Current Year 10 2020/2021 support thread

@Silkiechickscat I think you've talked about your DS before and it sounds like you're doing an amazing job with him. YY to not missing the girls drama - DD had a really rough time with it at the beginning of year 7 and didn't really find her "tribe" until the end of that year so it was a tough few months. She's lucky in that her football friendship group was always separate to school so she had that support as well.

Like yours as well - DD has really done some thinking about her choices over the first lockdown and last term, has decided on her A Levels and possible degree paths and is using that as her motivation to keep on!

Also agree that it's the social side of school that is missed most - she's not the most extrovert but an only (she has stepbrothers but they're in Scotland so won't see them for a while) so my real concern is that for however long we're in this situation she will only see me, DH and her dad.

@MrsChinamano it's lovely that you're thinking of your students, if there's anything that could assist in the socialisation that would be it for me but appreciate that our DC are all different.

DD has just done form time and her teacher has been talking about the BBC Lockdown Learning programme. I hadn't really paid much attention to the adverts etc as I thought that it was aimed at primary but it sounds like there is a fair amount for secondary in case it's useful for anyone else. He is a Physics teacher and was prety complimentary about the GCSE revision stuff that is there. We (she) is very excited about Brian Cox being on every day, but will have to watch on catch-up as it's still in school time.

Hope everyone has a good week, good luck to @Gumbo DS!!!

@HelloDulling thanks, much appreciated
It'll be freezing in the exam hall as they have to have the windows open so they're allowed to write in their coats!

@Gumbo Good luck to your DS today!

Any suggestions on how to get an unmotivated year10 boy to do more than the absolute minimum? The school is now doing registration at each class which means he does absolutely have to log in but he think a word will do when I think a question needs a paragraph. Tonight one teacher has asked where his work is - answer is he hasn't done it but instead of replying he does nothing until we pester him into at least replying to ask for an extension.

I don't blame the teachers - they're doing a great job. But they are going to be assessing him and currently he's the underachieving kid who refuses to face up to the fact that this matters. I'm so depressed watching his life options close up....

I asked DD and she says they are doing 2 maths after school clubs, ones for children expected to fail and one for the most advanced to do FSMQ

Thank you, bless your DD.

I'm a young teacher and managing quit well, but I also want my students to know they're supported and will be OK! I think the lunch club idea is a brilliant one and would be so beneficial for so many students.

If there were a programme outside of school, as a parent what would you want it to equip your children with? x

That's kind of you to try to help your students. I find what is missing is the social side of school (though I don't miss the girl drama and DD is happier and more stable without that) but the chatting at lunch etc. I think the kids like when they can see what others are doing / their pets etc, ask each other how they are - I wish school had some kind of lunch club or tutor group where they could just chat / swap photos though there's so much to organise its too much I think.

They always moan about activities but you can see them smile when they see photos of other kids pets / other kids cycle route / other kids baking. Some of them are in very difficult situations where there isn't enough food and that's really sad, my DD used to take some of the kids food to school whose parents wouldn't use foodbanks but they were missing a lot of meals. I wish the government would add an extra £100 or so to child benefit a month - maybe in supermarket vouchers - so the kids would have food and not have to worry. The free school meals get help but there's lots just above that.

With mine they like looking at careers and 6th forms, I think that helps to know there is some point to studying and they can think about when life is more normal. It's also mainly listening to them. But remember to look after yourself. My DD also worries about the teachers, especially the long-term sick ones who are old. I also tell mine about children in different parts of the world in lockdown and how it varies there. I think the uncertainty over grades doesn't help atm but it helps when teachers are reassuring about that and I'm preparing mine for teacher assessment or exams. Mine prefer to know everything going on - I think they feel more in control so every Tier change, every education change etc or x may happen or y may happen, they are the 2 possibilities.

@silkiechickscat - thank you for your reply. I'm just figuring out how to reply to these on here!

Thank you so much for sharing so much with me. I should have said I don't actually have a child myself, I'm an English teacher at a college (very PT) and a lot of my students are anxious and struggle with this daily. I want to know how I can best support and encourage them from the other side of the computer! I love the idea of encouraging them to get an animal - I have x3 cats, x4 hens and x2 rabbits.

