so stressful for him, he needs a lower level of work to get back to feeling good about things.

@Fern204 - that sounds like a tough start for your ds. My ds has a dyslexia diagnosis and an ASC diagnosis only 18 months or so ago. It really helped him to understand and be tolerant of his own needs and not blame himself for things he found hard and others could do easily. P So for us - whilst the diagnosis didn't bring much change in terms of the schools provision (they'd put things in place already) - it did really help.

I am consciousthat I don't know much about what's happening for ds in terms of mocks etc: the school is pretty good at ongoing assessments, but I missed the beginning of year virtual presentation so I haven't internalised what's going on ;-) I need to check in with dh (who has probably forgotten!)

@Fern204 he could also consider an EPQ for the UCAS points. Most schools do them in 1 year and it can be either Y12 or Y13 and they so broad, he can do it on whatever his passion is.

Fern204 so sorry to hear about the rough start. I think the important thing is that you now know what you are dealing with. DSbhas dyslexia and was really relieved when he got is as said he felt his brain worked differently to others and it helped him to know it does.

DD has a diagnosis of dyspraxia but came out in uni screening test as moderate chance of dyslexia so she’s going to be assessed further and DH’s niece was diagnosed in her final year during her dissertation .

Think that’s a sensible approach taking the pressure off and build confidence. There’s funding for 3 years of 6th form and it has benefitted a few peopIe I know in recent years as in normal times it isn’t uncommon for the transition to 6th form not to be smooth and it is far from normal times now.

On MN the boards are skewed a bit to the whole 3 levels and Russel Group University thing but in reality it’s often not that simple. Someone I know and helped support through 6th form now works for Microsoft having graduated this year - from a non RG university and after a 3 year sixth form. My DD has 4 GCSES, still hasn’t got Maths despite 3 attempts, dropped out of 6th form after a year but is currently at university and standing joke amongst her friends that she blagged her way in whilst they had to work to get high grades.

Am going on a bit but I guess what I am trying to say is hang in there, it’s really hard parenting at times like this and it can feel quite isolating but things have a tendency to work out.

@FoolsAssassin thank you, I'm sure he will be ok in the long run, its just a very bumpy start. He feels he isn't who he thought he was, and its hard to watch.
We have been trying to move house since May 2019 and hopefully that will happen mid Dec. He will then be closer for college and able to meet friends more easily (if covid rules allow).
Roll on 2021!

I think that is a feeling most of us have about 2020! Good luck with the move.

Feel for you @Fern204 . We moved house in August 2019 and the whole process was nearly 2 years of agonising. But the pain fades quite quickly and being close to school and more space has been brilliant. The extra space in lockdown kept us all sane.

@Fern204 I'm so sorry to hear about your DS's struggles this year. Hopefully the diagnosis will bring appropriate help for him sooner rather than later. I assume because he performed so well academically up until now that they ignored any other issues. Let him focus on the two A levels to take the pressure off, or as Monkey2001 says, perhaps look at the EPQ if available/ It covers such a broad range of things and doesn't have to be essay based if that doesn't suit him.

I feel your pain Fern!

I took the plunge and emailed DD's tutor who also happens to be her Media teacher, who then forwarded to her Sociology teacher. I had a chat with her and she was so supportive and understanding. She herself has ADD so I mentioned I was beginning wonder if dd also has it and she said it wouldn't surprise her.

I explained why dd hasn't done much work this last week and even told her of her mental health issues. DD would kill me but I'm so glad I told them and she's promised to keep it confidential. Both teachers had NOT been told about her dyslexia . Although could see she struggles with written English so had kind of guessed anyway. Still waiting for an assessment...

I have suggested to DD she drops one A level (and the tutor confirmed this is definitely allowed) but she's not willing to entertain that idea. I think she would do so much better concentrating on just 2 as she has all these good intentions to work really hard, but never actually manages to do so. A classic trait of ADD.

The GP called yesterday and wants to see DD and she has agreed so hopefully some good might come of that. Historically she has not wanted to engage with anyone.

I've no idea about mocks etc although there is some form of parents eve in a couple of weeks.

After a 5 days of not eating and sleeping all day, she has at least got out of bed and opened her laptop yesterday. And had a meal. Was supposed to go into town to take pics for art yesterday but fell back to sleep til 1pm then couldn't be bothered.

It's been a hard week and every morning I wake up feeling anxious re the future for her. Just small things such as her eating a meal pick me up a bit. The bar is so low

Fern. Good decision for your ds to drop an A level. I wish dd would.

I know that feeling pasanda

Shocked but not massively surprised that individual teachers didn't know about your ds' dyslexia Fern

I've lost count of the number of parent's eves I've spent explaining over and over that dd has ASC and processing issues therefore it's much better for her to be at the front of the classroom, she might have difficulty giving snap answers to questions in class etc

(To be fair, she moved schools at the end of y9 and the second one was completely on the ball with this - but it can vary so much)

We're having a nightmare at the moment with her timekeeping - she just can't or won't get ready in time in the morning This has been a problem on and off since she started secondary school but it's particularly awful at the moment She didn't even leave the house until 8 33, and her first lesson starts at 8 30

I've tried everything (believe me!) - things will work for a week or two, then back to the drawing board We have a CAMHS appointment on Friday, so I'm going to bring it up then

Time Keeping an issue with dd too Rowling. Always late for the school bus when at school. Although most of that probably due to the amount of make up she has to slap on to be seen in public!

Ha, pasanda, ditto! Got to look magazine-cover immaculate for 2 hours of English Lit and a library period

DD was a nightmare with timekeeping. Solved it by accident as drove off with the dog in the car but no DD. Realised 100 yards down the road that it was really quiet and why so went back . I really didn’t do it on purpose but helped no end, she managed to be on time after that