Year 9 - 2022/2023 Support Thread

[QueenMabby]

Hi
Having got a lot out of the thread for my ds who's just finished year 11 I though I'd start one for anyone wanting support/chat about dcs in year 9 from September.

Some schools will be starting GCSE syllabi this year and for those that don't there'll be options later in the year.

I have a dd starting year 9 in September. Her favourite subjects are languages and chemistry. We've not taken gcse options yet - that joy is to come.

@minisnowballs oh wow, I wonder what's up with the music department in the current school. Good that she is going to a new school! Has she had her music exam yet?

Our school let's the kids choose triple or combined science. If triple science or indeed any other subject is oversubscribed, then they look at the mid-year test results to decide. Only a very few year 9's won't get all their preferred choices. DS is not that into science, but he's generally bright and top set in maths, plus he's not keen on most other subjects, so went for triple science because he'd rather do that than do history for example. I hope he's made the right choice. I'm a chemistry graduate and DH is a secondary/sixth form science teacher, so DS can get help from us I guess.

@NotDonna thanks for the tips, sounds great, will definitely plan a trip to Kensington Palace.

Oh wow @minisnowballs. They obviously just couldn't face not having your dd as a student and have all walked out in protest! 🤣

@QueenMabby - ha! I think it's easier to teach a music class that doesn't have DD in it!

Hi, I just joined a thread that was for year 10 just finished parents - I only read the first few posts and then the last few were quite recent so it was only after I posted that I realised.

DS1 has just done GCSEs so is 2 years above DS2. They seem to have changed slightly how options are approached, which I was a bit confused by initially, but I can see arguments for it. DS1's year were offered 1 of 4 pathways with 1 being offered triple science and 3 options, while DS2's options form set out triple science/an extra GCSE in that subject as 1 of 4 options. I was surprised by DS2 choosing Combined Science as I think he would have been able to do Triple, but it does give him more choice and flexibility at this point.

Oh @elkiedee I’ve almost joined that thread too! Easily done. Welcome!

Hi @MumsnetHQ

As this thread is not full yet could you change the name to Year 10 - 2023/2024 Support Thread?

Thanks

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer break. Managed to get a glimpse of DD's timetable for next year by logging on to their parent portal. She did get her chosen options, I had assumed this was the case and they would have told us if she hadn't but it's good to see it confirmed. School continue to be bad at communication, we had a report with her end of year exam results but no report with written comments all year!

She has also discovered she has a little bit of homework to do over the summer which she wasn't impressed by, I suspect it will be left until the last week of the holidays! She is ignoring it at the moment and just enjoying meeting up with friends and chilling out at home.

She will also have a new form teacher next year as the one she had is going off on maternity leave. She is really hoping next year will be better, year 9 was not great for her, at least she will get to do lots and lots and lots of art!

@IThinkIMadeItWorse - glad she got her options. Could you also see who her teachers are going to be? Dd definitely has teachers she's hoping to get. And a few she's hoping to avoid!

I’d love to join as DS will be starting Y10 in September. He had taken history,Spanish and PE as his choices and they have to do RS as well as the usual others.
He said that he would have to make more of an effort next year and not leave everything till the night before-we shall see!

All dd2’s friends from the school she has just left have got timetables and are stressing about which teachers etc- which I think is making her feel left out as she’s moving on. Still we are on hols which is helping.

she has her ‘house allocation’ (not slytherin) and I have emails for her house mistress and her matron, which is good as we have dull practical questions about boarding like ‘can she take an oodie instead of a dressing gown’ and ‘what about alarm clocks if phone was taken away’?

Assume she got her options but won’t see timetable til early sept before a new pupils day which is quite the opposite of what we are used to- it seems to involve both lunch and tea with staff as well as a tour. She’s been taking herself to school since year 6 so this is all new to us!

She was very happy to be able to hand over her ABRSM mark sheet with a distinction on it for grade 8- I know that will help her confidence as she goes, but it really is beginning to seem a bit real!

Well done to your dd @minisnowballs. We don't find out teachers and teaching groups til the first day of term either. Stops all the whinging and complaining (from both kids and parents!).

I'm not sure this one will be renamed so I'll start a new year 10 thread separately. Come and find me!

Year 10 - 2023/2024 Support Thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4868977-year-10-20232024-support-thread

Here's the new thread.

Thanks QueenMabby for new Yr10 thread. I have posted on new thread.