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Original poster

Yr 8 and 9. The forgotten years...

49 replies

Whatthefunk · 03/07/2020 08:08

Morning all. Just read an article online, by Susanna Reid, lamenting the fact that her boys, in years 11 and 13, are missing out on their schooling, and a quick Google search brought up loads of related pieces about the plight of these years...I appreciate that these are very important stages in school, but as a mum of a year 8 child, I can't help but feel that years 8 and 9, have been completely forgotten... it seems that they are just collateral damage....How will they ever make this time up?? Not just in terms of education, but emotionally. They have been separated from their friends, and are expected to , in the case of our school, teach themselves. It's such a tricky age....they aren't really children anymore, and are virtually impossible to entertain, without the use of screens, and they don't have the emotional maturity to express how they are feeling. I am so worried about the long term fallout...

OP posts:

spiderlight · 03/07/2020 10:52

I have a year 8 and he's coped OK, although he's sad that he's missed out on half the year and worried that he will be plunged straight into the serious business of GCSE options when he goes back.

darkcaramel · 03/07/2020 10:58

Oh Mary, that really is silly!

bashcrashfall · 03/07/2020 11:09

Year 6 are fine, they are the only year group in my area to have had any full time schooling.

There is going to be a massive difference between 'key worker' children, who have been going to school throughout and so have had a relatively normal time, and those children full time at home for 6 months. And I mean emotionally, not academically. If they miss any work they can catch up, but some children are now extremely anxious and upset and that is more difficult to deal with, particularly with no support available.

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formerbabe · 03/07/2020 11:13

I don't have a child in year six but I really feel sad for those kids. My ds is year seven and end of year six was so pivotal and important with so many events and fun times. Very sad.

PuppyMonkey · 03/07/2020 11:15

I have a Year 8 and a Year 9 and I have to say, they have taken to lockdown like ducks to water. They live it. I don’t quite know how they’ll cope with having to go back to school tbh.

PuppyMonkey · 03/07/2020 11:15

love it

Rockbird · 03/07/2020 11:19

My year 7 went back for 2 hours a couple of weeks ago and that's it till September. She's very very stressed with working at home although school have been pretty good though. What I did think was good was that the fab year 7 head told them that she was still available for help and for them to talk to next year as she didn't feel they'd properly finished year 7. Sort of a year 7b!

AuntImmortelle · 03/07/2020 11:31

So many year groups have been forgotten.

I have a yr 7 and yr 4. I'm desperately sad for my year 7. She's missed out on so much regarding settling in. She was just at a point when she had a good group of friends and was happy to go to school. And that was after a hard start. You know - the crying each morning etc. She was the only girl from her school who went to this secondary. It was tough.

She has had a full online timetable and end of year exams - which have been a mixed bag of results (some excellent and some lower than expected). Which had also lead to a knock for her confidence and increase in anxiety.

So basically she's had all the hard bits of school with none of the fun.

I so hope she has a normal y8.

As for the yr 4 - been totally fine with homeschooling and happy as a pig in shit.

thewalrus · 03/07/2020 11:39

Y6s and Y8 here. It's been much harder for the Y6s in our family - they're acutely aware that they're missing out on all the transition stuff - play, residential etc as well as the softer stuff like being sports leaders etc. And they haven't had the transition programme that they've seen their older sibling and friends experience.
They've been lucky to be back in school though, and that has helped. I feel as though both schools are doing their best to support them, but they can only do so much to mitigate it.
The Y8 is doing fine - she's lucky enough to have no concerns academically and she's got a nice little core of friends that she's seeing regularly now she can. She feels like they've been forgotten in the government's response to it all, but personally she's ok and feels lucky not to be in a more 'key' yeargroup.

Aventurine · 04/07/2020 00:39

Mine are year 8 and 11 and I feel fortunate they are in those years really. There are other years I'd be more concerned about. Year 8 dd has done the work set and has been doing tests at home this week. She's got time to catch up before GCSEs. I'm sorry she's missed out on school as she has fun with her friends and a school trip to Paris as she was really looking forward to it, but it can't be helped and hopefully she'll pick up where she left off.
Dd1 wants to stay at the school.sixth form. (Fingers crossed they run her subjects) so hopefully will be back at school to start her A Level subjects. Obviously you worry they'll get the GCSE grades they would have got if they'd taken them. Fingers crossed!

ihearttc · 04/07/2020 08:36

To the PP who said there will be adaptations to the Year 10 GCSE’s next year, they are proposing hardly any changes at all and our Year 10 children are basically expected to just suck it up and deal with it. The proposed amendment document is out for consultation (so if anyone has a child in Y10 then please fill it in) but the changes are minimally. For my son it means no fieldwork study in geography, Spanish speaking exam as a separate grade rather than part of the gcse and a reduction from 3 sports to 2 in PE. That’s it. No reduction in grade boundaries, they are speaking about potentionally moving the exams to start after May half term but it doesn’t look likely.

Alakazam8 · 04/07/2020 09:25

A year 6 here. No chance for her to go back to school as they are full of key worker kids (they say). Some staff (school reported) have not come back to work- quite a high percentage.
Missed out on everything including any proper transition support. Ehcp. School have massively let her down.
I’m currently chasing both schools so they can at least share information about her before summer hols. Shouldn’t have to do this- should have been done weeks ago.
Just hoping there is no long term impact. Wish she was in any other year!

HandsOffMyRights · 04/07/2020 11:31

@ihearttc

It was me.

I'm sorry, I did not realise that those adaptations only meant that.

