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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Corona Cohort Y12 into Y13, braving the storm of the third wave

986 replies

Monkey2001 · 20/06/2021 11:24

Supportive thread for parents of Y12 students going into Y13.

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4240252-Thread-16-Corona-Cohort-Year-12-2021-Zooming-through-Summer-Term

OP posts:
EverythingDelegated · 09/07/2021 15:11

DS hasn't started his PS yet, but this looks useful

www.which.co.uk/money/university-and-student-finance/getting-into-uni/how-to-write-a-personal-statement-a3bfp7h4yv7s

As for work experience, DS wanted to get something relevant to history but we couldn't think of anything easily, however we spotted an advert and he is now volunteering at weekends at a local museum, do you have any local visitor attractions or similar that might be able to offer vaguely geographical work experience? Worth looking on your county council cultural section of the website.

estherfrewen · 09/07/2021 15:22

DS just passed driving test - big relief!

ealingwestmum · 09/07/2021 15:32

Woo hoo Esther! Congratulations to him 👏👏

estherfrewen · 09/07/2021 15:50

Thx - he's very happy!

Monkey2001 · 09/07/2021 15:50

Great news Esther, one big tick on the list!

DS1 has his on Tuesday and I have no idea whether he will pass, but I felt safe enough to dose off a few days ago. A friend's neice was supposed to have hers on Monday, but her flatmate has just tested positive, so she had to cancel. Sad

OP posts:
KingscoteStaff · 09/07/2021 16:17

Well done esther's DS!

Fiddlersgreen · 09/07/2021 17:10

@estherfrewen well done to your DS!

estherfrewen · 09/07/2021 17:15

Thanks all. @Monkey2001 - good luck to your DS for Tuesday

Nard75 · 09/07/2021 17:38

@estherfrewen well done to your DS another thing to stop worrying about.

KingscoteStaff · 09/07/2021 17:52

How true Nard - the next 13 months feel like a massive To Do list.

Shimy · 09/07/2021 20:20

Congratulations to esther’s DS.

If anyone’s interested, Warwick is in Clearing with loads of courses.

icanbewhatiwant · 09/07/2021 20:27

@estherfrewen well done to Ds.

I just read the part about jobs on ucas applications. Ds didn't mention jobs. I wonder what he put. DH is retired. My job has no description really.

stoneysongs · 09/07/2021 21:12

@mummabear74
I'm sure she's done it by now, but I would say remember it's only a draft. So if she writes a bit at the top about what first got her interested in geography, and what about it she finds particularly fascinating, she could then put "Para 3: include experience / courses tbc" or something. It's not due in until September at the earliest, so don't worry, she's got time to find things to fill it with.

DS is in exactly the same boat re work experience. He is reading a lot about his subject (popular science books in his case) and doing a couple of free MOOCs. He'll then link those into what he finds interesting, so "my interest in blah subject led me to reading blah book by professor blah. I found her chapter on blah particularly interesting, especially how she connected blah to blah. The latest theories of blah that she describes have the potential to change the course of blah. I signed up and completed a course with the university of blah in order to further my knowledge of blah and blah and enjoyed learning about blah" etc etc, excuse the cliches.

The courses DS is doing are with coursera, some geography ones at the link below. I don't know much about geography but if your DD is looking for something to read and likes human geography, I would recommend Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

www.coursera.org/courses?query=geography

stoneysongs · 09/07/2021 21:16

PS @mummabear74
DS will also be referring to his Y13 project - kind of like an EPQ but we're in Wales so actually part of the Welsh Bacc. If your DD is doing something similar and chooses a subject related to geography, that's more good evidence of her interest that she can write about in her personal statement.

Piggywaspushed · 09/07/2021 21:18

DS plans to draft PS this weekend. I am bit of a dba hand having checked many over the years. They are often awful at first draft stage!

EwwSprouts · 09/07/2021 21:23

Great to hear another one has the freedom of the road Esther.

End of term grade sheet for DS. He's done quite well. No teacher comments though so no clue of predictions/realistic aspirations etc and he says they've not been discussed.

Orangecinnamon21 · 09/07/2021 23:12

Dd has 57 homework tasks to tick off over the summer hols. 7 down tonight apparently.
Consists of lots of reading and past paper questions apparently.

She gave herself a week off .

crazycrofter · 09/07/2021 23:19

What?!! @Orangecinnamon21 is this self-set homework?

Orangecinnamon21 · 09/07/2021 23:50

@crazycrofter

What?!! *@Orangecinnamon21* is this self-set homework?
No ! It's all been set by teachers so on her portal thingy. Maybe they attempt to make up for breaking up earlier than most. I shall get her to show me ... maybe the questions are really short.
Orangecinnamon21 · 09/07/2021 23:51

..or the required answers rather.

crazycrofter · 10/07/2021 00:44

Wow! I’m not particularly expecting Dd to have any homework over the summer, but maybe she will - she doesn’t break up til Friday. Even then she’s got 7 weeks off!

Piggywaspushed · 10/07/2021 07:52

Still time to sign up to Sheffield virtual open day today if anyone is interested.

DS is going for an interview for a volunteer role at a museum tomorrow : it is a little museum of a strange religious cult! Don't worry : the cult is long past!

Decorhate · 10/07/2021 08:06

I’ve no idea if ds2 has looked at any of the online open days yet. He does have a few days set aside at school next week to do that sort of thing so hopefully he will make some progress then.

Some the unis on his list he has seen before when trekking around with ds1 3 years ago. Will try to do a couple of trips in the holidays also.

Heifer · 10/07/2021 08:40

@Piggywaspushed

Still time to sign up to Sheffield virtual open day today if anyone is interested.

DS is going for an interview for a volunteer role at a museum tomorrow : it is a little museum of a strange religious cult! Don't worry : the cult is long past!

Thanks @Piggywaspushed - but it's not letting me request now as sayings Sorry, currently there are no University visits available.

Unless it's me... :-)

Heifer · 10/07/2021 08:41

Wishing your DS good luck for his interview, sounds a great quirky job.