Current Year 10 2020/2021 support thread

@IThinkIMadeItWorse she's climbing the walls already and soooooo grumpy!!!!! School have asked all close contacts isolating to have a PCR test at Public Health Lancs' request but said that even if negative they won't be able to go back to school. By contrast another local school are letting their contacts in if they have a negative PCR, it's very confusing.
Silkiecats we are hoping that DSis and family are going to come for half-term, she hasn't seen our mum and dad since Christmas 2019 . We sneaked down to see them just before local restrictions kicked in last summer but nothing since then, she has a new baby to squeeze .
@QueenMabby good luck to DS this week, we have exams after half-term!!!!

Rollergirl I’m glad your dd is home. It may be a long slog to get her “back” but remember that it’s not her that’s doing this it’s the ED. Your girl is still in there she’s just lost atm and taken over by this illness. It’s like a parasitic plant trying to take over a glorious tree - but it can be torn down. As others have said - baby steps.
Silkie - how exciting for your DD - sounds brilliant. My dd would love to do that when she’s older!

Exam week starts here for DS today. First exam is maths which is one of his stronger subjects so that’s good. He’s being investigated by school for slow processing though. His English teacher says his times written work just doesn’t seem to relate (in quality) to his class and oral work so I think they’ll assess him after half term. It does make sense. He finds writing hard and even though he’s really good at maths he tanked in the fast paced top set at school but does brilliantly from set 2. We’ll have to wait and see what they say. If it is anything it’s not severe - he’s managed fine until now!

@Rollergirl11 keep on rolling. Your DD has your support, it’s baby steps isn’t it. Good for her for coming along for her brother’s birthday - that demonstrates some strength right there that she will even consider it.

I had my vaccine yesterday and after football with DS3 this morning, dealing with some stuff for my parents all afternoon I now feel decidedly rubbish - runny/blocked nose, little cough and generally meh.

DS seems to be ploughing on as usual with no real drama. We haven’t heard anything about work experience or similar so just assuming it isn’t happening.

Glad your DD is back home now Rollergirl and I'm sure your beautiful, clever girl is still very much there, she just needs support to get back on her feet again. Happy 13th to your DS and hope you all have a nice meal out.

It Hope senco meeting goes well. A week to half term here. Just got canoeing on river with otters booked.

TheOnlyMrsW Sorry to hear about isolation and hospital trips.

StColumbofNavron That's great your DS is doing another language.

Paddington That's good they can start with 4 and drop one.

Hope everyone has good half terms. DS is just off for another haircut, he has to go to the ladies hairdresser 25 mins away and he's very fussy but will be great to have it done as he still looks like a sheep.

Got DD's invite to the UKMT summer school, her maths teacher sounded so proud, he wrote another incredible achievement for DD but no-one outside the maths department notices any achievements in maths.

Saw they've announced considering changing school year to 5 terms and changing some practical GCSEs next year. DD isn't affected though the 5 terms with only a 4 week break could be a nightmare for holidays if it says UK only and close contact isolations. I just want to know dates as well. In theory we have some AirAsia credits to use on Borneo flights for 2022 but can't see that happening especially as AirAsia have frozen the credits.

Oh no @TheOnlyMrsW - hope your DD copes with the isolation ok and stays well, it's good you should still be able to do your half term plans. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I sent DS back to school this morning. He has had no symptoms and tested negative throughout. The school did pretty well with online lessons but it is much better for him to be back in person.

Good to hear from you @Rollergirl11 sounds like a really tough time. hugs to you all, hope things start to improve soon.

A level choices here are fairly clear, Maths, Further Maths, Physics and a fourth subject to be decided - Chemistry is the obvious choice but he may decide he wants to do something else. I think local sixth forms start open evenings in the summer, at least one has a date in early July. The system here seems very different to where I grew up when I just stayed at my school for A levels.

We have a meeting with the SENCO next week to discuss things so fingers crossed that will be helpful. Nothing much planned for half term week yet but really hoping the weather will improve! What has everybody else got planned?

