Timetable Issues

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Hi folks,

I would be grateful for opinions/advice on DDs timetable.Briefly: She is in year 12 (lower 6) studying Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Further Maths. I would not have thought that this was an unusual choice of subjects to group together. The school works on a two weekly timetable rotation and one week is therefore more affected by this problem than the other as you would expect. Pretty much every day she is allowed only 15 minutes for lunch. That is between the end of the 'morning' session and the beginning of the 'afternoon' session. This would not be so much of a problem if she had a study period just before or just after lunch but (today is an example of this) she has no study periods at all. I have suggested that she speaks to her HoY about this, but she decided it would be difficult to do that today as it would make her late for a lesson! Other people are affected by this to some extent depending on their subject choices.

I will appreciate any input,

CAD

[solimum]

Although it is not an unusual combination it sounds as if she is doing five subjects in a timetable where most will be doing four (hence the lack of study periods). Some sixth forms combine the Maths/ Further Maths into one accelerated group but there is still usually too much content for most (except the exceptional mathematicians) to fit into only one option slot. DS2 did if I recall have a similar year 12 (with Music instead of Biology) which was specially devised for him but I remember there were some clashes where he had to miss one Physics period a week or something similar - however that was a timetable which still had a mixture of single & double lessons, rather than (as my DD now has) five one-hour lessons each day, which means 5 lessons per week per subject (give or take general studies)

Is her main problem that she doesn;t have time to buy/prepare/eat lunch or that she finds the lesson after lunch difficult to concentrate in? Or that she is late to the afternoon lesson having queued in the canteen? If others are affected too it sounds as if approaching the HoY would be the best way - is there a possibility of moving one of the lessons to a twilight slot? (but that of course would affect everyone else in the group, and might be impossible with transport home/ clubs etc). Depending on how the Maths/ Further Maths is being grouped, could she (or other further mathematicians) optionally miss one Maths period a week to enable the other single maths students to consolidate things? Difficult to make suggestions without knowing more details, but she will need (I guess) to demonstrate that the timetabling is detrimental to her ability to work at her best and thus potentially damaging her grades, which might make the school listen! Or did they advise against taking that combination in the first place?

Aren't there any lunchtime clubs/ choirs etc? Sounds like a nightmare!

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Hi Solimum,

thanks for such a quick reponse. It is a worry for me because I can see how jiggered she is when she gets home. She starts her HW pretty much straight away but her thinking is less good when she is so tired. The Biology was a late addition because she needed a fourth subject to choose her 3 A2s from (I believe that F Maths - which she is enjoying - can only be taken to AS level). 6th form are expected/encouraged to become invoved with clubs for younger pupils, she did this last year and had already planned to do so again this year. As a singer she is involved with choir which fortunately is held during one of her 'free' lunch hours. If choir is included I think she doesn't have a lunch break any day this week.

I have heard that the problem has been exacerbated this year because lunch times have been shortened. Due to the addition of Biology she has one subject clash. To be fair, the school do everything they can to accomodate everyone's subject choices. My initial reaction to the situation was one of disbelief as I would have thought a decent break at lunch time was essential.