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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to make my DS (16) do schoolwork with no GCSEs?

63 replies

Frinton38 · 02/04/2020 19:28

His school have been sending out work to do online during the lockdown and my DS is refusing to do it. Saying things such as "They won't check it" and "I won't have to come back after anyway so there's nothing they can do". I still have made him do it so he can continue his education from home. AIBU?

OP posts:

Oakmaiden · 02/04/2020 19:32

I wanted my daughter to do something, in order to give her day some structure and to keep her hand in, so to speak.

Well, that went down like a lead balloon. SO she isn't doing anything school related at all, right now.

TeenPlusTwenties · 02/04/2020 19:36

I think on the whole YABU.

But he should do prep work for A levels if that is the plan, or keep up English & Maths if he might be at risk of failing them.

optimisticpessimist01 · 02/04/2020 19:42

I'm a teacher and we are creating Y11-Y12 transition packs. If he is doing A Levels or even a college qualification instead, I would try and find some "fun" work to do related to those subjects. E.g. watching a specific documentary/listening to a podcast, creating a poster on a specific project he has to research into etc.

Something that isn't too much like being at school otherwise he will end up resenting it

Etinox · 02/04/2020 19:42

Surely they'll base his grades on the work he's doing now the exams are cancelled?! What does he plan to do next?

Parsley1234 · 02/04/2020 19:43

My son is doing 2/4 hours a day on various lessons holiday work. He will then keep revising in case he does the exams in the Autumn. His school will be doing online lessons from mid April daily 9 am registration then lessons until the afternoon.

optimisticpessimist01 · 02/04/2020 19:43

But as PP said, there's no rush it very probably your son will be off until September. Maybe give them a couple weeks off to relax and take all of this in then just a couple of hours a week

SmileEachDay · 02/04/2020 19:46

They won't check it" and "I won't have to come back after anyway so there's nothing they can do". I still have made him do it so he can continue his education from home. AIBU?

It’s such a shitty situations for yr11. I’m an English teacher and I’m really upset for my class. We’re still setting work - they’re our kids and we have a responsibility. Any of them who do decide to do exams again next year will need as much support as possible. Anyone at risk of failing English or maths will have to resit.

It’s so hard though. I totally understand why he’d want to kick back and not do anything.

We ARE checking work, and providing feedback.
What’s he hoping to do next year?

Devlesko · 02/04/2020 19:46

Unless there's been an announcement I've missed, which is quite likely can't what they are doing now count towards their result.
Mine is still following her timetable, with teachers and full class. Even down to registration in the morning.
They are still submitting work and have been told that the work now will give a realistic mark for GCSE's, is this not correct?

Nimello · 02/04/2020 19:48

My DD (15, but GCSE year) is doing absolutely nothing other than moaning to her friends on Snapchat about how bored she is. Her school holidays would have started a fortnight ago, but still.

There's no chance whatsoever of her doing any work so long as she isn't physically at school.

My A level 17 yr old is being more diligent, even though they would also have broken up by now. However, that's purely because he's obsessed with his A level subjects so is inventing work for himself.

MuddlingMackem · 02/04/2020 19:48

YANBU, but we're having the same battle with our DS.

He apparently has an assignment for one subject he hasn't finished, so we're pushing him to get that done, but he keeps ducking it. It's driving us mad! (To be fair, he does have HFA, so has a schoolwork for school not home mentality which is exacerbating the situation.)

BlessYourCottonSocks · 02/04/2020 19:48

Perhaps get him to focus on the subjects he's intending to take for A level? Or is he aiming for college? Either way, there needs to be some sort of structure and education or he'll find it almost impossible to get down to doing this come September after a 6 month break from any kind of self discipline.

Devlesko · 02/04/2020 19:51

Can I just add, that I think the usual routine albeit online has saved my dd from having a breakdown, I know they are all different though.
I can imagine the state she would be in if all she had was social media as an outlet.
I would advise anyone with a child prone to mh issues to continue with as much routine as they can, it really has been our saviour.

