Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

(DD did hers end y9 so that's one less thing I need to worry about at least.)

NotDonna The English 'oral' is more commonly called Speaking and Listening. It used to be 20% of the old GCSE before they made it just a separate grading alongside the GCSE in the last ~3 years before the 9-1 GCSEs came along. So now it is Pass, Merit Distinction alongside the grade (so you could get a 9+pass or a 2+Distinction for example.

Oh I came on to say we’ve now heard for English which texts are staying and what’s going but still no news re history.

@WhatHaveIFound good luck to your DS oral. I had no idea there was an oral for English Language. I’m wondering if mine are a different board.

WhathaveIfound my ds said someone would have to be mute to fail it, I don’t think anyone has ever failed it at his school.
Fingers crossed your y11 gets through this unscathed

My DS did his English oral exam today, just in front of a teacher and not the whole class like it previously has been done. He’s done well and got a distinction, so he’s pleased with himself tonight!

DS is doing his next week. Is it possible to fail? He's a non talker at school so it was always going to hard and his teacher had always planned on it being a one to one presentation.

Y9 has been shut down today after 3 confirmed cases in that year. I'm wondering if it's only a matter of time before it hits Y11

Got an email from the school this evening saying year 7 are going into self isolation today as one of the students has two confirmed cases in their family (the student appears to be fine so far). 2 weeks off already for the poor buggers and they only started 2 weeks ago. What a nightmare the next few months are shaping up to be :( Some year 11s might end up remote learning loads and some not at all - more things to create a further disparity.

DD emailed her history teacher to ask about changes to Edexcel history and he replied to tell her that there were no changes!

My DS did his English oral exam today, just in front of a teacher and not the whole class like it previously has been done. He’s done well and got a distinction, so he’s pleased with himself tonight!

That's terrible for your DS and others. DD still has science lessons in labs complete with lab work.

I know, it's a shame and stuff seems to be so different between schools.

Re MFL, my dd’s school have apparently not ‘got onto’ oral yet. Since yr 7, all oral assessments have been “write down what you would say for this question.”

Have the exams boards confirmed that the spoken exam will be dropped? I know this was originally suggested but it's a shame as that's the whole point of learning a language.

Another confirmed case at school today and in a different bubble to last week. So a total of 8 days back in school and 2 cases!

Re MFL, my dd’s school have apparently not ‘got onto’ oral yet. Since yr 7, all oral assessments have been “write down what you would say for this question.”

Well played our school

Apparently they don't at school either now. All DS's science lessons are in a regular classroom, no lab work at all.

That's terrible for your DS and others. DD still has science lessons in labs complete with lab work.

Ds1 says they did mock oral tests last year before lockdown and the teacher is using those for everyone that passed. Those that didn’t are getting extra lessons and another go.

Anyone else’s DC doing MFL? What’s happening at your schools re orals? There’s no longer an oral exam but teacher assessment of pass, credit, distinction. DD says school is struggling to fit in the necessary continuous assessment in the usual language lessons so they’re going to have them over lunch every other week (2 week timetable) for the foreseeable.

Yes really that's what I was hoping for. Ultimately dd works hard but she definitely tends to choose what she wants to do, so revises the areas she finds more interesting and leaves things that are boring or difficult in her view.

Would have been good to have an idea of things she is struggling with so we could have given her some support over the summer. But it didn't happen... So we have to look ahead...

@Travelban ... We had an email last week to tell us that they were having diagnostic tests next week.
I think all students are at different places at the moment - I know some of DS's friends didn't engage with home learning at all, so are probably way behind.
It will be difficult to predict grades at the moment if some have genuinely done zero work for 6 months. Others who have engaged with home learning may not have fully understood everything and so on.
Can see it might be a logistical nightmare for schools. The email was very clear that the tests were for determining what areas needed extra work and for exam practice.

we don’t have a chemistry lab in our house, don’t know about you ...

Apparently they don't at school either now. All DS's science lessons are in a regular classroom, no lab work at all.

Hi everyone, my Dd1 is also in year 11. I am also worried about how things will pan out for her. She was supposed to do exams last year to give her predicted grades but these didn't happen, so they have been postponed to October. I really hope they happen as she doesn't have a clue what she is predicted...

Been doing some work in maths during the latter part of the summer as she has her maths gcses in January... Fingers crossed 🤞 they can have some time at school.

Well, here’s hoping we all make it to the end of the week staying in school! Fingers crossed everyone!

It's the uncertainty which I think is the hardest. And so unfair on our kids in an already very very challenging year.

That’s hard @Powergower having one in both Yr 11 & 13, those are the two school years you really can’t write off, nor years 10 & 12 to a lesser extent.

I wish they could just take the pressure off all completely and have them be able to go through to their chosen 6th Form/University & courses with no assessment at all, but of course that’s so unrealistic.

Problem is the current situation has potential for so much inequity. Some schools much better set up for homeschooling, some subjects better suited to it (we don’t have a chemistry lab in our house, don’t know about you ...), and as a PP said, the schools aren’t necessarily set up for providing for sections of pupils going off for 14 days isolation with no notice. It’s all a bit of a crapshoot.

I'm worried sick about this year. Ds has been back 4 days and so far 3 kids in the year isolating with symptoms and unable to book a test. If they test positive ds will also have to isolate. They have been told that they must prepare for online lessons in case of isolation but the online provision from the school is rubbish. They were also told this week that poetry has been dropped and the lessons planned accordingly up to Xmas. I now see aqa have done a massive u turn and poetry is back. Ds loved being back at school and will really struggle if classes go online again. I really feel for the students and teachers. The government and the exam boards need to do better. I also have a child in year 13 facing similar issues. Just wish there was some real clarity for them both.

The school were good during lockdown but this is a totally different situation as they have had it dropped on them, the kids went to school on Wednesday morning and were sent home so the teachers had no time to plan or prepare also they are all in school teaching all the other years as usual. It's just a nightmare and yes they are supposed to isolate for 14 days, it's madness though as this could happen repeatedly.

I guess it’s kinda obvious, I just hadn’t really put two and two together!
Makes me wonder whether school is really worth it! Two or three of those would be grim. I wouldn’t be sending DD in again.