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

I have a year 10 and I would rather they weren't rushed back. I feel that they will be 'encouraged' to attend extra lessons and work far harder than they would usually be expected to in order to get them up to exam level. For a large percentage of these children they will need a period of readjustment before any of that should happen.

Remember we a fighting a virus that has killed young people, not many but some.

As far as I can see the chances of the virus killing an otherwise healthy 15 year old is absolutely tiny. There is probably a greater chance of her being killed in a car accident or by another illness.

With no cure/vaccine in sight we need to try and get back to something resembling normal life. Of course we should shield people at risk but the rest of the population needs to find a way to function again.

I assume it is mainly an economic decision. Teenagers can be left at home whilst parents go to work but primary school children can't.
Slightly less cynically, I imagine school sizes might come into it too. One year group in secondary school could have more pupils than plenty of primaries have in the whole school, plus there are an awful lot more staff required. Think about how many teachers a class of 30 Year 10s come into contact with between them in a week - at least 10 subject teachers each (and not all the same ones) plus ancilliary staff. A similarly sized primary class would probably have one class teacher and a TA plus possibly input from other teachers for some specialist subjects which could probably be avoided at present. So not only are a lot more resources needed to teach the secondary pupils, but movement of pupils and teachers between classes is much greater. The more people mix, the greater the risk of transmission. It would be comparatively easy to keep a class of primary children in the same place, doing the same thing with the same teacher - not so with secondary pupils.
I've got a son in Year 12 and I am getting increasingly concerned about the situation. I would love for him to be able to return to school safely and I know he feels the same. But I don't think we are at that point yet unfortunately.

Honestly, I’m really taken aback, plus horrified that I won’t see my 7s, 8s and 9s. I would have thought that Years 10 and 12 would be first back by a country mile.

@ladyme y10 and 12 are the exam years!
@FreddieFlintstone Y 10 and y12 are crucial - this is going to determine where they go to sixth form and university and the whole direction of their lives - can't see any argument about how important that is.
For practical GCSEs, A levels and IBs and BTEcs (drama, music, sciences, art, DT, PE etc) can only go so far with remote teaching. The disparity of quality of that online teaching is also vast in all subjects from a hool to school. I'm amazed these aren't one of the first years to go back. They are also mature enough to cope with social distancing - certainly better than 30 five year olds!

@Cherrysoup I was amazed Y10 wasn’t first on the list. DS is in Y10, he’s not bothered though, quite happy with remote learning.

I am assuming if they are not first back into school they will have to do something about GCSEs for next year. Not sure what though.

@pipandmum I know, I'm not a dumbass. That's why I pointed out that they were a priority.

Yr6 need the transition to Yr7 - simple as that.
I have a Yr6 currently who isn't ready to transition and needs the closure of primary school.

@poniesandgin how can it be purely for the economy year 2 to prob year 7 need childcare as well , and many who even have. Child in year r or 1 could potentially have others in other years so still will have childcare issue

Tbh even my year 10 I think would forget social distancing when back with his friends at school every once in a while ,as let's be honest it's not natural for us to do and when I'm shopping I have to keep watching out for others who don't seem to care
I'm hopeful he will get some time back but it implied something time with teachers not necessary back to school but even that could be beneficial just to make sure they are doing ok and maybe help with more guidance ,
He hates working at home and wants to go back to school but we all have to just get along the best we can

YABU

@Queenlouisuana are you not working currently ? Teachers are in and aren't all wearing Ppe either

It is pathetic. Schools should re open to all children. Anyone who doesnt want to send their child is free to do so. Teachers and school children more likely to die from road traffic accident than covid.

Waiting until covid goes? Well flu has never been cured has it

For year 10 and 12 it's not just a case of getting back to school. The home study provision for my kids has been appalling and it's unlikely they'll ever catch up. There has been very little work sent, no feedback, emails or marking from staff. The government and exam boards need to do more to ensure these groups are not completely disadvantaged. The argument that the whole cohort face the same challenges us nonsense. This situation means the most disadvantaged are even more disadvantaged whilst those in private school or with engaged parents will do far better than normal if grade boundaries are adjusted.

