Year 11 22/23 support thread.

[PritiPatelsMaker]

Does anyone fancy a support thread for the just about to start Year 11's.

I'm not Mystic Meg but even I can see a rocky year ahead of me...

Anyone fancy joining me?

Thanks. Maybe this is excessive. How long does he do?

My DD trains 4x days a week in a competitive sport, and has then had Dance GCSE coursework after school 2nights. So she’s only squeezing in on average 7hrs a week outside school. With competitions over a few weekends in March/April even that’s going to be tight.

It's hard to say atm because he has had mocks this past week. I guess between an hour and 90 mins?

DD is still getting quite a lot of homework and doesn't get home until 5pm. She is doing about an hour of Additional Maths and an hour of Biology a week as those are her weakest subjects. She's not planning to start on anything else until the Easter holidays.

@Infracat

DS is doing about 2.5-3 hours a night including his homework.

Personally I'd say it should be more than 2 hours at this stage.

Aargh, DS1 was supposed to be doing art this evening but has just messed about on YouTube instead and is now feeling guilty

Ok, much art is now happening. Not much other revision but it’s something

@PhotoDad that scholarship sounds amazing. If I'd known about it in time, I'd have encouraged DS to apply after getting his school to sign up to it
Good luck to your ds. Does he know what type of engineering field he wants to go into?

DD has been feeling the pressure this week. Finishing off art coursework, music performance recording, finishing off composition coursework, audition/interview for 6th form place which she is really keen on. And she’s had a heavy cold.

I think she’s starting to feel pissed off with it all and the proper revision hasn’t even really started yet. Although I remember from my own exam days that the time when teaching is still ongoing and they are trying to finish the syllabus along with prepping for exams and completing coursework plus trying to make applications for next steps can feel a bit full on.

Thank you, @NCTDN! I posted about it on another thread we're both on, but DS Yr11 has reached the interview round for an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship after application form and exam. He is interested in Chem Eng.

Good luck to your DS @PhotoDad - sounds very exciting!

Not school related, but any suggestions for tv programmes that ds and I could both watch? It's hard finding a shared interest. We've enjoyed Wednesday recently and worked our way (twice) through the Big Bang theory and young sheldon.

@NCTDN DD and I have been enjoying watching Outlast together on Netflix. It’s a US reality TV survival show, set in Alaska. They have to compete in teams and it quite quickly turns full on Lord of the Flies. Fun to watch together and a good release from school work!

We’ve been watching on iplayer bbc3 go hard or go home series. Training with “warriors” (my DD likes Niall the ex-Gymnast) but they are mostly young people who all struggle with anxiety and confidence issues. And the Apprentice which cracks us up ..:where do they get those people!

Is that the gymnast who just won dancing on ice?

We watch a lot of classic TV! Poirot, Miss Marple, Cadfael all favourites. And currently Jeeves & Wooster.

Arrh yes I just googled as we don’t watch dancing on ice it’s the same guy. He comes across as a nice guy no idea if he is but my gym obsessed DD likes him.

Are anyone else's DC completely stuck what to do for sixth form? Mine is trying to decide between 7 A level subjects! Think she is terrified of narrowing down any options.

Yes, my daughter is. I have said to pick four (which she has) and then not worry about it until September as her GCSE results may make everything clearer. Besides, they can change their minds for the first few weeks.

My DS's school doesn't have a 6th form so he'll be going to the local college. Well he will be if he ever picks what he wants to study! Doesn't want to do A Levels, which is fine, but he can't find anything he does want to do! It's going to become a problem soon as the deadline to apply is looming, me and his dad just despair.

Finally, DD has started her revision. Motivation is always an issue with DD even though I know they do want to do well.

hello. We've had sagas upon sagas here still. DS2 does now have a conditional sixth form offer, though the English teacher has gone from saying he'll definitely get a 5 to putting him down as a 3. It's caused all kinds of upset. I have managed to find a tutor who is apparently v good with kids like DS2, and he can start just after Easter (online). He does at least only need to get a 4 to do his A Levels, rather than the official 6 as per brochure, so I am hoping it is doable. We're funding private anxiety management sessions with an OT, though that finishes in April. the mental health service has referred him to a provider who does some kind of outdoors therapy, which we felt would be good for DS2 as he is incredibly isolated, socially.

He is revising and doing work, the school also has arranged an online Geography tutor, which I think is through lockdown catchup funding, which he has found helpful.

I'm leaning towards online school might be best, but i've left it a bit late to get an EHCP and funded, though I should probably apply anyway. We can run to funding it ourselves I just bitterly resent it(!)

@ThePenOfMyAunt apply for the ehcp and appeal if necessary. The ehcp can last until they are 25/26 (not university though). Get the OT to write that he needs these sessions (not recommends but needs) in order to access education and any other sessions, equipment, znything and get it included in section f. The LA will have to fund it. If you need to appeal you can make a complaint if needed via the ombudsman as well and you should get compensated for any sessions etc you have funded that they should have after issuing/ assessing. Good luck, contact ipsea or sossen if you need support with this.

And also the mental health support. Maybe look into eotas too as this can be funded in an ehcp and include social activities, forest school etc, anxiety sessions.

Thanks, I have 2 with EHCPs been through a tribunal etc.