Year 11s in September.... Feeling pretty worried about mine!

[DonLewis]

Anyone else got kids going into Y11 in September and feeling pretty worried about the whole thing?

I just can't see that schools, even if they open as planned, will stay that way. I know there was a consultation about how to approach it, but things seem to change pretty rapidly and I'm just not confident that things will be remotely normal for them and I'm worried about what it'll do to their grades and self confidence.

What are others in the same boat thinking?

I’m think it’s ridiculous that at the moment the plan is to sit GCSEs when they have missed almost a quarter of their teaching time. They will not be able to catch up and it’s unfair.

Why ever won’t they stay that way?

my ds2 is in yr 13 in sept and I'm worried too.

But all you can do is encourage them to work as hard as they can, ask for explanations and support when in class, and do any out of school work. But them all the revision guides, support with any subjects you can.

The boundaries may well be lower, and they are all in the same situation. What subjects do they do? What do they want to do next year? GCSE grades are not the be all and end all, whatever you may read on MN.

@bluesapphirestars I don't know, but until there's a vaccine everything seems pretty liable to change!

Honestly don I could be wrong but I will eat my hat if schools are closed again. And I don’t even own a hat!

By mid September it’ll be business as usual I think. Maybe some changes like no whole school assemblies and no parents evenings but in terms of actual teaching I doubt much will change.

Same boat here. I'm hoping for a normal school year but realistically I know this is unlikely. My DS was predicted fairly good grades prior to lockdown, but has done the minimum since March despite lots of encouragement. I'm fairly laid back about it; at least we know now that the year is likely to be disrupted, their exams may be modified etc. Forewarned is forearmed and I'm having those conversations with him now. I'm also trying to manage my own expectations and thinking that if his gcses are sufficient to get him into college then that will do, given the circumstances. Which is quite a come down from having being set to get good results!

DS will be starting Year 11 in September and I am pretty concerned about possible further disruption to the teaching and learning too.

They have already missed so much and I’m not sure how they will catch up as well as complete the Yr11 aspects of the curriculum.

I feel like this year group (and the Yr13 cohort) will definitely feel the effects most.

Plus, come the winter cold/flu season I can imagine there will be numerous kids missing days, possibly weeks, due to having to isolate / get tested / isolate if a family member shows symptoms, etc.

Things may change but I am definitely nervous about the whole thing. It seems unrealistic to expect them to sit exams as normal with the amount of disruption they have already had and may still face.

Yeah, it's not just the grades, it's the effect all this has on them. I know that's the same for all kids really, but his whole secondary 'career' has been about year 11 (from the school, not us!) and I'm just nervous I guess. Good to hear from others in the same boat, I did wonder if I was being a bit, well, silly, about it.

I know we just have to wait and see and take it as it comes.

@bluesapphirestars oh my God do you really think schools won't change that much after September? Have you been in a school? The absence level is going to rocket (staff and pupils), there is far more evidence of children being able to transmit the virus than in March... apart from that, nothing has really changed since March so to think 'back to business as normal' is major head-in-sand-burying.

Agree with @monkeytennis97

I am a y13 mum but modified exams are only helpful in the subjects that won't be studied at A-level and beyond. For example if a pupil plans to A-level Biology, an exam that's 1/6 shorter (as they missed 1 out of 6 teens of teaching) isn't helpful as they need to know that 1/6 of knowledge for A-level.

have you been in a school

Erm, yes, I teach in one!