*Tis Wednesday Daily chat thread 28th October 2009*

spud30

Buffythedebtslayer wrote: »

I never knew New Look had a website.

I want these shoes. http://www.newlook.co.uk/1773180/177318077/ProductDetails.aspx#

xx

I love them, but really would look like a man in drag trying to walk in em

elfen

Ok, is it a good thing me trying to encourage my lil sis to go to college to get some GCSE's and do a course she desperately wants to do (wants to do hair n beauty) Have given the link for the govt thing about if you don't have level 2 n 3 qualifications you can do them for free, but said she may need to wait til september to do it

Buffythedebtslayer

spud30 wrote: »

Well, as you know, he only started HS in September.

I've had 2 letters in the last week. One offering him a motor skills course, to help with organisational skills and memory. The other is additional support after school, to help with anything he's struggled with during the day.

Is this normal, or are they worried? He does have a dreadful memory, and poor attention

I would imagine that after 1/2 a term they have asked all the teachers about the new year seven intake and who has forgotten homework or who doesn't read/write v well (lots of kids learn how to cope at Primary but secondary is a whole diff set up so it *can* show up problems). does he do his homework? what grade is he getting? does he have any targets you could ask him about? How was he at Primary school? (was he on the SEN reg? - cos at our place if they were even for five minutes we offer them everything!)

I wouldn't be worried, the organisation thing is a really helpful for a lot of kids who now have lots of teachers/subjects/ different standards and expectations re homework to figure out, and the additional support after school thing is just a fancy homework club.

In my opinion - worry if the form tutor or senco ring with a specific he isn't doing X very well or in French he does Y etc. Letters to invite on courses and clubs in my place at just part of the settling in thing for year sevens

Blimey I can type. I would ring the form tutor tho to ask and check if you aren't sure.

xxxx

elfen

Spud, what they're offering can only be a good thing if it helps him to keep up and they do it in a way that doesn't suggest he's thick, just he needs help.

Burlesque_Babe

elfen wrote: »

Ok, is it a good thing me trying to encourage my lil sis to go to college to get some GCSE's and do a course she desperately wants to do (wants to do hair n beauty) Have given the link for the govt thing about if you don't have level 2 n 3 qualifications you can do them for free, but said she may need to wait til september to do it

hi elfen- up to level 2 in literacy and numeracy can be done for free if your sister doesn't have a grade C or above at GCSE and courses are usually held throughout the year, we start ours every half term. Your sister would probably have a 1:1 assessment at the college and then be placed in a class at the appropriate level. Level 2 is seen by industry as the equivalent of a GCSE grade A-C. They are very popular and the classes are a mix of ages and backgrounds.

If she wants the full Level 2 qualification, she will need to wait until next September to do the GCSE's and she'd be looking at doing 5 all at once to do the full level 2.

Level 3 is a bit more complex if she is looking to do the A levels and wants the funding.

For the hairdressing, we don't ask for the full level 2 first. If she starts with an introduction to level 2 NVQ in hairdressing course she can then progress to the NVQ in hairdressing itself.

If she wants to do beauty, she will need to do the anatomy and physiology course and then do the specialist units (ie waxing, make up, reflexology etc) after that.

That's through ITEC who we do courses with, other exam boards might be a bit different.

spud30

Buffythedebtslayer wrote: »

I would imagine that after 1/2 a term they have asked all the teachers about the new year seven intake and who has forgotten homework or who doesn't read/write v well (lots of kids learn how to cope at Primary but secondary is a whole diff set up so it *can* show up problems). does he do his homework? what grade is he getting? does he have any targets you could ask him about? How was he at Primary school? (was he on the SEN reg? - cos at our place if they were even for five minutes we offer them everything!)

I wouldn't be worried, the organisation thing is a really helpful for a lot of kids who now have lots of teachers/subjects/ different standards and expectations re homework to figure out, and the additional support after school thing is just a fancy homework club.

In my opinion - worry if the form tutor or senco ring with a specific he isn't doing X very well or in French he does Y etc. Letters to invite on courses and clubs in my place at just part of the settling in thing for year sevens

Blimey I can type. I would ring the form tutor tho to ask and check if you aren't sure.

xxxx

He was on an IEP at primary because he's slow at writing. They corrected the way he held his pen in year 3, which to me was way too late and since then they tried pen grips, special pens etc.

He did badly burn his right hand when he was little, and seems to have reduced sensation in it, so I suppose that might be a factor but I think it's mainly a concentration issue. I can ask him to get mesomething from the kitchen, he'll go but come back without it.

He's told me his English teacher has been helping him because she knows he cant keep up with the others

Snaggles

OMFG, my XOH has taken it upon himself to help me set up my new phone, but it is fighting back, so he is trawling through my old phone trying to work out where things are stored etc.

Have just realised there are some rather dubious photos of me on there. _pale_

spud30

elfen wrote: »

Spud, what they're offering can only be a good thing if it helps him to keep up and they do it in a way that doesn't suggest he's thick, just he needs help.

He's far from thick, but not very academic if you know what I mean.

He's full of scientific stuff - he can tell you which way is north by looking at the moss on trees, but ask him to write a story, and he'll be there forever.

I just hate to think of him struggling

elfen

I looked at the literacy and numeracy but didn't realise she could do all three levels for free. She's got either an E or a G in English but no Maths as she basically didn't go. She's been in a bit of trouble but has been behaving for the last 3 years. I've told her if she goes she needs to not slack, and that doing the classes and getting the qualifications will help her get a job (she can't get one at the moment-think that the . lack of qualifications is stopping her right now) Have told her to get my other sister whom she lives with to write down what she needs to ask about if she phones or goes in. If she does them, I'll be justifiably proud.

Oh, do they still provide you with help if you're dyslexic? She's pretty badly dyslexic and didn't get any realy help at school, so that didn't help as she got bullied and called thick (so making her not go)

elfen

Spud, he's clever in different ways. Lots of people are. Me and Pint, I'm very clever academically, whereas Pint can look at a drawing of a heating system and know what diameter pipe needs to be used and where it needs to be placed. He can also bend pipes to exact measurements by eye...so he's clever with his hands.