Current Year 10 2020/2021 support thread

I’m a bit giddy as I am actually in my house on my own for the first time in aaages! DD off to school, DS at a sleepover and DH has gone in to the office. Happy days!!! Time for naked cleaning!

Jus’ kidding....🤭😂

First day went ok I think - ds is never very enthusiastic about school! Not much change really by way of covid rules except they can't play football on the astroturf, which is a shame. His school have an absolutely tiny site, with very little outdoor space, so I guess their options are fairly restricted.

All his lessons are doubles this year - maybe to avoid so much movement. That means 100 minutes! What a nightmare, especially as ds has ADHD, so concentration is difficult at the best of times.

Glad people had good first days. Ds1 is going back on Tuesday next week. We were meant to have a phone call from head of pastoral care on tuesday (which didn't happen) and then yesterday (which didn't happen again) to talk about ds's autism support so we are both a bit on edge and worried at the moment.

Seems to have been a good day for both of them - a few issues with school bus but not a major problem!
They seem fairly happy with their teachers and are only together for music which is a relief.
They have a 4 week timetable - they have 3 lessons a day 2 x 2 hours and 1 x hour - I think they have designed it so they can revert back to their normal 5 x 1 hour timetable if Covid permits. They seem to get it - I just can't believe that a 2 hour lesson will be as productive as 2 x 1 hours - we will just have to keep an eye on it,

Great to hear about good first days, we're back tomorrow, I'm wfh so can do drop offs but it's still going to be a huge shock getting up and out in the morning!
Currently watching Reading & Leeds footage with DD, she has informed me it's a thing after GCSE 's but she only wants to go if there are decent bands on 😊.

DS back today. He had a good day but said it was really odd with year 10 being pretty much confined to the maths block for every lesson and not moving round the school between lessons. He took packed lunch as didn’t fancy the 10 minute slot in the new style ‘grab and go’ canteen (which was chaos). All eating outside on the school field unless it’s raining and only then can go to form room. I’m sure they’ll soon get used to the new normal.

DD goes in tomorrow. I have no idea how she’s going to get up for 7am as she’s been getting up gone 11.00 for the last 7 weeks and at 8.30 during lockdown. She’s in for a rude awakening!

Their timetables haven’t been released as there was a glitch with the school app apparently. And with tutor being moved to the end of the day for Years 10 and 11 (to reduce the number of students circulating at one time) the school are going to have to direct every individual student to their first class in the morning. What a pain!

@Alsoplayspiccolo wow just 8 in the class? Is that because not many people have taken History? History is really popular in our school as @zighead said, DD thinks there are about 5 different classes.

Nice to hear that everyone’s DC’s have gas good first days!

DD not back until Tuesday, but she got her timetable yesterday. Delighted with her form teacher, and pleased with most subject teachers. Top set for maths. She’s with her best friend for about half the timetable, which they were both pleased about.

Year 7 DS went back today, I walked him to within eyeline of the gate, in he went, and I have two senior school children now. Feels like a big shift.

We are not back until Wednesday - timetable appeared today but for DD maths is blank. DS appeared to have been put in the wrong set for maths and the wrong set for science so messaged school and DS maths is just incorrect on timetable and rest they are trying to sort by Wednesday. They then sent out a whole school e-mail asking people to e-mail in errors. Think its quite chaotic this year with all the extra covid rules plus lots of staff changes. Senco is new and no SN info at all at the moment. The timetable starts from today though no work sent through today but DD seems to think its 2 days online next week

Glad to hear that the DC are excited about going back to school. DD not back until Monday and currently working out with friends the best way to get there (they think an hour's walk is too much). I feel sure that the debate will be ranging on even once they've set off on Monday morning.

No timetable issued yet for DD but to be fair school only started back today and think the teachers and support staff will have been busy with the newbie Year 7s and 12s.

Good luck to your DS for getting up in the morning @didireallysaythat
It was a struggle with DS today to wake at 7am and yet 8.30 is a lie in for him

Blimey @Alsoplayspiccolo a class of 8! Thought history would be a popular choice in most schools.

My DS started back today and found it okay. He liked that all the year ten form rooms are next to each other and that they are mostly taught in those class rooms but didn't enjoy the lunch set up. It was quick and efficient but not very sociable and no choice as to who to sit next to. Said he was done and dusted in less than five minutes so that's probably the schools main aim.

His timetable looks alright, lots of double lessons and not many teachers he recognises, so will be interesting to see if they are any good or not. Also happy to be in set two out of ten for maths!

DS1 starts back tomorrow - that 8am school bus is going to be hell for someone used to getting up after noon.

Dry run today with a day of lessons at home as they are doing a gradual return if all year groups - all in by next Tuesday.

He's chosen combined science, history, art, french and PE, and with the rules around having to wear PE kit to school any day they have PE it currently looks like he'll be in PE kit for 8 out of 10 days (two week timetable)

Daughter back Monday timetable through however not right, her compulsory Spanish is down as RS, she would love that as it was her back up option, but it says RS with a Spanish teacher, so I expect it's an error in the system. History looks like is in the theatre so guessing teaching a number of classes at one time. Most others are in the same room other than PE

DS1 has come home, sat down and very calmly expressed a wish to drop French and just focus on Spanish. I knew this was coming and it’s extra anyway and he was clear he really dislikes French so we’ve emailed to have that implemented. Might mean some timetabling changes. I know that he has thought this through and I think I probably put too much pressure on as I had done double languages and a community language and he is good at it, but he will struggle if he really dislikes it so much.

DS2 has just started Spanish alongside French in year 8 and is already saying he hates Spanish, I suspect that might be to do with his brother loving spanish.

Overall a good day back. DS1 was disappointed his new blazer hadn’t arrived as apparently almost all year 10s had them even though they are optional. I think prob because they are a different colour to KS3.

Glad to hear it all seems to have gone well, even if buses did break down.

Hi everyone. Joining you as my DS has just started year 10 today. He was so excited about going back to school, he came to wake me up at 6:30 this morning all dressed and with his coat on ready to go, (about an hour early). My younger DS doesn't start until next week.

He had a bit of a hiccup first thing as the bus broke down half way to school so they had to wait for a backup bus and were late arriving.

To be honest I am pleased they are going back as they need a bit more structure. Lockdown was fine until school broke up mid July but we have drifted a bit since then as both DH and I are working from home and haven't had a lot of time to do days out with them.

He was really looking forward to today as he has a lot of his favourite subjects such as Art, Maths and Games and I can't wait to pick him up to see how his day went.

@Alsoplayspiccolo me too! I think lockdown has shown us all the benefits of slowing down - and how ridiculously pressured and overwhelming school life is now. Ds has really matured over the last few months, I've had lots of lovely in depth discussions with him, especially since term ended. I don't want our relation to return to nagging mum/grumpy son, but I'm worried he'll sink without my 'support'. I wish we could home educate to be honest. We did it in the past for a couple of years but we'd have to pay for courses/tutoring for the GCSE years and don't really have the money.

Spiccolo I'm trying to both embrace the timetable and regimented days but also retain a little of the slower pace we had over lockdown etc. It really made me realise that downtime was missing from our lives.

DS2 gong in 12-2.30 today - he is looking forward to seeing his friends.

Hi. Mine starts year 10 next week and is very anxious about how she has managed her work over last 6 months and how the next two years will pan out. She is taking english x 2 maths RE double science history geography product design and Spanish. But her school started in year 9 so technically she has done a year already. Any advice and support will be welcome over the next two years.

First day for ds today too but an 11am start - phew! I woke at 6 though (compared to 8 usually!). I feel strangely nervous.