I’ve spent most of my time off so far on family maintenance. This grownup stuff is HARD! We were at an evening of Sixth Form choices last night. The school is great – I really don’t want it to seem like I don’t like it – but I feel like I’ve missed an issue. I went to school in Scotland and I realised a long time ago that there were huge differences in the way kids are taught in England but there have been changes over the last couple of years that really are problematic. I didn’t realise the school would be looking for GCSE passes to be of a certain pass grade to allow students to do the A-level. A pass ain’t enough! As one of the top 6th Forms in the county, the school can do this but I hadn’t realised one of my daughter’s important subjects was wavering at a level that made progression to the A-level uncertain. All you needed when I was doing this thirty-odd years ago was a pass. But the class has a few disruptive elements shall we say, as it’s not ‘top set.’

So she is facing lunchtime catch-ups which will be fun, especially if it will require packed lunches and additional coaching from us/a tutor.

So less time for tidying up my exceedingly messy garden. I wandered around this morning after doing some of the necessary school admin, brought on by my daughter’s despair at the possibility that they hadn’t covered enough syllabus to get her over the line. As I may have said, I did Higher but so much has changed and the subject matter may be different.

This adulting stuff after extended pandemic silliness, not to mention Government craziness, has really upset my ‘glass half-full’ attitude today. I don’t want to tell you how perturbed I am that the country is shooting itself in the foot, or at least the Government is, if the malign influence of a former PM is allowed anywhere near the Hustings. No, no, no. I will have to get a placard and join an illegal March.