This week I've been encouraging them to get out and walk in nature and send me their photos, then I've been sending them mine so 'we're in it together'.

xx

An 8 that's amazing!! x

We have no science practicals at all - some links but don't think they do them. DD opted out of all practical options and languages so no issues with those but yes they will need to think about those. Nearest we have is computing but that can be done from home but it is quite teach yourself but DD seems to have hang of it. Think there's a lot of maths and she's doing python atm. I know nothing about computing so glad she can work it out. I was scared when school made her do that (and she was predicted a 5 last year) but she studied over the summer and got an 8 in the first exam and was top, she didn't get that from me! I know turn computer on and off if an issue but that's the extent of my knowledge.

Light There's no public discussion for year 10 yet - could be another year and wouldn't be surprised if we get the its all exams in September then oh they are all cancelled and its teacher assessment in January. One proposal they apparently considered this year but got vetoed was just keeping maths and English exams and rest teacher assessment. I think you've just got to prepare for teacher assessment and exams which is annoying as its constant pressure. At this stage its a guess what will happen next year.

Welcome MrsC I'm lucky DD doesn't get anxious and atm is pretty motivated - she went through a stage of being unmotivated in y8 and y9 so I went through good grades = more money and more choice of jobs. And she said she loved money. I would say researching jobs, and future opportunities is what has motivated her and her brother. Her brother has suspected ASD so he is more a constant push to motivate and I have to work with him 1 to 1 full-time each day to get him to do work and then its 90% me.

Anxiety is hard - sorry your DD has that. Is she getting any help like counselling. I have found cahms useless. Private is better but obviously expensive. We have a few pets and they help the children stay calm. Otherwise I would tackle very slowly ideally under advice from a psychologist / counsellor.

Biggest issue we have with DD is drama in the girls in her year which can get very nasty and obviously all the disruption now with covid so lots of on-off schooling and a couple of long-term sick teachers.

Hi everyone,

I hope I can join this conversation? I'm wondering what you all struggle with when it comes to your teens and entering year 10?
What is it you want most for them and what do you need solutions to as parents of teens?
For me, it's motivation and a huge increase in anxiety so I'm looking for solutions for both and wondering what other parents think?

Thanks
Mrs C xx

Yes, Ds school also doing 6 Mark exam type tests.

Are parliament discussing what might happen for current Year 10's @Silkiechickscat? I agree there needs to be some concessions. I worry about all of the science practicals that are being missed (advised to watch online for the time being) and also stuff like music composition/practicals. Also the speaking element of languages.

I'm sure content will be dropped in some subjects.

I was originally thinking exams would go ahead in 2022 though told DD in September to also prepare for teacher assessment but now schools are closed I suspect will be more teacher assessment than exams but unfortunately got to prepare for all scenarios. DD pointed out y11s last year only missed 3 months and got teacher assessment and some kids have already missed that much through closure until at least mid Feb and isolations. I can't see how exams would get through equality assessments - some kids will have been in everyday so far, others have missed more than they've been in and whenever its from home divisions widen between private / grammar and comps and those with parental help/money for tutors and those without. DDs school did masses of assessments last term so we have grades in all subjects though physics and biology weren't marked as both teachers off long term sick though y9 test grades in those. So she has grades in all subjects 9/11 are from y10.

I mentioned to head y10 and y11 may go to teacher assessment a week or so ago and she was no nothing being said. So when parliamentary announcement out I sent that and also said think its being discussed for y10. DD said in last few days they've been told there will be lots of teacher assessment and tests once back. Feel sorry for the kids though DD is coping well. DS in y9 is struggling a lot more as ASD so I'm needing to do 1 to 1 where I do 90% and he does 10% and lots of muttering, stomping, odd bit of screaming whilst we are also trying to frantically sort house sale before someone decides to stop those. Our school is being very strict on who is let in so only 5% of kids in which does mean the remote provision is much better than last year, we have a more or less full timetable now.

Only concern is physics is still off and they are a month behind and just being given links to Oak Academy on random topics which they've already done but that's 1 subject out of 11 so very happy overall. Though hoping rates fall and schools can reopen or at least someone prioritises y10.