This is appalling.

Chipsahoy · 04/07/2020 11:47

Mine is in yr 7 about to go into yr 8 and he's fine. Still sees his friends for a socially distance walk once a week, gets all his work done at home, without teachers yelling or telling him to work in silence, no stuffy uniform. If he could see his mates more and play sport he'd be happy as Larry.
It's affected each child differently, rather than whole yr groups. You can't generalise like that.

GetUpAgain · 04/07/2020 11:53

I have a year 8 who has not coped brilliantly with it all, but will be OK once settled back into school I reckon. I have a year 10 and for them it is rubbish, but I am assuming school will let them stay on for 6th regardless of their gcses and hopefully it will all smooth out. I feel most sorry for those due to take their a levels in 2021. I don't know anyone in that year but I think it is the most significant.

IHeartKingThistle · 04/07/2020 11:53

I'm putting as much effort into setting work and keeping in touch with my 7s, 8s and 9s as I am with Year 10. The school itself has provided more for Year 10 - more live lessons, bubbles in school - but I sincerely hope none of my KS3 students feel forgotten.

Tinamou · 04/07/2020 11:59

I have DC in years 5, 7 and 9. It's been hardest for the year 5 in our case, but of course it depends on the child and the school as well as the year group.

Just really hoping that things are back to normal in Sept.

MrsAvocet · 04/07/2020 12:03

I've got a year 9 and a year 12. I am extremely anxious about the effects on my older son but honestly, not that concerned about the younger one. Partly that's down to their personalities, but I do think the impact is less. Not none existent - they've started GCSE syllabi in matha, english and the 3 sciences and the online teaching had been ok, but not as good as in school teaching so they are a bit behind, but they do have 2 years to still make that up. It isn't insignificant, but compared to the impact on my year 12, I think it is a lot less. Obviously school provision is a factor, as are the children's personalities and your individual circumstances (my kids wouldn't be hanging round at friends houses much anyway as they all live too far away) so not every year 12 will be worse affected than every year 9. But I do think that, broadly speaking , those closest to public exams have been more impacted than those further away. In academic terms anyway.

Neednewwellies · 04/07/2020 12:06

Actually there will be hardly any adaptations for current Y10s and I think they’re definitely coming off worse. I have DS1 in Y10 and DS2 in Y9. DS1 has been told that the coursework element of his geography, his RS and French will not be happening. The focus will shift to exam. How is that not unfair if they are the only test group to do it? He has also been told that his teacher can no longer continue with the further maths they’ve been doing as their time is needed to plug other gaps. So, he’ll be doing one less GCSE and a few of his others will change dramatically so all emphasis is on exam. His brother is just a year behind him and I’ve already asked about the impact on him and I’ve been told it will all be fine and back to normal curriculum wise for current Y9s. DD is only 7 and whilst she’s restless, she’s not missing out at all. Out of my 3 children it is definitely my Y10 who will suffer most and certainly more than his brother in the year below.

m0therofdragons · 04/07/2020 12:12

My dc are years 4 and 7. I actually think these are the perfect years and we’re lucky. Dd1 has stayed with her primary friends when starting secondary so the 3 of them have got very close with proper phone call conversations and now garden meet ups. Her school has been awesome in a few video lessons per week including a 30 minute video tutor time so they see their tutor group each week. The lessons have been thought through well and teachers respond to questions. If anything, she’s avoided the peer pressure and been able to mature at her own pace. She’s grown up a lot the last few months and my relationship with her grown. ( it’s not been perfect and I’m working so felt so guilty abandoning my babies to work in a hospital - I got over that but first few weeks I was an emotional wreck). Dtds are year 4, school has been lacking just providing the bare minimum with no emotional support at all. But they are all happy to be at home. Year 8&9 want to hang with friends so I think they will be emotionally hit far more.

TimeWastingButFun · 04/07/2020 12:15

I think all the years are equally hit (maybe apart from the exam years). My Y7 was mid school-change when it happened so he had a few short months of being unhappy and unsettled, followed by a long wait to see if the new school application was successful. A complete write-off of a year for him and a whole lot of new friendships to establish in September.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 04/07/2020 12:18

I have a Y4 and a Y8 and I agree that they're probably the best placed to come through this academically. My Y8 has an EHCP so could have been in all along but I am shielding and really her EHCP is only necessary to allow her to cope in a school. She's worked well at home. The Y4 is doing a couple of hours each day with us so ticking along.

okiedokieme · 04/07/2020 13:55

It's hard for kids, all kids, the the ones that have it hardest are the ones without a home life that can provide structure, support and the equipment they need for home learning. Most of your kids will actually be fine, some may be thriving with at home tuition. Some kids have not been encouraged to fill in a single worksheet or watch Bbc educational output etc. My own kids are at university so different concerns (one doing fine, the other not coping with remote tuition but way too old for my input beyond cups of tea!)

AuditAngel · 05/07/2020 14:57

I have year 4, 8 and 11.

The year 4 is desperately missing her friends, even though she is spending time online with them, and has met with a few in recent weeks. She is hard to motivate to work (apart from maths) and as I am working full time (in fact more hours than normal) I am struggling to get her through all she should be doing.

The year 8 is diligent and enjoying being at home. In fact, she is missing her sports far more than anything else.

My year 11knows he is likely to benefit as a result of not sitting his GCSE’s as he doesn’t meet his potential in exams. He is a loner so not really missing friends.

I do think year 8&9 have missed out as mine was sent home early as they ran out of teachers due to shielding.

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