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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the uncertainty facing this years Year 11s is unfair?

42 replies

Marcellemouse · 17/09/2020 18:46

They don’t know if they’re going to sit a final GCSEs or whether everything they do from now on will be used to give them a grade. They’ve been at home self learning for 6 months, now thrown straight back into the deep end with constant tests and talking tos. I worry about the impact this uncertainty and stress is going to have on these 15 year olds. They’ve missed a huge chunk of teacher time and are now expected to achieve amazing results immediately. And that’s without any self isolating which they’re bound to experience a few times at least this year.

OP posts:

2pinkginsplease · 17/09/2020 22:54

We are in Scotland and the teachers at her school are preparing for exams and also no exams. They have a contingency plan, just incase. There will be more continual assessments throughout the year to give the teachers more evidence incase exams don’t go ahead. My child is in 6th year(her last year of school before uni/college/finding a job. She sat exams in 4th year but missed out last year. I feel sorry for the new 5th years as they have had no exam experience, a takeaway least my child knows roughly what to expect.

SierraHotel · 17/09/2020 22:57

My dd is in yr 11. She's taking it in her stride really but that's her nature generally. It's frustrating and very uncertain but there's nothing we can do about it 🤷‍♀️

SeasonFinale · 18/09/2020 17:41

@Petitmum

My year 11 dd was in tears this morning - it's so hard on them. Her school haven't decided yet if they will be doing Maths in November and English lit in Jan. Everyone was told to self isolate on Saturday but they were allowed back to school on Wednesday by Public Health as it turned out there had been an error at the testing station and the pupil was not positive after all. Nightmare!!!!!

What do you mean about school deciding to do Maths in November and English Lit in January? Do you mean they usually put them all in for early entry rather than in June like the majority of the rest of the country?

littlemsattitude · 18/09/2020 22:31

We had a letter from DD's school, they are doing compulsory after school catch up lessons for the year 11s.

likeafishneedsabike · 18/09/2020 22:52

It will be okay for those students who want to make a go of it. Currently, my students have access to all lesson resources on TEAMS in case they are self isolating or waiting for a test. If the year group shuts, we will switch lessons to online, then switch back to the classroom when the students return. Blended learning has a lot of benefits.
My biggest advice would be to get your teenagers laptops if you can possibly afford it, and to let them know that self motivation is the key. The days of teachers dragging Year 11 students over the finishing line are over . . . even while school is open social distancing rules are preventing us from doing the kinds of hands on intervention we would normally do with reluctant learners. It really is on them now, and maybe that’s no bad thing.

ouchyoubiteybugger · 18/09/2020 22:57

Yes, i have dd1 in y13 and dd2 in y11 been back 2 weeks and dd2 sent home already as someone tested positive but then negative (problem with communication) so lost 2 days. How much schooling are they going to get and teachers say they have no clue about exams. Its awful

nancy75 · 18/09/2020 23:02

My Dd is year 11, she worked really hard over lockdown, did all work set as if it was a normal school day. She’s usually very even keel but the last week has sent her spinning. She was in tears tonight about the uncertainty of it all, worried about her grades, worried about what she’s missed already, frightened that if she so much as coughs she’ll miss another 2 weeks of school.
Even though she’s done a lot at home it’s no replacement for being in school with a teacher.
I can’t see how exams next year can go ahead - what about schools that have to isolate the year several times (and there will be others that don’t)

Someone should step up now show some leadership & make some firm decisions.

AlexaShutUp · 18/09/2020 23:08

They just have to do the best they can in the circumstances. It's a difficult situation, but we're in the middle of a global pandemic.

I don't think we will help our kids by wringing pur hands over how awful it is. Much better to focus on what they can do and just make the best of it.

My dd is still hoping that they'll be able to do their exams but accepts that it might not happen. She is just working as hard as she can and hoping for the best.

colouringindoors · 18/09/2020 23:12

YANBU it's really hard for yr11 and yr13s. My dd is coping ok at the moment, but is about to embark on a syressful week of tests so the teachers can find out who knows what...

