Starting Year 11-GCSE2021 (title edited by MNHQ)

I can't see them missing a whole year...more likely they will change the gcse exam dates to July and year 10 will return on the 1st June.

My ds school has states when they return they will have exams to assess where they are.

I believe this whole process has effected year 10 and 12 the most.

If your child is self motivated and disciplined that is great, unfortunately my ds is only like that in the subjects he likes.

He more science oriented and he had to take a language but he never puts an effort into it, so I am seriously considering emailing the school and asking if he can drop it!

He is in a selective school and has to take 11 subjects but I believe it is more worth while taking 10 and dropping the language since hells heart is not in it.

Has anyone does this at all? I feel a bit nervous about this. My ds has said he can catch up but honestly think it is a lot of work since his knowledge is very limited and it will take a lot of time.

I believe school will start in June and it will be a phase return focusing on year 10 and 12.

That doesn’t make any sense. A lot of year 9’s have already started their gcse work and they would then be at a disadvantage. They can’t roll it over indefinitely.
Discounting the Easter holidays our kids are on their third week of missing lessons. Should they go back end of May or beginning of June they’ll have missed 6-8 weeks of schooling. I don’t know about your schools, but ours generally has a week of exams after May half term and very few lessons in the last 2/3 weeks of the summer term as that’s when all school trips and things occur. So if none of those go ahead they’re looking at having missed around 4 weeks of teaching.
Everything is up in the air, but I think our year 10’s will have priority access when schools do return.

How do you feel about the comments by ex Ofsted head suggesting Y10 and 12 will have to repeat an entire year? I know nothing has been decided but I can’t see how it could happen. The Y9s would I assume become Y10s too and we’d have Y10new and Y10repeat and having to fit a whole extra year group into a school and competing for a place at sixth form and university with double the number of pupils. I can’t see it could possibly work.

In some respects I find it easier working - I’m in my normal routine, albeit busier than normal (pharmacy), but occupied physically and mentally, so am not feeling the 4 walls closing in on me. We live in a village so the kids aren’t really seeing everyone walking around in masks and gloves - I think this would make them worry a lot more.
We still have the odd parent coming in with a child and the look of confusion and uncertainty on their faces when the see us in masks, face guards and behind screens is quite upsetting really.

@TeenPlusTwenties thinking about your DD and @Toobuktim I am in awe of you holding it together as a key worker family. Yes the ‘holidays’ have been a struggle.

I am enjoying these four days as a mum not having to work but yes before the Easter break we’ve been enjoying the routine of walk before work/school, lunch, evening together. Box setting Downtown Abbey at the moment. I am sure we are ‘meant’ to be watching the offerings from The National’ et al but it is all so overwhelming.

The last two weeks have been ok for my 3 kids, both my husband and I are keyworkers but are not sending the kids to school. It’s been easier when they had school work to do, think it helped keep them occupied, but this week just gone hasn’t been as easy. They just want their friends and to be less bored. Social media and FaceTime etc are no substitute for physically being there with your friends. The lack of structure is also taking its toll. I’m thinking the government may stagger the return of children to schools mid to end of May. Leaving it till September may cause more problems for the nhs with winter approaching, they’ll go with trying to do their herd immunity and a second wave over the summer.

DD is struggling. She had just started counselling before all this kicked off, so is now doing that by phone. She is managing 30-60mins a day of 'easy' schoolwork (catching up on the 2 closure weeks where she wasn't in a fit state to do any). She won't be fully done before term starts, but we will draw a line under it and hopefully start afresh for the new term.

How are all your DCs doing?

DD is an only child and all her close school friends are from large families and she had had the odd netflix social and FaceTime catchup but it is only a few keeping regular contact with her and lots of messages seem to be getting ignored at a time a normally very capable and resilient child is starting to spiral a bit and could really do with her friends. She is spending time learning new skills and we are fortunate to have a garden and space to learn and try out new things. We’ve reminded her that what she learns at this time emotionally will hold her in good stead in the long run. I do think all our DC are going to have a great combination of practical, emotional and academic skills!