Hey lovely ladies, thank you for all your well wishes! DD has been home for 2 weeks after a 5 day spell in hospital. I can hand on heart say that I have never experienced anything like this in my life before. I never realised quite how much of a mental illness Anorexia is before going through this with DD. She is utterly in its grip at the moment and we are all left wondering where our beautiful clever girl has gone.

It’s been 3 weeks now and she still hasn’t managed to gain any weight. I suppose at least she has not lost anymore. She cannot make a return to school until they can see an upwards trajectory of weight gain because she can ill afford the physical exertion that a normal day at school brings. DD is continuing her school work from home via Teams and she doesn’t feel like she is slipping too far behind but obviously it’s not a substitute for being in school with her peers.

We have another weigh-in on Monday so fingers crossed we will start to see an increase.

It’s DS’s 13th birthday today. We are going to a restaurant tonight to celebrate which is customary. DD is coming in order to celebrate with DS but she won’t be eating anything. She can’t bear the thought of eating with other people around her watching so she will eat her meal before.

Hoo everyone is doing well and has managed to get through another half term of undisrupted schooling! Fingers crossed we can get DD back to school soon! 🤞🙏

Much love, enjoy your half terms if I don’t make back to this thread for a bit. ❤️

Well we've had a bit of an exciting stressful couple of weeks and DD has now started half-term a week early due to isolation, we were doing so well!!!
A&E with a sprained knuckle from football last week, again this week with a fractured ankle and sent home from school yesterday as a close contact of a positive case . There are 2 unrelated cases in DD's year which has taken out over 100 students as a close contact, and the school where a lot of her football friends go have an outbreak in years 8 & 9 as well.
We do have online lessons until next week but they're all revision for exams after half-term so it's going to be a bit of a long, boring few days for her. Selfishly I'm pleased that her last day of isolation is Friday next week so we can still go away and DD's half-term plans can go ahead but she would far rather be in school
More revisions to A Level choices here, eldest DSD and his girlfriend have been staying with us and they have inspired a switch to Maths from Geography!
@Rollergirl11 hope you and DD are ok and everyone has a good weekend in the wet!!!

DS2 has today announced that he would like to learn my second language to take an extra GCSE. This is slightly unexpected but as he is year 8 and has a while he has requested one day a week of ‘work’ and that I use the language to talk to him!

@Rollergirl11 hope you and your DD doing ok.

No exams till end of June for DS. Managed to discuss potential A levels whilst on a car journey (no escape!) and it’s looking like Computer Science definitely but then a muddle between Chemistry, physics, business studies, geography and Maths. In DS sixth form they all start with 4. Plenty of time to decide though as the sixth form application deadline is January.

Thanks QueenMabby, that's an impressive amount of revision there. Mine are both of the do nothing school of revision and generally leave them to it unless there's a drop in results. DDs aren't until after half term. That's great your DD is really good at maths.

Not sure what A levels will be here maybe Maths, FM, History and Politics. Dd has had a busy weekend, orthodontist, down to London and back to meet friends and now out with a friend here. She decided she is doing DoE again and booked into expedition with 6 boys. Its not a very exciting expedition just walking and cooking a meal. Went to safari park with DS, he enjoyed it but is such a mouse atm, he got almost mute with lockdown, got 3 words out of him whole trip though lots of signals and a wave to a man and his little girl neither of which he knew. They seem years apart in age but only a year. 2 weeks to half term. Booked a trip to canoe with otters then though hope its not torrential rain.

Hope your DD is improving and back home now Rollergirl11.

I think those are exactly what DS will end up picking.

DD had exams straight after Easter - she has been working very hard but also productively and managed I think not to do too much. Has had some results back and has been doing very well.

She’s been considering A Level choices again - quite a contrast to year 12 DS who didn’t start thinking until some point in year 11. Her current thoughts are History, Politics and Spanish.

I hear you IthinkImadeitworse! My ds is still like this in some subjects (Geography for one!) although he’s improved loads in English over the last couple of years. His writing is so scrappy though - I’m more worried that no-one’s going to be able to read it! I’ve been massively encouraging him to do practice questions on paper as he’s great on the computer but obviously they have to write their exams and the difference in quality for him is really noticeable!
I’ve been impressed by his doggedness this time around though and am really hoping it pays off for him.

