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

[Monkey2001]

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

DS has been practicing writing his p.s. for the last couple of weeks in tutor time. His tutor commentated in his latest school report that he needs to sell himself to the universities not detail his failings in exhaustive detail 😄 .
I think he's used to critiquing himself as they do this in school ( as how can they do better) but has never needed to do the opposite.

DS has got a decent draft PS. A swimming friend who started at Cambridge this year gave him some tips as nothing much from school except do a draft! This boy was at same school so they were probably more organised pre COVID. The PS is nothing like I imagined they would be! So short and so focused - I have friends at work with older kids and have picked their brains. I thought originally you would do one for each Uni, or each subject, but clearly not!! He spoke to the sixth form admin yesterday as his senior tutor wouldn’t turn up for their PS tutorial - she is on the case so that’s good. It worries me that their tutor has been like this and that 20 plus kids are missing the input.

Online open days has been good in that you can do far more of them and it doesn’t matter if they clash, but conversely there is far more choice. We narrowed it down to campus based except Cardiff which he knows well, sporty but not performance sport as has had enough of that, most interesting history courses as he doesn’t know what he wants to do but that is his favourite subject. At the moment toying with law eventually or RAF.

Great news re jobs and interviews. DS doing lifeguard course over summer.

I agree it is early in the process now, unless you are considering forces with 15th October deadline, and difficult to get them engaged of their friends are not thinking about university.

Most of DS1's friends took a gap year and the one who didn't wished he had! A couple changed their minds about what they wanted to study and the one who did start dropped off and did a course closer to home. DS1 changed 2 of his medical school choices the second time he applied, and ended up rejecting an offer from one of the ones he had applied to first time round. As you only get funding for 1 degree, IMO it is worth taking time to make sure you choose the right course for you, and a bit of maturity will help to make the right decision.

@kingscotestaff do you know that most medical schools don't really use the PS with the exception of UCL (use it heavily and score it) and Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, Imperial, King's, Lancaster, QUB, St Andrews and UEA (don't score it, but tell you what they want to see on it to pass the stage gate of PS review).

Yup, that’s column 7b of her spreadshit…

Good to know that it’s still early in the process, thanks.
School have set a deadline for first draft outline PSs to be submitted in a fortnight, which has sent DD into a flap.

Some good news today, though - she got 85% in her drama (written) exam, joint highest in the class with the head girl 🤩

Great idea about printing out course details, thanks!
Should we be looking at a range of grade requirements? DD has only considered RG so far (not that she knows anything about RG, but is listening to her peers and following suit). No point in having 5 choices that are all a stretch, I’m guessing, but it’s easier for her to decide between the smaller pool of RG unis, than have to navigate the vast array of non-RGs

Don't forget that Bath, Loughborough and Lancaster aren't RG and are all better than quite a lot of RG unis!

Great drama result!

Slight annoyance with economics teacher here who says he will UCAS predict DS an A because he 'never predicts A*'.

That’s exactly my point, Piggy - she’s being blinded by RG because she has no idea how to rank non RGs.
She was really interested in Bath, until she discovered they don’t offer English 😩

How ridiculous of your DS’s teacher! We have heard a lot of that sort of talk, with regards to DS (year 10) not getting 9s in reports from teachers who “never give them”.
So frustrating, but more so for your DS for predictions!

@Piggywaspushed

Great drama result!

Slight annoyance with economics teacher here who says he will UCAS predict DS an A because he 'never predicts A*'.

Sounds like a conversation with Head of Year needed. The variability in prediction strategies is so unfair. Our school has a performance on a "good day" policy, DS2's old school asked students what they wanted to be predicted and gave them at least what they asked for unless they had a good reason not to!

I shall bide my time on arguing the point with the teacher. Unfortunately for him, I have the research data that show bright pupils from state schools lack aspiration snd are also disadvantaged in applications by cautious UCAS predictions. This was such a hot topic in the whole CAG debacle last year. Everyone always assumes UCAS grades are the same as actual predictions. In reality, some are far too generous and top unis bang on about this, overlooking that many more are found to be correct, or overly cautious.

@Piggywaspushed if DS is still considering Cambridge, they will accept a communication from the school saying they don't predict A* for that subject, it is more common than you might think!

DS drove me to school for his exam (and then I drove back). We saw someone from his year in a car on her own - she passed her test yesterday! Think he was a little jealous.

Have been looking at driving test cancellation websites/apps and seems you need to have booked a test before you can use them.

I presume it doesn’t need to be the centre you will hopefully use? The ones I can see are for December and nowhere near here but hopefully then something will come up sooner and here!

I think it's just that teacher. I'd be willing to bet he predicts an A* for ( insert name of teacher's pet here)

@Alsoplayspiccolo Congratulations to your DD on a fab result.

@Piggywaspushed How bloody arrogant of him! I hate it when people think they hold your future in their hands and so can do what they like. I'd just love for your ds to get into Oxbridge and then go back and visit the twat.

He is actually really nice, to be fair, and a very good teacher but it us a bit annoying. DS is slwsys about thirdly any class pecking order.

Currently listening to an Edinburgh talk on their policy and society course. Sounds really interesting.

Predicted grades shouldn't be based on a pecking order. They should be based on each student's academic performance. His bit of 'muscle flexing' could cost your ds and many other dc the university of their choice.

Yup! Don't worry...I shall muscle flex back!

Oh but you must definitely.

DS1 just had his D of E silver expedition cancelled which was starting tomorrow as Birmingham is area of concern. He should've done it last year. It is ok to have 60,000 fans at a football match but not a group of 6 boys out walking. I have had enough now and don't think anything will get back to normal anytime soon.

Oh Nard75 that is so disappointing! Yep, it grates against the so called logic (and science)...

Just received message that ds's guitar exam has been moved from Friday to tomorrow morning! I hope to God he has managed to do some practise and wasn't planning on spending all of tomorrow doing it.

It makes me wonder how on earth Birmingham open day can go ahead.

Is the DofE overnight? That could be why. Insurance prohibitive.

We are having second thoughts about Birmingham open day... can’t see the sense in courting infection. DOE is outside in the fresh air but can’t see the open day will be!

Thanks, Shimy. It’s the confidence boost she needs right now.

DS did his bronze DoE expedition a couple of weeks ago. They weren’t allowed to camp, so simply did 2 walks with cooking, and it could be doubled up as the silver practice expedition too.