Glittercandle · 02/04/2020 19:54

My DD and her friends aren’t doing anything.
The school have told them they have enough data so it would waste their time to carry on setting work.
Her school have said they will give them A-level translation packs in May.

TeenPlusTwenties · 02/04/2020 19:55

It would be extremely unfair for any work done since school closures to count towards results.
There can't be any certainty who has done the work, it could be anyone such as an older sibling or parent.
Home circumstances are so different that disadvantaged pupils would be even more disadvantaged if it were allowed.

Schools should have plenty of evidence already on how pupils were progressing, their predicted grades, the cohort KS2 results, the usual added value for the school etc.

Oakmaiden · 02/04/2020 19:58

can't what they are doing now count towards their result.

Our school have emphatically said that they can't use anything not already completed towards GCSE marks.

Thingsdogetbetter · 02/04/2020 20:03

If he's planning a-levels you need to sell it as making sure he has the skills and knowledge he needs to start a-levels. Otherwise he'll start at a disadvantage and have a hard time catching up. Concentrate on those subjects.

BillywilliamV · 02/04/2020 20:06

Good Luck with that, mate!

DisinfectantDoris · 02/04/2020 20:10

Get him to do something constructive like researching his future career. Tell him to get up on the competition and do something constructive to show future employers he didn't just sit on his ass...

Punxsutawney · 02/04/2020 20:11

I agree Teen it would be very unfair. Ds's school have set no work at all. They have just suggested that if the student thinks they may want to retake a subject that they continue to revise it. Nothing has been sent home or has to be submitted to school.

I've had some contact with school today as Ds has SEN and there is some A level bridging work being emailed to year 11 after Easter.

Muddling we are in exactly the same situation with school work for school not home mentality! Had been having a terrible time trying to get him to revise before the exams got cancelled.

Darbs76 · 02/04/2020 20:12

I’m not making my son do it. He is predicted high grades so won’t be sitting any exams in the Autumn. He has worked so hard for so long and he was so upset the exams were cancelled (understand why of course). I am not making him do GCSE revision which has been set. He’s going to start A level prep after Easter

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 02/04/2020 20:15

I guess it depends what hes going to do afterwards. If he is going to do a levels he should keep up with those subjects, also maths and English could help every day life. I agree theres not much point doing say french if hes never planning on using it again, a few weeks work wont make any difference in the long run

Darbs76 · 02/04/2020 20:15

Work set now definitely does NOT count towards GCSE marks. For a start how can they prove who completed it? They’ve been collecting data for years and have done 2 sets of mocks at DS’s school. They don’t need anymore

Clutterbugsmum · 02/04/2020 20:25

Mine is doing some, not as intense as she would if she would if she would be studying for exams.

She also looking into the A level she wants to do. She be reading up on various area's of study.

itsgettingweird · 02/04/2020 20:37

Mine is sent some revision stuff. All the stuff I've looked at is revision and no actual work to submit.

He's not doing it other than working on English language because I'm not sure the school will be able to evidence or convince ofqual he'd pass that!

The rest he got 6/7/8/9 in mocks and all assessments in school since have been 7/8/9.

He has a scribe in school and an ehcp. They said if he goes in (vulnerable and I'm a keyworker) they can't guarantee 1:1 or work provided. So I can't see how he's meant to do it at home?
He did complete some coursework and send it in which I typed for him as a scribe.

They've said results are going to come out end of July hopefully for those who want to retake to retake in September. So they know they have time to revise subjects they want to retake.

They just had school end suddenly, been cut off from their friends of at least 5 years, the teachers who have been supporting them for 5 years, their exams cancelled, prom and end of year flour fight etc cancelled. The summer jobs they were doing to earn some money have all gone or they won't get.

I really cannot be bothered to tell ds to work every day when I in all honestly cannot give him a concrete reason why.

But then my ds is autistic and can only deal in logic and facts! The possibilities with no concrete evidence are just not something he will even consider

BabbleBee · 02/04/2020 20:41

No work set at all for my DD, nor for my friend’s DD at a different but local school.

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