GCSE Summer 2020 - Thread 11 Carry on Corona Cohort - Starting New Terms and Settings

Has anyone had to buy a load of new books for their DC? I just spent £120 on the reading list for two subjects and it worries me that’s half the books say Year 1. That means at some point we will have to buy Year 2!

Hello Crazy Everyone’s really helpful and friendly here. You’re welcome.

This thread could be quite helpful to those of us with younger children when it comes to advising them with A Level/BTEC choices! I’ll come back and ask for your children’s experiences in a year and a half! I suspect ds won’t be looking at traditional subjects.

Thanks Monkey to be honest, I don’t think he’d want to do RS.I think he’ll probably just carry on with it until he can drop it. It’s up to him so I’ll just see how things pan out for this term.

@Shimy I don't think you have to have RE GCSE to do the A level.

Hmm..yes I do get what you mean. I’m feeling bD now because I encouraged him to take it as his fourth subject. They all have to do 4 to begin with although there wasn’t really anything else suitable he could do. They don’t offer Sociology and he dropped RS because he wanted to do both History & Geography for GCSE.

I was surprised when DS1 did it. It could be the way he was taught but it's a what not why subject iyswim.

I thought parliaments and governments would be interesting debates, field trips etc We’ll just have to wait and see how DS gets on, it might be his one to drop.

Ds1 did politics. It is very factual and dry. They don't really debate. Sociology is more about values and RS consists ethics. Politics teaches about parliament and governments.

Thanks @OrangeCinnamon1 for the new thread. I don’t know what I’m going to do when the next two yrs are up and we can’t post here anymore, I’m going to be bereft .

In the meantime Icanbewhatiwant I’m rooting for your DS to make the school team, DS is also a lil lad. When asked how his first 3 days back at school were, he said he was pleased to see all his friends except they’ve all grown up as well , they’re all taller than him. He then asked if I thought he had stopped growing? I felt so sad for him but just tried to encourage him that he has so many fantastic qualities about him and height isn’t everything.

Classes have been good. One teacher is fantastic, one is mediocre and the last one, the subject seems just boring(Politics),I told him Politics can’t be boring and they must not have to the exciting bits yet .

Any takers of Politics here? Is it really boring?

crazycrofter I know, it's ridiculously small. It is mixed thank goodness but only a small handful of lads one of which is in her History class so it's just her and him. It's mainly students from her school with two new ones it seems and another couple to come later - think they are quarantining. I fear this will be too small a cohort to make a new circle of friends so hoping they are all nice and can all go out and meet their friends

Seems like lots of your DC have had good starts and made new friendships which is awesome.

Come came to post exactly the same thing. My autistic da is living the quietness and the having areas no one else can go into! He's made 2 friends (1 went to school with him) and has loved it!

Most enthusiasm I've seen in him for months!

He'll be in 2 days 9-4.30. 1 morning then they online learn until 4.30. 1 day will be placement but that doesn't start until after Xmas. 1 day morning online learning and afternoon online directed study.

All fits in perfectly with his swim training too!

Ds is buzzing. He’s had an amazing day. So different from school. My autistic, socially inept child has made friends already especially with the two lads he’s been put into an ensemble with.

And DS has 1 more day to finish the transition work which was to easy to get bothered about earlier

DS made a new friend today - someone who's joined his sixth form from another school. Bear in mind that DS's school is a bog-standard comprehensive with a mixed demographic intake. His new friend used to go to "a boarding school near Windsor". I have resisted the urge to ask if it was Eton surely there must be other boarding schools near Windsor but that's quite a big change for him!!

Oh dear @ChristopherTracy I’ve been feeling a bit like that with year 10 ds and he hasn’t even had any homework yet! Over lockdown ds has really focused on piano and fitness and made massive progress in both - he’s just not interested in GCSE subjects! I guess they have other priorities and once out of the academic treadmill they’ll be fine.

So today DS isnt doing his homework - back to normal then. He just cant self motivate himself. We had a little er discussion about it and now I feel upset and headachy.

Welcome to the new year, same as the old one!

First day in almost 6 months that dh and I were alone at home with no dc's. I don't return to work for 2 weeks and he's retired. It was very quiet. Also after 15 and a half years I've stopped needing to do the primary school run. That's strange too.

Hope the first days went well. At one point today I was alone in the house for the first time in many months.

DD will be alternating weeks being on site and on line - same lessons but with half the class participating via Teams.

So that's two early commutes a fortnight, great result as it's a time consuming journey by bus/walking.

DS2, in Y13 school 6th form, has a four day week, so he's delighted too!

PS if I didn't say thanks already, thank you to those who suggested DD go with the subject not the setting. She seems happy with her choice so far.

@AnneOfCleavage wow that's a small year 12, are they all girls or mixed? Hope there's enough friendship options for her!

Dd's first proper day seemed to go ok. She spent quite a bit of time with the girl from her old school, which is understandable, and they're getting the train together, but she spoke to lots of new people today so that's good. RS and Psychology teachers seem nice - and no homework yet!

@Comefromaway dd has been angling for a macbook for a while but I thought we'd persuaded her down to something less pricey! But the in laws have said they'll help and dh mentioned a macbook again earlier, so who knows! They're just sooo expensive! But it sounds like she'll definitely need something, especially if/when they're next studying remotely. Her ancient chromebook is so slow.

I think teachers have no choice but to throw students full pace work from the start. Not just because of the 6 months out of normal studies, but they know that 2020 cohort will have the naysayers ready to point the toldyouso fingers at them post 2022 summer exams (whether that's A; IB; BTEC etc). DD's already seeing a protective yet assertive approach from her teachers, and is fearful for the odd one or two of her friends that are already asking for hand in extensions. Purely through old habits dying hard not lack of ability.

First day today and a mixed bag of reactions. DD is in a very small super selective 6th form it seems as less than 20 students in year 12 so all in one form. The criteria for getting in was quite steep so probably put off a lot. DD is in 2 classes with just one other and one class with 2 others

Her day consisted of seminars and guest speakers which for the most part was good apart from her bum went to sleep as they ran two talks back to back and she was so uncomfy. The talk ironically was to take breaks after studying / sitting for 30-45 mins and then very contradictory with the lady saying "some students like to listen to music whilst studying" and then said "don't ever listen to music whilst studying as very distracting"
They provided lunch just for today but it was inedible apparently so DD has come home starving and grumpy. Not a great start but she's gone to her dance lesson so hopefully will come back smiling.

Ds started college today.

Dropped him off at 8.30 for 9am start.

He's not finishing until 4.30!!

Then he has swim training later. Straight back in at the deep end

DS now has a timetable :)

School is changing tutor time to first thing in the morning for year 7-11 but looks like he has a whole hour of form period once a week and so presumably doesn't have to go in at 8:55 when he doesn't have a lesson then.

Has some directed Study periods and one enrichment period a week.

They have a 2 week timetable and one of the Mondays he has Maths at 10:15 for an hour and then Maths at 2:20 for an hour and that's it!

Other days have a bit more in them.