Year 13/11 how do you feel about the 3 extra weeks...

My year 11s ( really lovely group) were so upset by this when I told them this afternoon I had to remind them not to shoot the messenger. 3 weeks delay is pointless, and as others have pointed, removes the half way break of half term.

This is all really quite ridiculous, isn’t it. There are so many schools that didn’t continue with the curriculum during lockdown, while others did, to varying degrees. How is that going to be fair?

My yr11 will be ok as she’ll stay on a school 6th form. So, I’d hope even she seriously fucks up they’d do right by her and let her continue to A levels given they know her etc.
My yr13 does not have that luxury with university.
No year 13 kid will and plenty of yr11’s won’t either.
Thing is, I’m struggling to see a good viable fair and robust option. They can’t really do teacher assessments as what are the teachers meant assess if both they and kids are isolating every two minutes?
I also seriously worry about these kids’ stress, anxiety, mental health etc. And the teachers trying to get them through this! Oh and us parents!

I have a DD who has just had A Level results from predicted grades and after a horrible period of uncertainty has done rather well from the predictions. I have another DD in Y13 and a DS in Y11. They are the two years who have had the most disruption to their education In terms of future defining exam preparation yet are the ones expected to correct that with three weeks extra learning. They are already worried and in my Dd’s case very stressed because they’ve been driving themselves hard in case mocks are going to be their final grades. Alongside this is the realisation that her cohort nationally is (I understand) a high birth rate so it is a competitive year, plus masses of University deferrals by last year’s cohort (understandably). How will they assess the children who may have had in the end slightly generous Predicted grades at the end of last academic year With this year’s Y13 who are highly likely to under perform? Knowing that this decision will probably change a number of times is too much and I fear that she just may give up.

Our Y11s all face a short delay and then a compacted exam period I think. As someone else said GCSEs are very stressful because of the number of different subjects. To then compact the exam period and to expect recovery of all the lost time by delaying three weeks is frankly cruel.

I could cry.

Ridiculous, pointless and unfair.
DS has been working nonstop by himself since March including through the holidays, now juggling learning, revision, UCAS and EPQ. He is fed up and exhausted. And now looking at extending the time until exams, reducing the well-deserved long holiday and potentially screwing up the uni admissions timetable.

Give these kids a break Gavin.

Dd (y13) reckons it's pointless

I don't think this will happen. I think they had to put something out there, they can't say they are cancelling the exams as some students will sit back.

I just can't see how these exams can go ahead tbh, I think it will need to be on CAGs again. I don't see how reduced content will work, my understanding is that schools teach the curriculum in different orders and often there are different topic choices by different schools for the GCSEs.

I can only hope that they are putting a more robust system in place if it is CAGs again

20% shorter. I can do maths, honest.

It's madness. 3 weeks to catch up and cram months of lost teaching and work. I could cry thinking of the exam schedule. Those poor poor kids. What a pile of shit they're having heaped on them.

Any mention of the IB?!

The last DC2 mentioned, Ofqual were still deliberating over accepting changes brought in internationally due to Covid so they’re still having to teach the unamended course at his 6th form.

Things will probably change more than half a dozen times between now and easter. By March the kids will have been living and worrying about this for a whole year.

Williamson has no clue. None of them do.

When my eldest did GCSEs there were two weeks before half term and three weeks after. And even with the half term break, she was on her knees by the end. The dates they've announced today put all but two papers into a four week period. So 25% shorter, with no break.

Poor kids.

And yes, also poor teachers/markers who will be expected to turn the results round in a massively reduced time.

Just so the govt can show it's being "rigourous".

How do you sit your exams if you're self isolating? That's what I want to know.

I thought I heard them saying they will probably use mock results for anyone who can't take exams due to self isolation.

DD yr13 also not happy, she doesn't see the point in the extra 3 weeks, they are already behind. 3 weeks won't make a difference, plus her and friends were planning on going away on holiday after their exams finished, but now they won't be able to due to international students going home and the dates not working out.

And it's not across all boards. IGSE haven't announced any change to curriculum or dates.

My daughter is year 13 and she's missed so much she's conviced she's going to fail.
It took one of her teachers 3 months to reply to an email during lockdown and only one of her teachers did the online lessons that they were meant to do, the other 2 just emailed out texbook pages for them to read and answer the questions.
I just don't think that all students have had an equal standard education over lockdown and really can't see how three weeks extra is going to help.

They suspended the curriculum in lockdown, so our secondary sent out plenty of work, but all consolidation tasks not new work.
So the additional three weeks needs to address a while missed term of work. It doesn't add up.

I am too old to remember, and DC doesn't have to worry about A levels...yet, but what is the normal timetable?

The private schools round here WERE planning to finish on 2 July 2021, the day schools a few days later (so not much NORMALLY happens in the last fortnight-usually residential trips and sporty things).

Gutted that they will lose the half term break in the exam timetable. I'm far from convinced that DD will make it to the end of 20+ continuous exams without exhaustion setting in. So any benefit from the delay will be lost.

And also a bit sad for her that she will not get the normal ultra-long break between GCSEs and sixth form. Her older sister got so much enjoyment and refreshment from that holiday.

Oh no way I missed this

I read somewhere maths and English will be before half term the rest delayed for three weeks with GCSE results delayed by only a week. DD has mentioned about reduced content in some areas but its minimal and in no way reflects the time they lost out of school in year 10, lockdown stress and the uncertainty of will the exams happen or not happen etc.

Ouch, not having a break in between will be tough.