Dominicgoings · 18/09/2020 23:14

Year 11 and Year 13 have the advantage this year of knowing things are uncertain.
We’re staying focused, making sure work is up to date, focusing on mental health and staying reassured by the knowledge that we’ll have a lot more clarity this year than we did last year.

Dominicgoings · 18/09/2020 23:15

@AlexaShutUp

They just have to do the best they can in the circumstances. It's a difficult situation, but we're in the middle of a global pandemic.

I don't think we will help our kids by wringing pur hands over how awful it is. Much better to focus on what they can do and just make the best of it.

My dd is still hoping that they'll be able to do their exams but accepts that it might not happen. She is just working as hard as she can and hoping for the best.

Essentially this. Set a positive example.

GetUpAgain · 18/09/2020 23:21

Yes absolutely OP. My eldest is Y11 and looks like an adult but with the wisdom/insight of a child. He is a clever enough kid but doesn't have enough experience of the world to be self motivated. The thing about adolescents is that they are immature. In normal times he'd be getting 7s but I'll just be glad if he scrapes into 6th form still smiling tbh. Its Y13 I feel have it the toughest of all.

gleegeek · 18/09/2020 23:27

Year 13 parent here. It really is tough! So much pressure to work as hard as possible, but not knowing if the exams will go ahead, and in what form or, if covid is still around at exam time will they be well and able to sit them?
I had an idea but no idea if it's feasible! If during exam weeks schools closed, spread the children throughout all the classrooms so social distancing is possible and then swap teachers. So one school's teachers go to another school and invigilate the exams. Should be no cheating as it wouldn't benefit their children directly, exams could go ahead and hopefully be marked as usual. There's probably many reasons why it's impossible but was musing!

AlexaShutUp · 18/09/2020 23:27

My eldest is Y11 and looks like an adult but with the wisdom/insight of a child.

Interesting. My dd is the opposite - still looks like a child but has more wisdom and insight than most adults I know!

AliMonkey · 18/09/2020 23:34

My DD seems to surprisingly OK at moment and just enjoying being back at school. I think she just thinks there's not much she can do about it so she will just get on with it, but then that's how she tends to be about most things. She is revising very hard for exams in a couple of weeks and possibly putting in a bit more effort than usual for exams in knowledge that it could affect her final grade but tbh she's always worked and revised hard and was always planning to step up another gear for Y11. She's actually very surprised that many of her friends aren't revising much (particularly as it's a grammar school so on average they are intelligent and well-motivated).

I'm more worried about DS in Y9 as lockdown plus being back at school have both shown us just how slowly they teach at his school. I know they have to teach in a way that all pupils benefit and some of them having done little over lockdown won't help, but honestly they seem to spend a whole hour teaching something that takes him 10 minutes max to understand and practice (and he's bright, but not top-of-the-class bright). But anxiety problems mean he didn't want to apply for the grammar and daren't ask the teachers for more/harder work so he's stuck with it.

GetUpAgain · 19/09/2020 08:30

@AlexaShutUp

My eldest is Y11 and looks like an adult but with the wisdom/insight of a child.

Interesting. My dd is the opposite - still looks like a child but has more wisdom and insight than most adults I know!

Yes my DD is the same. She'd be fine if this was her Y11 experience but DS isn't... My children are completely chalk and cheese!

ihearttc · 19/09/2020 08:40

DS1 is in Y11 and is really struggling. He worked hard during lockdown but the school provision was not great. He’s like me in that he needs to plan and the not knowing what is going to happen is driving him crazy. He is a bright boy and could do really well but I think all this uncertainty is really affecting him.
It’s been topped off today but then being told that their prom (next August) has been cancelled as it won’t happen, how to completely disillusion and demotivate a year group. As DS pointed out, if they really think we can’t have a prom due to Covid then they must think we won’t do exams either so what’s the point?

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