Wow @QueenMabby that sounds like loads of revision, wish I could get DS to do a fraction of that amount! His exams don't start until mid June so I don't think they are even on his radar - especially as he's not in school at the moment. Doing the bare minimum is his usual choice, sigh. I looked at one of the pieces of work he had handed in after a home lesson this week and he had only written one short sentence for each question! I told him it wasn't good enough and he had to do it again and just 10 more minutes work made it so much better - it's very frustrating.

Well done Silkie’s Dd! I have a dd who is good at maths although she’s in year 7.
Ds has had his exam timetable for his exams - they start on 24th (maths first) and run for that week before half term. He’s been revising pretty well I think. About 1 - 1 1/2 hours a night and about 2 hours a day at the weekend. Does that sound about right? No clue what anyone else’s children are doing! He’s doing a mix of Seneca, Quizlet and then testing via practice questions.

Hey all, this thread doesn’t stay in my ‘threads I’m on’.

Things okay here, DD has exams right after half term, had the timetable this week. She seems to be doing what she needs to, but the results will show us if there any gaps, I guess.

I’m so sorry to hear about your DD, @Rollergirl11. Several of the girls in DD’s year have been having struggles with anxiety/EDs and other MH issues. It’s very scary.

Thanks both, DD thinks it may just be online this year which is a shame as she would have loved the week away part, but should still be good.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Amazing! Great news.

Well done to your DD @Silkiescats that is brilliant!! Hope she really enjoys that.

Sorry not in London StColombo was just the LA Educational Psychologist, maybe ask on local Facebook SN group if you have one.

It sorry about cahms but glad your DS is working at home.

Just heard from DD she has been invited to ukmt summer school.

@Silkiescats I am sure you have said, but are you in London? I have to seek an Ed Psych for DS3 to investigate possible dyslexia but I really want to go by recommendation and am struggling.

Great news Silkies, hope the report is really helpful in getting some support for your DS.

Sadly we had a letter from the CAMHS people saying that the ADHD referral didn't include all the information they needed so they have closed it, need to get in touch with the SENCO about that I guess.

DS seems to be doing ok with being at home and school are setting work via google classroom, some teachers have even managed live lessons though some for only part of the lesson. Better than I expected anyway. At least it is Friday now so hopefully we can relax a bit over the weekend and then four days to go! So far his LFTs have stayed negative (including one today) - fingers crossed that continues.

I have got Ed psych report for my DS which was great and exactly what wanted but I did have to point out that I am not married to the senco who was listed as my husband and DSs Dad. DS thought it was very amusing and seemed remarkably unfazed by my change of husbands.

DD got a not great mark in an exam but hopefully a one-off. Most of the exams are after half term so will see then but currently fine. She has hairdressers, orthodontist and trip to London on Saturday. We are supposed to be going to safari park on Sunday mainly to get DS out though he did leave house to go to shop yesterday, first time in months and was chatty, also first time in ages. He is fascinated by the fishing row in Jersey.

@Silkiecats we haven't had anything about 6th form yet, DD has had two changes of potential A level choices since September so I foresee much upheaval even before we have to consider whether she gets the grades to take them! It sounds like you've had a trying week, our (still ongoing) visit to A&E doesn't seem too bad in comparison.
@IThinkIMadeItWorse we are keeping everything crossed for no isolations, so far parts of yrs 7, 8 & 9 have been out so creeping round school

@IThinkIMadeItWorse oh no, sorry to hear that. I thought we were past this.

@Silkiescats I think it’s the mumsnet mantra - this too shall pass. Hope things improve all round.

@Rollergirl11 hope things are slowly improving at your end.

We will be looking at sixth forms AND secondary schools for DS3 in Sept. In all likelihood he will go to the same school as his brothers but I feel like we need to give him the same opportunity to look around. Have I shared that I will actually have DS1 in year 13 and DS2 in year 11 at the same time in a couple of years!! Really looking forward to simultaneous GCSEs and A Levels.