TO not understand why years 10 and 12 are not the priority

[Londonmummy66]

Why on earth are year 6 a priority to go back to school but not years 10 and 12 who desperately need the teaching time due to exams next year? If only years 10 and 12 went back now it should be possible to socially disatce them by using the large rooms (eg sports halls/canteens) to teach lessons for large classes and larger classrooms for the less busy subjects.

I just feel that this cohort is going to be even more screwed over than years 11 and 13

Yabu - years 10 and 12 don't need to be a priority
Yanbu years 10 and 12 need to go back after half term

Because this was an economic decision, not one made for educational reasons. If primary schools go back, people can get back to work.

I would have thought it'd be easier to socially distance year 10/12 than a bunch of primary school children.

My DC are in Y6/10/12 and I definitely don't feel comfortable sending the Y6 back.

Over 10s are more likely to suffer adverse effects of Covid aren't they? Presumably that's a significant reason.

In a large school like ours we have 10 teaching groups of 27 in Year 10.... we haven’t got the venues to teach them in a socially distant way. We don’t have the staff to split classes either. Or we could have some in on different days, but how do you choose?! Practical subjects like science or DT would be insane - it would take about a fortnight to get the whole class through a practical!

I totally get what you’re saying, and I’m desperate to get back to them! We’ve only got a year to finish the courses and it’s going to be tight...

I would have thought it'd be easier to socially distance year 10/12 than a bunch of primary school children

Many year 10s are substantially less compliant than Y6.

I thought when Boris said "exam year pupils" he was referring to those years, not year 6s.

From some basic early research it was said under 10s didn't spread it as much.

Research was very limited though.

I can imagine in some challenging schools they wouldn't have a dog's chance of making teenagers socially distance themselves.

I thought when Boris said "exam year pupils" he was referring to those years, not year 6s.*

He was he said hopefully sometime with teachers before summer.*

I wonder if it is because the virus spread may be different for over 10s, especially for older teenagers.

It affects the over 10s more (see assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883790/COVID19_Weekly_Report_6_May.pdf)

and transmission I imagine is higher

and it is harder to control. They are the only two secondary classes that look like they will have some teacher time.

Public transport is another thing they often live further away as well

and it will be economic decision

He also said he hoped Y10s would be able to have face to face before the end of term, didn't really sound like having lessons.

Is no one wondering about snogging teenagers...

I think late primary is best age before they get the urges!

But Boris is saying he hopes the exam year pupils will be back at some point before summer but year 6 can go back sooner - madness.

I get that year 10 often have large classes especially for the compulsory subjects. However if only years 10 and 12 are back then sports halls etc will be under utilised so could be used to teach those subjects in a socially distanced way - so English in the sports hall and maths in the canteen - not ideal but possible.

Yes he said he's aiming to get year 10 and 12 some teacher time before July.

Bozo wants childcare to get the working classes back to work

Children that age don't need childcare, their parents can work.

Probably in the minority here but I’d really like my yr 6 ds to go in before summer. He’s asd and was supposed to have lots of additional support with transitioning to secondary, I’m really worried how he will cope if he doesn’t get that before September.

My year 10 very disappointed.
Flagging a bit with home learning now.
Science is one I worry about as need to be in school to do much of that effectively. Science seems to be a bit on hold.
Really, although he is 'working' I have not really got a clue how much he is 'missing' and how he is truly doing. Feedback from school depends on the teacher/ subject, from a fair bit to nothing.
I do think his homelearning at his school will need to evolve.
Some subjects seem to have done, others less so and therefore less engaging...

Every parent I've spoken to believes their child's year group is the most important so on that basis I'm going to say, if you have kids in those year groups YABU because your biased.

I've been working on a research project in children's mental health for the last couple of years and the transition to secondary school is a really key moment for how children do later. Handled badly and it can trigger anxiety that never goes away for their whole school careers.

Years 10 and 12 are important but more able to learn independently and work distantly if needed.

From what I can gather reception, year 6 and exam years are the priority.

It’s an economic decision for childcare reasons, nothing at all to do with education.

Plus a month of unsettled teaching where everyone hasn’t a clue what’s going on isn’t going to make much difference to exams.
They can’t group big classes into sports halls, what about different levels of ability and some children needing 1-1 support of SEN.

I imagine year 6 may well be back part time, and do mostly transition stuff including visiting their new schools and/or being visited by teachers from their new schools.

I think there is concern a poorly managed transition to secondary school has significant knock on negative effects for the rest of compulsory education and they wish to try and avoid that.

Reception and year 1 go back for child care reasons. You can work from home with a year 10 in the household much easier than a year 1.

And while I know it is difficult, please don't worry too much about their exams. Exams are primarily a means of ranking a cohort, ie comparing them against each other to allocate scarce resources like university places or sixth form places to the highest performing.

The whole cohort is in the same position here - grades required for sixth form or uni places will be adjusted to reflect that. A uni just wants to take the top 100 students it can get got a course - whether they get AAA once year and ABB the next year doesn't matter if they are still the top 100 students

It’s ill thought-out and badly-communicated (no surprises there). Looks like unions are going to have a lot to say in the coming weeks. I have a Year 10 and would like to get him back in school but not counting my chickens.

Exams will be adjusted to accommodate this as they have this year (not that I agree with the criteria). So essentially year 10s and 12s won't miss out. With secondary kids it is the getting to school that is the issue alongside medical issues. He can't say 'don't use public transport' and then get kids on it. Probably 800 kids at my school use school buses or public transport. That's 200 year 10s?