Thread 15 - Corona Cohort Year 12, 2021 Lateral Flow & Driving Tests

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@FoolsAssassin The school are going to start doing sessions for the entrance exams with the maths students who are interested in maths degree. Hopefully this will help them with the exam. When offers are made how is it worked out in terms of A level results and entrance exam results.

@Nard75 a few places make an offer with A levels and STEP. All Cambridge Maths offers and some engineering, I think maybe Warwick and Durham. Oxford use the October exam, so offers are just A levels.

Cambridge over-offer significantly for Maths because may students manage the AAA but not the STEP grades because it is very hard.

@FoolsAssassin - as an additional incentive to push on with getting the driving test done, I have discovered that the reason I can't get a quote for adding DS1 to our electric car policy is that you have to be over 18 and have passed the test at least 12 months ago to be added to the policy. It is clearly silly that if you pass the test and do no driving for a year you are considered safer than just after passing, but that seems to be the way it is!

Thank you Monkey, DH would really like an electric car so will float that to DS at a carefully chosen moment!

Nard75 that’s good they do the sessions. I’m still getting my head around it all. As Monkey said Cambridge over offer as so many don’t get the STEP grades which they don’t get until the summer so as I understand it they can be in the position where they have met the A level grades but find in August they don’t meet their offer with STEP.

I haven’t started looking yet to see who wants what beyond Cambridge STEP and Oxford MAT but think Monkey is right about Warwick and STEP - possibly leads to a very slightly reduced offer? Think a spreadsheet needed!

Zandathepanda snap, DD also volunteers at a huge vaccine centre but it's only O/AZ offered there so as she's 16 can't have that one. I volunteer there too and also at surgeries and pharmacies too but under 18s aren't allowed to there - not sure why as the work is the same or sometimes easier imho. Most of the time we don't even get a break if it's busy which it generally is and sometimes the shifts can be up to 6hrs long. We know the length when we sign on so try and choose the c4hr ones. What does your DD usually do?

Your teacher was absolutely right, those last 30 marks are meaningless when you have video upload restrictions etc, that one take’s performance disintegrates to poo. Let’s just say that particular recording will not be reeled out for grandparents or nostalgia!

I am being harsh, piano has always been DD’s nemesis...she’ll perform solo/publicly on anything else, including singing.

Apologies, my semi rant was addressed to Monkey

@ealingwestmum yes, particularly bizarre for lower grades. The format is flawed and my examiner friends are bemused by the number of very poor entries - why would a teacher encourage somebody to submit if they can see that they can't possibly pass. It makes a lot of money for ABRSM though -there are very few overheads and the examiner is paid a small part of the fee.

So DS had his Cambridge taster on Weds, It was OK but I don't think it inspired him. The topic was a bit niche.

All the kids that asked questions were probably the typical 'type' who might apply. Very assured: lots of them seemed quite anxious about personal statements, interview ,essays well before application!

I think unless he suddenly decides against social policy he won't be applying.

Also , birthday yesterday : pizza and cake. No covid isolation (phew) so grandparents on Sunday!

Oh I was going to say happy birthday to your DS early on weds so not to forget Piggy...happy belated to him!

all gone. Blame DH.

Happy birthday to piggy’s ds!

Dd was saying earlier she’s glad she left her very selective girls school as they’re all getting so stressed about work and Oxbridge entrance already!

She’s mainly focusing on socialising! I’ve persuaded her to come with me to Oxford Brookes for a day out of she ever has a free day though. I always enjoy a day out in Oxford!

Anne it’s my older Dd (2nd year Uni student) who is volunteering like her friends. I think some have been trained to inject, she hasn’t. She now is much better at understanding ‘A’ in masked Geordie which she was interpreting as ‘E’ when logging people in! Everyone was really friendly but it is exhausting, especially when special bus loads of elderly arrive. Her Year 12 sister is not well and in Group 6 which meant she Dh and I all got the Pfizer together at hospital near us.

Happy birthday to your DS Piggy 🎂🎉

Happy Birthday to your DS Piggy 🍡🎂🍭

Going to say this very quietly just in case. Think the boarding is now turning into more of a positive thing. We gave him an option so he didn’t need to next year but he says he thinks he is fine and there are plans for a group of them to try and take over one of the flats. He’s started the entrance exam prep classes too without any nagging plus a group of them caught the train and did a shopping trip which doesn’t sound much but is huge progress.

Zanda well done to your DD. It is exhausting but such a great thing to do. Hopefully she'll get her Pfizer jab soon as they aren't giving under 30s the AZ one. Is she doing a medical course then? Love the anecdote of A versus E sounds - so funny

Happy belated birthday to Piggy's DS. Glad he had a good time and could celebrate sufficiently.

That's good news FoolsAssasin. Those small steps mean the world to them at their age. DD is meeting a Small group in the park at noon then meeting another couple of friends for a mooch round town later. This is new to her as she's only just doing this as didn't have the impetus before then lockdown happened and she became less inclined still. We've had to gently nudge to encourage it as she has had some confidence knocks from some rather BIG queen bee types in the last two years.
Her school have now scrapped the leadership roles that DD and others were given beginning of year 12 (interviewed and applied for) and said they need to apply again for head girl/boy and senior prefect roles. DD will be up against the same girl she was for the year 11 head girl role (DD got deputy) as she knows she is applying too.

Driving instructor just told us another test centre - usually only for HGV testing - is now accepting car tests. We are booked for our town but this one is only 8 miles away so she has recommended looking there. Currently booking for end June. I think we must be quite fortunate with availability in our area - N Yorkshire.

Proud Mum alert! DD has been elected a prefect! They had to write a letter of application to the HM, then successful candidates stood for election by the rest of the L6 and staff. I'm really pleased - as one of only 40 girls new to an existing year group of 150 boys, and being quite shy, I am amazed that enough people knew her to vote for her! She is really chuffed ☺️

Good for her Seeline, and you 👏👏

Well done @Seeline DD. Still waiting to hear about DD's application..

But she's just passed her theory test. A minor miracle given she's been in a state all week after breaking up with her BF. It was her decision but young love is painful...

Anne no Dd not doing a medical course - it’s a v specific humanities one.
Piggy can’t believe we are into second sets of birthdays in corona times! The contrast between my Dds 16th birthdays was stark. Can’t even remember what older one did for 17 though! Was still recovering from her 16th
Seeline well done to your Dd. Pupils need more prefects like her, not the loud popular-group ones.

@Seeline well done to dd. That's a much better way of becoming a prefect. In our school anyone in year 11 can be a prefect. They just fill in a form in year 10 then get a special tie once in year 11. But ds1 and ds2 didn't bother. They were in the minority. Ds2 came home with several school ties as his friends all had prefect ties 😂 the ties are useful for ds3 as he's the only left needing uniform.

Thanks all!
seeline, well done to your DD. That's lovely.

Well done to @Seeline Dd, that’s amazing! And good news about your ds @FoolsAssassin, sounds like the pain early on has been worth it.