..to think that state educated kids are going to find themselves at a huge disadvantage in public exams?

[SpiderPlantSally]

Every privately-educated Year 10 or Year 12 child I know - this amounts to six different fee-paying schools - is having a like-for-like learning experience at home with live online teaching, following their usual timetable.

Every state-educated child I know of the same ages (also five or six different schools) is being set written work, with very little or no live teaching. At DD's school there one hour of live Maths for the whole Year 10 cohort each week, and a contact session for the other subjects once per week, when the teachers are available for email contact or chat. That's it. Otherwise lone book work.

AIBU unreasonable to think that state school pupils will be at a huge disadvantage when applying for selective 6th forms and universities in the autumn? Surely the private school pupils will absolutely clean up on the top grades in next summer's GCSEs and A-levels?

[W00t]

All the selective schools I know ringfence 6th form places for their 7-11 pupils in any case. Both state-maintained and fee-paying.

[W00t]

And FWIW the school I work in has continued Y12 lessons, albeit at about half the usual timetable, the rest made up of self-studying.

[W00t]

Sorry, you don't know me! It's a state-maintained school.

[SunbathingDragon]

That’s a very sweeping statement based on 11 or 12 schools in the country that makes a lot of assumptions.

[Riverviews]

I agree. My son is at an independent school in year 12 and he has lessons every day, tutor time, tests and homework. He's busy.

For what I hear from friends, not every school is doing this, so those children will be disadvantaged

[EdithPeston]

All the selective schools I know ringfence 6th form places for their 7-11 pupils in any case

Same where I live but they also have places available for students from other schools who get level 6 or above at GCSE in the subjects they want to study for A level.

[Pikachubaby]

Really?

My y12 is taught his normal time table (a combination of live lessons, YouTube tutorials and set work (that is checked by teacher). It’s our local 6th firm college.

DS2 is y10 and in an academy (state comprehensive) and is also getting his usual lesson schedule (life classes or scheduled work)

DH is a teacher and spends all his lessons talking to his classes and teaching “as normal”, just via video link. Also state school.

Either we are very lucky, or things are not as dire as you assume

[Freshfaced]

The OP has a point. DD (Independant school) has had full timetabled lessons from 8.30-4.15. Teachers online teaching during every session and when not actively teaching available to answer questions on the work they have been set. Class work needs to be submitted online or photographed and sent in. If class work and homework not submitted the parents get an email the next morning.
It's been insanely full on and has been really hard on the kids BUT they are still learning.
Her friends extremely highly regarded state school - work emailed weekly, no live teaching, no marking. It's really concerning her parents - she keeps messaging DD in the day (to chat) but DD working. There really needs to be an acknowledgement of the disparity between schools and provision made to help children catch up.

[June2008]

No, I work in a state school and we are providing on line lessons for every subject in Yr 10, double for maths english and science. Along side this are a variety of other tasks. Those engaging and completing the work will be fine. Those not engaging will be at a disadvantage.

This is not dissimilar to the local private schools.

For our students it will come down to self motivation and parental encouragement, not lack of opportunity. The school has ensured that all Yr 10s have suitable access, so this shouldn't be a barrier.

Having said that know that my school is in the minority in the local area in providing online lessons.

[Mistlewoeandwhine]

My son is in Yr9 in a quite decent private school. We really make massive sacrifices to pay the fees (which have not been reduced under the circumstances). He has had zero online lessons. Luckily I am a teacher and DH has a background in the subjects I’m weak in so we can support him but we are both working from home and home educating our other child. I wouldn’t say he had had anything privileged at all.

[Mistlewoeandwhine]

Sorry, when I say no “online teaching”, I mean no live teaching, just work set.

[lazylinguist]

I'm not sure that the lack of live lessons will be the deciding factor, nor that state school kids will automatically be at a disadvantage, but there certainly seems to be a huge disparity in the amount and quality of distance learning provision by state schools. Those whose schools have just been chucking out the odd worksheet will definitely be at a disadvantage. My state school dc are getting a full timetable of work (though no live lessons) and I'm happy with what the school is providing. (I'm also a teacher).