DD's year have been told that they will be continually assessed from the start of yr10 in case exams don't go ahead as planned again for them . So they have been doing previous exam questions for homework ie. 6-markers for Geography and tests in everything at the end of last term, again all previous exam questions.
My real worry if their cohort do sit exams is that they will be very harshly marked as a result of two years of CAGs (not that I don't think that teachers don't know what they're doing when they're assessing their students).
Also, if they don't go ahead in the normal format what happens to subjects with coursework or practical assessment like PE/Food Tech/Music etc?

Gumboit’s anyone’s guess for their exams next year! As it stands our Year 10’s have had the same level of disruption as the current Year 11’s, albeit one term being in their Year 9. And at least the current Year 11’s had 2 full undisrupted terms in their Year 10 whereas ours so far haven’t had a normal term yet in their Year 10. I do worry a bit that once schools go back that our DC’s will just be expected to suck it all up and their will be no allowances for the upheaval they have also experienced.

DS has decided to go in and write his exam on Monday (it's optional) - along about a dozen or so other kids. I think it's the right decision - and I've reminded him that's it's only a BTEC subject, it's not like it's something fundamentally vital to his future like Maths or English.

Will wait and see what happens next; it's all such a rollercoaster isn't it?

I feel very sorry for the teachers - and to be honest, I also feel sorry for the Government having to make crazy decisions about schooling, since it doesn't matter what the decision is - they're never going to get it right are they?

I presume the current Y10 kids will have 'proper' exams next year, but given that their education is still being disrupted, it's anyone's guess

Gumbo ahhh that’s a tough one. Would the exam still be next week if he chooses to sit it? Does he know what any of his peers are doing? If he’s predicted a distinction isn’t it likely that will be what the teacher assesses?

The school is now saying they don't think the pupils should be taking the Sports Science exam next week, but to go for an assessment mark instead - but that if the child REALLY wants to, they can still take the exam

Poor DS has no idea what to do - he's studied hard and is predicted to get a distinction - but if the exam is harder than anticipated he may not - and he also has no idea what assessment mark the teacher will give... and what moderation will do to it! This is so hard/unfair on the kids....

Ds was due to take RS GCSE this June so is delighted it's been cancelled. Told him to hold the horses as we don't know how it will be assessed now.

Possibly - I was messaging someone who works at Oftsed and they said to expect DD (y10s) to also go to teacher assessment - I had said she was y10 but don't know if they were confused. I would just prepare for both. No school until at least Feb half term, argh but house moves can continue at least for now.

In case anyone loves rules as much as my DS or is very bored:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/949536/NationalLockdownGuidance.pdf

No exams again! So our Year 10 DC’s will be the first GCSE exams to be sat for 3 years!

Nationwide or Tier 5 - we will be hit either way as house selling is covid hotspot Tier 4. Scotland has closed schools all of Jan I think and suspect we may get that - Joe Wicks has announced new programmes 3 times a week!

Here’s hoping you can get to completion Silkie, you’re almost there!

So are we thinking nationwide lockdown announced at 8pm? The only thing that makes me think not is that he’s going to look so ridiculous when he went on the BBC yesterday stating that primary schools were completely safe!

Thanks It

Online learning for both today but at least a full timetable for both today at least unlike last lockdown - how long that will last I don't know. DD has no physics at all though and 2/3 science teachers are long-term sick and no work being provided in physics. Otherwise fine.

DS did 2 lessons out of 5 today with me so not ideal but 2 more than nothing and at school would normally do 3/5, the extra one is maths which he's way ahead of what sending out so hopefully OK - did geography and English and missed RE, Art and Maths but not taking RE or Art.

School are recording y10 attendance from tomorrow. Also said masks to be worn at all times at school. Only 5% of school pupils in this week. And told kids needs to isolate and be covid tested for every symptom under the sun including tiredness and stuffed nose, skin rash and about 15 others not on official criteria for a test. How they think parents can say my childs tired test him I don't know and would also be tested and isolating permanently then.

Awaiting 8pm lockdown announcement for house sale news, Scotland still allowed so hopeful though for how long? So trying to push it through and buyer trying to push through. DH is clearing rest today hopefully.