Year 11 and 13 have fared the best, every other year group, but especially years 10 and 12, are the educational casualties of covid. Year 11 and 13 had finished most of their learning and if schools are to open now they should have considered allowing year 11 and 13 to sit exams with social distancing in place. No exams for some year 11/13 means their predicted grades will be far lower than if they had worked hard and sat the exams. It also means year 12 are doubly disadvantaged because they will be competing with year 13 deferred uni entrants for competitive courses, all of whom will not have sat a single exam and will most likely be given an inflated grade.

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

Heavens forfend that I should defend the government, but I don't entirely agree with this. If it were purely economic, there would be more of a push to get Y2, 3, 4 and 5 back too, since they're also too young to reasonably be left at home while parents go back to work. I think it's more about early years core skills. There's a wealth of research about the long term impact on learning outcomes if too much is missed in KS1. I assume Y6 is similarly about core preparedness for secondary. If you have to prioritise particular year groups to avoid overcrowding, I can see why these are the ones they've chosen.

Really saddening to hear pp say that their Y10 and 12 children are getting no teaching or support. I have a Y12 DC who is shielding so couldn't go back even if the provision was there, but his school have been amazing in providing online teaching, plenty of homework and feedback. He's at a sixth form college rather than an 11-18 school, so maybe they're more able to deliver to a smaller student body? I had assumed most/all schools were doing the same. Terrible that they're not.

The younger the child, the harder it is to work from home, so that might be part of the thinking

"if schools are to open now they should have considered allowing year 11 and 13 to sit exams with social distancing in place"

As NEA deadlines have already passed (they fell during closure) and orals have already begun, and many papers were scheduled for May, I don't think trying to reinstate all parts of public exams is remotely possible. Especially as very few pupils will have been working for exams that were definitively cancelled two months ago

Also all arrangements for marking have been cancelled

@MojoMoon *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*

This is the first time on countless threads I’ve seen someone actually say something sensible about the exam years. I thought I was missing something, as I’ve been sitting here thinking that surely exam papers will be both set and marked with the significant disruption to teaching in mind.

I understand what is being said about grade boundaries but it is sad that education has come to be thought of in this way - that the exam grade is the important thing not the learning that grade is meant to represent. League table culture has a lot to answer for.

It is a purely economic decision.

Lets send back the children least able to understand social distancing first so we can tell people to get back to work and stop paying their wages. Sod the children who actually need it the most.

I'd be surprised if teaching unions accept this though.

Bear in mind that grade boundaries for most subjects are always normalised. It is likely that to get say an 8 next year will probably need less than previous years. I think there are a lot more difficulties in secondary due to different groups and options specialist options more challenging behaviour etc. I doubt the details of this have been worked out yet.

It is pathetic. Schools should re open to all children. Anyone who doesnt want to send their child is free to do so. Teachers and school children more likely to die from road traffic accident than covid.

I'm guessing you're not a teacher!

It's an economic decision.
He's already as of last nights announcement, which he gave only 12 hours notice, and wants you to start today:

Go back to work if you can.

ie so that his Government doesn't need to pay your furlough portal anymore!

But hang on, schools and nursery's aren't even open yet!

But hey, not to worry.

And he wants reception and year 1 (and year 6) back first? The youngest? Who understand the concept of social distancing the least?

Bet that will fail dismally!

Freddie:

"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."

Well that shows the quality of your friends!

Neither of my 2 ds's are in year 10 or 12 and I still believe those 2 years are the priority.

I'm capable of independent thought, not bias.

This article may help explain why and also help those worried:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/coronavirus-no-child-known-to-have-passed-covid-19-to-adults-global-study-finds-11981111