[Howaboutanewname]

93% of the cohort is at a state school. It is hard to see how the 7% will shift the curve so significantly that students who would have normally passed suddenly won’t.

[Onceuponatimethen]

Local private schools here have a range of approaches. Ours now has lessons live or recorded (mixed) online 8.30 to 2.30. Another private school locally is doing nothing online at all

[Onceuponatimethen]

I don’t know of any state school locally doing nothing other than worksheets

[Onceuponatimethen]

Sorry that was jumbled. Basically all state schools my friends kids are at provide worksheets only (primary level)

[Hoppinggreen]

DD (private) gets a full online interactive timetable
Friend 1 gets 3 or 4 hours a day sent once a week
Friend 2 gets some online interactive learning but mostly is sent work
Friend 3 gets virtually nothing
Maybe some State schools are doing more but those 3 State schools above certainly aren’t doing as much as DDs school.

[MarieQueenofScots]

The OP has a point. DD (Independant school) has had full timetabled lessons from 8.30-4.15. Teachers online teaching during every session and when not actively teaching available to answer questions on the work they have been set. Class work needs to be submitted online or photographed and sent in. If class work and homework not submitted the parents get an email the next morning

Conversely DD in a state grammar has had an identical experience whereas her friends in private (two different schools) have received very little.

It isn’t as simple as state vs private.

There will of course be a widening gap of achievement. I think it’s more concerning the effect this will have on already disadvantaged children.

[Coffeeandbeans]

My year 10 is getting very little. Couple of hours a day and no homework. He is so lacking motivation now. Bright kid but his exams next year will be disappointing. Schools were told to suspend the curriculum and that’s what his school has done apart from 2-3 hrs a day. No virtual lessons at all. I’m more worried about him than my year 13 child whose A levels have been cancelled.

[Ginandbearit1]

Yanbu. I really admire how well the private schools have looked after their pupils and made the best of a bad situation.

I feel that state pupils have really been let down, shame I cant afford private.

[Fifthtimelucky]

My daughters' selective independent school didn't guarantee places for all its students in the sixth form. They had to get at least 6 grade As at GCSE in order to be able to stay on.

More generally, I think this is worrying and I really worry that disadvantaged pupils are going to suffer the most. Not all state school pupils, though, because lots - probably most- will have parents who are able to support and encourage them to continue their studies.

There is help available but I don't know whether demand outstrips supply. My daughter (2nd year student) has just joined a coaching scheme that has been set up by three Oxford students and has been matched with two year 12 pupils. She's also been coaching a year 10 student through a scheme set up (before lockdown) by her university. The trouble is that those most in need of this sort of help may now know about it or think to apply.

[Iwalkinmyclothing]

Well yeah, but YWBU if you thought they weren't anyway. Because if a private education doesn't give any advantage, why are people paying for it?

I would love to ban private education. I know it is a complete non starter of an idea for many reasons, but I really would love to.

[AllForAnEasyLife]

Dd is 7 years old and at first her school (state school) were putting some worksheets on their website that we had to print out. It was less than 2 hours work a day and there was no emailing it in or marking or anything.

Then they changed to a classroom online website with a log in and you select your year group and there is some limited work on there.

Again no submitting any work etc. The teachers have said that the work which is set is things the children should know, however dd sometimes has no clue how to do it or is not interested in reading it properly and therefore putting the wrong answers in.

Trying to get her to do the school work has been very very difficult with her asking for a break after 10 mins work, not reading what it says and just putting any answer etc.

We have a whatsapp for all year 2 parents and quite a few on there have admitted that they have done nothing since schools closed.

[CovidicusRex]

Surely they are always at a disadvantage though? They form over 90% of the population yet are often a minority in professions, government, judiciary etc. The state schools must have been doing a really really shit job even before coronavirus if 9% of the population can get 70% of judicial positions.