Restarting the schoool year?

[smileycath]

Given that the the school year has been so chaotic with the floods and now closing completely with no return date imminent I wondered how many are people are thinking about pupils start back in the same class again in September. So all those due to transistion at every level would get another chance at having a smooth one.

My DS is due to move to high school in September. He has been on the CAMHS waiting list for three years. I was due to get the results of his assessment last week but the meeting was cancelled. Regardless of the outcome we're going to need help transitioning and I'm worried.

Just wondered what people thought about the feasibility? Maybe some children go up and some stay? I know that where I live the local junior schools are struggling for numbers and maybe this would help balance things up?

[Redcrayons]

Most final year Uni students I know have all but finished their courses. They aren't going to stay and pay for another year so Universities would be missing a whole year group.
And at the other end, where do all the 4 year olds go?

I've got two in gcse year, so I'm worried sick about exams and the move to college, so I do understand where your coming from.

[PerspicaciaTick]

No - I don't see how this would benefit anyone and my DCs would be gutted to lose a year of their lives. There is no way that DD would want (or need) to leave school at nearly 20 years old.

[LIZS]

Can they not just cover any missed work in their new class? Year 6 learn very little new in preparation for SATS and leaving activities in summer term and are often reassessed at secondary school anyway.

[TeenPlusTwenties]

I don't think it's practical.

If they are in primary, then the primary school can just continue teaching from where their pupils are when schools re-open. It's what they should do anyway and they will just be a bit further back. The only things that really matter in primary are maths & English, everything else is developing skills and smatterings of knowledge.

In secondary it is more tricky, especially for y9 & 10. But I think there will probably be an acceptance of slightly lower GCSE standards (especially for current y10s), and then maybe for current y9s & y8s some schools might choose to do one fewer GCSE per pupil.

All schools for all years will need to be pretty sharp on their pastoral care in the first year after return, as some children will be pretty badly affected emotionally one way or another.

When things are calmer (eg by half term?) I think some transitioning discussions will be able to take place. They might be able to do coming in for look rounds, starting y7s a few days before the rest of the school, maybe part time timetables for some, that kind of thing.

[meonekton]

If he is in yr6, he won't be missing much learning just because school is closed. Most of the yr6 are revising for sats, about what they have learned in ks2. Not learning something new at this stage, I think.
If he is behind, it's a great time to catch up, since no one is going forward.

[Panticles]

I think the new school year should start in January 2021. The Autumn term to sit exams and finish this academic year.

[TeenPlusTwenties]

But then what Panticles ?

What happens to university years (which rely on A level grades 2 months after exams are taken and a month before uni starts)?

Is the next academic year only 2 terms? Or do we shift forever more?

I think it is better to take the hit now, understand 2020 GCSEs are less reliable (or maybe just differently reliable?) and 2021 and perhaps 2022 A levels/GCSEs may have a slight dip in standards.

[zafferana]

My kids' schools are continuing to teach remotely - DS1 at secondary is having a full timetable delivered that way. So no, not necessary to start all over again and they'd be bored stiff. Plus, what if CV strikes again in a year's time - do they have to keep starting the same year over and over, like Groundhog Day?

[Underhiseye2]

Terrible idea. Missed learning should be caught up next year. Parents should keep things ticking over in the meantime.

[LondonGirl83]

Sorry but this isn't a good idea and really isn't necessary for any primary school age children.

Their new class will simply pick up where they left off as the baseline assumption is no children will have been taught the summer term curriculum. The first few months in their new year group will be used to catch up on essential English and Math concepts.