We were heartened to hear that Y10 and 12 are likely to be the first let back out if the Government decide on a phased back to normality approach, but it still seems a long way off, current estimates are after May half term.

Hope all your loved ones are safe. x

I'm also worried about content missed although I read today that grade boundaries will need adjusting for all current Y10-13s. Was so awful saying goodbye to our Y11&13 yesterday.

DD has been told she will be pretty much following her timetable with lessons on Google Classroom including submitting work online for marking etc I will wait to see how that pans out. She was due to do her second English Oral Monday and they have been told to video it and send it in, her Maths tutor has said he will skype her weekly still. She will really struggle she's such a social girl and loves being out with her friends.

I work in school finance and still have to go in so she will also have to help me with looking after her younger sister

DD has done schoolwork today for the first time since about Wednesday last week. I have bribed her with dying her hair once she has done 5 days' work, so she is aiming to do 2 days in one go . (Who knows what incentives will come into play over the next months!)

She's in a highly anxious state and took 1hr to do an RE question that should only take ~15mins in an exam, but it is progress.

I am very worried about the content that they won't be covering. DD due to have exams the week they return after Easter, although I guessing this may not be happening. She struggles with motivation at the best of times. She is also doing a BTEC course that had exams this summer which I assume will be scrapped. I assume they will just be added to the timetable for next year. One of the reasons she chose this course was to get it out of the way early.

Well the email was sent before the announcement.

My guess is still that they won't do the exams because much of the purpose was to 'mimic real exams but in a condensed way'.

But, I suppose they could post up exams and ask people to scan in answers and upload them for marking, or self mark (except for English probably).

Trying to be positive:

This could be really positive for some of our y10s (and a nightmare for others) as they will have to get used to working alone at home etc, which might then pay dividends for y11 and beyond.

Well, we've just had the exam timetabled emailed out...

Our y10 exams are officially scheduled for end April / early May but school hasn't reconfirmed it following current situation. I'd bin them off if I were school and focus on doing content online. Then depending on situation maybe exams early September to encourage work over the summer holidays.

I did have Easter marked for revision with DD, but now (especially as she has missed school quite a bit this year) it is going to be not so much revising as first tuition / understanding / learning I think.

Schools open here currently but I suspect not for much longer.

I am guessing schools will try to do a lot with powerpoints loaded onto google classroom or similar. Maybe asking for homework to be submitted online, or for things like maths/science saying people should 'self mark' to answers uploaded later?

Then there are things like Seneca that our school subscribes to.

I'm less concerned about content than I am about essay technique especially for English.

DD does 2 practical subjects - Drama & Food so I have no idea really how they will work.

It is Petts . Just want to be certain it's the right thing to do and DD is happy about it, as we can't change our mind once it's dropped.

That is good news teen .

Parents evening last night. We have agreement in principle to drop something. SLT member: 'it won't be setting as precedent as other pupils don't have the same needs'.

The date for the release of results seems really late to me, 26th August is just before the bank holiday weekend and just a few days before some schools go back. One school round here starts the last week of August and not first week of September. Doesn’t seem much time to talk to schools or colleges if trying to work out where to go.

• she was a bit disappointed (not me!)

Thanks that really useful.
No prom at dds school which is a shame.
Had a few results through 5 for maths she's predicted a 7 so was a bit disappointed but I suppose that's what these exams are about helping them identify where they need to put the work in results were low across the class apparently.
5 for cs which is fine she would be happy with a 6 for that which I think is doable.
8 in history which she was delighted with.
She's hoping to stay at the school 6th form and needs 6 6's to get in so everything crossed.

Also if thinking of holidays, don't forget prom and 6th form taster days.

29th June is the ‘contingency day’ so even if your DC has exams that finish before this date do not go booking time away until after the contingency day. I understand this day is used in the event of an emergency and the need to move all candidates to a fresh date.