To want to know what will happen with my year 10s GCSEs next year

[bigbananafeet12]

It’s now looking like schools aren’t going back in June. If teachers unions are not happy to return then, I can’t see what will be so different in September so who knows when they’ll be in. They’ve already had 5 weeks of ‘home learning’ with another 9 to go until they break up for summer. My ds has not been required to submit one piece of work since he left school on March 23rd. He has to do the work in his book and mark it as completed on Frog. Subsequently he’s had no feedback on anything he’s done. I’ve asked him to ask teachers if they can look at his work but he’s 15 and doesn’t like making a fuss. I try my best to look at what he’s up to but frankly have no confidence in my knowledge of physics etc! I also know that if I try to get too involved he will not be happy and at least now he is attempting to do the work. I don’t want it to be a battle.
I had a glimmer of hope that if he was back even part time in June we could ensure he was still on track and it would help restore his enthusiasm but obviously this looks unlikely.
So how on earth will schools have time to teach the GCSE syllabus plus revise as all previous years have been able to do. I know we’re having a global pandemic but to be honest I’m so worried about DS.
This is not a dig at teachers.

Hearhooves - mine are in independents and they’re all given an iPad at the start of Year 7, for school homework and communication with teschers. Do nothing massively new there. Even in the primary years they had iPads, I think, from Year 4. I do have another one in another independent that doesn’t give them all iPads routinely, but they’re still delivering online and if they don’t register by 8.30 they are marked as late. If work isn’t sent through on time, the teachers contact me.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras No - we post the work to them so that they can complete it. Its differentiating so that they dont need internet access but they can access apps already downloaded onto the school software. It isnt perfect but it is the best we can do. It's also the reason why we arent doing zoom lessons - it isbt fair on those who cant access.

Whatsername177

That was my point really, with posters saying their schools were doing lessons on line, on line pe etc. That only works if all children can get online doesn't it?

I wouldn’t be surprised if GCSEs and alevels are scrapped next year as well. That kids get some sort of estimated grade, which will be even harder to estimate than for the current exam years. Next academic year is still going to be fucked up with probably waves of infection and resulting lock downs.

@BeltaneBride

Who provides the digipen?

My friends in industry were genuinely surprised I didn't get given a work laptop. They couldn't believe teachers provide their own.

I bought the digipen pen for about £30 on Amazon -has made my life a million times easier. I have a school iPad and use my own laptop to type up docs etc.

Ah there you go. I have nothing touch screen at home and I'm not buying an ipad to remote teach!

It's also the reason why we aren't doing zoom lessons - it isn't fair on those who cant access

It's not a race to the bottom.

It's about time libraries reopened, although they don't have enough terminals for all the teens in their areas.

My friends in industry were genuinely surprised I didn't get given a work laptop. They couldn't believe teachers provide their own

I have a work laptop, DH doesn't. It's not the norm that everyone "in industry" gets a work laptop.

And the only reason I have one is because, about three weeks before lockdown, the firm I work for replaced all its desktops with laptops. Otherwise I wouldn't have.

Most people I know who work in industry and WFH have a work laptop to work on. Fair enough if you've not previously been expected to work outside the office. However with teaching it's rare that you do everything while the building is open. Therefore you have to have your own tech.

A race to the bottom? Seriously?

I teach in a fairly middle class area, but most families do not have a laptop for every member of the family. In our school, teaching online will benefit a few who can access. I'm not prepared to leave out kids who haven't got internet, kids who haven't got a computer (we haven't got enough chromebooks to give one to every pupil), kids who haven't got a quiet space to work in etc. Some of my kids are working in the evenings rather than the day as they are sharing a computer. We are doing our best to provide the best possible education that all pupils can access.

So it doesn’t sound like it will be June 1st return for Year 10s and 12s then.

Mine break up on the 5th, 7th and 10th July anyway,

Can’t understand why they are not a priority. Makes no sense at all.

They're not a priority because they don't need childcare, I think. Parents can get back to work more easily with secondary age children, whereas there's no way they can go back while the primary schools are still closed. It's about getting the economy going as much as it's about education per se.

Logistics of secondary make it harder to part return.

Some thought that primary are less able/ likely to social distance so if the R rate is OK with them back then its safe for others.

I suppose it might be that the older pupils don't necessarily follow the same virus spread as the younger ones. Isn't it in Switzerland that are allowing under 10s to hug their grandparents, but they aren't encouraging the same contact for teenagers.

I've got DD in year 10 and I'm dismayed at the disparity between different schools and the gap widening between motivated students and the ones at (mainly private) schools who are doing live learning and the ones without that support. Moving grade boundaries won't bridge that gap.

DD isn't very academic and most of her predicted grades are 4s - any slippage and she won't get the passes she needs to continue in education. She's getting work on google classroom but is overwhelmed and very anxious about the need to organise herself, prioritise, and keep focused. She has poor mental health and is also easily distracted. She resisted help initially but was struggling so much that she's now agreed to my sitting with her while she works but I can only do it because I'm furloughed at the moment.

The whole thing is a mess - DD doesn't like school and is relieved to be at home but I'm really hoping she can go back this term for the sake of her education.

lakeswimmer

I doubt that "live learning" would provide the support that you are looking for.

Having this “unknown” hanging over them is far from ideal. My DC who is in Year 12 had been told that there will be a formal exam week “as soon as schools reopen.” So they’re in a perpetual state of feeling like they need to revise on top of the full timetable of online work, but they don’t know what timescale to adapt this revision to. In a way, they’re hoping they will get back to school before summer so that they don’t have the revision schedule prolonged and hanging over them for the whole summer as well. It’s too much after lockdown. They need a break off screens. I’m worried about the mental health aspect if all this. If they can give A-levels without exams, surely they can give “predicted grades” without exams?

I think it’s time for a clear, definitive strategy rather than this hanging about. For instance, if they just said, “Secondary schools will reopen in September. These subjects will be teacher assessment, these will not” - or something along these lines.” At least students would know where they stand.

@monkeycats

I know it's hard for them BUT there are lots of other decisions that the DfE and ofqual need to deal with right now. They have more time to decide with year 10 and hopefully can make a better decision. This year's cancellation of exams was the right call at the time, however it has left so many decisions and policies needing to be written. I'd prefer a sensible decision re y10/12 than a bad rushed one.

Predicted grades and this years centre assessed grades will have used mock exams as information towards the grades. The students do need to be assessed at some point.

I'm not prepared to leave out kids who haven't got internet

That doesn't justify doing nothing. You can do video lessons for those who can access, and send work home for those who can't - by post or email. You can also record lessons so those who can't access the lesson in real time can watch it when they can get access to a device.

Too much "can't do" and not enough "can do".

If some state schools can do it (in areas that are not that affluent) then they all can.

Why would I spend time recording and uploading an Internet lesson when there are pre made professional videos out there for my subject that are far superior to anything I can make?

I did one pre made video lesson. Took 5 hours to make, edit, upload. No way do I have time to do that a lot.

cologne4711

The reasons for not doing video lessons have been explained many times.

@FrippEnos the two things she's struggling with most are organising her time and staying focused. If she was in a live lesson with a teacher in front of her at a specific time both of those would be addressed more effectively than sitting in her bedroom with the option of starting and finishing tasks when she wants to and wondering where to start.

Set a timer and stick to her normal lesson times if she's struggling.

Lots of teachers have their own children at home so can't do live lessons.